Playlist Week of 2014-06-28

* Hesperion XXI (Savall): Esprit d’Arménie (Alia Vox SACD)

* Siegfried Palm: Intercommunicazione (DG CD)

* Sun Ra & His Solar Akestra: Visits Planet Earth (Saturn LP)

* Pharoah Sanders: In The Beginning 1963-1964 (ESP-Disk’ 4CD)

* Andrew Hill: Black Fire (Blue Note CD)

* Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil (Blue Note LP)

* Wayne Shorter: Etcetera (Blue Note LP)

* Herbie Hancock & Foday Musa Suso: Village Life (Columbia EP)

* Billy Cobham: Crosswinds (Atlantic LP)

* Stanley Clarke: School Days (Epic/Friday Music LP)

* Lenny White: Venusian Summer (Nemperor LP)

* Jean-Luc Ponty: King Kong: Plays the Music of Frank Zappa (Liberty/Friday Music LP)

* Weather Report: Mr. Gone (Columbia LP)

* Derek Bailey/Pat Thomas/Steve Noble: And (Rectangle LP)

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

* Ketil Bjornstad/David Darling/Terje Rypdal/Jon Christensen: The Sea (ECM CD)

* Marc Johnson: Shades Of Jade (ECM CD)

* Myra Melford The Same River Twice: Above Blue (Arabesque CD)

* Julia Hülsmann Quartet: In Full View (ECM CD)

* Vijay Iyer: Mutations (ECM CD)

* People: 3xaWoman: The Misplaced Files (Telegraph Harp LP)

* The Necks: Sex (Private Music CD)

* Buckethead: Colma (CyberOctave CD)

* Roni Size: Reprazent (d.1) (Mercury 2CD)

* Daft Punk: Random Access Memories (Columbia 2LP)

* Bill Laswell: Invisible Cuba (BMG CD)

* William Onyeabor: Who Is William Onyeabor? (Luaka Bop 3LP)

* Saturday Night Fever OST (RSO 2LP)

* Grateful Dead: Miami Arena, Miami FL 1989-10-26 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

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

* Robert Pollard: Silverfish Trivia (Prom Is Coming EP)

* Slint: Spiderland (Touch & Go LP)

* Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino 2LP)

* Anathema: Distant Satellites (KScope 2LP/CD/DVD)

* Mastodon: Once More ‘Round The Sun (Reprise 2LP/CD)

* Ray LaMontagne: Supernova (RCA LP)

* Psychic Ills: One Track Mind (Sacred Bones LP)

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

* Beach House: Devotion (Carpark 2LP)

* Kvelertak: Meir (Roadrunner 2LP)

* Angel Olsen: Burn Your Fire For No Witness (Jagjaguwar LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

We are in the home stretch in preparing the release of Cosmologies, my new limited-edition vinyl album with drummer Sam Byrd. Although I have not heard from United about a specific pressing date, I would expect to have my records in hand next week (or sometime after the July 4 holiday). So exciting! 

There is still a little bit of printing left to do on the first batch of covers, but I am loving how it is coming together. Griffin even cut some plates on Isle of Printing's nifty laser cutter to create additional imagery to layer on top of the red, which you can see above. Keep in the mind that the photograph is a detail from the center of print, where it will be folded, so not representative of what the final cover is going to look like (and there will be significant variations from print to print). In any event, it is truly going to be a one-of-a-kind work of art.

Please stay tuned!

In the meantime, you can download a FREE digital copy of Cosmologies and pre-order the vinyl over at Bandcamp. Thanks so much for your support!

Playlist Week of 2014-06-21

* Vivaldi: Concert for the Prince of Poland (AAM/Manze) (Harmonia Mundi CD)

* Vivaldi/Richter: The Four Seasons Recomposed (Deutsch Grammophon 2LP)

* Miles Davis: Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-‘68 (d.5-6) (Columbia/Legacy 6CD)

* Herbie Hancock: Perfect Machine (Columbia LP)

* Charles Lloyd: Love-In (Atlantic LP)

* Charles Lloyd: Hyperion With Higgins (ECM CD)

* Chico Freeman: Spirit Sensitive (India Navigation LP)

* Larry Coryell: The Restful Mind (Vanguard LP)

* Billy Cobham: Simplicity Of Expression/Depth Of Thought (Columbia LP)

* Return To Forever: Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy (Polydor LP)

* Jean Luc Ponty: Aurora (Atlantic LP)

* Jean Luc Ponty: Cosmic Messenger (Atlantic LP)

* Jean Luc Ponty: Mystical Adventures (Atlantic LP)

* Pat Metheny Group: Letter From Home (Geffen LP)

* Bill Laswell/Graham Haynes/Elliot Sharp/Jack DeJohnette: Willisau 1998-08-08 (SBD CDR)

* Material: Live in Japan (Restless CD)

* Fareed Haque: Voices Rising (Pangaea/IRS LP)

* Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House: Cornelia St. Café, New York, NY 2013-06-28 (AUD WAV)

* Mandingo: New World Power (Axiom/Island CD)

* Sly & The Family Stone: Anthology (Epic/CBS CD)

* Charlie Rich: Behind Closed Doors (Epic LP)

* Grateful Dead: Meadowlands Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ 1988-03-30 (selections) (SBD 2CDR)
* Tangerine Dream: Cyclone (Virgin/Victor LP)

* Gentle Giant: The Power And The Glory (Capitol LP)

* Focus: Focus 3 (Sire 2LP)

* Goblin: Tour 2013 EP (Death Waltz EP)

* Allan Holdsworth: Road Games (Warner Bros. LP)

* Doctor Nerve: Out To Bomb Fresh Kings (Punos LP)

* Earth: The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull (Southern Lord 2LP)

* Opeth: Blackwater Park (Music For Nations/Music on Vinyl 2LP)

* Anathema: Judgement (Music For Nations/Sony CD)

* Anathema: Distant Satellites (KScope 2LP/CD/DVD)

* Boris: Noise (Sargent House 2LP)

* Pelican: Forever Becoming (Southern Lord CD)

* Watter: This World (Temporary Residence LP)

* Locrian: Return To Annihilation (Relapse CD)

* People: 3xaWoman: The Misplaced Files (Telegraph Harp ALAC)†

* Angel Olsen: Burn Your Fire For No Witness (Jagjaguwar LP)

* Nothing: Guilty of Everything (Relapse LP)†

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

Busy!!!

Playlist Week of 2014-06-14

* Schoenberg, et al. (Boulez/Pollini): Lucerne, Switzerland 2004-09-16 (FM 2CDR)

* Cage: Sonatas & Interludes (Tilbury): Milan, Italy 2007-10-21 (FM CDR)

* John Coltrane: Impressions (Impulse! CD)

* Alice Coltrane: A Monastic Trio (Impulse!/Superior Viaduct LP)

* Eric Dolphy: Outward Bound (Prestige/Fantasy LP)

* Don Cherry: Organic Music Society (Caprice 2LP)

* Andrew Hill Quartet: Lugano, Switzerland 2004-03-13 (FM 2CDR)

* Bobby Hutcherson: Head On (Blue Note CD)

* Keith Jarrett: Arbour Zena (ECM LP)

* Keith Jarrett: The Celestial Hawk (ECM LP)

* Larry Coryell & The Eleventh House: Planet End (Vanguard LP)

* Al Dimeola: Electric Rendezvous (Columbia LP)

* Al Dimeola: Scenario (Columbia LP)

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

* Dawn of Midi: Live (iTunes MP3)†

* Dawn of Midi: Live at WFMU (WFMU MP3)†

* Grateful Dead: Giants Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ 1993-06-05 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Santana: Caravanserai (Columbia/Mobile Fidelity SACD)

* Chicago: Chicago Transit Authority (Columbia/Rhino 2LP)

* Steven Wilson: Cover Version (KScope 2LP)

* Anathema: Distant Satellites (KScope 2LP/CD/DVD)

* Earth: Hex; Or Printing In The Infernal Method (Southern Lord 2LP)

* Earth: The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull (Southern Lord 2LP)

* Sunn O))): Monoliths & Dimensions (Southern Lord 2LP)

* Ambarchi/O’Malley/Dunn: Shade Themes From Kairos (Drag City 2LP)

* Alceste: Les Voyages De L’Ame (Prophecy Productions CD)†

* Jack White: Lazaretto (Third Man LP)

* Wild Nothing: Nocturne (Captured Tracks CD)

* Nothing: Guilty Of Everything (Relapse LP)†/‡

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

As we await the vinyl LPs of Cosmologies to arrive from United, work has begun in earnest on the album jacket. Collaborating again with Griffin Norman (who designed my CD), we are creating one-of-a-kind letterpress prints at Isle of Printing in Nashville.  And, in the spirit of the music, we are improvising with the press and having some serious fun with it.

Bryce McCloud, renowned artist and owner of Isle of Printing, kindly loaned us some laser-cut woodblocks of giant letter forms, which we are layering to create abstract images which subtly suggest an inchoate meaning. That is certainly in keeping with the title and they are looking very, very cool - though we still have a long way to go to finish the job.

Not really knowing anything about the letterpress process, I had no idea how time-consuming and labor-intensive it is, particularly when you are running each piece through the press multiple times (as we are). I did not initially think 200 copies was that many, but now I'm not so sure! In any event, they are going to be beautiful works of art and well worth the wait, believe me.

Thank you Bryce and Griffin for being so amazing and helping to make our vinyl album something special!

Playlist Week of 2014-06-07

* Rameau: Orchestersuite aud “Hippolyte et Aricie” (La Petite Band) (Harmonia Mundi LP)

* Satie: L’OEuvre pour piano (Ciccolini) (selections) (EMI 5CD)

* Max Roach: M’Boom (Columbia LP)

* Sam Rivers: Crystals (Impulse! LP)

* John McLaughlin: Devotion (Douglas LP)

* Larry Coryell: Introducing The Eleventh House With Larry Coryell (Vanguard LP)

* Al Dimeola: Elegant Gypsy (Columbia LP)

* Olu Dara: In The World: From Natchez To New York (Atlantic HDCD)

* Olu Dara: Neighborhoods (Atlantic HDCD)

* Axiom Funk: Funkcronomicon (Axiom/Island 2CD)

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

* Paul McCartney & Wings: Wingspan: Hits & History (selections) (Capitol 2CD)

* Grateful Dead: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 1987-09-18 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Grateful Dead: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 1987-09-19 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Grateful Dead: Coliseum, Hampton, VA 1988-03-27 (d.2) (SBD 3CDR)

* Santana: Festival (Columbia LP)

* Genesis: Genesis (Atlantic LP)

* Roxy Music: Avalon (Virgin/EG HDCD)

* Steve Hillage: Fish Rising (Virgin LP)

* Premiata Forneria Marconi: Photos Of Ghosts (Manticore LP)

* Perigeo: The Valley Of The Temples (RCA LP)

* Conrad Schnitzler: Ballet Statique (m=minimal LP)

* Steve Roach: Empetus (Fortuna LP)

* Love And Rockets: Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven (Beggar’s Banquet LP)

* Love And Rockets: Express (Big Time/RCA LP)

* The Flaming Lips: The Terror (Warner Bros. CD)

* Banco de Gaia: Big Men Cry (Planet Dog CD)

* Opeth: Watershed (Roadrunner 2LP)

* Storm Corrosion: Storm Corrosion (Roadrunner Blu-Ray)

* Sleep: Dopesmoker (Southern Lord 2LP)

* OM: Conference Of The Birds (Holy Mountain LP)

* OM: Pilgrimage (Southern Lord LP)

* Sunn O))) & Ulver: Terrestrials (Southern Lord LP/CD)

* Ensemble Pearl: (ensemble pearl) (Drag City 2LP)

* Ambarchi/O’Malley/Dunn: Shade Themes From Kairos (Drag City 2LP)

* The Black Keys: Turn Blue (Nonesuch LP)

* Locrian: The Clearing & The Final Epoch (Relapse 2CD)

* Locrian: Return To Annihilation (Relapse CD)

* Deafheaven: Roads To Judah (Deathwish LP)

* Syd Arthur: On An On (Harvest LP)(†)

* Syd Arthur: Sound Mirror (Harvest LP)(†)

* True Widow: Circumambulation (Relapse LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

On Thursday June 5, Liz and I celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary. Amazing! I love our happy life together in our little house on the hill. Here's to twenty more!