Playlist Week of 2013-07-13

* Schoenberg: Piano Music (Pollini) (DG CD)

* Schoenberg: String Quartets (Arditti/Upshaw) (Naïve/Montagne 2CD)

* Miles Davis: Dark Magus: Live At Carnegie Hall (Columbia/Legacy 2CD)

* Sun Ra: New Steps (Horo 2LP>CDR)

* Sun Ra: Other Voices, Other Blues (Horo 2LP>CDR)

* Sun Ra: The Mystery of Being (d.1) (Horo/Klimt 3LP)

* Joe Henderson: Our Thing (Blue Note CD)

* Anthony Braxton: Alumni Orchestra (Wesleyan) 2005 (New Braxton House FLAC>2CDR)

* Anthony Braxton: Quintet (Tristano) 1997 (selections) (New Braxton House FLAC>2CDR)

* Ingrid Laubrock Sleepthief: Sleepthief (Intakt CD)

* The Spanish Donkey (Joe Morris/Jamie Saft/Mike Pride): XYX (Northern Spy CD)(†)

* Slobber Pup (Joe Morris/Jamie Saft/ Balász Pándi): Black Aces (Rare Noise 2LP/24-bit FLAC)

* Bob Marley: The Complete Wailers 1967-1972 Part 1 (JAD/KOCH 3CD)

* Bob Marley: The Complete Wailers 1967-1972 Part 2 (d.1-2) (JAD/KOCH 3CD)

* Bill Laswell: Divination: Ambient Dub Vol.1 (Subharmonic CD)

* Bill Laswell: Divination: Ambient Dub Vol.2: Dead Slow (Subharmonic CD)

* De La Soul: 3 Feet High And Rising (Tommy Boy/Rhino 2LP)

* Daft Punk: Random Access Memories (Columbia 2LP)

* Miguel: Kaleidoscope World (RCA CD)

* Grateful Dead: Dick’s Picks Vol.25: May 1978 (selections) (GDP 3HDCD)

* Grateful Dead: Road Trips Vol.1 No.4: From Egypt With Love (sel.) (GDP/Rhino 2+1HDCD)

* Dust: Dust/Hard Attack (Kama Sutra/Legacy 2LP)

* Robert Pollard: Honey Locust Honky Tonk (GBV, Inc. LP)

* Flaming Lips: The Terror (Warner Bros. CD)

* Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity (Kill Rock Stars/ATP CD)†/‡

* Deerhoof: Breakup Songs (Polyvinyl CD)†/‡

* Queens Of The Stone Age: …Like Clockwork (Matador 2-45RPM LP)

* Steven Wilson: The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) (KScope 2LP)

* Opeth: Blackwater Park (Music For Nations/Sony CD/DVD)

* Opeth: Deliverance (Music For Nations/KOCH CD)

* Opeth: Damnation (Music For Nations/KOCH CD)

* Opeth: Heritage (Roadrunner 2LP)

* Tool: Ænima (Zoo Entertainment CD)†

* Tool: Lateralus (Zoo/Volcano Entertainment HDCD)

* Kylesa: Spiral Shadow (Season Of Mist LP)

* Kylesa: From The Vaults Vol.1 (Season Of Mist (2-45RPM LP)

* Kylesa: Ultraviolet (Season Of Mist 2-45RPM LP)

* Torche: Meanderthal (Hydra Head LP)

* Torche: Harmonicraft (Volcom LP)†/‡

* Evoken: Atra Mors (Profound Lore MP3)†

* Xibalba: Hasta La Muerte (Southern Lord MP3)†

* Pelican: Ephemeral (Southern Lord EP)

* Pelican: What We All Come To Need (Southern Lord 2LP)

* Pelican: Ataraxia/Taraxis (Southern Lord EP)

* Intronaut: Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones) (Century Media 2LP)

* The Sword: Warp Riders (Kemado LP)

* ASG: Blood Drive (Relapse 2-45RPM LP)†

* Locrian: Return To Annihilation (Relapse 2-45RPM LP)

* Deafheaven: Sunbather (Deathwish, Inc. 2-45RPM LP)

* Kadavar: Kadavar (This Charming Man/Tee Pee LP)

* Kadavar: Abra Kadavar (This Charming Man/Tee Pee LP)

* Lord Dying: Summon The Faithless (Relapse LP)

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

I briefly wrote about this Slobber Pup record  a few months ago, but I had only heard the pre-order FLAC download at that time. The 2-LP vinyl and CD have recently been released and, since Black Aces is such a freaking awesome album, it merits another mention on the blog.

As I said then, this is a rare opportunity to hear free-jazz godfather Joe Morris rip it up in an avant-metal setting and, man, he just wails! While occasionally referencing guitar-hero riffs and bluesy pentatonic scales, he still sounds like his usual thorny self, using open strings to introduce sharp dissonances while continually pushing the boundaries of harmony and melody. But, here, his amplifier is turned up to 11! Keyboardist Jamie Saft mostly defers to Morris and only occasionally takes the lead, content to provide tense textures on swirling organs and ensuring the jamming never slacks off into predictable clichés. Meanwhile, bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer Balász Pándi expressively manipulate the flow of time, insinuating rather than baldly stating the pulse, which ebbs and flows across the epic-length tracks. Oh, it rocks all right—and hard!—but in a fractalized, freely abstracted way. My favorite parts are when everyone is going full-throttle and yet no one is in the lead: just pure ego-less sound and energy.

The CD comes in a handsome digipack but the vinyl edition is gorgeous: flat, quiet pressings housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket with printed inner sleeves. And the analog sound quality is superb: warm yet finely detailed and completely engrossing (thankfully, the 27-minute opening track has been split across two sides to preserve fidelity). It’s a huge step up from the already good-sounding CD and well worth it for the expanded artwork alone. But in spirit of modern high-tech metal productions, there’s another option available for hardcore audiophiles: a “Studio Master Edition” 24-bit/96kHz FLAC download for an additional £9.99. That’s a little pricey for a digital file—but then again, crank it up to a realistic volume level and you are literally in the room with these guys. Believe me, you’ll be chewing the carpet and begging for mercy by the time it’s over. In whatever format, Black Aces totally rules. Available directly from Rare Noise or via Squidco and Downtown Music Gallery.

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As it turns out, Slobber Pup isn’t the first foray into overtly rock-ish territory for Morris. A previous collaboration with Saft, The Spanish Donkey, added Mike Pride on drums for XYX, which was released in 2011 by Northern Spy. Had I known about it at the time, Slobber Pup would probably not have come as such a surprise. But XYX is an altogether different kind of record: darker and more densely textural, with Saft taking an aggressive role on synthesizers and other exotic keyboards while Morris mostly lies back in the mix. There is a metallic heaviness and an intense dose of power electronics, yet XYX remains firmly rooted in the downtown New York free-improv tradition of disciplined restraint. So while The Spanish Donkey never quite rocks out with the gleeful abandon of Slobber Pup, it’s still a wild animal and a step towards what was to come. Oddly, the download contains an extra track, which could have easily fit on the CD (and the album is unavailable on vinyl). However, if you order directly from the label, the download is free. Definitely worth checking out.

I really like these Joe Morris/Jamie Saft collaborations. Let’s hear some more!

Playlist Week of 2013-04-13

* Vivaldi: “Manchester” Sonatas (Romanesca) (Harmonia Mundi 2CD)

* J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations (Egarr) (Harmonia Mundi 2CD)

* J.S. Bach: Cello Suites (ter Linden) (Brilliant Classics 2CD)

* Joe Morris/ Augustí Fernández: Ambrosia (Riti CD)

* Joe Morris/ Augustí Fernández/Nate Wooley: From The Discrete To The Particular (Relative Pitch CD)

* Slobber Pup (Jamie Saft/Joe Morries/Trevor Dunn/ Balasz Pandi): Black Aces (Rare Noise FLAC)

* Mary Halvorson/Reuben Radding/Nate Wooley: Crackleknob (hatOLOGY CD)

* Secret Keeper (Stephan Crump/Mary Halvorson): Super Eight (Intakt CD)

* Paradoxical Frog: Union (Clean Feed CD)

* Billy Cobham: Spectrum (Atlantic LP)

* Miguel: Kaleidoscope Dream (RCA CD)†/‡

* Axiom Funk: Funkcronomicon (Axiom/Island 2CD)

* Grateful Dead: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 1993-09-22 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Touch: Touch (Coliseum/London LP)

* Black Sabbath: Masters of Reality (Warner Bros./Rhino LP)

* Black Sabbath: Vol.4 (Warner Bros./Rhino LP)

* Black Sabbath: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Warner Bros./Rhino LP)

* Hawkwind: Hawkwind (United Artists LP)

* Hawkwind: In Search of Space (Liberty/EMI LP)

* Hawkwind: Hall Of The Mountain Grill (United Artists LP)

* Hawkwind: Quark, Strangeness and Charm (Charisma LP)

* Hawkwind: Masters Of The Universe (United Artists LP)

* Budgie: Squawk (MCA/EMI LP)

* Ash Ra Tempel: Ash Ra Tempel (Ohr LP)

* Brian Eno: Here Come The Warm Jets (Island LP)

* Brian Eno: Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) (Island LP)

* Brian Eno: Another Green World (Polydor LP)

* Brian Eno: Before And After Science (Polydor LP)

* R.E.M.: Life’s Rich Pageant (I.R.S./Mobile Fidelity LP)

* R.E.M.: Document (I.R.S./Mobile Fidelity LP)

* Latin Playboys: Latin Playboys (Slash/Warner Bros. CD)

* Yo La Tengo: Fade (Matador CD)†/‡

* Guided By Voices: Vampire On Titus (Scat LP)

* Guided By Voices: The Grand Hour (Scat 7”EP)

* Guided By Voices: Static Airplane Jive (City Slang/Recordhead CDEP)

* Guided By Voices: Get Out of My Stations (Siltbreeze 7”EP)

* Guided By Voices: Fast Japanese Spin Cycle (Engine 7”EP)

* Guided By Voices: Clown Prince Of The Menthol Trailer (Domino/Recordhead CDEP)

* Guided By Voices: Bee Thousand (Scat LP)

* Guided By Voices: “I Am A Scientist” (Scat 7”EP)

* Circus Devils: Sgt. Disco (Happy Jack Rock Records 2LP)

* Stereolab: Dots And Loops (Duophonic/Elektra CD)†/‡

* Clutch: Strange Cousins From The West (Weathermaker 2LP)

* Clutch: Earth Rocker (Weathermaker LP)

* Meshuggah: Destroy Erase Improve – Reloaded (Nuclear Blast CD)

* Mastodon: Blood Mountain (Relapse/Reprise 2-45RPM LP)

* Baroness: Yellow & Green (Relapse 2LP)

* Agalloch: Pale Folklore (The End CD)†

* Agalloch: The Mantle (The End CD)

* Alcest: Écailes de Lune (Prophecy Productions CD)

* Alcest: Les Voyages de L’Âme (Prophecy Productions CD)

* The Sword: Age Of Winters (Kemado CD)†

* The Sword: Gods Of The Earth (Kemado CD)†

* The Sword: Warp Riders (Kemado LP)

* The Sword: Apocryphon (Razor & Tie LP)

* Pineapple Explode: Pineapple Explode (Pineapple Explode CDR)

* Pineapple Explode: A Bushel & A Barrel (Pineapple Explode CDR)

* Pineapple Explode: Skye’s Christmas Card (World Trade Center CDR)

* Pineapple Explode: [untitled work-in-progress] (Pineapple Explode CDR)

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

For the past couple of years, a small upstart label called Relative Pitch has been quietly releasing beautifully produced CDs from a broad selection of European and American avant-garde jazz musicians, often in unusual groupings. For instance: exploratory duet albums by Joëlle Léandre with Phillip Greenlief and Jérôme Bourdellon (That Overt Desire of Object (RPR 1002) and Evidence (RPR 1010)); a trio, dubbed Aych, with Jim Hobbs, Mary Halvorson and Taylor Ho Bynum (As The Crow Flies (RPR 1004)); or a rare recording by the unsung genius, Connie Crothers, with longtime collaborator Jemeel Moondoc (Two (RPR 1009)). Others document more established ensembles like The Vinny Golia Quartet (Take Your Time (RPR 1003); Matthew Shipp/Martin Bisio duet (Floating Ice (RPR 1005)); Way Out Northwest with John Butcher, Torsten Miller and Dylan van der Schyff (The White Spot (RPR 1006); and the Urs Leimgruber/Roger Turner Duo (The Pancake Tour (RPR 1007). Run by executive producers Mike Panico and Kevin Reilly, the label is obviously a labor of love, as evidenced by the high-quality sonics and distinctive design sensibility. Each CD is a crucial artifact of today’s cutting edge music scene.

As great as they all are, there is one in particular that really stood me on my ear: a trio recording featuring Joe Morris on guitar, Augustí Fernández on piano and Nate Wooley on trumpet (From the Discrete to the Particular (RPR 1008)). I was not previously familiar with the venerable Catalan pianist but was immediately blown away by his ferocious yet refined attack. Precisely articulated trills and highly irregular rhythms; wide, acrobatic leaps across the keyboard; impossibly fast tremolos; as well as a sharply drawn polyphony and subtle dynamic shading all point to a severely rigorous “classical” training. But Fernández applies his considerable technique to a non-idiomatic, freely improvised music that is deeply personal and highly expressive. Morris and Wooley are perfect accomplices, with Morris having recorded a duet album with Fernández back in 2010 (Ambrosia (Riti CD11). After more than thirty years on the scene, Morris continues to evolve as a player, now vigorously incorporating the noises and textures of extended, off-the-fingerboard techniques: scrubbing and scraping the strings, picking above the nut, and assaulting the instrument with various foreign objects. Wooley, of course, is one of the most interesting trumpeters around. With his warm, pure tone he can evoke the bittersweet melancholy of Miles Davis while also capable of all sorts of bent smears, gurgling whooshes and bleating moans that give his trumpet a percussive, richly textural quality. On tracks like “Membrane” and “Chums of Chance,” where Fernández is playing inside the piano, Morris is skittering around the neck of his guitar and Wooley’s trumpet sounds like some sort of malfunctioning electronics; you can hear the sound of a truly new, purely acoustic music. Beyond sheer technique—no matter how impressive—From the Discrete to the Particular approaches the divine.

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Speaking of the ever-prolific Joe Morris, he’s part of an interesting new project called Slobber Pup, masterminded by keyboardist Jamie Saft. They have a disc coming out next month on Rare Noise Records called Black Aces that can only be described as “free-metal.” Morris straps on the Les Paul, cranks up the volume and lets it rip with Saft, bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer Balasz Pandi. While I have admittedly only heard a small fraction of Morris’s hundred-something recordings (so far), I’ve never heard him play quite like this: not just rocked-out (and how!) but with downright bluesy pentatonic scales interspersed with his usual angular dissonance and chunky power-chords punctuating the freely evolving harmonic structures. It is really quite thrilling to hear Morris going for the whole guitar-hero thing with such gusto—particularly on the nearly-thirty-minute opening track, “Accuser.” Holy shit! This stuff pushes some of my favorite musical buttons: free improvisation and the heaviest heavy metal and they pull it off with snarling (yet genial) aplomb. I have no idea if this is just a lark for Morris or the revelation of previously repressed influences—but if this record helps to bring metal heads into the free-jazz camp (which it damn well should), then more power to him. I pre-ordered the double-LP/CD “combo pack” which gave me free access the to the FLAC download, which I’ve been playing pretty much non-stop since I got it. In true metal fashion, the label promises a high-resolution 24bit/96kHz download as well—rock on, Joe!

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SHAMELESS PLUG DEPT.

Augustí Fernández inspires me to play the piano (a real one!) and Joe Morris makes me to pick up the guitar again. As Albert Ayler said, “Music is the healing force of the universe” and I am extraordinarily pleased with my new CD, recorded live with drummer extraordinaire, Sam Byrd. If you have read this far, please consider checking it out at NuVoidJazz.com or clicking on the link below. Thank you for listening!