Playlist Week of 2015-01-31

* Biber: The Rosary Sonatas (Manze/Egarr) (Harmonia Mundi 2CD)

* Miles Davis: Star People (Columbia LP)

* Bobby Hutcherson: Highway One (Columbia LP)

* Cecil Taylor/Buell Neidlinger: New York City R&B (Candid CD)

* Roscoe Mitchell & The Note Factory: Song For My Sister (Pi CD)

* Alice Coltrane: A Monastic Trio (Impulse! CD)

* Alice Coltrane: Journey In Satchidananda (Impulse! CD)

* Dorothy Ashby: Afro-Harping (Cadet/Verve CD)

* Mike Nock/Bennie Maupin/Cecil McBee/Eddie Marshall: Almanac (Improvising Artists LP)

* Masabumi Kikuchi Trio: Sunrise (ECM CD)

* Ralf Illenberger: Circle (Narada Equinox LP)

* Emerald Web: Lights On The Ivory Plain (Fortuna LP)

* Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Heeltop Home Studio 2014-12-29 (WAV) (†/‡)

* Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Heeltop Home Studio 2014-12-30 (WAV) (†/‡)

* Unconscious Collective: Unconscious Collective (Tofu Carnage 2-45RPM LP)

* Unconscious Collective: Pleistocene Moon (Tofu Carnage 2LP)

* Spencer Brewer: Portraits (Narada LP)

* Bob Dylan: Tempest (Columbia 2LP)

* Grateful Dead: Dave’s Picks Vol.13: Winterland 2/24/74 (selections) (GDP/Rhino 3HDCD)

* Grateful Dead: Cape Cod Coliseum, S. Yarmouth, MA 10/27/79 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Grateful Dead: Cape Cod Coliseum, S. Yarmouth, MA 10/28/79 (selections) (SBD 2CDR)

* Zabriskie Point Original Soundtrack (Warner Bros./Watertower 2LP)

* Pink Floyd: The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (Pinkfloyd/EMI CD)

* Pink Floyd: A Saucerful Of Secrets (Pinkfloyd/EMI CD)

* Pink Floyd: Music From The Film More (Pinkfloyd/EMI CD)

* Michael Hoenig: Xcept One (Cinema LP)

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

* David Sylvian: Brilliant Trees (Virgin LP)

* Yutaka: Yutaka (Alfa LP)

* Stomu Yamashta: Go (Island LP)

* Porcupine Tree: In Absentia (Lava/Atlantic CD)

* Deerhoof: Breakup Songs (Polyvinyl LP)

* Deerhoof: La Isla Bonita (Polyvinyl LP)

* OM: Live (Outer Battery LP)

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

* Lord Dying: Summon The Faithless (Relapse LP)

* Lord Dying: Poisoned Altars (Relapse LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

It took about a year of (almost) daily practice, but I finally feel like I am getting back whatever guitar chops I might have had back in the day -- to the point where I decided to pull out my old acoustic, re-string it, and give it a go.

Well, I'll never be much of an acoustic player (it's a whole other beast) but it's nice be able to pick it up and poke around without bothering to turn on the amp. And while my 1992 Takamine EG523 SC may not put out much sound by itself, the built-in piezoelectric pickup and parametric EQ make it perfect for the basement studio. Plug it into the Hi-Z input of my Apollo, insert the Neve 1073 Unison plug-in plus a UAD 1176 compressor and Teltronix LA-2A limiter on the channel strip and you have instant cream. A nice color to have in the crayon box for when I get around to making my country record.

+++

Here's my latest Vinyl Community record-collecting video for those interested:

See you next week!