The Squid's Ear Magazine

Grdina, Gordon / Jim Black

Martian Kitties [CASSETTE W/ DOWNLOAD]

Grdina, Gordon / Jim Black: Martian Kitties [CASSETTE W/ DOWNLOAD] (Astral Spirits)

Thirteen succinct improvisations pitting Gordon Grdina's swinging middle-eastern flavors on the oud offset by gritty, experimental guitar work against drummer Jim Black's well-chosen and rock-solid grooves, an engaging album that shifts and explores a tremendous range of ideas and adventurous attitudes that span jazz, rock and experimental genres with ease.
 

Price: $7.95



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:



Gordon Grdina-guitar, Oud

Jim Black-drums, electronics


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




Label: Astral Spirits
Catalog ID: AS152CAS
Squidco Product Code: 31162

Format: CASSETTE
Condition: New
Released: 2021
Country: USA
Packaging: Cassette
Recorded at Afterlife Studios by John Raham

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"This outstanding set of improvised pieces by the guitarist/oud player Gordon Grdina and the drummer Jim Black, bristles with multi-genre paradoxes and incredible articulations. Recording together for the second time (after Grdina's Nomad Trio's debut album), these lads bring lots to the table with their faultless synergy and love for the avant-jazz, prog-rock, indie electronic and world music.

Things get down to business immediately with "Martian Kitties", the track that gave the album its title, which pairs down an incisive krautrock rhythm with noise-rock, two ingredients that always go well together. The density is momentarily decongested through spacious effects before the reinstatement of the zest via torqued high-pitched ostinatos and walloping drumming.

The next piece, "A Monkey Could Do It", changes dialects into an avant-fusion where an extraordinary oud rhythm functions properly over the mutating abrasions of wood on metal and skin provided by Black, an authentic guru of the rhythm.

"Buggy Whip" is dark and sinister, with heavy electric guitar and taut drum in a confluence that seems to join the doom metal of Paradise Lost and the noise-rock of Lightning Bolt. Totally different is "Conservative Conservation", which takes us into a journey crystallized by beauty and tension alike. This is created by Black's unpredictable and highly syncopated fluxes and Grdina's full-of-feeling oud peregrination.

Pieces that are short in duration (clocking in at less than two minutes) provide a panoply of otherworldly atmospheres - "Black Lodge" exudes a classical-inspired etherealness; "Weird Funk" is made of unhinged smears of odd beat, crushing guitar and sampling; "Social Scene 1 and 2" trench on ambient electronic while adding some wistful tones; "Short Scale" has visceral oud playing laid atop a muscular rhythm; and "Fuzzy Goats" takes you to a psychedelic trip.

The creativity of both is discernible, and "Abercrombie" exemplifies that in perfection during its two phases - firstly, by sporting bowed cries over a dark, noisy electronic texture, and then by underscoring the narrative with a menacing rumble that comes from offbeat drum gushes and cyclic guitar lines.

This is adventurous music by two idiosyncratic players who have excellent results by joining their own visions."-Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail

Also available on CD.
Get additional information at Jazz Trail

Artist Biographies

"Gordon Grdina (born 18 February 1977 ) is a Canadian jazz guitarist and oud player.

Grdina worked in the 2000s in Vancouver with his own formations; In 2002 he recorded his debut album The Grdina Trio (with James Danderfer and Simon Fisk). On his album Unlearn: Gordon Grdina's Box Cutter was also co-produced by Fran¨ois Houle. In 2006, Grdina presented the album Think Like the Waves in the trio with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian, which combined elements of Arab music and jazz genres. In the field of jazz, he was involved in 14 recording sessions between 2001 and 2012.

Grdina works with his own trio (from Tommy Babin, bass, and Kenton Loewen, drums) as well as his ten-piece Haram ensemble, Mats Gustafsson, Tony Malaby, Mark Helias, Kent Kessler and Jeb Bishop. "

-Wikipedia (translated by Google) (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Grdina)
3/13/2024

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

Jim Black is at the forefront of a new generation of musicians bringing jazz into the 21st century. In addition to being one of the most influential drummers of our time, he is also the leader of one of the world's most forward-thinking bands, AlasNoAxis, featuring his longtime collaborators Chris Speed, Hilmar Jensson and Skúli Sverrisson. Based on the foundation of his virtuosic but highly personal approach to jazz drumming, Black's aesthetic has expanded to include Balkan rhythms, rock songcraft and laptop soundscapes. Though he is revered worldwide for his limitless technique and futuristic concepts, what many listeners treasure in most Jim Black's work is the relentless feeling of joy and invention he brings to his performances. Jim Black's smiling, kinetic, unpredictable presence has enthralled and inspired audiences worldwide for over twenty-five years.

Since the mid-90's, Black has played a major role in the incorporation of new sounds and techniques into the jazz/creative music context. As a member of the collective group Pachora (with Speed, Sverrisson, and guitarist Brad Shepik) Black was one of the leaders in the study and adaptation of Balkan music into jazz-based music. His advanced techniques abstracted the odd time signatures of the Balkans into a new polyrhythmic language equally informed by modern jazz, drum&bass and the dumbeks of the Balkans. Black has also been an innovator in the use of electronics in improvisation, bridging the gap between electro-acoustic improv and more jazz-based traditions. Today, Black's performances are just as likely to feature his laptop-based electronic textures as his drumming.

Born in 1967, Jim Black grew up in Seattle alongside future colleagues Chris Speed, Andrew D'Angelo and Cuong Vu. After cementing their personal and artistic relationships in Seattle's various youth jazz ensembles, in 1985 they moved to Boston, where Black entered the Berklee School of Music. In Boston, Black, Speed and D'Angelo formed Human Feel with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, which rapidly attracted the attention of the jazz cognoscenti in Boston, New York and beyond.

By 1991, Black and the other members of Human Feel had moved to New York City, where they electrified the Downtown music scene then centered around the Knitting Factory and rapidly became among the city's busiest sidemen. Black's early years in New York saw him take featured roles in some of the most critically acclaimed bands of the time, like Tim Berne's Bloodcount, Ellery Eskelin's trio, and Dave Douglas's Tiny Bell Trio. Thus began fifteen years of near-constant touring and recording, with the above bands as well as artists like Uri Caine, Dave Liebman, Nels Cline, Steve Coleman, Tomasz Stanko, and Laurie Anderson.

-Jim Black Website (http://www.jimblack.com/Jim_Black_dotcom/BIO.html)
3/13/2024

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


Track Listing:



SIDE A



1. Martian Kitties 04:11

2. A Monkey Could Do It 03:47

3. Buggy Whip 03:55

4. Black Lodge 01:32

5. Weird Funk 01:24

6. Short Scale 01:35

7. Social Scene 1 01:10

SIDE B



1. Brushes With Death 06:29

2. Social Scene 2 01:28

3. Conservative Conservation 03:21

4. Fuzzy Goats 01:30

5. Abercrombie 05:02 6. Bear Handler 02:18

Related Categories of Interest:


Cassettes
Physical Releases that include Download Codes
Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
Duo Recordings
Guitarists, &c.
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Canadian Composition & Improvisation
New in Experimental & Electronic Music
New in Rock Forms

Search for other titles on the label:
Astral Spirits.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Musicworks
#144 Winter 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.
Perelman, Ivo / Gordon Grdina / Hamin Honari Trio
The Purity Of Desire
(Not Two)
An exotic album of tradition-spanning improvisation from the trio of tenor saxophonist Ivo Perleman, oud player Gordon Grdina and percussionist Hamin Honari on tombak and daf, avoiding any cliches of "world fusion" as the effusive Middle Eastern rhythmic devices propel Perelman and Grdina into joyful flights of ecstatic playing that bridge the East and West.
Douglas, Dave Tiny Bell Trio
Constellations (2002 edition)
(Hatology)
A much-needed reissue of Dave Douglas's Tiny Bell Trio with guitarist Brad Shepik and drummer Jim Black, a remarkably telepathic group recorded mid-tour after 3 years working together.
Bica, Carlos & Azul (feat. Frank Mobus / Jim Black)
Azul In Ljubljana
(Clean Feed)
For their 7th album after 20 years of collaboration, double bassist Carlos Bica's trio Azul with Frank Mobus on guitar and Jim Black on drums presents this exemplary live album recorded at the 2015 Ljubljana Jazz Festival in Lsovenia, clearly illustrating their characteristic clean and lyrically melodic sound through beautiful textural and energetic playing.
Trumpets and Drums (Wooley / Evans / Black / Lytton)
Live in Ljubljana
(Clean Feed)
Two drummers - Jim Black & Paul Lytton - and two trumpeters - Nate Wooley & Peter Evans - came together at the 53rd Ljubljana Jazz Festival to record these extended improvisations, demonstrating the phenomenal skill and compatibility of these outstanding players.
Bica, Carlos & Azul
Things About
(Clean Feed)
Double bassist and composer Carlos Bica's Azul with guitarist Frank Mobus and drummer Jim Black in their 5th album, bringing jazz and elements of rock together into a lyrical and alluring set of recordings.
Fujii Trio, Satoko
Trace A River
(Libra)
Satoko Fujii's excellent trio with Mark Dresser on bass and Jim Black on drums: spiritous, technically impressive, melodically and conceptually adventurous music not to miss!
Other Recommended Releases:
Williams, Chris / Patrick Shiroishi
Sans Soleil II [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
The second chapter in the duo of West Coast improvisers Chris Williams on trumpet, cornet, objects & mutes and Patrick Shiroishi on alto, soprano and tenor saxophones plus snare drum, essentially a free jazz outing of six fascinating dialogs, from call and response to pointillistic interaction, a masterful display of assertive playing through intensive listening.
Grdina, Gordon / Mat Maneri / Christian Lillinger
Live at the Armoury
(Clean Feed)
The premiere encounter of the uniquely orchestrated trio of two legendary string improvisers--Gordon Grdina on guitar & oud, and Mat Maneri on viola--with drummer Christian Lillinger (New Old Luten, Punkt vs. Plastik, EUPHORIUM_freakestra) recording in the studio in Vancouver, BC for three impressive, innately lyrical, dexterous and magnificent conversations.
Jim & The Schrimps (Jim Black / Asger Nissen / Julius Gawlik / Felix Henkelhausen)
Ain't No Saint
(Intakt)
"Jim" is US drummer & composer Jim Black working in Berlin, and The Shrimps are the trio of bassist Felix Henkelhausen and the two-sax front line of Germans, Asger Nissen on alto and Julius Gawlik on tenor, finding a rapport and common approach to free improv, they formed to perform & record Black's assertive compositions influenced by the tradition of Black American jazz.
Star City Survivor
Orbital Decay
(Soul City Sounds)
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 NY/NC drummer Tommy Jackson, who explore the atmospheric drag on their far-reaching dialogs through propulsive energy burns and moments of dark stellar voids.
McEvoy, Aonghus
Under & Cracked [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
Beautifully flowing acoustic avant folk under a diverse set of influences from the Dublin five-piece band led by acoustic and electric guitarist Aonghus McEvoy, with George Brennan on electronics, David Lacey on drums, Sean Maynard Smith on upright bass and Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh on viola, evolving their tracks from pastoral to edgy agitation or ecstatic drone.
Nomad Trio (feat Gordon Grdina / Matt Mitchell / Jim Black)
Boiling Point
(Astral Spirits)
The second release from guitarist and oud improviser Gordon Grdina's Boiling Point Trio with Matt Mitchell on piano and Jim Black on drums, following their excellent 2020 Martian Kitties album, solidified into a tight unit from touring, Grdina's writing showcasing each player's ability to improvise around complex rhythmic, harmonic, and melodically rich compositions.
Mendoza, Ava
New Spells [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
A joint release between Astral Spirts and Relative Pitch, guitarist Ava Mendoza conjures five assertive and rugged "spells" performed on solo electric guitar, passionate works of raw technical skill and bold power as she improvises over two songs composed by herself, alongside pieces written for her from Devin Hoff, Trevor Dunn and John Dikeman.
Grdina, Gordon / Jim Black
Martian Kitties
(Astral Spirits)
Thirteen succinct improvisations pitting Gordon Grdina's swinging middle-eastern flavors on the oud offset by gritty, experimental guitar work against drummer Jim Black's well-chosen and rock-solid grooves, an engaging album that shifts and explores a tremendous range of ideas and adventurous attitudes that span jazz, rock and experimental genres with ease.
Cooper, Jack / Jeff Tobias
Tributaries [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
Two side-long tracks of minimal improvisation from NY saxophonist Jeff Tobias (Sunwatchers) and UK guitarist Jack Cooper (Ultimate Painting); "Wicken" and "Debden" are named for and inspired by the tributaries of the River Cam in North Essex, revealing themselves in steady progressions and subtle application of instrumental technique in a beautifully flowing reflection.
Gallo, Danilo Dark Dry Tears (Gallo / Milesi / Bigoni / Black / feat: Lorenzo Corti)
A View Through a Slot
(Clean Feed)
With cinematic moments and dark, rich grooves, Italian bassist Danilo Gallo leads a quintet with fellow Italians Massimiliano Milesi on tenor & soprano saxophones, Francesco Bigoni on tenor saxophone & clarinet, American drummer Jim Black, and Lorenzo Corti on guitar, through a set of 10 Gallo compositions, melodically centered but surprising in detail and direction.
Shipp, Matthew / Mark Helias / Gordon Grdina
Skin and Bones
(Not Two)
Recording two days after their concert in British Columbia, BC at Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art's Skin And Bones Music Series, the trio of pianist Matthew Shipp, guitarist Gordon Grdina and bassist Mark Helias captured these collective improvisations at Afterlife Studios in Vancouver BC, titling their album after their well-received concert.
Perkin, Miles Quartet (Perkins / Arthurs / Delbecq / Black)
The Point In Question
(Clean Feed)
Berlin-based Canadian double bassist and composer Miles Perkin (Lauzier/Perkin/Kuster, Benoit Delbecq 3, Glue) writes for his own quartet with pianist Delbecq, drummer Jim Black and trumpeter Tom Arthurs, presenting seven compositions leaving room for superb free soloing from all four, in an accomplished album of an optimistic and lyrical intent.
Peregrine Falls (Grdina / Loewen)
Peregrine Falls
(Drip Audio)
Named for the moment when a Peregrine Falcon falls from flight to attack its prey, the Vancouver duo of Gordon Grdina on guitars, oud, electronics and Kenton Loewen on drums and percussion present a heavy album of improvised rock with raw energy, riveting technique and powerful grooves with an Arabic influence and essence; of interest to King Crimson fans.
Bica, Carlos & Azul (w/ Frank Mobus / Jim Black)
More Than This
(Clean Feed)
With a 20 year history, double bassist Carlos Bica's trio Azul with Frank Mobus and Jim Black have developed a romantic, lyrical style that balances unusual textures and agressive playing with melodic style in wonderfully natural ways, here in their 6th alluring album.
Dresser, Mark Seven (Mitchell / Ehrlich / Boroff / Dessen / White / Black)
Sedimental You
(Clean Feed)
Downtown NY scene pioneering bassist, currently on the West Coast, Mark Dresser presents an album of original compositions performed with an amazing septet including Marty Ehrlich, Jim Black, Joshua White, Michael Dessen, David Morales Borof, and Nicole Mitchell.
Tsahar / Maneri / Black
Jam
(Hopscotch Records)
Three creative young musicians in New York Tsahar, Mat Maneri and Black in a trio of warmly orchestrated free improv with witty restraint in extended conversation.



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought:
Roysum, Andres / Christian Meaas Svendsen / Kresten Osgood
Music Improvised on September 23rd, 2021 [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
A subset of the Andreas Røysum Ensemble, the trio of Norwegian clarinetist Andreas Roysum on Bb& Bass clarinets, Nakama Label leader Christian Meaas Svendsen on double bass and Danish drummer Kresten Osgood recorded these collective free improvisations on the title's date in an unnamed location, for four assertive dialogs of impressive expression.
Amba, Zoh / William Parker / Francisco Mela
O Life, O Light Vol. 2
(577 Records)
The second volume from the trio of Tennessee-to-NYC transplant Zoe Amba on tenor saxophone & flute, legendary double bassist William Parker and Francisco Mela on drums, performing three compositions by Amba recorded in the studio in NYC; emphatic free jazz with a powerful rhythm section elucidating Amba's spiritually fueled approach to compelling, lyrical improvisation.
Dikeman, John / Pat Thomas / John Edwards / Steve Noble
Volume 2
(577 Records)
The second of two volumes from the quartet of John Dikeman on tenor saxophone, Pat Thomas on piano, John Edwards on bass and Steve Noble on drums, bringing the American saxophonist working throughout Europe together with this nearly telepathic collaborative grouping of UK frequent collaborators, captured in concert at Cafe OTO in 2019 for two absorbing improvisations.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC