Playlist Week of 2013-12-28

* Venice Baroque Orchestra (Marcon/Camignola): Concerto Veneziano (Archiv Prod. CD)

* Duke Ellington: The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse (Fantasy LP)

* Duke Ellington: The Intimate Ellington (Pablo LP)

* Duke Ellington & Ray Brown: This One’s For Blanton (Pablo LP)

* Andrew Hill Quartet: Divine Revelation (Inner City LP)

* Andrew Hill: Faces Of Hope (Soul Note LP)

* Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost (Revenant 3LP)

* Albert Ayler: Live In Greenwich Village: The Complete Impulse Recordings (d.1) (Impulse! 2CD)

* Jayson Lindh: Cous Cous (Metronome/CTI LP)

* Lenny White: Big City (Nemperor/Atlantic LP)

* The Stark Reality: Acting Thinking Feeling (Now Again 6LP+7”)

* Pat Metheny Group: Still Life (Talking) (Geffen LP)

* Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Heeltop Home Studio 2013-12-23 (WAV)

* Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Heeltop Home Studio 2013-12-27 (WAV)

* I Am The Center: Private Issue New Age Music In America 1950-1990 (Light In The Attic 3LP)†

* Daft Punk: Random Access Memories (Columbia CD)†/†

* Elvis Presley: Elvis’ Christmas Album (RCA-Victor/Friday Music LP)

* Elvis Presley: If Every Day Was Like Christmas (RCA-Victor CD)

* Shelby Lynne: Just A Little Lovin’ (Lost Highway CD)

* Bob Dylan’s Theme Time Radio Hour: No.34 “Xmas & New Years” (FM 2CDR)

* Bob Dylan: Christmas In The Heart (Columbia CD)

* The Beatles: I Hope We Passed The Audition (Purple Chick fan/boot CDR)

* The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper (Deluxe Edition) (selections) (Purple Chick fan/boot 4CDR)

* The Beatles: Magical Mystery Year (Deluxe Edition) (selections) (Purple Chick fan/boot 4CDR)

* The Beatles: From Then To You (Deluxe Edition) (Purple Chick fan/boot CDR)

* The Beatles: Live At The BBC : The Collection (Apple/Capitol 4CD)

* Grateful Dead: Dick’s Picks Vol.31 (August 4-6, 1974) (excerpts) (d.3-4) (GDP 4HDCD)

* Grateful Dead: McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO 1990-12-13  (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Sir Douglas Quintet: The Mono Singles ’68-’72 (Sundazed 2LP)

* Michael Bass: Parchesi Pie (Random Radar LP)

* Michael Bass & His Moderately Sized Orchestra: Painting By Numbers (Random Radar LP)

* Steven Feigenbaum & Tom Scott: Things Are More Like They Are Now… (Random Radar LP)

* The Smiths: Louder Than Bombs (Sire 2LP)

* Katatonia: Dead End Kings (Peaceville CD)†

†=iPod/iTunes

†=car

Commentary:

I hope everyone our there in Bloggerville had a very Merry Christmas! We certainly did.

In fact, I got the best Xmas present ever—not just one but two whole days with my good friend (and drummer extraordinaire), Sam Byrd! We recorded over 150 minutes of music in my newly renovated home studio, much of which is the best stuff we have ever done.

While I would have been happy with what we laid down on that first session, by the second day, we were in the groove and playing with real fire and intensity. If only we could get together like this all the time—imagine what we could do!

In any event, the plan is to put some of this out in 2014—hopefully on vinyl! I’ll keep you posted…

Happy New Year!

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Sam also brought some records over so we could make a joint Vinyl Community video. He has an amazing collection! Check it out:

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SHAMELESS PLUG DEPT.

Our CD, Indeterminate (Improvisations for Piano and Drums), documents a live performance at Zeitgeist Gallery from September 2012 and is available by clicking the link below. Thank you for your interest and support!

Playlist Week of 2013-12-21

* Hesperion XXI (Savall): Orient-Occident 1200-1700 (Alia Vox SACD)

* Hesperion XXI (Savall): Istanbul: Dimitrie Cantemir 1673-1723 (Alia Vox SACD)

* Purcell: Fantasias For The Viols 1680 (Hesperion XX) (Savall) (Alia Vox SACD)

* Duke Ellington: An Explosion Of Genius 1938-1940 (d.1-3) (Smithsonian 6LP)

* Duke Ellington: Ellington Uptown (Columbia LP)

* Duke Ellington: Duke Plays Ellington (Capitol LP)

* Duke Ellington: Jazz Party In Stereo (Columbia/Classic LP)

* Duke Ellington: Blues In Orbit (Columbia/Classic LP)

* Duke Ellington: The Pianist (Fantasy LP)

* Sun Ra & His Arkestra: The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, Ontario 1978-03-13 (AUD 3CDR)

* Miles Davis: In A Silent Way (Columbia/Mobile Fidelity LP)

* Miles Davis: The Complete In A Silent Way Sessions (d.1) (Columbia/Legacy 3CD)

* Miles Davis: Amandla (Warner Bros. LP)

* Wayne Shorter Quartet: Beyond The Sound Barrier (Verve CD)

* Wayne Shorter Quartet: Without A Net (Blue Note CD)

* Weather Report: Mysterious Traveler (Columbia LP)

* Weather Report: Tale Spinnin’ (Columbia LP)

* Pharoah Sanders: Message From Home (Verve CD)

* Derek Bailey: Carpal Tunnel (Tzadik CD)

* Tim Berne: The Shell Game (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Funkadelic: Maggot Brain (Westbound CD)

* Parliament: Mothership Connection (Casablanca CD)

* Frank Ocean: Nostalgia Ultra (FrankOcean.com MP3)†/‡

* Shelby Lynne: Just A Little Lovin’ (Lost Highway CD)

* Grateful Dead: Road Trips Vol.1 No.4: From Egypt With Love (GDP/Rhino 3+1HDCD)

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

* Tony Levin/David Torn/Alan White: Levin/Torn/White (Lazy Bones CD)†/‡

* Genesis: Live (Charisma LP)

* Genesis: Selling England By The Pound (Charisma LP)

* Camel: Rain Dances (GAMA LP)

* Camel: A Live Record (Decca 2LP)

* Camel: Breathless (Arista LP)

* The Doobie Brothers: Best Of The Doobies (Warner Bros. LP)

* Automatic Man: Automatic Man (Island LP)

* Automatic Man: Visitors (Island LP)

* Supertramp: Crime Of The Century (A&M/Mobile Fidelity CD)

* Los Lobos: This Time (Hollywood/Mobile Fidelity SACD)

* Prefab Sprout: Two Wheels Good (Epic LP)

* Robert Pollard: Blazing Gentlemen (GBV, Inc. LP)

* Boards Of Canada: Music Has A Right To Children (Warp 2LP/MP3)†

* Boards Of Canada: The Campfire Headphase (Warp 2LP/MP3)†

* Kyuss: Blues For The Red Sun (Elektra LP)

* Kylesa: Ultraviolet (Season Of Mist CD)

* Red Fang: Murder The Mountains (Relapse LP)

* Red Fang: Whales And Leeches (Relapse LP+12”)

* Zombi: Escape Velocity (Relapse LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

Happy Winter Solstice!

Playlist Week of 2013-12-14

* Nono: Composizione Per Orchestra N.1, etc. (Deutsches Symph./Hirsch) (Wergo CD)

* Dusapin: String Quartets & Trio (Arditti) (Aeon 2CD)

* Toudie Heath: Kawaida (O’Be Records LP)

* Herbie Hancock Sextet: Aarhus, Denmark July 1971 (FM CDR)

* Herbie Hancock Septet: Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, Detroit, MI 1972-10-08 (FM CDR)

* Herbie Hancock Septet: Strata Concert Gallery, Detroit, MI 1973-02-20 (SBD 3CDR)

* Herbie Hancock Septet: Jazz Workshop, Boston, MA 1973-03-21 (FM CDR)

* Alice Coltrane: Transfiguration (Warner Bros. 2LP)

* Gato Barbieri & Dollar Brand: Confluence (Black Lion/Arista-Freedom LP)

* Chico Freeman: Beyond The Rain (Contemporary LP)

* Egberto Gismoni: Sanfona (ECM 2LP)

* Ralph Towner: Batik (ECM LP)

* Bennie Maupin: Moonscapes (Mercury LP)

* Larry Coryell: Planet End (Vanguard LP)

* Allan Holdsworth: Velvet Darkness (CTI LP)

* Weather Report: Weather Report (Columbia LP)

* Weather Report: Sweetnighter (Columbia LP)

* Mephista: Black Narcissus (Tzadik CD)

* Mephista: Entomological Reflections (Tzadik CD)

* Kris Davis: Massive Threads (Thirsty Ear CD)†

* Dawn Of Midi: Dysnomia (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Al Jarreau: Look To The Rainbow: Live Recorded In Europe (Warner Bros. 2LP)

* DJ Spooky: Optometry (Thirsty Ear CD)†
* Frank Ocean: Nostalgia Ultra (FrankOcean.com MP3)†
* Frank Ocean: Channel Orange (Island/Def Jam CD)

* Shelby Lynne: Just A Little Lovin’ (Lost Highway CD)

* The Oxford American Southern Music CD: Tennessee (Oxford American 2CD)

* Grateful Dead: May 1977 (selections) (GDP/Rhino 14HDCD)

* Santana: Caravanserei (Columbia/Mobile Fidelity SACD)

* Anthony Phillips: The Geese And The Ghost (Passport LP)

* Anthony Phillips: Wise After The Event (Passport LP)

* Anthony Phillips: Pieces And Private Parts (Passport LP)

* Anthony Phillips: Sides (Passport LP)

* Goblin: Tour EP 2013 (Death Waltz EP)

* Bill Bruford: Bill Bruford’s Earthworks (Editions EG LP)

* Cocteau Twins: Aikea Guinea (4AD/Capitol CDEP)†/‡

* Cocteau Twins: Echoes In A Shallow Bay (4AD/Capitol CDEP)†/‡

* Cocteau Twins: Tiny Dynamine (4AD/Capitol CDEP)†/‡

* Cocteau Twins: Love’s Easy Tears (4AD/Capitol CDEP)†/‡

* Cocteau Twins: Sunburst And Snowblind (4AD/Capitol CDEP)†/‡

* Cocteau Twins: Iceblink Luck (4AD/Capitol CDEP)†/‡

* Guided By Voices: Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft (d.1) (Fading Captain 4CD)

* Beck: “I Won’t Be Long” (Fonograf 12”)

* Beck: “Defriended” (Fonograf 12”)

* Beck: “Gimme” (Fonograf 2-12”)

* Steven Wilson: The Raven That Refused To Sing (KScope BD)

* Beach House: Beach House (Carpark/Heart Break Beat LP)

* Beach House: Devotion (Carpark 2LP)

* Lower Dens: Nootropics (Ribbon Music 2-45RPM LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

Some folks have been asking, “Hey, you bum! Will Sun Ra Sunday ever come back?”

Well, I hope so. One of my goals for 2014 is to get back on track with my blog, with perhaps a couple changes in format. It’s just that lately I have not had the time and energy to devote to writing—particularly in-depth analyses of Sun Ra bootlegs. But I do plan to return to the project eventually!

Now that my home studio is (nearly) complete, I have been spending the vast majority of my spare time learning how to use Pro Tools with the Universal Audio Apollo interface while working on getting a decent drum sound—all in anticipation of getting together with Sam Byrd over Christmas for a real live recording session. There are still some crucial things I haven’t quite figured out yet (like monitoring within the UA Console) but, fortunately, there is still some time between now and then.

While Pro Tools is the de facto industry standard, it is not without its problems. I wasted an entire day in a panic when the software suddenly lost the connection to my hardware. It also has a tendency to crash when pushed too hard—and this is on a brand new MacBook Pro! I can only imagine what a nightmare it must be to run Pro Tools on a PC. Moreover, it is not a very intuitive program, with some essential stuff buried deep within sub-menus that are not always easy to find. Nevertheless, Pro Tools is an extraordinarily powerful tool and I have just barely scratched the surface. When everything is working properly, recordings made in the high-res 24bit/96kHz format sound really, really good.

The Apollo, on the other hand, is a dream machine—right out of the box. Not only does it work flawlessly as an audio interface, the local quad-core DSP chip allows for the use of amazing UAD plug-ins without sacrificing processing power on the host computer. This means zero-latency monitoring and limitless sonic possibilities during mixdown. The Apollo comes loaded with several essential plug-ins along with vouchers and coupons to purchase more from their website. Unlike Pro Tools, Universal Audio makes life super-easy (maybe too easy). While not exactly cheap, plug-ins like the Fairchild tube compressor and the Studer A800 multitrack (photo) convincingly emulate vintage analog gear costing tens of thousands of dollars—if you could find them in working condition! And, for Christmas, Lizzy gave me the Precision Mastering bundle, which includes a multi-band compressor, EQ and limiter, allowing me to give my finished mixes a polished, professional sound.

So, I have been busy doing things other than writing on my blog. I have about 45 minutes of music recorded, most of which I am pretty happy with. Maybe I will upload some of this stuff to SoundCloud and share these experiments with you if there is any interest. Most importantly, I think we’ll be in good shape for my session with Sam later this month. Who knows – maybe a new album is in the future?

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SHAMELESS PLUG DEPT.

Our last CD, Indeterminate (Improvisations for Piano and Drums) is still available by clicking the link below. Thank you for your support!