Playlist Week of 2015-05-15

* Living Art, Sounding Spirit: The Bali Sessions (Ryko 3CD)

* Shankar: Pancha Nadai Pallavi (ECM CD)

* Anouar Brahem: Le Voyage de Sahar (ECM CD)

* Herbie Nichols: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (d.1-2) (Blue Note 3CD)

* Tord Gustavsen Trio: Changing Places (ECM CD)

* The Thirteenth Assembly: Station Direct (Imprecac CD)

* Bill Laswell:  Material: Berlin Jazz Fest 1981-11-07 (FM CDR)

* Bill Laswell: Divination: Akasha (Subharmonic 2CD)

* Bill Laswell: Valis I: The Destruction of Syntax (Subharmonic CD)

* Bill Laswell: Valis II: Everything Must Go (Ion 2CD)

* Bill Laswell: Sacred System: Chapter One: Book of Entrance (ROIR CD)

* Bill Laswell: Sacred System: Chapter Two (ROIR CD)

* Bill Laswell: Sacred System: Fabrik, Hamburg 1998-04-22 (FM CDR)

* Nicky Skopelitis: Ekstasis (Axiom CD)

* Nicky Skopelitis: Eskstasis: Summer Jazz Days, Warsaw 1998-06-20 (FM CDR)

* Portera Quartet: Live/Remix (Realworld 2CD)

* David Torn: Prezens (ECM CD)

* Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Heeltop Home Studio 2015-05-14 (WAV)

* Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Heeltop Home Studio 2015-05-15 (WAV)

* Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Centennial Black Box Theater, Nashville, TN 2015-05-15 (AUD WAV)

* David Muse: Tonal Alchemy (Deva LP)

* Steve Roach: Dreamtime Return (Fortuna 2CD)

* Steve Roach/Kevin Braheny/Richard Burmer: Western Spaces (Innovative Communication LP)

* Joni Mitchell: Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (Asylum HDCD)

* BORIS: Smile (Southern Lord CD)

* Steven Wilson: Hand. Cannot. Erase (KScope BD)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

Despite overwhelming technical difficulties, Sam Byrd and I managed to pull off a barn-burning 50-minute performance at the Centennial Black Box Theater on Friday. Mysterious gremlins haunted my set-up all night -- at first yielding no sound whatsoever! Thankfully, my nephew (the amazing Brian Totoro) was in the audience and helped me get it all going while the audience patiently waited for us to begin. My frustration continued, however, as more electrical weirdness produced unexpected (and unwelcome) results towards the end of the set. From my perspective on stage, it was just a big mess, with Sam heroically carrying the show with his extraordinary drumming.

Yet the response from the good-sized crowd was remarkably positive, with several people coming up to us afterwards to compliment our performance. Listening back to the recording, it's obvious that I channelled all of my consternation into my guitar playing, summoning up ferocious walls of noise which verge on complete collapse. And, although I could barely hear the synthesizer parts above the din, they actually worked well within the roaring cacophony. Beyond all that, not everything was sturm und drang; there were also moments of quiet and fragile beauty. Overall, I would say the gig was a success -- even if it didn't feel like it in the moment. I only wish I could have seen Daniel Arite's abstract drawings of us, which were projected on screens behind us as a living light show. Very cool.

Thanks again to Sam for traveling from Richmond and to Mike Teany for hosting us at Free Form Friday. It was a challenging yet  highly rewarding experience! Sam and I also recorded another 100 minutes of music in my home studio, so it looks like our forthcoming LP is "in the can." Stay tuned for more musical adventures!

(photo via Nashville Fringe Festival)