ACOUSTIC LEVITATION
BEST OF 2013
Dear Readers,
Here
we fête the special ones we were able to lay our eyes, ears and hands
upon. Like you, we wish we could have been able to hear all the
performances and discs of 2013, although we gave it a good shot.
I’m still gorging on box sets, as you will read, but my groaning
shelves are still grateful for slim-packaged single discs (“Death to
multidisc Digipaks!”). Here’s to a richly diverse and growing,
artistically rich future. Whenever possible, buy from the artists
or labels directly, or from the few independent shops left. Happy
hunting.
Steve Koenig,
Editor
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CRAIG NIXON
New York State
Managing Editor
Compiling
this list always proves to be a challenge. This year was no
different and brought the usual embarrassment of riches. The first
draft of this list included no less than 68 releases, and it was hard
to let any of them go. I finally managed to get it down to 25,
and I'm sure you'll hear about the others in a follow-up sometime soon.
Links provided are a little more cumbersome looking this year, with
reason. Rather than just provide the label's website, each link
points to a page for the specific release, where you can find more
information and, alas, purchase. And please do purchase....
Rez Abbasi Trio - Continuous Beat, enja.
reztone.com/?p=1322
Diego Barber / Hugo Cipres – 411, Origin
Records. originarts.com/recordings/recording.php?TitleID=82641
Tim Berne's Snakeoil – Shadow Man,
ECM. ecmrecords.com/Catalogue/ECM/2300/2339.php?cat=%2FLabels%2FECM&we_start=0&lvredir=712
David Binney - Lifted Land,
CrissCross. crisscrossjazz.com/album/1358.html
Samuel Blaser Consort in Motion - A Mirror to
Machaut, Songlines. songlines.com/mirrortomachautcontent.html
Jaimeo Brown - Transcendence, Motema. motema.com/artist/jaimeo-brown
Claudia Quintet - September,
Cuneiform. cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/september
Harris Eisenstadt September Trio - The Destructive Element,
Clean
Feed. cleanfeed-records.com/disco2US.asp?intID=429
Marty Ehrlich Large Ensemble - A Trumpet in the Morning,
New
World. newworldrecords.org/album.cgi?rm=view&album_id=92226
John Escreet - Sabotage and Celebration,
Whirlwind. whirlwindrecordings.com/sabatoge-and-celebration/
Satoko Fujii New Trio - Spring Storm,
Libra. librarecords.com/
Drew Gress - The Sky Inside,
Pirouet. pirouet.com
http://www.pirouet.com/home/album.php?release=PIT3071
Barry Guy New Orchestra - Mad Dogs,
NotTwo. nottwo.com/PelnaPlyta.php?Id=452&W=0
Joel Harrison 19 - Infinite Possibility,
Sunnyside. sunnysiderecords.com/release_detail.php?releaseID=672
Chris Kelsey & What I Say - The Electric
Miles Project. www.whatisay.org
Bern Nix Quartet - Negative Capability,
56kitchen. cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8998538&style=music&fulldesc=T
John O'Gallagher - The Anton Webern Project,
Whirlwind. whirlwindrecordings.com/the-anton-webern-project/
Gary Peacock/Marilyn Crispell - Azure,
ECM. ecmrecords.com/Catalogue/ECM/2200/2292.php?cat=%2FLabels%2FECM&we_start=16&lvredir=712
Noah Preminger - Haymaker, Palmetto. palmetto-records.com/album.php?album=196
Resonance Ensemble feat. Ken Vandermark - Head
Above The Water-Feet Out
Of The Fire, NotTwo. theshop.free-jazz.net/the-resonance-ensemble-head-above-water-feet-out-of-the-fire-nottwo-records/shop/music-label-and-artists/
Antonio Sanchez - New Life, Cam Jazz. camjazz.com/releases/8052405140920-new-life-cd.html
Wayne Shorter - Without A Net, Blue
Note. bluenote.com/artists/wayne-shorter/without-a-net
Survival Unit III - Game Theory,
NotTwo. theshop.free-jazz.net/joe-mcphee-fred-lonberg-holm-michael-zerang-survival-unit-iii-game-theory-nottwo-records/shop/music-label-and-artists/
Jorge Sylvester Ace Collective - Spirit Driven,
Unseen Rain. unseenrainrecords.com/?p=636
Tarbaby - Ballad of Sam Langford, Hipnotic. hipnotic.com/artists/tarbaby/ballad_cd1.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHUCK BETTIS
New York City
Musician
www.chuckbettis.com
Most inspirational
rituals of 2013
Keiji Haino & Tamio Shiraishi @ Issue Project
Room 4/18/13
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiji_Haino
shiraishitamio.info/
issueprojectroom.org
Hikashu @ Muchmores 5/23/13
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikashu
muchmoresnyc.com/
Pete Swanson @ Boiler Room 7/5/13
soundcloud.com/pete-swans
boilerroom.tv/
The Julie Ruin @ Union Pool 8/8/13
thejulieruin.com/
union-pool.com/
Wolf Eyes @ Issue Project Room 8/24/13
wolfeyes.net/
issueprojectroom.org
Body/Head + Yoshimi & Ikue Mori drum duo @
Union Pool 9/10/13
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshimi_P-We
ikuemori.com
bodyheadmusic.com/
union-pool.com/
John Zorn's Game Pieces @ Miller Theatre 9/27/13
tzadik.com
zornat60.com/
Moonchild @ Le Poisson Rouge 9/29/13
tzadik.com
zornat60.com/
lepoissonrouge.com
Goblin + Secret Chiefs 3 @ Music Hall of
Williamsburg 10/5/13
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goblin_(band)
webofmimicry.com/label.php?band=sc3
musichallofwilliamsburg.com/
Nate Wooley & Philip White @ Jack 10/29/13
natewooley.com
prwhite.net/
jackny.org/
Melt Banana @ St. Vitus 11/1/13
geocities.jp/azaplink/mb/mxbx.html
saintvitusbar.com/
Mark Fell @ artist space 11/10/13
markfell.com
artistsspace.org/
Ikue Mori/Fred Frith/Lotte Anker/Jim Black @ the
Stone 12/21/13
ikuemori.com
fredfrith.com
lotteanker.com
jimblack.com
thestonenyc.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ROBERT REIGLE
Istanbul
Ethnomusicologist, composer, improviser
BEST DISCOVERIES OF 2013
In alphabetical order:
Burtner, Matthew. NOISE Plays Burtner. Burtner
is a remarkable composer, sound artist, and inventor. NOISE is an
ensemble based in San-Diego. St. Paul, Minnesota: Innova Recordings.
Innova-871. 2013. www.innova.com matthewburtner.com/
CHINA. Ethnic Minority Music of Southern China. CD
with 16-page booklet. Seattle: Sublime Frequencies. SF-081. 2013. sublimefrequencies.com/
Clarke, James. 25 Compositions. Posted by
the composer himself in November, 2013. A fantastic collection! See
also his artwork and writings at his website. soundcloud.com/james-clarke-01
jamesclarke.org/
Fafchamps, Jean-Luc. YZ3Z2Z1S2, a Five-Letter
Sufi Word. “My second complete Sufi Word - or cycle - consists of
five contrasting Letters - or movements - calling for various
combinations of soloists [2, 3, 4, 5], instrumental ensemble [1, 3, 5],
and real-time electronics [2, 4, 5].”-Jean-Luc Fafchamps. Brussels: Sub
Rosa. SR-365. 2013. subrosa.net/en/catalogue/unclassical/jean-luc-fafchamps-sufi-2.html
Gesualdo, Carlo. Madrigals Books 5 and 6.
Delitiae Musicae, Marco Longhini. Three CDs with 24-page booklet in
English and Italian, including text translations. Franklin, Tennessee:
Naxos. 8.573147-49. 2013. naxos.com/
HOSOKAWA Toshio. Silent Flowers-String Quartets.
Arditti Quartet. Includes the premiere recording of “Kalligraphie.”
Mainz: Wergo. WER-67612. 2013. wergo.de/shop/en_UK/3/show,316155.html
INDIA. South India: Music of the Nilgiri Hills:
Kota-Toda-Irula-Kurumba. Two CDs and 88-page booklet in French and
English. Paris: OCORA. C-560250-51. December, 2012. sites.radiofrance.fr/radiofrance/kiosque/fiche.php?id=2137
Krause, Bernie. The Great Animal Orchestra:
Finding the Origins of Music in the World’s Wild Places. 65 sound
examples that accompany this wonderful book can be heard from the
website below. New York: Little, Brown, and Company. 2012. thegreatanimalorchestra.com/
KURDISH-Iran. Ritual Music of Guran. This is
Volume 41 of the Mahoor Institute’s wonderful series, “Regional Musics
of Iran.” Collected and researched by Partow Hooshmandrad. Two discs
with booklets in Farsi and English. Tehran: Mahoor Records.
MCD-343. 2013. mahoor.com
Makan, Keeril. Afterglow. New York: Mode
Records. Mode-257. 2013. moderecords.com/catalog/257_makan.html
RUSSIA-Siberia. Khanty, Mansi: Bear Songs,
Harps, and Lyres from the Banks of the Ob River. Volume 11 in a
terrific series of ethnographic recordings from Siberia. Vincennes,
France: Buda Musique. budamusique.com/en/music-of-the-world/556-siberie-11-khanty-et-mansi.html
Scelsi, Giacinto. Collection Vol. 5. This is
the third publication of the essential recording of Scelsi’s complete
string quartets, first issued on the short-lived Salabert label, and
then reissued by Disques Montaigne. My very top desert-island choice of
any genre. Available as two CDs in Europe, and download-only in the
United States. STR-33805. 2013. stradivarius.it/scheda.php?ID=801157033805100
TAIWAN. Sounds from Wartime Taiwan 1943. Includes
the first recording of “Pasibutbut,” one of the most remarkable pieces
of music in the world. Three CDs and hardbound booklet in Chinese,
Japanese, and English. Taiwan: National Taiwan University Press.
December, 2008. press.ntu.edu.tw/ntu_nube/english/b_view.asp?book_id=398
Various Artists. A Young Person’s Guide to the
Avant-Garde. Two CDs and an illustrated booklet with detailed
historical notes. A wonderful collection of works by 26 composers,
ranging from Eric Satie’s “Vexations” (1893) to György Ligeti’s
“Atmosphères” (1961). Norfolk, United Kingdom: LTM Recordings.
LTMCD-2569. 2013. ltmrecordings.com/a_young_persons_guide_to_the_avant_garde_ltmcd2569.html
Xenakis, Iannis. Ensemble Works 3. Includes
the first recording of “Zythos,” for trombone and 6 marimbas. Liner
notes by Steven Schick, Benny Sluchin and Kivie Cahn-Lipman. New York:
Mode Records. Mode-261. 2013. moderecords.com/catalog/261xenakis.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
STEVEN KOENIG
New York City
Editor
DISCS
Disc Of The Year:
William Parker Quartet In Wroclaw. See below.
Pepper Adams. I Carry Your Heart: Alexis Cole Sings Pepper
Adams. I first heard a set of these at a performance at
Cornelia Street Café. With lyrics poet Barry Wallenstein
(thankfully none of them twee, as things things so often turn out) set
to Adams’ compositions (Adams had asked for lyrics before he died),
Alexis Cole swings in this well-recorded session. Excellent solos and
ensemble work by Pat LaBarbera and Eric Alexander on saxes, pianist
Jeremy Kahn, bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer George Fludas, who are
given plenty of room to spread out on each track. Informative
liner notes by vocalist Cole, poet Wallenstein, and arranger and leader
Kahn, and producer Gary Carner, author of a Pepper bio and who runs the
Adams website. I encourage you to look for Alexis Cole’s other CDs as
well, the majority superb examples of singing in that wonderland where
jazz and cabaret overlap, which you can hear on her website.
Motema MTM-02. pepperadams.com, motema.com, alexiscole.com
The Apophonics (Gino Robair, John Butcher, John Edwards).
On Air. Now all can enjoy this riveting
set from BBC Radio 3. Robair plays “energized surfaces” and
synth, Butcher saxes, and bass, John Edwards. There’s a 36-minute
extended improv followed by two shorter pieces that show these masters
totally in synch. Upper and lower case sound, as each piece
evolves. Super stuff. Weight Of Wax WOW 05. ginorobair.com/,
johnbutcher.org.uk/Wax.html
J. S. Bach. “Bach Keyboard Masterworks.”
Partitas, Goldberg Variations, Toccata in F sharp minor BWV 910,
Musical Offering: Ricercars 1 & 5. Different from most
Bach performances in my collection, Andrew Rangell seems not as
concerned with presenting structure for its own sake. The
structural aspect comes as a given. These are playful
Partitas. You wind up humming melodies, yet are drawn up,
listening intently to slower movements. The Goldbergs are also
performed with a sense of a playful journey, a twinkle in the
eye. Brief, intelligent notes by Rangell grace this
reissue. A joy from start to finish. Andrew Rangell,
piano. Steinway & Sons 30024, 3 CDs. arkivmusic.com, steinway.com,
Beethoven. Diabelli Variations, Sonata 32, Six
Bagatelles. András Schiff. A playful (when
appropriate) Sonata 32, followed by an individual Diabelli which begins
with a bouncy theme, then the ‘majestic’ march serves much like
Mussorgsky’s “Promenades,” continues making each of the 33 variations
unique. The second disc is a different performance of the
Diabellis, this time on a Franz Brodmann hammerflügel fortepiano circa
1820, and the flavor of that piano often provokes different
interpretations different from the 1921 Bechstein. The “Quasi
Allegretto” bagetelle almost sounds is if it was played on an electric
piano by a jazz musician. These discs are excellent for their
performances, as well as for the soundworld of the different
pianos. This has been done before, on piano by the likes of Paul
Badura-Skoda, and never fails to fascinate. Notes by the
ever-insightful Paul Griffiths: “The wonder of the Diabelli Variations
is the wonder of superlative absurdity.” ECM New Series 481 0446,
2 CDs. ecmrecords.com, andrasschiff.com
Beethoven. Violin Sonatas. Leonidas
Kavakos, violin; Enrico Pace, piano. You don’t feel like you have
to work with these performances, yet there’s nothing facile about this
duo’s offering. Decca 478 3523, 3 CDs. deccaclassics.com,
leonidaskavakos.com, enricopace.com/
John Butcher, Thomas Lehn, John Tilbury. Exta.
A casual, low-key, high-interest, discursive set of sax, electronics
and piano. Samples on the website. Fataka 7. fataka.net
“Cooler Than Ice: Arctic Records and The Rise of
PhillySoul.” Yes, early Kenny Gamble, Barbara Mason,
Harold Melvin, Jamie/Guyden, but the unknowns make this even more
valuable. Much deserved criticism on the web for this beautiful
but unwieldy laminated 10x10” cardboard three-fold binder holding a
78-style album of six 45s of unreleased material not on the six CDs,
six empty white 45 sleeves floating loose, and glued to the left-most
panel so you can’t read it without it ripping, a 50-page book with lots
of artist photos. Soul fans gotta have this. jamguy.com
Steve Dalachinsky and Joëlle Léandre. The Bill
Has Been Paid. Poet Dalachinsky, a friend of this
magazine, passionately performs a sequence of poems with acoustic bass,
and solo bass interludes by the intrepid Ms. Léandre. If you’re
not familiar with Dalachinsky’s performances, you can listen here in
AcLev with Steve Swell’s Nation of We Ensemble
[http://acousticlevitation.org/swell.html] or all over youtube to get a
sense of the energy in this CD. DarkTree DT03. darktree-records.com,
joelle-leandre.com
The Dowland Project. Night Sessions.
John Potter, tenor; Stephen Stubbs, lute, chitarrone, baroque guitar,
vihuela; John Surman, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, percussion;
Maya Homburger, baroque violin; Milos Valent; violin, viola; Barry Guy,
double bass. You’ll likely know Surman, Homburger and Guy from the
world of improvisation. Early music with world-music tones, none
of it pretentious or ponderous. Tenor John Potter, a performer
with the Hilliard Ensemble and founder of Red Byrd, is the arranger and
note-writer (although no texts are provided). If some of Jordi
Savall’s Mediterranean travelogues have put you off, this might just
hit the spot. Much of it is improvised around medieval poetry,
which Potter delivers very clearly, possible for multilinguists to
follow the lyrics by ear. The rest uses the score and improvises
from there. My favorite track is one of my favorite songs,
“Fumeux Fume,” which has haunted me ever since I heard Joel Cohen’s
emsemble perform it at Merkin decades ago. By the way, this is
not music of John Dowland; that was a previous disc. ECM New
Series 476 5968. ecmrecords.com, john-potter.co.uk
Paul Dunmall. 25 Years: The Entire 50 CD
Collection on FMR Records. For budget price, a
spectacular collection. All of sax (and bagpipe) man Paul
Dunmall’s FMR discs in his various solos and groups, on factory-pressed
CDs. Some of the greatest free improvisation in a lummox of a
package: A thin, laminated slipcase (reminiscent of that used for Pink
Floyd’s By The Way collection) with Dunmall’s photo on the inside and
stickers of the limited edition serial number and Dunmall’s autograph
on stickers (!) on the spine of the slipcase, which enfolds a snapcase,
which enfolds a looseleaf binder, with two discs to a plastic sleeve,
the discs unfortunately already sticking to the plastic, plus a
large-format 250-page book called The FMR Years (incorporating the book
Music In The Big Key: Paul Dunmall’s Musical Vision), containing each
album cover, track info (only some give timings), detailed notes,
essays, and over 30 of Dunmall’s paintings. Still, I’m going to
put each disc in a Tyvek sleeve for longevity. Indispensable
music, mandatory purchase while you can. As of this writing, the
FMR website still lists it for $221 USD including shipping. FMR
BOXSET1. fmr-records.com, pauldunmall.com
The Ex + Brass Unbound. Enormous Door.
The rightly legendary Dutch punk/rock/jazz band is joined by some
brassy folk which include Gustafsson, Vandermark and Wierbos.
Loads of fun; just a strong, fun album. Ex Records 138 D. theex.nl
Mohammed Fairouz. Native Informant.
A stunning disc of compositions by a composer with an innate talent for
selecting and setting words to music. Several of these are
specifically about the holocaust. Posh uses the poetry of Wayne
Koestenbaum. For Victims, for baritone (David Kravitz) and string
quartet (Borromeo), utilizes has a Semitic flavor, but none of Fairouz’
works are world-music or cross-over. The title work is a
five-movement piece for solo violin, played by Rachel Barton Pine.
Tahwida is a powerful not-so-lulling lullaby with the multi-faceted
David Krakauer on clarinet and soprano Melissa Hughes. Jebel
Lebnan (Imani Winds) has a spiky and piquant Stravinskian flair.
A must-have for nearly all types of listeners. (You can sample
before buying on a popular on-line streamer, but you can only find it
by the album title, not composer.) Naxos 8.559744. naxos.com, mohammedfairouz.com
Mohammed Fairouz. In The Shadow Of No Towers.
Philip Glass. Concerto Fantasy for 2
Timpanists and Orchestra. University of Kansas Wind
Ensemble. Two works for wind ensemble. The Glass starts
out ripping the theme from Mission Impossible, then going on to some
exciting rollercoasting, and then a bit of “squatsi”-type
grandiosity. The timpani solo section is quite striking.
When he was doing process-music in the ‘60s, you never dreamed Glass
would eventually write amazing operas, but also pieces like that that
could be taken up by Pops orchestras. The Fairouz is a striking
set of tone poems which, based on Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel of the
same name, deals with the emotional and political repercussions after
September 11, 2001. There are some Glass-homage blended with
Ivesian bombast in the movement. The power of this work is immediate,
and grows even more so after repeated listenings. Many thanks to
Naxos for selecting a cover photo of the Twin Towers which is
strikingly beautiful and not horrific. Naxos 8.573205. naxos.com, mohammedfairouz.com,
philipglass.com
Morton Feldman. Violin and Orchestra.
Carolin Widmann, violin. Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Emilio Pomàrico. Fifty minutes of Feldman’s unique
type of beauty, composed 1979, with only one competing recording, out
of print, which I haven’t heard. The work has, for Feldman, quite
large forces, sparingly employed. Required listening. ECM
476 4929. ecmrecords.com, carolinwidmann.com
King Floyd. I Feel Like Dynamite: The Early
Chimneyville Sigles and More 1970-7. I often have
to research how to alphabetize an artist, but his given name is King
Floyd III, out of New Orleans. (King Curtis’ name is Curtis Ousley, so
on my shelf he’s filed under K). Perhaps not the level of Joe
Tex, but still 24 tracks of mandatory Southern soul, alternately funky
and balladic. 12-page booklet with excellent notes and tons of
photos of original labels. Kent Soul CSKEND404. acerecords.com
Satoko Fujii. Gen Himmel. Solo
piano works, mostly in the four-minute range. The classical
analogies would scan from Cowell to Liszt to Messiaen and boogie
woogie. This has been on repeat-play a lot in my home.
Libra 211-033. satokofujii.com
Satoko Fujii Ma-Do. Time Stands Still.
This quartet of Fujii, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, bassist Norikatsu
Koreyatsu and drummer Akira Horikoshi is everything a satisfying set of
modern jazz music should be, deftly covering all the emotional,
structural and technical terrain. If you can only buy two this
year, get this and the Parker. Not Two MW897-2. nottwo.com,
satokofujii.com
Christian Gerhaher. The Art Of Song: Lied
Edition. Sony Poland 88883751482, 13 CDs plus 150-page
book. Amazing: Sony, whose megaboxes usually are done with either
negligible notes or with giant hard-covered books, but nothing useful
on the cardboard sleeves (i.e. works, performers, timings), here offers
us a compendium of Gerhaher’s work ranging from the Schubert and
Schumann cycles to Mahler orchestral to Schoenberg’s Book of the
Hanging Gardens with Frank Martin's Jedermann songs, complete with
bilingual German/English texts for all, plus all info in the individual
sleeves! I paid about two dollars per disc. If you like his
voice, the majority of the interpretations are excellent, and are well
worth the investment.
Gunter Hampel, Cavana Lee Hampel and Steve Swell. holy
lights + human rights. This set by a trio of three
masters was recorded at WKCR radio a few days before an amazing concert
they gave at Downtown Music Gallery’s Free Sunday music series.
Vibes and flute from Gunter, a swell Swell (he must get really tired of
that) on trombone, and Cavana’s singing (eerily reminiscent of Jeanne
Lee’s, not at all a bad thing. Genetics would have made similar
timbres, and nearly every modern vocal improviser has suckled from
Jeanne Lee’s vocabulary and phrasing.) If you don’t know Gunter
Hampel’s work yet, this is as fine a place to start as any, and then
make sure you get his ‘70s masterpiece That Came Down On Me.
Birth 131222, CD-r. gunterhhampelmusic.de,
steveswell.com
Hilliard Ensemble. Il Cor Tristo.
By rights this should be listed under contemporary composer Roger
Marsh, whose three magnificent settings from Dante’s Divine Comedy are
interspersed between works by Renaissance composers Bernardo Pisano
(Pisa, Rome) and madrigalist Jacques Arcadelt (Dutch, worked in Italy
and France). Good notes plus all texts in side-by-side Italian
and English. ECM 481 0637. ecmrecords.com, rogermarshcomposer.co.uk
Jethro Tull. Benefit: A Collector’s Edition.
Benefit is one of their first three largely blues and jazz influenced
albums which never fail to set my adrenaline going, even if not all
tracks are brilliant. (The others are Stand Up and This
Was,) If you only know Aqualung and the later albums, you owe
yourself a listen to these. CD1: Steve Wilson 2013 stereo mixes
plus bonus tracks, Disc 2: outtakes and related tracks. NTSC DVD:
Surround 5.1 plus flat transfers in 96/24, including bonus
tracks. 48-page booklet with detailed notes.
Chrysalis R2 537449. j-tull.com
Ernst Krenek. Works for Violin.
Christoph Schickedanz, violin. Holger Spegg, piano.
Mathias Beyer-Karlshoj, cello. Two solo sonatas, one with piano,
and the Triophantasie. Audite 95.666 audite.de, naxos.com. chriostoph-schickedanz.de
Franz Liszt. Sonata in B minor, Petrarch
Sonnets, Mephisto-Waltz No. 1, La Campanella. Alexei
Grynyuk, piano. I’ve become obsessed with the Sonata in B minor
these past few years. What’s striking about Grynyuk’s performance
(my previous favorites are Khatia Buniatishvili on Sony and an early
Earl Wilde on Ivory) is that it sounds like strands of conversation, a
different take on this than I’ve heard before, but utterly natural and
right. All the other works involve you so you forget to be
critical and instead get lost in their individual worlds. Liner
notes by Grynyuk. Orchid Classics ORC 100031. grynyuk.com/, orchidclassics.com/agl.htm, naxos.com
“Live at Caffe Lena: Music From America’s Legendary
Coffeehouse 1967-2013.” Unreleased San Francisco
coffeehouse performances by Guy Carawan, Sleepy John Estes, Kate
McGarrigle, Tom Chapin, Arlo, Seeger, Danko, Sorrels, Sky, Ritchie…
they just keep coming, and they’re good performances too, not just
names. Excellent book with plenty of color photos. Tompkins
Square TSQ 2967, 3 CDs. tomkinssquare.com
“Love, Poetry and Revolution: A Journey Through The
British Psychedelic And Underground Scenes 1966-1972.”
Apt title, with four hours on three discs of mostly unreleased tracks,
rare 7-inch, or cherry-picked LP cuts. Very little duplication of
material on other collections, and nary a track to skip past. A
special treat for me: The Shame’s cover of Janis Ian’s “Don’t Go ‘Way
Little Girl.” 36-page full-color booklet with notes and original
labels, album covers, or group photos for each track. Delightful
parodies of the Capitol and Vertigo labels on the CDs. Grapefruit
CRSEGBOC025, 3 CDs. cherryred.co.uk
“Looking Good: 75 Femme Mod Soul Nuggets.”
Another collection with many new-to-CD tracks; the title speaks for
itself. 36-page booklet with notes, photos and label pix for each
track. RPM RPMBX521, 3 CDs. rpmrecords.co.uk
Steven Lugerner. For We Have Heard.
Album Most Likely To Skip Your Radar, So Take Heed: Reedman Luganer,
new to me, has constructed a cycle of compositions for jazz quartet
(Myra Melford, Piano; Matt Wilson, drums; Darren Johnston, trumpet)
based on the biblical escape from Egypt. Purely instrumental,
with no liner notes, the writing is intricate without the showing-off
of so many recent endeavors to prove that they can be complicated for
its own sake. Excellent ensemble, solos, and at 32:47, I would
usually protest short length, but why mess with perfection.
Primary/No Business PR013. primaryrecords.com,
nobusinessrecords.com, stevenlugerner.com
Lutoslawski Quartet (Wroclaw). “Bridge.”
Shostakovich SQ 3, Szymanowski SQ 2, Marcin Markowicz SQ 3 and Shostak-witz.
Absolutely stunning graphic design, no joke, on label, matching
silkscreened thin jewel case, thick booklet and slipcase. The
feint grey text in the booklet is impossible to read. None of the
four edges of the slipcase have text, so this got misplaced in the
stacks until now. The Shosty is jaunty, yet perfectly piquant
when called for. Unexpectedly, you get caught in this
performance’s undertow. This is a very special performance of a
somewhat frequently-recorded work. Markowicz is second violinist,
and his 15-minute work isn’t as powerful as its discmates, yet serves
as a fine modern bridge - the title of the album - between them.
The under-recorded Szymanowski 2 gets a fine peformance as well.
Shostako-wicz is a delightful, frisky, one-minute lagniappe.
NFM/Accord/Universal ACD 172 NFM 13. naxos.com, nfm.wroclaw.pl,
synthermia.gr/cvs/lutoslawski-quartet/
John Martyn. The Island Years.
Universal 374 228-8, 17 CDs, DVD (NTSC), poster and folder of
memorabilia in a 12x12 hard slipcase. Those pricks at Universal
have screwed us again with a UK-only, expensive, multi-disc, limited
edition package, with tons of extra material. The reason they are
pricks is that many of the extra tracks on the individual and the 2CD
“deluxe” editions we already bought are not in this compendium, so fans
will need to keep all of those as well. The cheapest source as of
the writing was Amazon UK. johnmartyn.com, store.universal-music.co.uk/restofworld/folk/boxset-john-martyn-the-island-years-box-set-2013/invt/0602537422883/
Yvar Mikhashoff. Panorama of American Piano
Music from Antheil to Zappa: 1911-1991. Mode262/65, 4CDs
plus 28-page booklet. I have been cherishing this “Great American
Piano Marathon,” as it was originally billed, from New York’s Symphony
Space, ever since it was broadcast live on WBAI and recorded, at home,
to my beloved Tascam cassette deck, from which I still listen to those
four C-90s. Why the time disparity? The CDs have deleted
the greatly-missed Mishakhoff’s commentary on each
piece. The booklet had a long useful essay by Brian Brandt
(Mr. Mode), and Yvar’s notes for a smattering of the many works
here. I’d been wanting to make a set-up to digitize my cassettes,
but now has Brian Brandt (Mr. Mode) saved me the work. I’m still
keeping my cassettes, though.
“John Morales presents The M+M Remixes Vol. 3:
Instrumentals.” More club classics, but the purely
instrumental sides. The sub-subtitle tells all: “NYC Underground Disco
Anthems & Previously Unreleased Disco Mixes.” Among others,
Barry White, Loose Joints, Third World, T-Connection, Loleatta
Holloway, Teddy P. and Marvin G. tracks frolic joyfully across the two
discs. BBE BBE211/CD. bbemusic.com
Tom Moulton. “Philadelphia International
Classics: The Tom Moulton Remixes.” Half the tracks are
new remixes, the others the original Tom Moulton mixes, all from the
Philadelphia International label. The Three Degrees, Harold
Melvin and The Blue Notes, Teddy Pendergrass, Jean Carn, Lou Rawls,
MFSB and the other PIR regulars. Harmless HURTXCD112, 4
CDs. demonmusicgroup.co.uk/Harmless
Tom Moulton. “Philly ReGrooved 3 - Tom Moulton
Remixes – More From The Master.” Classic late ‘70s club
disco in different and/or extended mixes of The Spinners, The Trammps,
Double Exposure, Melba Moore and some lesser-knowns, but they all
retain the basic shape and sound of Tom Moulton. No robotic beats
or Auto-Tuning here. 24 pages of detailed bio and track by track
notes in a tiny but happily-legible font. Harmless HURT CD 122, 2
CDs. demonmusicgroup.co.uk/Harmless
Musiques Nouvelles. 2012 – 50 Ans – 25
Compositeurs. Some great new works by a great
Belgian ensemble at budget price. The most famous names are
Pierre Bartholomée (founder of the group), Philip Boesmans, Claude
Ledoux, Jacques Leduc, Bernard Fouccroulle (to name the ones I had on
my shelves already) and an entire disc of Henri Pousseur (leader of the
group). This seems to be the same group with the name in
singular, Musique Nouvelle, which released a Ricercar CD of works by
the late Jonathan Harvey, Franco Donatoni, Magnus Lindberg and Hugues
Dufourt, circa 1991. Cyprès CYP4650, 6 CDs, 104-page book bilingual
French/English. cypres-records.com, allegro-music.com/online_catalog.asp?sku_tag=CYP34650
Eddie Noack. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Prime country singer with a bunch of rockabilly tracks as well,
covering 1949 through 1960. Aside from the country lyrics, if you
like early Woody Guthrie, you might be the target audience for Noack’s
style of pickin’ and singin’. Three different original picture
labels and a 104 page book all in English. Bear Family BCD 17142
CH, 3 CDs. bearfamilyraduio.com
William Parker Quartet. Live In Wroclaw.
Master bassman William Parker is joined by long-time musical partners
Rob Brown on alto, Lew Barnes on trumpet, and percussionist Hamid
Drake. I’ve been collecting Parker Lps and CDs, and attending
performances seemingly forever. Although I haven’t yet heard
Parker’s new AUM Fidelity 8-disc box set of recent material, I declare
this the one to get if you’re only having only one. There’s a
47-minute excursion that
is the epitome of the places free improvisation can go, plus two other
excellent performances. Fortune 0002 0002. for-tune.pl,
williamparker.net, robbrownmusic.com
Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell. Azure.
Excellent bass-piano set of nine duos and one solo apiece from these
two improvisers who never fail to please. ECM 2292. ecmrecords.com,
marilyncrispell,com,
“Prix Italia and Radiophonic Experientation:
Imagination At Play.” A few of these radio plays
have appeared before in other versions, or in lesser audio, but this
magnificent production gives detailed notes, texts and contexts for
works by Rota, Castiglioni, Maderna (3), Berio and Sciarrino.
Audio interviews in Italian with Madrena and Sciarrino. die
Schachtel/RAI DS22, boxed 386-page book with texts, essays in Italian
and English, 6 CDs. dieschactel.com
Doctor Ross and His Jump And Jive Boys. Juke
Box Boogie: The Sun Years Plus Memphis and Michigan.
Harmonica, guitar and vocal boogie woogie from Isaiah Ross and crew
start the set in 1951 and after 31 more tracks into the ‘60s, you only
feel enlivened and rush to play some John Lee Hooker and Captain
Beefheart blues. The original yellow Sun label and the yellow
rays from the 78 sleeves on the excellent picture label. 46-page
booklet. Bear Family BCD 16939 AH. bearfamilyproductions.com
Sly and The Family Stone. Higher!
Four CDs (five if the Amazon exclusive edition with a meager 6 extra
tracks) on what Sony bills as a “77-track, 4-CD Overview and Rarieties
Box Set.” Sly fans don’t need a fucking overview, we need
unreleased material, of which here are only 17 cuts, plus many more in
their single and mono mixes. Newbies can buy the excellent 2-disc
Essential Sly & The Family Stone set before they get all the
individual albums. Why not give us the mixes from the
Quadrophonic LP of Greatest Hits, even in stereo- they’re
amazing. An early Sony Legacy CD has an extended version of
“Thank You.” Not here. Fans will grab this for the
rare or unreleased, but have most of this already; the pre-Family Stone
tracks have long been available from Ace (UK), Autumn Records
anthologies and on bootlegs. C’mon, Legacy, give the fans what
they need. 10x10” box with 106-page book with plenny plenny
photos. Sony/Epic Legacy 88697536652MC1. slystonemusic.com,
legacyrecordings.com
Sly and The Family Stone. There’s A Riot Goin’
On. Perhaps the most significant and, at least by me,
beloved album of the 1970s gets yet another re-edition. The sound
is what matters, so I’ll simply say that this Get On Down gold (yawn)
disc remaster has a flow and ease missing from the 2007 Sony remaster,
with lots of detail: the guitar and keyboard lines are in relief, the
bass and guitars click and gurgle in loosely-woven strands more like
the original LP. (The Sony has a fatter bass and sounds solid but
clotted; it doesn’t draw you in.) This has only the original
tracks; the Sony adds three outtakes and the single mix of Family
Affair. The slightly oversized flip-cap box has a embroidered
cloth version of the cover’s flag. It includes the lyrics (Sony
doesn’t) and has a 48-page hardcover CD-size book, with truly great
photos and a pretentiously-written essay which overlaps facts with the
also-informative but business-like Sony liner notes. For the
price, G.O.D. should have better editing and production values in the
book. Fan(atic)s like me will want this. Get On Down/Sony
Epic Legacy GET 9009 CD. getondown.com, slystonemusic.com, legacyrecordings.com
Wadada Leo Smith and Louis Moholo-Moholo. Ancestors.
By turns ethereally delicate and vehement, the trumpeter and drummer
create a disc that will retain interest over the decades. TUM 029. wadadaleosmith.com,
tumrecords.com
Wadada Leo Smith. Ten Freedom Summers.
A series of strikingly well-layered compositions, each referencing some
aspect of the 1950s-1960s civil rights movement in the US and its
further resonances, literally and musically. Cuneiform RUNE
350-353, 4 CDs. cuneiformrecords.com,
wadadaleosmith.com
Wadada Leo Smith and TUMO. Occupy The World.
Two disc, five extended tracks with the laser-like trumpeter composing
for an improvising orchestra, and able to find an excellent one in
Finland. TUM 037-2. tumrecords.com, wadadaleosmith.com
Michael Jefry Stevens and Dom Minasi. Angel’s Dance.
Pianist Stevens and guitarist Minasi present a delight of intricate,
improvised miniatures, mostly between three and four minutes, which
don’t mandate but will greatly repay close listening. Stevens
writes, aptly, “Recording this music with Dom can only compare to two
children inventing the most interesting games to play together, one
after another.” Nachtrecords. nachtrecords.com/album/angels-dance-improvisations-for-guitar-and-piano,
straw2goldpictures.com/
June Tabor. Quercus. Tabor
is in my pantheon of British folk and ballad singers. What a
treat to find her on an ECM recital of traditional songs, works by
Robert Burns, Shakespeare, and a few modern songs, with a jazzy
accompaniment by saxophonist Iain Bellamy and pianist Huw Warren.
All texts included. Next, find her masterpiece Airs and Graces,
and the her duo with Maddy Prior, Silly Sisters. ECM 2276 (372
4555). ecmrcords.com
Tommy Tate. I’m So Satisfied: The Complete
Ko-Ko Recordings and More. Tate is a soul singer who
might fly under your radar, so sample some online (you know
where). After a few just-okay tracks, you get a really fine
serving of several styles of Southern soul, and a few 1970s near-disco
tracks, all with that good Malaco and Stax feel. Some are
sociopolitical, especially the Stax tracks with the Nightingales (Tate
replaced Ollie) but most are love songs. Kent Soul CDKEND 289. acerecords.com
The Thing. Boot! Mats Gustafsson
on bari, bass, soprano and tenor saxes, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on
electric bass and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love do more than blow energy;
they play deep and dig deep grooves on standards from Ellington
(“Heaven”) and Coltrane (“India”) and four of their own. Thick
LP-style gatefold jacket, but beware the glue on the edge.
Trost/The Thing Records TTR001CD. thethingrecords.com
“Ike Turner’s Other Singers Step Up To The
Microphone.” Ace UK reissue label Ace presents another
smashing set, this one of classic yet obscure tracks produced for
Modern Records 1963-1965 by Ike in New Orleans and LA, with the
correspondent flavors, the natural development of jump and blues into
modern r&b. Each of the 27 cuts is a gem. 16 pages of
detailed notes and photos. Ace CDCHD 1329. acerecords.com
Dave Van Ronk. Down In Washington Square: The Smithsonian
Folkways Collection. The first release of 16 of the
54 tracks recorded 1958 through 2001, by the raspy folk rascal who was
witty, crass, tender and tough. The title does not say “complete”
and doesn’t include work from his 2001 concert, on Smithsonian SFW CD
40156, titled “…and the tin pan bended and the story ended…”
Intelligently designed, even with a 40-page book, the three-CD set
takes up the space of a single jewelcase. Smithsonian Folkways
SFW 40213. folkways.si.edu
Ken Vandermark’s Resonance Ensemble. Head
Above Water/Feet Out Of The Fire. The groove is strong as
New Orleans on one track, strong ‘70s loft jazz or free-blowing others,
but the playing and the eleven players are international, one disc
recorded in Chicago, the other live in Hasselt, Belgium.
Not Two MW 910-2.
Velvet Condom. Vanity and Revolt.
I’m not fond of most ‘80s haircut/electro bands, but this current group
has taken many of those sounds and made 19 tracks of interesting music
here. “Trash Vaudeville” could be easily be a lost track from The
Cure’s Boys Don’t Cry. Neat packaging in a DVD case in a hot pink
plastic envelope, various inserts inside. There is also a 2CD +
DVD deluxe edition I haven’t heard. Cymbeline/Rustblade
RVL039BOX, CD + DVD. rustblade.com, velvetcondom.com.
The Waterboys. Fisherman’s Box.
This Irish folk-flavored rock band’s superb Fisherman’s Blues (1988)
was expanded into two discs a way back, and now six, of alternate and
takes and unused tracks, all of high interest. Colin Meloy wrote
the 5-page appreciation, followed by leader and Scotsman Mike Scott’s
photos, personnel listings and notes for each track in the box which
resides happily on my shelf next to, appropriately, the British family
of traditional song, The Watersons. Chrysalis/Ensign
825646413300, 6 CDs. mikescottwaterboys.com
Tony Joe White. Hoodoo. Another
solid chunk of hoodoo swamp blues rock from the master, who shows no
sign of waning. The lyrics are graveyard spooky. All his
recent albums have been winners. If you don’t know his
work, no need to go back to the “Polk Salad Annie” days; jump in here
or anywhere. Swamp/YepRoc YEP-2348. tonyjoewhite.com, yeproc.com
Nate Wooley and Seymour Wright. About Trumpet
and Saxophone. Gurgling and spittle, there’s still life
in what’s sometimes called “lower case sound.” Sample a full
track on the label website. Fataka 8. fataka.net, natewooley,com,
seymourwright.com
Robert Wyatt. ‘68. Yes,
these “lost” tapes are mostly for the already converted, but I am
one. This take of “Moon In June” is a gas, the other 20-minute
track, “Rivmic Melodies,” is a funfest, and there are two other,
shorter tracks. Cuneiform RUNE 375, waysidemusic.com, cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/68
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PERFORMANCES
Performance Of The Year:
Petr Kotik’s Many, Many Women. (See below)
Argento New Music Project, conducted by Michel
Galante. Georg Friedrich Hass: Attis, for soprano, bsn,
horn and SQ. Berg: Adagio from Kammerkonzert,
arr. quintet by Michel Galante. Webern: Drei
stücke for cello and piano. Schoenberg: Sechs
Kleine Klavierstúcke. This New York welcome to composer Haas,
now joining the Columbia University faculty, featured
exquisitely-fashioned performances of the Second Viennese works.
Different, but on an equal exalted plane the new and longer vocal work
by Haas. Austrian Cultural Forum of New York, July 2, 2013. acfny.org/event/georg-friedrich-haas/
Two Old Hats. Bill Irwin and David Shiner.
I used to hate clowns. Then I saw this show. Now I love
clowns. At least, these ones. I also love Nellie McKay,
well-known but new to me, who sang and jokes and played piano and
ukulele and led her band to great effect. I’ll be keeping an eye
out for her work. Directed by Tine Landauer.
Signature Theater, NYC.
Todd Capp Mystery Train. The drummer’s quartet
with some fine young musicians (Barry Weisblat (electronics), Marcia
Barrett (guitar), and Andrew Lafkas (bass).with creative use of analog
synth and other electronics, which usually I don’t like, but this was
great. Downtown Music Gallery Sunday Music Series, NYC, December 15,
2013. downtownmusicgallery.com, q-o2.be/artist/barry-weisblat/
Free Improv Memorial for Peter Stanley Cox.
March 27, 2013, Roulette, NYC. A personal friend of the Editor,
Peter Cox was a longtime fan of the music and beloved by musicians
worldwide. Around fifty performers came together at Roulette in
spontaneously organized ensembles in performances set for around five
minutes each so all would have a turn. Violinist Mat Maneri
served as ringmaster. It’s posted here for your listening
pleasure, in two parts: youtube.com/watch?v=ZzVyFHHBaqU,
youtube.com/watch?v=AnCFzjA3P98
Merce Cunningham Trust. Variations V,
July 5, 2013. Native Green, with live music by John King,
July 26, 2013. Young performers inhabiting this work, as magical
as ever. City Center Building, NYC. mercecunningham.org
Ebène String Quartet. I’d only heard of the group,
but at this superb series, held that year at the High School of Fashion
Industries, was enrapt by the Ebène’s Mozart Dissonant Quartet,
Schubert’s Rosamunde Quartet, and Mendelssohn’s Quartet in F
minor. The delight still lingers. People’s Symphony
Concerts, NYC. April 20, 2013. pscny.org, quatuorebene.com
Rinde Eckert and Ned Rothenberg. Five
Beasts. A concept piece by the singer/actor and
clarinetist, which brought to mind evolution as well as interrelation
of humans and animals. May 31, 2013, Roulette, Brooklyn NY.
roulette.org,
rindeeckert.com, nedrothenberg.com
Vladimir Feltsman, piano. I know Feltsman only
by a felicitous encounter with an MHS Lp of Liszt’s Sonata in B
minor. I was so looking forward to this, and most of the
pieces were edge-of-the-seat listening. Haydn Sonata 31, Liszt’s
Ballade 2 and from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses,
Schubert’s Sonata D.537, and Scriabin’s Ver la flamme.) People’s
Symphony Concerts, NYC. April 27, 2013. pscny.org, feltsman.com
Georges Feydeau. A Flea In Her Ear.
Love Creek Productions, directed by Le Wilhelm. The Producer’s
Club, NYC. Classic French farce, presented deliciously. producersclub.com,
lovecreek.org
FONT Music Presents Music for Small, Medium
& Massive: Premieres, Fanfares & Remembrances. The
highlights: Roy Campbell’s Akhnaten Large Ensemble; John
Zorn’s Antiphonal Fanfare For The Great Hall, three pairs of
trumpets on either side of the balcony making but music and spatial
magic; and the always magical, spatial-music specialist Henry
Brant’s Flight Over A Global Map, Spatial Assembly for 52 trumpets,
3 percussion and piano (scattered throughout the hall and
balcony) conducted by Neely Bruce. The Brant was originally
scored for 200 trumpets, but Bruce explained, with a twinkle, that 100
were too hard to gather in such a short time. September 10-11,
2013, Roulette, Brooklyn NY. fontmusic.org,
roulette.org
Horton Foote. The Old Friends.
Directed by Michael Wilson. Delicious Southern Gothic comedy,
with over-the-top writing about a group of old friends with history and
secrets, stunning delivered by an amazing cast, the most famous being
Betty Buckley and the indomitable Lois Smith, but all perfect in their
roles. Signature Theatre, NYC. signaturetheatre.org
Satoko Fujii. Residency at The Stone, NYC,
August 20-15, 2013. Six days with twelve ensembles. I
regret I could only catch half of them. Highlights were Kaze
(listed separately, below); a duo with drummer Tom Rainey; a larger
ensemble with Briggan Krauss on sax, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura,
guitarist Nels Cline, and drummer Michael T. A. Thompson; and a brass
and percussion ensemble featuring Frank London and Nate Wooley on
trumpets. satokofujii.com, thestonenyc.com
David Grollman (snare drum) and Ryan Sawyer
(voice.) Yoni Kretzmer (tenor sax) and James Ilgenfritz (bass). Double
bill March 3, 2013. Downtown Music Gallery Sunday Music Series,
NYC. downtownmusicgallery.com
Ross Hammond (guitar) and Catherine Sikora (sax).
Kyoko Kitamura and Ann Rhodes (vocalists). Double bill March
24, 2013. Downtown Music Gallery Sunday Music Series, NYC. downtownmusicgallery.com
Gunter Hampel, Cavana Lee Hampel and Steve Swell.
Vibes and flute, voice, and ‘bone. Masters all (See this trio
above in the CD Best Of.) At Downtown Music Gallery’s annual
Hoilidaze party, December 29, 2013. gunterhhampelmusic.de,
steveswell.com, downtownmusicgallery.com
Alexander Harrington. The Great Society: The
True And Tragic Story Of How LBJ Failed To Go All The Way.
The York Shakespeare Company at The Harold Clurman at Theatre
Row. Directed by Seth Duerr. In a play full of great
performances (Mitch Tebo as LBJ), Special Mention for Charles Gray in
the role of Bayard Rustin. yorkshakespeare.org,
theatrerow.org/theclurman.htm
Kaze. A two-trumpet quartet featuring two
fantastic Frenchman, trumpeter Christian Pruvost and drummer Peter
Orins. plus the well-known pianist Satoko Fujii and trumpeter Natsuki
Tamura. They are an inherently organic unit and are already at
the top of their game. The final half of the exciting set found
them joined by poet Steve Dalachinsky for a particularly impassioned
performance. Kaze has two good CDs out, Rafale and Tornado.
Look for Orins’ and Pruvost’s own highly recommended CDs, too.
(Full CD reviews forthcoming.) August 23, 2013. The Stone,
NYC. satokofujii.com,
circumdisc.com, muzzix.info/Kaze?lang=en,
muzzix.infoPruvost?lang=en, muzzix.info/Orins,
thestonenyc.com
Petr Kotik. Many, Many Women.
S.E.M. Ensemble. Paula Cooper Gallery, NYC. December 20,
2103. Decades ago I heard the premiere performance and was
totally blown away. I expected the same for this revival of this
minimalist work for six winds and six voices over five hours based on
Gertrude Stein’s 86-page novella, but nothing prepared me for the sheer
electricity of these performers in this particular resonant
space. Cathedral like resonance yet each instrument and voice
shone clearly, nothing was hazy. But that’s just the icing.
It was the timing. Every breath, every note and silence had a
mesmerizing flow. This should be taken up by many, many other
performers, but in the meanwhile, you can get the 3CD set from Dog With
A Bone. I’ve owned the LPs from the beginning, but also got the
CDs to take with me when outside. paulacoopergallery.com,
semensemble.org, forcedexposure.com/artists/kotik.petr.html
Ingrid Laubrock. Vogefrei.
Tri-Centric Orchestra, Taylor Ho Bynum, conductor. Laubrock’s
composition was the highlight of this festival of large-ensemble
commissions by the Tri-Centric. Roulette, Brooklyn NY. ingridlaubrock.com,
roulette.org/events/tri-centric-orchestra/, tricentricfoundation.org
Francis Poulenc. Dialogues des Carmelites.
Metropolitan Opera, NY. Louis Langré, conductor. A
simple set lets the music and action take center stage. Isabel
Leonard was excellent as Blanche, but Erin Morley shone as Sister
Constance and Felicity Palmer was deeply moving as the Prioress. metoperafamily.org
Wadada Leo Smith. Ten Freedom Summers.
May 1-3, 2013, Roulette, Brooklyn NY. Three consecutive night
were needed to present six extended movement of this expandable
multimedia work, wonderful on the Cuneiform 4CD set, but even better
live. Wadada is a living national treasure. wadadaleosmith.com,
roulette.org
Craig Taborn. May 6, 2013, Roulette, Brooklyn
NY. A packed house, surprisingly with a lot of young
trendies. Pianist Taborn, with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer
Gerald Cleaver, did a set of extended, hypnotic pieces which flowed
into each other, very different stylistically from the ECM album it was
supporting. roulette.org, ecmrecords.com
Regina Taylor. stop. reset.
Directed by the playwright. A funny, jarring socio-political
science-fiction allegory about the effects of technology. which had
flaws, but made you think and then left you pondering the future as
well as the present. Special Mention to Ismael Cruz Cordova who
stole the show in the role of the time-traveling naïf/savant,
“J.” Signature Theatre, NYC. signaturetheatre.org
Vision Festival 18. June 12-16, 2013,
Roulette, Brooklyn, NY. Highlights: All of June 12, honoring
drummer Milford Graves, in three settings, all of which were
passionate, and his Afro Cuban Roots Ensemble had everyone
moving. June 13 was a solid day, with violinist Terry Jenoure in
duo with dancer Maria Mitchell, the late Roy Campbell’s Akhnaten
Ensemble, and the ever-solid Rob Brown with Joe McPhee, Miya Masaoka,
Mark Helias and Qasim Naqvi. Roscoe Mitchell scored via his
trio with Henry Grimes and Tani Tabbal. French night introduced me to
the savory clarinetist Sylvain Kassap and pianist François Tusques, and
the better-known Louis Sclavis on clarinets and Didier Petit on
cello. They divvied up into two very successful ensembles which
included Americans Ochs, Masaoka, (Kidd) Jordan, Drake, and Parker.
Another highlight was when Marshall Allen teamed up with Christian
McBride in a quartet, ending with a magic comp on “Space Is The Place,”
seemingly instigated by McBride.
artsforart.org/events/archive/schedule/visionfestival18
Lanford Wilson. The Mound Builders.
Directed by Jo Bonney. Zachary Booth (Dr. Dan Loggins), Janie
Brookshire (Cynthia Howe), David Conrad (Professor August Howe), Lisa
Joyce (Dr. Jean Loggins), Rachel Resheff (Kirsten), Will Rogers (Chad
Jasker), Danielle Skraastad (D.K [Delia] Eriksen). This revival
made the play much more clear than the 1970s performance from Broadway,
which is available on DVD, and still worthy. Excellent
ensemble work. Signature Theatre, NYC. signaturetheatre.org
Lanford Wilson. Talley’s Folley.
Roundabout Theatre Company, NYC, directed by Michael Wilson.
Danny Burstein (Matt Friedman), Sarah Paulson (Sally Tally).
Laura Pels Theatre, NYC. roundabouttheatre.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|