* Rabih Abou-Khalil: Roots &
Sprouts (Enja CD)
* Imaginary Landscapes: New Electronic
Music (Elektra/Nonesuch CD)
* Patrick Demenga/Thomas Demenga: Lux
aeterna (ECM CD)
* Pat Metheny/Dave Holland/Roy Haynes:
Question And Answer (Geffen LP)
* Trevor Watts & Veyran Weston:
The Emma Bistro, Nashville, TN 2015-04-11 (AUD WAV)
* Susan Alcorn: The Emma Bistro,
Nashville, TN 2015-04-11 (AUD WAV)
* St. Germain: Tourist (Blue Note 2LP)
* Shuggie Otis: Introducing Shuggie
Otis (Columbia LP) †/‡
* Frank Ocean: Channel Orange
(Island/Def Jam CD) †/‡
* Grateful Dead: Dave’s Picks Vol.13:
Winterland 2/24/74 (selections) (GDP/Rhino 3HDCD)
* Van Morrison: Saint Dominic’s
Preview (Polydor CD)
* Van Morrison: Common One (Warner
Bros. CD)
* Linda Perhacs: Parallelograms
(Kapp/Sundazed LP)
* Linda Perhacs: The Soul of All
Natural Things (Asthmatic Kitty LP) (†)
* Tangerine Dream: Tangents 1973-1983
(Virgin 5CD)
* Steven Halpern & Suru:
Afro-Desia (Open Channel/Inner Peace CD)
* Steve Roach & Robert Rich: Soma
(Hearts of Space CD)
* Robert Rich & Lisa Moskow:
Yearning (Hearts of Space CD)
* Ultravox: The Collection (Chrysalis
LP)
* Sleep: Sleep’s Holy Mountain
(Earache LP)
* Mew: Frengers (Sony CD)
* Minsk: The Ritual Fires of
Abandonment (Relapse/Bandcamp ALAC) †
* Minsk: With Echoes in the Movement
of Stone (Relapse/Bandcamp CD) (†)
* Minsk: The Crash & The Draw
(Relapse 2LP)
* Locrian: The Crystal World
(Utech/Bandcamp ALAC) †
* Liturgy: The Ark Work (Thrill Jockey
2LP) (†)
* Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats:
Blood Lust (Metal Blade LP)
* Sòlstafir: Óta (Season Of Mist 2LP)
* Lower Dens: Escape From Evil (Ribbon
Music LP) (†)
* Kiasmos: Kiasmos (Erased Tapes 2LP)
* Ryley Walker: Primrose Green (Dead
Oceans LP) (†)
†=iPod/iTunes
‡=car
Commentary:
Following up
on my last post, after Susan Alcorn’s sublime solo set, the legendary
saxophone/piano duo of Trevor Watts and Veyran Weston took the stage. Mr. Watts is, of course, a
seminal figure in the British jazz and free improvisation scene, being a
founding member of The Spontaneous Music Ensemble and the London Jazz
Composers’ Orchestra in the 1960s and ‘70s. His association with Veyran Weston
dates back to the 1980s and the formation of the Moiré Music ensemble and they released their first duo recording, 6
Dialogues, on Emanem in 2002. Since then, the pair has toured the world, concertizing and giving workshops. I regretted missing their last visit to Nashville a couple years ago,
so was extremely grateful for another opportunity to see these amazing
musicians in action.
They played
three freely improvised pieces over the course of an hour—which seemed to fly
by in an instant—with Watts concentrating on his signature, spiraling soprano
saxophone and occasionally moving to the more throaty tenor. Meanwhile, Weston’s
piano provided an insistent and wildly inventive accompaniment, abounding with
driving rhythms, multi-voiced counterpoint and subtly shifting harmonies. While
the sheer virtuosity on display was truly mind-blowing, what really impressed
me was how deeply connected they were at every moment. These are two people who
have been playing music together for many years and have, over that time, developed a
highly evolved, very personal vocabulary. If, as Susan Alcorn suggests, “music
exists in the mind,” then what we witnessed last Saturday was the kind of “mind
meld” possible in free improvisation. What we heard in our heads was
transcendent music.
The Emma Bistro is a fantastic venue for this kind of music: spacious and inviting with
a warm, slightly reverberant acoustic and extra-comfy, oversized sofas and
chairs. Kudos to Chris Davis, Brady Sharp, and FMRL Arts for putting on such an amazing
event! Thanks also to Kevin Reilly at Relative Pitch Records for putting me in
touch with Susan Alcorn. What a great evening it was!
1 comment:
Sounds like a great evening!
Here are my lists from last week:
Playlist 2015-04-20:
*Peter Brötzmann/Han Bennink/Fred Van Hove: 1974-06-02 Moers, Germany (CDR)
*Peter Brötzmann/Han Bennink/Fred Van Hove: 1975-05-18 Moers, Germany (CDR)
*Taylor Ho Bynum Sextet: 2011-12-23 Cambridge, MA (CDR)
*Naked Truth: Shizaru
*Thirteenth Assembly: 2011-10-30 London (CDR)
*Beach Boys: Made in California (disc 2) (selections)
*Colin Blunstone: One Year
*Dawn of Midi: Dysnomia
*Deerhoof: Bibidi Babidi Boo
*Deerhoof: Deerhoof Vs. Evil (selections)
*Deerhoof: La Isla Bonita
*Deerhoof: 2014-11-04 Brooklyn (youtube > mp3)
*Bob Dylan: Shadows in the Night
*Funkadelic: First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate
*Jimi Hendrix Experience: 1968-08-11 Davenport, IA (CDR)
*Jimi Hendrix: 1969-08-10? Tinker Street Cinema, Woodstock, NY (youtube > mp3)
*Jimi Hendrix: Woodstock
*Curtis Knight & the Squires: You Can't Use My Name: The RSVP/PPX Sessions
*Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly
*Panda Bear: Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper
*Prince: More Unheard (boot CDR) (disc 2) (selections)
*Thinking Plague: Early Plague Years (1984-86)
*TV on the Radio: Seeds
*Brian Wilson: No Pier Pressure
*UYA: 1989-09-19 Only If (wav)
*UYA: Improvisations 4 (1990-1992): Blister Ethic
*UYA: 1993-01-31 Johnny D’s, Somerville, MA
Reading List 2015-04-20:
*Erikson, Steven. Dust of Dreams (reread/started)
*Esslemont, Ian C. Stonewielder (reread/finished)
*Fitzpatrick, Kathleen. Planned Obsolescence (finished)
*Reading Mystery Science Theater 3000. Shelley S. Rees, ed. (in progress)
*Schmidt, Michael. The Novel: A Biography (in progress)
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