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Paul Dunmall / Liam Noble / John Edwards / Mark Sanders:
One Moment (FMR)

Some of the finest London and Birmingham improvisers, the free improvising quartet of saxophonist Paul Dunmall with pianist Liam Noble, drummer Mark Sanders and bassist John Edward continue their work together with this exceptional live performance at the Eastside Jazz Club, Birmingham Conservatoire in an extended, far-ranging and engaging collective concert. ... Click to View


Christian Bucher / Rick Countryman:
The Force Of Gravity (FMR)

Documenting the continued growth and evolution of the longer than a decade collaboration between American alto saxophonist living in the Philippines Ricky Countryman and Swiss drummer Christian Bucher, performing in the Strawberry Jams studio in Quezon City for thirteen succinct improvisations titled with stellar analogies, from pensive music to excitingly dynamic interplay. ... Click to View


Udo Shindler / Nikolaius Neuser / Georg Karger:
Rhapsodic Topologies (FMR)

Performing at the Gallery arToxi in Munich, 2022 as part of clarinet & cornetist Schindler's LowToneStudies series, the free improvising trio of Schindler, Nikolaus Neuser on trumpet and Georg Karger on double bass perform four extended conversations of meticulous momentum and superb technique, at times repurposing, extending or modifying their instruments. ... Click to View


George Cartwright / Steve Hirsh / Chad Fowler / Christopher Parker / Kelley Hurt:
Notice That There (Mahakala Music)

Meeting in Minneapolis, home of saxophonist & guitarist George Cartwright (Curlew), the quintet of Cartwright, Steve Hirsh on drums, Chad Fowler on stritch, Kelley Hurt on voice and Christopher Parker on piano have many collaborative and friendly connections, heard in their easy-going and informed dialog, with some quirks ^ comments tossed in to personalize these excellent studio sessions. ... Click to View


Ensemble Dedalus + eRikm:
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Composed by erikM and performed with the Dedalus Ensemble, these pieces started through acousmographe recording of sounds outside of human hearing, transposed into notes and scored to be interpreted by musicians while immersed via headphone to mimic the sounds of cetaceans, then rearranged in the studio to create the annotated compositions heard on these carefully recorded compositions. ... Click to View


Julia Strzalek / Cornelia Nilsson:
Scenery Somewhere (FRIM Records)

Recording in a former hospital funeral chapel in Sweden--Stockholm's Kapellet--the drum and sax duo of alto saxophonist Julia Strzalek and drummer Cornelia Nilsson focuses on melody and clear articulation in a dialog that finds their passion in calmly unfolding conversation, consistently illuminating their instrumental and instant-compositional mastery. ... Click to View


Star City Survivor :
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Electric free improvisation with a caustic edge, stellar burns with titles like "Broken Navigation" or "The Sun is a Ball of Hate", from the North Carolina duo of guitarist Phil Venable (Tragic Assembly) and drummer Tommy Jackson, who explore the atmospheric drag on their far-reaching dialogs through propulsive energy burns and moments of dark stellar voids. ... Click to View


Pauline Oliveros :
The Well & The Gentle [VINYL 2 LPs] (Important Records)

Reissuing two essential, major works from improviser, conceptualist, accordionist and composer Pauline Oliveros--The Well & The Gentle--recorded in 1984 with participation including fellow accordionist Guy Klucevsek, The Well recorded in the studio in Pennsylvania, The Gentle using the resonance of the drinking watertank Severin of Cologne in West Germany. ... Click to View


Sunik Kim:
Raid on the White Tiger Regiment [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Notice Recordings)

Named after one of the eight core revolutionary operas produced during the Cultural Revolution in Korea, composer & performer Sunik Kim constructed this fascinatingly dense and constantly surprising set of compositions using Max MSP and SuperCollider, including a live version constructed from phone and Zoom recordings of performances at Cafe OTO and at Counterflows, in Glasgow, Scotland. ... Click to View


Musicworks:
#144 Winte 2022/2023 [MAGAZINE + CD] (Musicworks)

The Winter 2022/23 issue of Canada's most interesting music magazine including a 15-track compilation CD of new and rediscovered music from artists featured in the magazine; SLOWPITCHSOUND on the cover, plus articles on Gordon Grdina, performance artist Kite, Toronto's Audiopollination music series, sound artist Seth A Smith, live and recorded reviews, &c. &c. ... Click to View


Joelle Leandre:
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A tour-de-force solo concert from the masterful improvising French double bassist Joëlle Léandre, performing at Kunstraum Walcheturm in Zurich in 2022, mostly performed through an astounding bowing exposition, accompanied at times by her worldless vocal improvising, the five parts of this concert evoking passion, power, and a lifetime of profound expression. ... Click to View


Joel Futterman / Chad Fowler / Steve Hirsh:
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Continuing the connections from prior Mahakala Music albums Warp & Weft, (Futterman/Hirsch) and Two Five None (Fowler/Hirsch) this album brings the three together as a dynamic trio recording the two-part "Ebb & Flow", a spectacular convergence that, true to the title, shows tremendous momentum and moments of great introspection, an incredible collective free encounter! ... Click to View


Eva Novoa:
Novoa / Kamaguchi / Cleaver Trio - Vol. 1 (577 Records)

Spanish pianist based in NYC Eva Novoa has since 2017 led this international but definitely NY-oriented piano trio of Japanese bassist based in NY Masa Kamaguchi and drummer Gerald Cleaver, here in her first album on 577, her sixth as a leader, presenting eight Novoa compositions of restlessly probing, dynamically interactive and inherently melodic free improvisation. ... Click to View


Interstellar Nao (Rick Countryman / Gabriel Lauber / Itzam Cano):
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Referencing the Spanish galleons that sailed the Pacific Ocean between Acapulco in Mexico and Manila in the Philippine Islands, this meeting in Mexico city brings Philippine-based saxophonist Rick countryman together with Swiss drummer living in Mexico City Gabriel Lauber and Lauber's collaborator in the group Zero Point, Mexico City native double bass player Itzam Canois. ... Click to View


Lopez Trio (Brandon Lopez / Steve Baczkowski / Gerald Cleaver):
Matanzas (Relative Pitch)

"Matanzas" translates to "Killings", an apt description of this fiercely dark and propulsive free improv album from the NY trio led by bassist Brandon Lopez with saxophonist Steve Baczkowski and drummer/percussionist Gerald Cleaver, drawing unexpected and often malevolent sound from their instruments, particularly on the extended "Dithyramb, Sodomy, Salt". ... Click to View


Ouat (Simon Sieger / Joel Grip / Michael Griener):
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Focusing on the compositions of Swedish pianist Per Henrik Wallin, the energetic piano trio of Simon Sieger on piano, Joel Grip on double bass and Michael Griener on drums puts new life into Wallin's 1998 trio album Coyote with the intention of putting Wallin's music in front of a new audience while clearly reveling in his compositions amid their own impressive mastery. ... Click to View


Malcolm Goldstein / Fred Lonberg-Holm:
Missa Amissa [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Notice Recordings)

Bringing to ears a 2003 encounter in Chicago, IL between legendary violin improviser, conceptualist and writer Malcolm Goldstein and exploratory cello improviser Fred Lonberg-Holm, through two extended dialogs weaving their strings around each other and finding unusual intersections and unions, from rapid action to introspective beauty; unsettling and inspired. ... Click to View


Damon Smith / Louis Wall / NNN Cook / Michael William / Fred Tompkins:
Fire Point [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Notice Recordings)

A dark album of sound art from the quintet of mostly St. Louis improvisers--Damon Smith, Louis Wall, NNN Cook, Michael Williams and noted flutist Fred Tompkins on two tracks--starting through shrouded percussion and unidentifiable sources, the group's sessions are edited into a cohesive album that takes its listeners on a unique journey of electronic and acoustic interaction. ... Click to View


Max Johnson :
When the Streets Were Quiet (New Focus Recordings)

Better known for his bass work with his own free jazz trio and quartet, or as a sideman for Simon Nabatov, Chris Pitsiokis, &c. this album reveals another facet to the musician, presenting a chamber music album of strings, reeds and piano, where his role as composer and conductor brings life to works with references to Messiaen & Kafka. ... Click to View


Leap of Faith:
Undulations in the Spatial Field (Evil Clown)

The core duet of the Boston-based free improvising ensemble Leap of Faith Orchestra (LOFO) of David Peck on reeds, winds & an amazing collection of percussive instruments and Glynis Lomon on cello, aquasonic & voice are joined by keyboardist Eric Woods for an extended exploration adding unusual electronics to their typically acoustic sets for unexpected and remarkable sonic journeys. ... Click to View


Dave Soldier / William Hooker:
Lewitt Etudes (Mahakala Music)

Inspired by the graphic wall drawings of American artist and sculptor Sol Lewitt, designed as graphic scores for flexibility in improvisation, violinist Dave Soldier and drummer William Hooker assembled this impressive ensemble to present 9 etudes, performed with Rebecca Cherry, Kirk Knuffke, Ayumi Ishito, Hans Tammen, Alex Greene, Luke Stewart, and Ken Filiano. ... Click to View


Philipp Wachsmann / Trevor Taylor:
Two (FMR)

Eight studio compositions recorded in Kingston, London in 2022 between FMR label-leader Trevor Taylor on percussion and electronics, and violinist Philipp Wachsmann, also processing his sound through electronics, the two finding common ground and great compatibility in reserved pacing that seemingly allows each note and gesture to express itself fully. ... Click to View


Thanos Chrysakis :
Manifold Vista (Auf Abwegen)

Aural Terrains label-leader, composer and sound artist Thanos Chrysakis presents six new pieces merging electronic composition with field recordings and other electro-acoustic sources, in five rich and beautifully paced works of a diverse nature, evolving a consistent sound world where each piece draws the listener into the composer's detailed and engaging concepts. ... Click to View


Kasper Agnas:
Grain Live (FRIM Records)

Three live guitar improvisations from Swedish guitarist Kasper Agnas performing at Stockholm's New Music and Intermedia Art venue Fylkingen, each piece uniquely approached, starting with a lap guitar dulcimer-like approach of rapid rhythmic attacks, to a warm sound world using mallets on the guitar neck, and finally a work of decaying chords that evolve in complexity, strength and skew. ... Click to View


Philip Samartzis :
Atmospheres And Disturbances [CD + BOOK] (Room40)

A work of scientific sound from Australian sound artist Philip Samartzis, creating compositions based on field work from the High-Altitude Research Station at Jungfraujoch, Switzerland, over four weeks deploying various recording devices and microphones in and around the station to capture anthropogenic & geophysical forces, allowing listeners to experience the ecology under stress. ... Click to View


Brian Eno Performed by Dedalus Ensemble :
Discreet Music / Music For Airports / Tuesday Afternoon [2 CDs] (Sub Rosa)

The French Dedalus Ensemble render three works from the ground-breaking ambient work of Brian Eno--Discreet Music (1975), Music for Airports (1978), and Thursday Afternoon (1985)--performed as an 11-piece acoustic ensemble and remaining faithful to the introspectively intelligent intention and peaceful elegance of Eno's original electronic works. ... Click to View


Brian Eno Performed by Dedalus Ensemble :
Discreet Music / Music For Airports / Tuesday Afternoon [2 LPs] (Sub Rosa)

The French Dedalus Ensemble render three works from the ground-breaking ambient work of Brian Eno--Discreet Music (1975), Music for Airports (1978), and Thursday Afternoon (1985)--performed as an 11-piece acoustic ensemble and remaining faithful to the introspectively intelligent intention and peaceful elegance of Eno's original electronic works. ... Click to View


Julius Eastman:
Two Extended Pieces For Four Pianos [VINYL 2 LPs] (Sub Rosa)

Four European pianists--Nicolas Horvath, Melaine Dalibert, Stephane Ginsburgh, Wilhem Latchoumia--perform New York legendary and radical avant composer Julius Eastman's powerful works for four pianists: the provocatively titled "Crazy Nigger" and "Evil Nigger", reflecting the biased culture he faced, written around 1980 using his organic principle of composition. ... Click to View


Don Cherry / Dollar Brand:
Musikforum Schloss, Viktring, Austria - July 20, 1972 [VINYL 2 LPs] (WHP)

An exemplary concert of free jazz with world influences, from a quartet drawn from diverse parts of the world--trumpeter Don Cherry from New York, Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim) from South Africa, double bassist Johnny Dyani, also from South Africa, and Brazilian percussionist Nana Vasconcelos--in four side-long improvisations recorded in Austria in 1972. ... Click to View


Mike Pride:
I Hate Work (Rarenoise Records)

A warmly lyrical, mostly instrumental album of modern jazz that surprisingly takes it's title from legendary punk band MDC, and its songs from their 1982 debut album Millions of Dead Cops, led by NY drummer Mike Pride and performed with Jamie Saft (keys), Brad Jones (bass), Mick Bar (guitars) and on a few songs, vocalists JG Thirlwell (Foetus), Sam Mickens (The Dead Science) and Dave Dictor from MDC itself. ... Click to View



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  Miles Davis Quintet (w/ Coltrane / Kelly / Chambers / Cobb) 
  Live Europe 1960 Revisited  
  (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd) 


  
   review by Paul Serralheiro
  2023-02-21
Miles Davis Quintet (w/ Coltrane / Kelly / Chambers / Cobb): Live Europe 1960 Revisited (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

The excellent liner notes to this release of tracks from the Miles Davis Quintet's tour of Europe early in 1960 point out what is clear from listening to the music: the band that made so many great recordings in the 50s was in a state of crisis and Davis and Coltrane were ready to part ways, which subsequently served the development of modern jazz.

The notes point out the reluctance that Coltrane had in signing onto the tour, as well as how divergent Miles and Coltrane had become one from the other in terms of musical directions...directions which went on to shape two major strands of mainstream jazz in the 1960s....namely the experiments with funk and rock the trumpeter went for, and the sheets of sound, ecstatic and urgent state of the tenor man most close in spirit to the avant-garde.

Caught in the crossfire, so to speak, are the rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. They hold their own pretty well, though, staying themselves, despite being propelled and perhaps puzzled by the music goings-on, as jazz was entering a turbulent phase. Kelly plays some bluesy choruses and Chambers and Cobb do what they're good at, but it is the duo horn front line that is most startling to hear. Miles Davis's mostly post-bop inflected minimalism contrasts with Coltrane's effusive and irrepressible energy as he spins chorus after searching chorus, pushing the boundaries of the harmonies to places much of the audience is audibly excited by, and he gets stronger post-solo applause than the leader, who, to his credit, stays who he is, nonplussed although one imagines possibly puzzled by his sideman's journey.

The tunes played are no surprise....standard fare from the quintet's book... "On Green Dolphin Street," "Walking," "All Blues" and two different versions of "So What," one recorded in Paris on May 21, 1960, the other in Stockholm on March 22, 1960. Surprising is the tempo of "So What" in particular: no longer the laid back modal piece, it's more in a hurry and blustery. Coltrane is particularly long-winded on these tracks, and the contrasts mentioned above are most evident.

This is a historic moment captured on tape and a significant document of one segment of a pivotal period in modern jazz.



Miles Davis Quintet (w/ Coltrane / Kelly / Chambers / Cobb): Live Europe 1960 Revisited
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