Playlist Week of 2013-05-11

* Thelonious Monk: Complete Columbia Solo Studio Recordings 1962-68 (d.1) (Columbia/Legacy 2CD)

* David S. Ware String Ensemble: Threads (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Matthew Shipp: Equilibrium (Thirsty Ear CD)†/‡

* Matthew Shipp: The Art Of The Improviser (d.1) (Thirsty Ear 2CD)

* Matthew Shipp Trio: Elastic Aspects (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Mary Halvorson Quintet: Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12 2LP)

* Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone: On And Off (Skirl CD)

* Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone: Departure Of Reason (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Ches Smith & These Arches: Hammered (Clean Feed CD)

* Secret Keeper (Stephan Crump & Mary Halvorson): Super Eight (Intakt CD)

* Stephan Crump: Rosetta (Papillon Sounds CD)

* Tom Rainey Trio: Pool School (Clean Feed CD)

* Tom Rainey Trio: El Camino Real (Intakt CD)

* Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House: Strong Place (Intakt CD)

* Van Dyke Parks: Song Cycle (mono) (Warner Bros./Rhino LP)

* Grateful Dead: Dave’s Picks Vol.6: San Francisco 12/20/69 + St. Louis 2/2/70 (+)  (GDP/Rhino 3+1HDCD)

* Grateful Dead: The Palladium, New York, NY 1977-05-04 (set 2) (SBD CDR)†/‡

* Love: Black Beauty (High Moon LP)

* Pink Floyd: Animals (Pinkfloyd/EMI CD)

* Deep Purple: Made In Japan (Warner Bros. 2LP)

* Yes: Close To The Edge (Atlantic/Audio Fidelity SACD)

* U2: The Unforgettable Fire (Deluxe Edition) (Island/Universal 2CD)†/‡

* Steven Wilson: The Raven That Refused To Sing (KScope CD/DVD)†/‡

* Opeth: The Roundhouse Tapes (Peaceville 2CD)†/‡

* Opeth: Heritage (Roadrunner 2LP)

* Katatonia: The Great Cold Distance (Peacevill CD)†/‡

* Anathema: Weather Systems (KScope CD/DVD)

* Baroness: Yellow & Green (Relapse 2CD)†/‡

* Pelican: What We All Come To Need (Southern Lord 2LP)

* Pelican: The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw (Hydra Head CD)

* Pelican: City Of Echoes (Hydra Head CD)

* Akron/Family: Love Is Easy (Young God 2LP)

* Akron/Family: (Dead Oceans 2LP)

* Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop CD)†/‡

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

What a week! For a couple of hermits, Lizzy and I have been all over the place:

Friday, May 3: Drive to Chattanooga.

Saturday, May 4: Drive to Athens, Georgia to see Opeth (see this post for more on that).

Sunday, May 5: Drive back to Nashville.

Monday – Tuesday, May 6-7: Work extra-long days because...

Wednesday, May 8: Drive to Lexington, Kentucky to see Opeth again. Thankfully, it was a somewhat mellower scene than Saturday night in Athens. As usual, though, Opeth ruled.

Thursday, May 9: Drive back to Nashville and make final preparations for…

Friday, May 10: Host Mary Halvorson and Stephan Crump at “Indeterminacies” at the newly relocated Zeitgeist Gallery. It was an amazing event: the duo (called Secret Keeper) played an hour-long set followed by a nearly-hour-long discussion led by the extraordinary curator and writer Veronica Kavass. We had a standing-room-only turnout, thanks no doubt to Jack Silverman’s nice write-up in The Scene. The music was sublime; the sound was warm, detailed and crystal clear (engineered by my nephew, Brian Totoro); and Veronica was perfect as a moderator, bringing a deep and wide-ranging perspective on music, art, literature, film, creativity and reception which invited an enthusiastic response from the audience. Zeitgeist’s new space is drop-dead gorgeous and featured beautiful sculptures and prints by artist Greg Pond—the perfect setting for the event. In all, I can’t imagine how it could have possibly been better.

Saturday, May 11: But it’s not over yet! In a perversely tantalizing double-bill, Matthew Shipp will be performing with his trio of Michael Bisio on bass and Whit Dickey on drums along with “Nashville’s most fucked-up country band,” Lambchop. Even though I am completely exhausted, I’m really going to try to go. After all, I (briefly) went to school with Matt and Whitt and it would be great to see them. Their music has been a source of continual inspiration to me ever since.