Playlist Week of 2015-04-18

* 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!