The Squid's Ear Magazine


Moore, Chris / Adam Shead: The Flower Of Paradise (Amalgam)

Two Chicago compatriots--established drummer/percussionist Adam Shead and newcomer to the Chicago improvised scene, saxophonist and multi-reedist Chris Moore, in an expressive album of sax & drum interaction, thoughtful interactions in twelve succinct dialogs that focuses on the depth of their conversation through clear expression and response.
 

Price: $9.95



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 3.00 units

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Chris Moore-reeds

Adam Shead-percussion


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




Label: Amalgam
Catalog ID: AMA033
Squidco Product Code: 30744

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2021
Country: USA
Packaging: Digipack
Recorded in Chicago, Illinois, on January 20th and 27th, 2021, by Bill Harris.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"The Flower of Paradise is a welcome addition to Shead's growing catalogue in which it is now abundantly clear that he thrives in a duo setting. This is in part due to his natural willingness to listen and breathe with another musician, let alone his innate ability to do so.

This recording introduces us to Chris Moore, a newcomer to both the Chicago improvised music scene, and to his relatively chosen mode of expression through the saxophone. He, too, acts as a natural foil in a duo setting with Shead. What we hear is a lifelong artist and listener unencumbered by the dogma of musical training, "untraining," or the all too common "Trane-ing" expected of saxophonists by listeners for decades; for better or worse (and worse still, often enough for bitter -and/or- not forward).

Shead and Moore have cultivated a friendship, interpersonally and musically, that does not bear the weight of mentor/pupil in their music. Just as Moore has taken on new territory in music after years in the plastic arts, Shead, has conversely become an active aesthetician in his own right. Is this a byproduct of their friendship fostered? Perhaps. But I don't think so. I think if any correlation is to be drawn, it is that what makes this album worth its salt is the same thing that makes a sculpture worth a passing glance: someone made this, and that alone asserts its validity."-Matt Piet


Artist Biographies

"Adam Shead, who holds a BM in Percussion Performance from Columbia College Chicago, Graduate Certificate in World Performance Studies, and MM in Improvisation from The University of Michigan specializes in interdisciplinary performance, composition, and improvisation. Adam has performed at renowned music festivals such as The Chicago Jazz Festival, The Ann Arbor Edge Fest, and The Present is Present Festival in Amsterdam. Adam has performed alongside such musicians as Mary Oliver, Andrew Drury, John Dikeman, Jasper Stadhouders, Tim Daisy, Josh Berman, Ed Sarath, Dave Rempis, Ada Rave, Benny Green, and John Hollenbeck."

-ArtLitLab (https://artlitlab.org/artists/adam-shead)
11/5/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Legahoo 1:37

2. Into A Black Mist 1:21

3. Goans and Doans 2:57

4. Shapeshifters 5:33

5. Souls Of The Wicked 4:15

6. Ageless, Restless, Wanderers 6:51

7. Covered In Bells 1:47

8. Heavy Iron Chains 3:18

9. Iron Teeth 3:53

10. Bronze Nails 2:39

11. Nine Days To Kill 1:11

12. Daevas 0:25

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
Chicago Jazz & Improvisation
Saxophone & Drummer / Percussionist Duos
Duo Recordings

Search for other titles on the label:
Amalgam.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Crispell, Marilyn / Jason Stein / Damon Smith / Adam Shead
Spi-Raling Horn
(Balance Point Acoustics)
A collaboration between the working trio of bass clarinetist Jason Stein, double bassist Damon Smith, and drummer Adam Shead, adding pianist Marilyn Crispell, initiated by Smith & Crispell's admiration of painter Cy Twombly, whose artwork graces this album's cover, recorded live and complete in the studio after two live concerts between the quartet; masterful collective improv!
Stein, Jason / Damon Smith / Adam Shead
Volumes & Surfaces
(Balance Point Acoustics)
Live recordings from the trio of Chicago improvisers Jason Stein on bass clarinet and Adam Shead on drums & percussion in a trio with double bassist Damon Smith, 3 tracks recorded in the studio at Chicago's Elastic Arts and then 2 live performances captured at The Hungry Brain that same night, an album of rich proportion through the deep strings, dark drums and deep reeds.
Other Recommended Releases:
Cordoba (Brianna Tong / Eric Novak / Cam Cunningham / Zach Bain-Selbo / Khalyle Hagood / Zach Upton-Davis)
Specter
(Amalgam)
Combining elements of neo-soul, jazz fusion and hip hop, the Cordoba genre-bending sextet from Chicago use their warm, slightly off-center grooves to present vocalist Brianna Tong's articulate lyrics that observe and reflect on the state of world, the band's arrangements extended on five songs with the Latin America-influenced Kaia String Quartet.
AAVD Trio (Alexander Adams / Danny Andrade / Daniel Van Duerm)
Anti Glow
(Amalgam)
Experimental improvisation driven by the foundations of electric piano, organ & electronics of Chicago keyboardist Daniel Van Duerm, fueled by the flexible and unusual drumming of Alexander Adams and passionately expanded by the cathartic tenor sax wrangling of Danny Andrade, dark and light come together to form an "anti-glow" from this intriguing young trio.
Harris, Bill
ONOMAT
(Amalgam)
A diverse and confident set of solo drums improvisations, acoustic or in tandem with metal and wooden objects, microphone amplification, drum feedback manipulation and close-microphone use on a detuned floor tom, in the first solo release from Chicago drummer and Amalgam label leader Bill Harris recording live at the Music Garage, in Chicago.
Physique (Sam Scranton / Neil Quigley)
Curve Tote
(Amalgam)
Creating soundscapes from homemade instruments, Text-To-Speech, AI voices, lap steel guitar, found objects, field recording, &c., the duo of sound artists Sam Scranton from Chicago and Neil Quigley from Kilkenny, Ireland, present six unusually unfolding compositions of deceptively relaxed environments layered with mysterious elements and a sly sense of humor.
Tong, Brianna / Johanna Brock / Andrew Scott Young / Ishmael Ali
Akjai
(Amalgam)
Part of the Chi Away project bringing together new collaborations of Chicago improvisers, Akjai is the unique experimental chamber jazz quartet of Brianna Tong on vocals, Johanna Brock on voice & violin, Ishmael Ali on cello and Andrew Scott Young on double bass, blurring 20th century classical music, art song and free jazz with texts by Brianna Tong, Octavia Butler, and RA Washington.
Moore, Allen / Ishmael Ali / Bill Harris
Hearsay
(Amalgam)
Unusual textures, unlikely orchestration and unconventional rhythmic directions from the Chicago electroacoustic improv trio of Allen Moore on turntables & records casted with various material, Ishmael Ali on cello, guitar & electronics and Bill Harris on drums & percussion, captured live at Marmalade in Chicago in 2021 for a diverse set of experimental and absorbing improvisations.
Success Pistols (Finer / Bevins / Davidovici / Hong)
First Shot
(Amalgam)
Borrowing from jazz/improvised music, new compositional forms and avant reductionist traditions, the Montreal quartet Success Pistol release their debut album of compositions by saxophonist Dustin Finder, oral instructions including game pieces that leave room for improvisation; with Scott Bevins on trumpet, and husband and wife duo Eli Davidovici on bass and Mili Hong on drums.
Harris, Bill
Blinking Glue
(Amalgam)
An extension of his prior solo record, ONOMAT, Chicago drummer & percussionist Bill Harris also uses a prepared floor tom and feedback in this unedited 25 minute live performance at Music Garage in Illinois, notated for six track section as he explores unique rhythmic concepts augmented with encompassing environmental sonics and unusual disruptive elements.
Kimmel.Ali.Harris
Vivary
(Amalgam)
A diverse set of electroacoustic improvisations, including pointillistic interplay, free explorations merging contemporary compositional cues, pieces composed around specific parameters and evolving experimental soundscapes, from the Michigan trio Kimmel.Ali.Harris of Jeff Kimmel on clarinet & electronics, Ishmael Ali on cello, guitar & electronics, and Bill Harris on drums & synth.
Piet, Matt
(pentimento)
(Amalgam)
Three layers of Chicago pianist & composer Matt Piet (Four Letter Words, Matt Piet Trio) in a virtual trio improvised sequentially in the studio in 2020, the title referring to a visible trace of earlier painting beneath a layer of paint on a canvas, an apt analogy for the keen interactions and wonderful labyrinths Piet performs with himself.
je'raf
Throw Neck
(Amalgam)
Reminding of Downtown NY bands in the vein of No Safety or Curlew, this Chicago/NY 7-piece blurs rock, jazz and funk forms with intelligent and often satirical lyrics, upbeat and joyful music that defies categorization through groove-based songs that playfully critique while keeping it all danceable and fun, in a wonderfully talented and enjoyable album.
Four Letter Words (Piet / Wark / Harris)
Pinch Point
(Amalgam)
The first fully improvised album from the Chicago trio of Jake Wark on tenor saxophone, Matt Piet on piano and Bill Harris on drums, recording at Experimental Sound Studios in 2018 for seven numbered and concise improvisations, running the gamut from rapidly active yet controlled interaction and investigatory conversations of confident expression and creative drive.
Hatcher, Gerrit
Good Weight [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD]
(Amalgam)
Chicago tenor saxophonist Gerrit Hatcher, known for his duos with Anton Hatwich and with Julian Kirshner, the improvising trio Devouring the Guilt with Eli Namay & Bill Harris and a trio with Mars Williams & Lia Kohl, is heard here in three extended solo improvisations, with strong tone riffing on grooves, exuding warm melodies, and running demanding technical passages on his horn.
Rempis / Rosaly Duo
Codes / Myths [2 CDs]
(Aerophonic)
Chicago percussionist Frank Rosaly relocated to Amsterdam in 2016, but his 20+ year collaboration & friendship with Chicago saxophonist Dave Rempis continues, as evidenced in this live performance at Elastic Arts in 2018 during Rosaly's visit back to the Windy City, rewarding listeners with 2 CDs experiencing the two reacquaint through beautifully paced, adventurous dialog.



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought:
Parkins, Zeena
To Dusk (Black Cross Solo Sessions 8)
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Sidelined by the pandemic in June of 2020, Downtown New York electric harp improviser Zeena Parkins began daily recordings in her home studio exploring new approaches to solo electric harp performance using pedals, objects & percussions, selecting ten of the most interesting improvisations for her contribution to Corbett vs. Dempsey's Black Cross Solo Sessions.
Lindsay, Arto
Charivari (Black Cross Solo Sessions 7)
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Contrasting the explosively experimental side to his guitar work honed through the No Wave band DNA with glimmers of the lyrical approaches to his work heard in his acclaimed songwriting albums, Brazlian/Downtown New York legend Arto Lindsay shows his wide range of interests through thirteen succinct pieces of noise and thoughtful reflection.
Gustafsson, Mats
Naja (Black Cross Solo Sessions 5)
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
For three days in his own Discaholic Studios in Nickelsdorf, saxophonist Mats Gustafsson recorded the playing-card pieces of Peter Brötzmann--compositional prompts intended for a large group or for solo playing--performing on a cross-section of the saxophone family from sopranino to bass, and also one piece for saxophone mouthpiece, creating a set of stunning improvisations.
Schlippenbach, Alexander von
Globe Unity
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Wild, nearly unprecedented and an exhilarating direction in European Free Improvisation heard in the 1st recordings from 1966 of pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach's Globe Unity band, a 14-piece ensemble that included young saxophonists Peter Brötzmann, Gerd Dudek & Kris Wanders, bassist Peter Kowald, bass clarinetist Willem Breuker, trumpeter Manfred Schoof, &c.
Landaeus Trio (Nilsson / Landaeus / Aman)
A Crisis Of Perception
(Clean Feed)
Active collaborators for six years at the time of this recording, this is the first time Swedish improvisers Cornelia Nilsson on drums, Johnny Aman on double bass and Mathias Landaeus on piano & keys have recorded together as a trio, performing seven engagingly lyrical compositions from leader Landaeus, on several tracks adding an unusual edge through the use of synths.
Taylor, Cecil
Respiration
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
An incredible solo concert from legendary New York pianist Cecil Taylor in October, 1968 at the Sala Kongresowa (Congress Hall, Palace of Culture and Science) in Warsaw during the Jazz Jamboree, recorded by Polski Radio and remastered in 2021, an excellent example of the nimble mind and quick technical skills of Taylor's personal take on improvisation; stunning!
Atsushi / Tatsuya / Makoto
Japanese New Music Festival Japan Tour 2022
(Magaibutsu Limited)
Recordings from the 2022 Japanese New Music Festival Japan Tour from the trio of Tsuyama Atsushi on bass, guitar & piano, Yoshida Tatsuya on drums, synth and vocals, and Kawabata Makoto on guitar, bass and vocals, selecting the best tracks from the tour into a collection of 15 psychedelic, progressive, experimental and uncategorizable rock forms!
Kazuto, Shimizu / Yoshida Tatsuya
Whatchamacallits [CD + DOWNLOAD MOVIE LINK]
(Magaibutsu Limited)
A live recording at Koenji Jirokichi in 2022 between Magaibtusu leader Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins, Korekyojinn, Koenji Hyakkei, PYN, &c) and pianist Kazuto Shimizu (Arepos, Chakra, Hikashu, Killing Time, Lars Hollmer's Global Home Project, &c), both on vocals as they unfold a playful and technically incredible set of "Doodads", "Watchamacallits" and other wonderful curiosities.
Semantics (Elliott Sharp / Ned Rothenberg / Samm Bennett)
Bone Of Contention
(Klanggalerie)
Including three previously unreleased live tracks, one of Downtown NY's supergroups of drummer Samm Bennett, reed & wind player Ned Rothenberg and guitar & bass player Elliott Sharp's 2nd album is reissued, bringing this collection of seemingly endless possibility in improvisation back to the foreground, sounding as modern today as it did in the percolating creativity of 1987.
Merzbow / Arcane Device
Merzbow & Arcane Device
(Important Records)
Two innovative sonic luminaries--Japan's Masami Akita, aka Merzbow, and New York City's David Lee Myers, aka Arcane Device--remix each other's work, bringing Myer's unique approach to feedback and ethereal electronics to harness Akita's agressive sounds, and in reverse, Akita's sense of disruptive sonics explode Myer's more contemplative feedback music.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC