John Coltrane - Offering: Live at Temple University,1966 (Resonance, 2014)

Today is my Holy Day, my only holy day. Sept. 23, 1926, my hero, John Coltrane,was born, and there is no better gift to the world than a never before released live concert. This show was unearthed in 2005 and sees its first proper christening today by (Resonance Records).

Recorded just months before his death, This Philly show saw Trane pushing all limits. His health was declining and he knew the end was nigh. Mind you, this is a year or so after McCoy Tyner told someone that Trane was playing so hard that blood was spewing from his mouth. At one point, he removes the sax and begins chanting, and changing vocalization by beating his chest. This was at the point where he felt he had pushed the instrument to its furthest extent, and the only maneuver beyond was to cut out the middle man and push from the depths of his diaphragm.

As far out as he gets here, with Alice Coltrane, Rashied Ali, Pharoah Sanders and a crew of Philly based percussionists, he returns to finish with his rendition of "My Favorite Things", a fan favorite. The drastic departure from the extremes to finish with this was FOR his fans. He never forgot that his spiritual quest could never have launched and finished without those people that loved him.

Trane's body was dying, and the end was soon. He didn't succeed or fail, because,as he would have told you, there is no beginning or end, just the journey.

Recorded November 11, 1966
Mitten Hall, Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Featured Artists: John Coltrane – soprano & tenor saxophones, flute & vocals

Pharoah Sanders – tenor saxophone & piccolo

Alice Coltrane – piano Sonny Johnson – bass

Rashied Ali – drums

Additional musicians include: Steve Knoblauch, Arnold Joyner – alto saxophone Umar Ali, Algie DeWitt, Robert Kenyatta – percussion

Resonance Records, which is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit foundation, will contribute a portion from every sale to the John Coltrane Home (www.thecoltranehome.org), an organization devoted to the preservation of Coltrane’s former home in Dix Hills, New York.

TRACK LIST:

DELUXE 2 CD DIGI-PACK
Disc One
01. Naima (16:28)
02. Crescent (26:11)

Disc Two
03. Leo (21:29)
04. Offering (4:19)
05. My Favorite Things (23:18)

DELUXE 2 LP GATEFOLD
Side A
Naima (16:28)

Side B
Crescent (26:11)

Side C
Leo (21:29)

Side D Offering (4:19) My Favorite Things (23:18)

Survival Unit III: Game Theory (Not Two, 2013)

"Joe McPhee: Not selling out since 1967". This was something I jokingly said to a friend a few years ago. Luckily, it still stands. McPhee is 74 years old and continues to shine. He is one of the oldest American jazz icons. You many know him from his work with a multitude of musicians: Pauline Oliveros' "Deep Listening Band", Peter Brotzmann, William Parker, Ken Vandermark, Evan Parker, Mats Gustafson, Jeb Bishop, The Thing, etc. He is a good example of the effect American jazz has had on Europe. Due to his success there, he's never had to sign to a major American label.

With the latest project, he continues to explore. This time, in a phenomenal trio that includes Michael Zerang on drums, and Fred Lonberg-Holm on electronics. "Game Theory" is four tracks of predominantly reserved and controlled experiments. Though intense and busy, it still comes across as meditative, i.e., minimal on the "Brotzmann Bursts". These three know each other extremely well and they definitely push the limits of control. Forward thinking music doesn't get any better than this.

R.I.P. Charlie Haden

Where do I begin? I don't know. Maybe "The Shape of Jazz to Come"? How do you even talk about such an amazing person? What's there to say about someone who actually "shaped jazz to come"?

As I age, many of my icons are passing away, and even though he was 76, it still hurts. This is a monumental loss. Just take a look at his discography. Read it slowly, take it all in. It will make your head spin.

This is one of the most gigantic figures in the history of music. He will be greatly missed.

George Cartwright's Gloryland Ponycat - Black Ants Crawling (Innova, 2003)

Here's a cool Minnesota trio I recently discovered. They play improvisational jazz that doesn't sound contrived or pretentious, offering warm tones with subtle stabs and skronks. Free jazz for the uninitiated? Maybe. If you don't vibe with all the shrill cacophony of typical ESP-Disk routes (like I do) but want to dig on some jazz, give this a go. This is a powerful group with gentle finesse.

Tatsuya Nakatani & Shane Perlowin - Anatomy of a Moment (New Atlantis, 2013)

This is one helluva couple of musicians. They're hardworking, ever touring, ever recording, and literally subsisting on music itself. How rare true musicians are these days. Well, here I offer up two fine specimens, with a duo recording that has sneaked into my favorite releases of 2013.

I've seen Nakatani and Perlowin play before. The frenetic improvisational energy that I was familiar with has been replaced with something far more enjoyable. This record is a string of compositions that somehow navigate a field of busy and dense percussion experiments underneath pastoral and meditative yet tense guitar lines. The result is predominantly somber and contemplative pieces, flowing effortlessly one to the next, shifting through a spectrum of emotions, creating a quite engaging narrative. This is a fine example of a new direction in modern music, unaffected by environment or expectations. Truly innovative material.

Ornette Coleman - Chappaqua OST (1965)

How the hell Conrad Rooks (or whoever was in charge of this decision) opted for the Ravi Shankar version of the film score is forever beyond me. I could be in the dark about some particular permutation, but listening to them side by side, I go with this one all day.

Honestly, the churned out dopey cliche vibe of the Shankar score is weak as the companion music to the film, and weak as an offering for the master musician that was Ravi shankar. I'm sorry, but Shankar just rubbed one out.

I saw this film because I randomly picked it up at the neighborhood video rental store when I was nineteen. There was a bargain bin of vhs and I liked the the cover. I had yet to do hard drugs, I was just discovering jazz and  the only education I'd had with experimental film was David Lynch. Watching this film was my first true "countercultural" experience. And eighteen years later, the film still trumps all else.

The premise is that a man is institutionalized due to alcohol addiction. As he goes through DT withdrawls,  the camera portrays what he is hallucinating. There are a multitude of visually striking moments presented, but the one that always pops into my head is a scene in a club where Ornette is skronking away on the sax and standing next to him is the little man from the tv show Fantasy Island. If you're my age or older, you know what I'm talking about, if not, look it up. Either way, its a truly harrowing scene and I can't really explain why. Other notable appearances include William S. Burroughs (this caused me to begin reading his books when I was too young to get it), Allen Ginsberg, and Swami Satchidinanda.

This is an immensely disturbing film in that it is violent, schizophrenic and psychedelic in the true sense of the word. For whatever reason, this film is hard to find. Unfortunately, I've lost my copy, and this really upsets me. Regardless, this is not a film blog. Point being, you need not be a jazz head to appreciate the excruciating hard work that Ornette put into this score that was never used. We're talking about an hour and twenty minutes of textbook Ornette free jazz, just a bit off ballads, and even a venture into his own twisted brand of cool jazz that you won't find outside of this record. And these are the same players as the "Golden Circle" sessions, just to give you heads a backdrop. Such a heavy band...

Whether you like jazz and hard drugs or not, find this film and listen to this (not)soundtrack. And for fuck's sake, somebody leave a comment. Thanks everybody.



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Charles Gayle Trio - Streets (Northern Spy, 2012)

If you're current with your jazz at all, you know this man is not just another number. In fact, he is possibly the most important sax player and multi-instrumentalist alive. Charles Gayle has spent his life in dedication to the free jazz tradition in the vein of Shepp, Sanders, Ayler and Trane. The "Streets the Clown" personnae is based on his many years as a homeless street musician himself. In fact, he dons this guise and continues to play on the street to this day.

Gayle is a master, and this latest release is surprisingly accessible yet blazing as always. The bassist, Larry Roland and the longtime drummer, Michael TA Thompson hold it down as well as contribute equally to a powerful, blistering, elegant album.  The trio manages to manufacture free jazz that retains a vivid narrative structure. Linear yet non-linear, all the compositions here will resonate with the elitist tastes as well as the casual pallette.



I'm sad to say there is no vinyl for this. pay for download HERE and/ or listen on Spotify.

R.I.P Lol Coxhill (1932-2012)

Where to begin... I can't really say. I do remember the first time I read his name. It was WIRE magazine in 1999. and what I didn't realize then was that I would read his name in almost every issue for the next thirteen years. His name is associated with what a friend and I dubbed "WIRE Babies". Examples would be David S. Ware, Anthony Braxton, Derek Bailey, etc. The beautiful thing about these names is that I actually engaged myself enough as to grasp their importance on an intimate level, recognizing their relevance not because I was supposed to but because they spoke to me, because I felt their souls, and everything they did eventually made sense. The genius I'd read about was no longer esoteric but familiar.

The brilliant Lol Coxhill has passed away. His legacy will be appreciated forever by a small group of people that still hold improvisational music and forward thinking jazz dear to their hearts.


I've always been partial to sax players, particularly those that toyed with soprano. I am familiar with soprano sax due to Coltrane's occasional outing with it. A large chunk of my childhood was based on obsession with anything pertaining to Trane (Stravinsky, Astrology, sweet potato pie. etc.), so when I hear of any musician working in any sort of similar vein, I have to investigate. After reading an article on Coxhill, I gathered as much of his music as I could and plunged in. I discovered that he had played with a vast list of incredible artists which included Derek Bailey, Robert Wyatt, Mike Oldfield and even The Damned. He was a wild experimenter that never ceased to impress all who witnessed any given performance. I only wish I'd had the opportunity.


    

Happy Birthday, Herman Poole Blount, AKA Sun Ra

"Not to be confused with the Egyptian god Ra", says the Wikipedia entry. Its quite difficult not to confuse this legendary figure with a god.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1914, Sun Ra always pushed the limits musically. He did it all. Sometimes he'd play piano / keyboard solos, sometimes he'd be with a traditional quartet doing ragtime, swing, or bebop. I was always fond of the bizarre free jazz sounds and vocal incantations that seemed to conjure aliens from what he seemed to think was his home planet.

Beyond the jazz music, he was also one of the first artists to incorporate experimentation with electronic keyboards. In the black and white video below, its shocking when you suddenly hear that virtual sound. It creates a confusion in your mind, a sort of retro-futurist synesthesia.

Until his death in 1993, he continued to play as often as possible and just got further and further out. The bandleader Marshall Allen has kept the Sun Ra Arkestra going. To this day, you can go see them perform and still feel the spirit of the great otherworldly one himself.

"I'm playing dark history. It's beyond black. I'm dealing with the dark things of the cosmos." 

Don Cherry - Complete Communion (Blue Note, 1966)

Don Cherry's cornet is legendary. Ornette Coleman's work would not have been the same without Cherry's asset to a few albums. This is an essential record and I'll give you two reasons why:

1. Don Cherry as bandleader. Always standing in the shadows, Cherry must of been working on his own brand of free jazz. Coleman abandoned chord centers opting for very melodic jazz, whereas Coltrane stuck with the chords, tearing the world asunder. Cherry decided just to dodge all this and progress without a formula. What resulted here was a light and airy stress-free communication. Incorporating Eddie Blackwell was his best decision, as he was the most light-handed drummer of the time. Most everyone else was still into the post-bop aggression.

2. And on sax, ladies and gentleman, Gato Barbieri? Yes, the same, the one you know as a heavy hitter of latin jazz. What a pleasure it is to hear him wailing on some free melodic licks.

And the great Henry Grimes is just a given. I lost Cherry after around '72, but he spun solidly crafted material prior to that.

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Ornette Coleman - Love Call (Blue Note, 1968)

After years of searching for an affordable copy, I scored this vinyl at my neighborhood record store. Freaked out a bit when I first picked it up.

This is Coleman toned down just a bit. By 1968, he had mellowed. Don't get me wrong, this is still top notch freedom, but there's something magical about these sessions (this album was actually recorded alongside New York is Now) because he acquired the classic John Coltrane Quartet rhythm section. And that essentially means you're hearing the greatest rhythm section of all time (I dare you to disagree). However, at no point does this rub off on him. The entirety of these sessions still just sounds like Ornette Coleman, and this I find incredibly impressive. Together with his Alto sax and trumpet is Dewey Redmond's tenor sax, a strong voice in its own right. This is simply some of the best jazz you'll ever hear.

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Flying Lotus - Thundercat (Mixtape, 2011)

Wow, this is... wow. The man can mix and his selection of cuts by the bad bass player himself, Thundercat, is just...wow. Hip Hop, Jazz, Funk and Soul are well represented here. Chill out, slow down and dig this. Righteous.

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Doom Ribbons - The Violence (Open Letter, 2011)

To call this album "a work years in the making" might sound like a trite description to create some sort of grandeur but I assure you, its just plain true. After anticipating this release for three years, guitarist Shane Perlowin finally put it in my hands.

Perlowin and percussionist/samplist extraordinaire James Owen were patient in letting us in on their incredibly eclectic ideas. Having heard some of these compositions live and being impressed each time, I still wasn't prepared for the studio treatment of the material.

Both musicians have been staples on the Asheville, North Carolina music scene for over a decade. Always interesting and charismatic players, this duo has finally unveiled a magical recording that is as playful as it is cerebral.

"Food for the New State" begins with a pastiche of birds singing along with bursts of industrial noise. This softly builds into lovely classical-flavored acoustic guitar paired with ghostly echoing vocals creating a gorgeous though ominous soundscape that culminates in a loop of what sounds like a massive street riot. with "Prayer for Collapsing Economies" we're transported into more straight ahead terrain. A punchy and groovy drumkit rhythm meets African feeling guitar melodies in a somewhat familiar pop and rock structure.

"Big Other" is the beast on this record. Acoustic and electric guitars loop and loop again, together with soft and unassuming percussion, delicately plodding toward a yet unseen destination. Like one slow and long panning film take, we wait until about seven minutes in, the cacaphonous assembly is fiercely unleashed and just like that...its gone.

"Horvat Jerusalem" is a paricularly dark minor number that ventures into jazz territory with accordion and horns in a middle eastern vein. This is the most engaging track on the album, with brilliant and mature compositional skills and overtly political subject matter without having to verbalize as much. The piece has a Muslim Gauze-like militance that I find captivating. "Drmfdbk" is an unexpectedly vicious and noisy track that leads up to nasty skronking sax and bowed bass. The closer "Die alone" begins in an almost shoegaze approach with more of the haunting vocal sampling and mellow electric guitar. Eventually, an almost meditative chanting appears out of the ether, part ancient funeral march, part praise song.

This album is about to get a lot of press but it will not receive as much as it deserves. A must have. CD available now. Get It Here

Look for the vinyl soon.

Sonny Sharrock - Guitar (Enemy Records, 1986)

Sonny Sharrock was a man of immense talent and vast creative vision, a sideman in the 60's, performing on Pharoah Sanders' Tauhib and more famously on Miles Davis' Tribute to Jack Johnson.

Sharrock's use of guitar was uncommon in the early years of free jazz. He would skronk out lines like a sax and was well-known for his use of feedback. In fact, he had wanted to play saxophone due to an obsession with John Coltrane but his asthma wouldn't allow. Many times you could hear him say, "I'm just a sax player with a fucked-up axe."

That "fucked-up axe" on this album re-introduced the guitarist to the world as a solo performer. It consists of a man, his guitar and a bunch of pedals on the floor in front of him, overdubbing to create his own distinct blending of jazz, blues, funk and heavy psychedelic. This type performance is commonplace in today's experimental music communities but remember that it was not in 1986.

If you feel this album, check out Ask the Ages, his record with Coltrane bandmates Pharoah Sanders and Elvin Jones, which is Sharrock's finest hour.

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Chico Freeman - Kings of Mali (India Navigation, 1978)

Picked this up at a yard sale today. I'd never heard of him but I love the bass-playing of Cecil McBee so I thought I'd give it a shot. Boy, am I glad I did. This is a post-bop / avant-garde needle in the haystack, literally a tribute to the ancient kingdom of Mali.

Freeman alternates between saxophones, flutes and bailophone and the rest of the band is in order with Jay Hoggard (vibes), Anthony Davis (piano), Cecil, of course, and a brilliant african-inspired percussion journey with Famoudou Don Moye, pulling out all the stops with bells, whistles, gongs and the trap kit itself.

Definitely AACM / 70's Chicago feeling (I kept waiting for Lester Bowie to pop up) and its a far cry from Kulu se Mama but certainly worth your time.

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Exploding Star Orchestra - We are All From Somewhere Else (2007., Thrill Jockey)

As big a fan as I am of the Chicago Underground albums through the years, I still think this is Rob Mazurek's crowning achievement. He assembled the cream of the crop in Chicago Avant-Garde Jazz musicians into John McIntyre's studio for an unbelievable undertaking, a contemporary big band orchestra. Not one based soley on free improvisation either. These are complicated compositions requiring rehearsals that only a certain brand of disciplined musician could endure.

Here you'll find the enormous, blustering and sometimes furious sounds of Sun Ra Arkestra's "Space is the Place", the tact and grace of John Coltrane's "Africa Brass Sessions" and the elegance of Steve Reich's "Music for Mallets, Organ and Voice".

The narrative here is a regeneration myth included in the liner notes. A star explodes, sending light energy barreling through the cosmos. These wave particles enter the atmosphere of a planet and strike water, which transforms the photons into an elegant sting ray. Human pollution quickly chokes the ray, but like its stellar point of origin, the animal cannot be destroyed once and for all. The sting ray’s ghost ascends into the sky, rockets beyond the stratosphere, bursts in outer space, and ultimately births a new star. Then the entire journey happens in reverse, leading us right back to where we started.

Mazurek wants to heal us with his music. Call him pretentious if you want. I see him as the new and necessary mystic guru of the genre that made me truly fall in love with music. This is a beautiful album that heralds the struggle for the survival of Jazz. And this is the crew that will keep the ship afloat.

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