Playlist Week of 2016-05-28

* Vivaldi: “Con Moto”: Concertos, RV281, etc. (Accademia Bizantina/Carmignola) (Archiv CD)

* Stockhausen: Mantra (Mikhashoff/Bevan/Ørsted) (New Albion CD)

* Bobby Hutcherson: The Kicker (Blue Note CD)

* Bobby Hutcherson: Dialogue (Blue Note CD)

* Bobby Hutcherson: Head On (Blue Note LP/CD)

* Bobby Hutcherson: Cirrus (Blue Note LP)

* Cecil Taylor: Conquistador (Blue Note LP)

* Joe Zawinul: The Rise & Fall of The Third Stream (Vortex LP)

* Andy Bey: Experience And Judgment (Atlantic LP)

* Daft Punk: Random Access Memories (Columbia CD)

* Bob Dylan: Fallen Angels (Columbia LP)

* Tim Buckley: Lorca (Elektra LP)

* Linda Perhacs: Parallelograms (Kapp/Sundazed LP)

* Linda Perhacs: The Soul of All Natural Things (Asthmatic Kitty LP)

* Roy Harper: HQ (Harvest LP)

* Roy Harper: One of Those Days in England (Bullinamingvase) (Chrysalis LP)

* Roy Harper & Jimmy Page: Whatever Happened to Jugula? (Beggars Banquet LP)

* John Martyn: Solid Air (Island LP)

* John Martyn: Inside Out (Island LP)

* John Martyn: Glorious Fool (Duke/Atlantic LP)

* This Heat: This Heat (Piano/Modern Classics LP)

* This Heat: Health And Efficiency (Piano/Modern Classics 12”)

* Dorothea Raukes: Deutsche Wertarbeit (Sky/Bureau B LP)

* St. Francis Duo (Steve Noble & Stephen O’Malley): Peacemaker Assembly (Trost LP)

* The Mars Volta: Noctourniquet (Warner Bros. 2LP)

* Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band: The Rarity of Experience (No Quarter 2LP+7”)

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Commentary:

The latest addition to my home studio arsenal is a Yamaha DTX Multi-12, an electronic percussion module with 12 assignable pads which I've integrated into my acoustic drum set. Pre-loaded with thousands of sounds ranging from classic electro voices to gongs, bells, and all kinds of exotic percussion instruments, you can also create looping patterns and load up samples of your own creation via USB. With my current fascination with electronic music, it seemed appropriate to the give the drummer some.

Released way back in 2010, the DTX Multi-12 is perhaps a bit long-in-the-tooth in terms of cutting edge technology -- but that also means you can get them for about half of the original list price. And while the major complaint about these units over the years was the labyrinthine menu system (and teeny-tiny LCD screen), Yamaha didn't abandon its users: Just last fall, they announced the DTXM12 Touch app for the iPad, which makes using the thing much, much easier -- and more fun -- to use. Kudos, Yamaha!

I'm no drummer, but it's been a blast banging along to beats and creating crazy, layered sounds. It feels good to hit things hard with sticks. I really can't wait to have Sam Byrd back in the studio with me -- lots of new colors in the crayon box!

Playlist Week of 2016-05-21

* Handel: Trio Sonatas, Op.2 & Op.5 (Academy of Ancient Music/Egarr 2CD)

* Herbie Hancock: My Point of View (Blue Note CD)

* Herbie Hancock: Speak Like A Child (Blue Note CD)

* Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles (Blue Note CD)

* Bobbi Humphrey: Fancy Dancer (Blue Note LP)

* Ronald Shannon Jackson: Decode Yourself (Island LP)

* Myra Melford’s Be Bread: The Image Of Your Body (Cryptogramophone CD)

* Myra Melford’s Be Bread: The Whole Tree Gone (Firehouse 12 CD)

* Fareed Haque Group: Cosmic Hug (Magnatude CD)

* Andy Bey: Experience And Judgment (Atlantic LP)

* Isaac Hayes: Shaft OST (Enterprise 2LP)

* Bob Dylan & The Band: Before The Flood (Asylum 2LP)

* Vashti Bunyan: Lookaftering (DiCristina LP)

* Art Bears: The World As It Is Today (Re Records LP)

* Skeleton Crew: Learn To Talk (Rec Rec LP)

* Jukka Tolonen: Crossection (Janus LP)

* Tangerine Dream: Electronic Meditation (Virgin LP)

* Heldon: Third: “It’s Always Rock’n Roll…” (Disjuncta/Urus 2LP)

* Heldon: Un Reve Sans Consequence Speciale (Cobra LP)

* Joanna Brouk: Hearing Music (Numero Group 2LP)†

* Jon Hassell: Earthquake Island (Tomato LP)

* Jon Hassell: Aka/Darbari/Java: Magical Realism (Editions EG LP)

* Steve Roach: Traveler (Domino LP)

* Steve Roach: Streams & Currents (Prokekt CD)

* The Chills: Kaleidoscope World (Normal EP)

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Commentary:

As promised, here's a video showing my finds from the Music City Record Convention. Top shelf stuff!

Playlist Week of 2016-05-14

* Esprit des Balkans (Hesperion XXI/Savall) (Alia Vox SACD)

* Debussy: Preludes, etc. (Thibaudet) (d.1) (London 2CD)

* Gigi Ryce-Donald Byrd Jazz Laboratory/Cecil Taylor Quartet: At Newport (Verve CD)

* Alice Coltrane: Universal Consciousness (Impulse!/Verve CD)

* I Am The Center: Private Issue New Age Music in America, 1950-1990 (Light In The Attic 3LP)

* Jon Hassell: Dream Theory In Malaya: Fourth World Volume Two (Editions EG LP)

* Jon Hassell: The Surgeon Of The Nightsky Restores Dead Things... (Intuition/Capitol LP)

* Steve Roach: Light Fantastic (Fathom CD)

* Kevin Braheny: The Way Home (Hearts of Space CD)

* Lee “Scratch” Perry: Soundz From The Hotline (Heartbeat CD)

* William Onyeabor: Tomorrow (Wilfilms/Luaka Bop LP)

* William Onyeabor: Great Lover (Wilfilms/Luaka Bop LP)

* D’Angelo: Black Messiah (RCA 2LP)

* Cybotron: Sunday Night At The Total Theatre (Dual Planet LP)

* Heldon: Live in Paris 1976 (SouffleContinuum EP)

* Chrome: The Visitation (Siren/Cleopatra LP)

* Chrome: Alien Soundtracks (Siren/Cleopatra LP)

* Chrome: Half Machine Lip Moves (Siren/Cleopatra LP)

* The Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin (Warner Bros. HDCD)

* Beach House: Teen Dream (Sub Pop 2LP)

* Nothing: Downward Years To Come (A389/Bandcamp EP)†

* Nothing: Guilty of Everything (Relapse LP)†

* Nothing: Tired Of Tomorrow (Relapse LP)(†)

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Commentary:

Yesterday, I went to the first of what will hopefully be a semi-annual event, the Music City Record Convention, by far the largest record show ever in Nashville. With over 50 vendors from all around the region crowded into The Nashville Palace, it was a great dig! A video will be forthcoming...

Playlist Week of 2016-05-07

* Esprit D’Arménie (Hesperion XXI/Savall) (Alia Vox SACD)

* Corelli, Marais et al.: La Folia 1490-1701 (Savall et al.) (Alia Vox SACD)

* Luening, Ussachevsky et al.: Early Modulations: Vintage Volts (Caipirinha CD)

* David Tudor, et al.: Imaginary Landscapes: New Electronic Music (Elektra/Nonesuch CD)

* Michael Askill: Rhythm In The Abstract: Selected Pieces 1987-1999 (Black Sun CD)

* Herbie Hancock: Dis Is Da Drum (Polygram CD)

* Bill Dixon: 17 Musicians In Search of a Sound: Darfur (AUM Fidelity CD)

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

* Alice Coltrane: Ptah, The El Daoud (Impulse! CD)

* Alice Coltrane: Eternity (Warner Bros. LP)

* Leo Smith & New Dalta Ahkri: Go In Numbers (Black Saint LP)

* Larry Coryell: Lady Coryell (Vanguard Apostolic LP)
* Last Exit: Last Exit (Enemy LP)

* Marilyn Crispell Trio: Storyteller (ECM CD)

* Marcin Wasilewski Trio: January (ECM CD)

* Madlib: Shades Of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note (Blue Note 2LP)

* Dorothea Raukes: Deutsche Wertarbeit (Sky/Bureau B LP)

* Joanna Brouk: Hearing Music (Numero Group 2LP)

* Cluster: One Hour (Caroline CD)

* John Serrie: And The Stars Go With You (Miramar CD)

* John Came: Rhythmicon: Systems/Atmospherics (Mute CD)

* Japan: Tin Drum (Virgin LP)
* Sonic Youth: EVOL (SST LP)

* Boris & Merzbow: Sun Baked Snow Cave (Hydra Head 2LP)

* Boris & Ian Astbury: BXI (Southern Lord EP

* Isotope 217: The Unstable Molecule (Thrill Jockey CD)

* Isotope 217: Utonian_Automatic (Thrill Jockey CD)

* Isotope 217: Who Stole The I Walkman? (Thrill Jockey CD)

* Isotope 217: Mixed By Commander Mindfuck & Designer (Aesthetics EP)

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

* Intronaut: The Direction of Last Things (Century Media 2LP)

* FKA twigs: FKA twigs (Young Turks EP)

* FKA twigs: LP1 (Young Turks LP)

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Commentary:

I've got nothing to say and I'm saying it.