Playlist Week of 2015-10-10

* J.S. Bach: Triple Concertos, etc. (Müchener Bach-Orchester/Richter) (Archiv LP)

* Carter/Ives/Piston: American Chamber Music (Boston Symph. Chamber Players) (DG LP)

* John McLaughlin: Mahavishnu (Warner Bros. LP)

* Stomu Yamashta: Go Live From Paris (Island 2LP)

* Placebo: Ball of Eyes (Parlophone/MOV LP)

* Quartet Music: Window On The Lake (9 Winds LP)

* William Parker Trio: Painter’s Spring (Thirsty Ear CD)

* William Parker Quartet: O’Neal’s Porch (AUM Fidelity CD)

* William Parker Quartet w/Leena Conquest: Raining On The Moon (Thirsty Ear CD)

* William Parker & Hamid Drake: Piercing The Veil (AUM Fidelity CD)

* Ingrid Laubrock/Olie Brice/Javier Carmona: Catatumbo (Babel Label CD)

* Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House: Roulette of the Cradle (Intakt CD)

* Ingrid Laubrock: Ubatuba (Firehouse 12 CD)

* Mary Halvorson: Meltframe (Firehouse 12 CD)

* Kris Davis Trio: Waiting For You To Grow (Clean Feed CD)

* Paradoxical Frog: Union (Clean Feed CD)

* Klaus Schulze: Live (Brain 2LP)

* Ariel Kalma: An Evolutionary Music (Original Recordings 1972-1979) (RVNG 2LP)

* Aretha Franklin: I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (Atlantic/MoFi CD)

* Aretha Franklin: Lady Soul/Aretha Now (Atlantic/MoFi CD)

* Amazing Blondel: Blondel (Island LP)

* Van Morrison: Hard Nose The Highway (Warner Bros. LP)

* Van Morrison: It’s Too Late To Stop Now (Warner Bros. 2lP)

* Richard Thompson: Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA 1986-11-07 (AUD 2CDR)

* Jade Warrior: Last Autumn’s Dream (Vertigo LP)

* BORIS: Amplifier Worship (Southern Lord CD)

* Wilco: Star Wars (dBPM/Anti- CD)

* Wye Oak: Shriek (Merge LP) †/‡

†=iPod/iTunes

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Commentary:

Busy!

Playlist Week of 2015-09-26

* Rameau: Pièces de Clavecin en concerts (Leonhardt, et al.) (Telefunken LP)

* Reger: Clarinet Quintet, Op.146 (Leister/Drolc Quartet) (DG LP)

* Charles Mingus: Passions of A Man: Complete Atlantic Recordings (d.4-5) (Atlantic/Rhino 6CD)

* Wayne Shorter: High Life (Verve CD)

* Herbie Hancock: The Prisoner (Blue Note CD)

* Keith Jarrett: Bop-Be (Impulse! LP)

* Muhal Richard Abrams: Vision Towards Essence (Pi CD)

* Terje Rypdal: Waves (ECM LP)

* Dorothy Ashby: Afro-Harping (Cadet/Verve CD)

* Rabih Abou-Khalil: Blue Camel (Enja CD)

* Rabih Abou-Khalil: Tarab (Enja CD)

* Rabih Abou-Khalil: The Sultan’s Picnic (Enja CD)

* Ariel Kalma: An Evolutionary Music (Original Recordings 1972-1979) (RVNG 2LP)

* The Pentangle: Cruel Sister (Reprise LP)

* Strawbs: Grave New World (A&M LP)

* Strawbs: Bursting At The Seams (A&M LP)

* Amazing Blondel: Fantasia Lindum (Island LP)

* Richard Thompson: Daring Adventures Polydor (LP)

* Van Morrison: Into The Music (Warner Bros. LP)

* Van Morrison: Inarticulate Speech of the Heart (Warner Bros. CD)

* Van Morrison: Poetic Champions Compose (Polydor CD)

* Van Morrison: No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (Polydor CD)

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

* Can: Live 1971-1977 (Spoon/Mute 2CD)

* Swell Maps: Collision Time Revisited (Restless/Mute 2LP)

* Mekons: Fear And Whiskey (Sin LP)

* Sunn O))): White 2 (Southern Lord CD)

* Ensemble Pearl: [ensemble pearl] (Thrill Jockey LP)

* Locrian: Infinite Dissolution (Relapse LP)

* The Sword: High Country (Razor & Tie 2LP) †/‡

* Usnea: Usnea (Orca Wolf 2LP)

* Pallbearer: Sorrow And Extinction (20-Buck Spin 2LP)

* Lower Dens: Escape From Evil (Ribbon Music LP)

* London Grammar: If We Wait (Columbia 2LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

Autumn is one of those times of year when unusual birds show up at the bird feeders, some of them migrating south for the winter -- but other local species seem to come out of hiding as well.

One which I had never seen before was this male Summer Tanager, who was chowing down on suet cake the other day. Thankfully, he let me take a few snaps before flying into the woods. 

I did some research and I think I have seen the female around from time to time -- but she's a rather drab mustard color and I had mistaken her for some kind of oriole.

We do love bird-watching out our kitchen windows!

Playlist Week of 2015-05-02

* Ravel: Orchestral Works (NY Philharmonic/Cleveland Orchestra/Boulez) (Sony 3CD)

* OHM: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music 1948-1980 (Ellipsis Arts 3CD)

* Miles Davis: Bitches Brew (Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy 2CD/DVD)

* Miles Davis: At The Fillmore (d.1) (Columbia/Legacy 4CD)

* Sun Ra: Calling Planet Earth (D.A. Music/ORG LP)

* Sun Ra: Planets of Life or Death: Amiens ’73 (Strut/Art Yard LP)

* Lowell Davidson Trio: Lowell Davidson Trio (ESP-Disk’ CD)

* Joe Morris/John Voigt/Tom Plsek: MVP LSD: The Graphic Scores of Lowell Skinner Davidson (Riti CD)

* Free Flight: Soaring (Palo Alto LP)

* Marc Johnson: The Sound of Summer Running (Verve CD)

* Anouar Brahem Trio: Astrakan Café (ECM CD)

* Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Aphelion (NuVoid Jazz/Bandcamp WAV) †

* Grateful Dead: Civic Center, Augusta, ME 1984-10-12 (SBD 2CDR)

* Grateful Dead: Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA 1984-11-02 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* The Moody Blues: On the Threshold of a Dream (Deram LP)

* Deep Purple: Come Taste The Band (Warner Bros. LP)

* Anthony Phillips: The Geese & The Ghost (Passport LP)

* Popol Vuh: The Wener Herzog Soundtracks (SPV 5CD)

* Heldon: Live in Paris 1975 (SouffleContinuum LP)

* Heldon: Live in Paris 1976 (SouffleContinuum EP)

* The Style Council: My Ever Changing Moods (Geffen LP)

* Japan: Oil On Canvas (Virgin 2LP)

* ABC: The Lexicon of Love (Mercury LP)

* Tears For Fears: Songs from the Big Chair (Polygram LP)

* Thievery Corporation: Saudade (ESL LP)

* Opeth: Watershed (Roadrunner CD/DVD)

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

* ISIS: Oceanic (Ipecac CD)

* ISIS: Panopticon (Ipecac CD)

* BORIS: Akuma No Uta (Southern Lord CD)

* BORIS: Pink (Southern Lord CD)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

The beautiful Rose-breasted grosbeaks stop by this time of year on their way to their breeding grounds up north and they chow down at the bird-feeders for a day or so before taking off again. I wasn't able to get much of a shot of them this time, but they'll be back in the fall. I hope you all having a delightful spring!

Playlist Week of 205-04-25

* Hesperion XXI (Savall): Orient-Occident II: Hommage à la Syrie (Alia Vox SACD)

* Marais: Suitte d’un Goût Etranger: Pièces de Viole du IV Livre 1717 (Savall) (Alia Vox 2SACD)

* Eric Siday: Sounds of Now (Dual Planet LP)

* Val Stephen: Abstractum: The Electrogenic Music of Val Stephen (Dual Planet LP)

* Simon & Bard Group with Ralph Towner: Tear It Up (Flying Fish LP)

* Marilyn Crispell: Amaryllis (ECM CD)

* Stefano Bollani: Joy In Spite of Everything (ECM CD)

* Mongo Santamaria: Up From the Roots (Atlantic LP)

* Dub Echoes: Sonic Excursions in Dub and Beyond (Soul Jazz 3LP)

* John Fahey: Live in Tasmania (Takoma LP)

* Emmylou Harris: Hard Bargain (Nonesuch CD/DVD)

* Debbie Au: Clay (Ranwood LP)

* Bob Dylan: Shadows in the Night (Columbia LP/CD)

* Chad & Jeremy: Distant Shores (Columbia LP)

* Grateful Dead: Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO 1985-09-05 (selections) (SBD 2CDR)

* Santana: III (Columbia/Legacy CD)

* It’s A Beautiful Day: …Today (Columbia LP)

* Blood Sweat & Tears: Child Is Father to the Man (Columbia LP)

* Tomorrow: Tomorrow (Parlophone LP)

* The Gods: Genesis (Parlophone LP)

* Rainbow Ffolly: Sallies Fforth (Parlophone LP)

* Fleetwood Mac: Tusk (Warner Bros./Pioneer 2LP)

* Kevin Ayers: Yes We Have No Mañanas/So Get Your Mañanas Today (ABC LP)

* Spirit: Clear (Ode LP)

* Hawkwind: Back in the Streets (Atomhenge 7”)

* Heldon: Live in Paris 1976 (SouffleContinuum EP)

* Nektar: A Tab in the Ocean (Passport LP)

* Lucifer’s Friend: Where The Groupies Killed The Blues (Passport LP)

* Klaatu: Sir Amy Suit (Capitol LP)

* Klaatu: Endangered Species (Capitol LP)

* Steely Dan: Aja (MCA/Mobile Fidelity CD)

* Steely Dan: Gaucho (MCA/Mobile Fidelity CD)

* Tommy Bolin: Teaser (Nemperor LP)

* Boston: Boston (Epic LP)

* Ultravox: Quartet (Chrysalis LP)

* Ultravox: The Collection (Chrysalis LP)

* Arto Lindsay: The Encyclopedia of Arto (Northern Spy 2LP)

* Arto Lindsay Ambitious Lovers: Envy (Editions EG LP)

* Clutch: From Beale Street to Oblivion (Weathermaker 2LP)

* Locrian: The Crystal World (Utech 2CD)

* Locrian: The Clearing & The Final Epoch (Relapse 2CD)

* Locrian: Return to Annihilation (Relapse 2-45RPM LP/CD)

* Zombi: The Zombi Anthoology (Relapse LP) (†)

* Minsk: With Echoes in the Movement of Stone (Relapse CD) (†/‡)

* Minsk: The Crash and the Draw (Relapse 2LP) (†)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

This is the time of year when some unusual birds will make an appearance at the feeders, including my personal favorite, the Indigo bunting. Actually quite common in the eastern portion of the U.S., they can be hard to spot, since only the males are blue--and only in the spring and summer. This sweet little bird will hang around the feeders for a few days before disappearing back into the woods, so I grabbed the camera and snapped a few shots while I could. What amazing creature--such superfluous beauty! I do love this time of year.

+++

As you know, Saturday the 18th was Record Store Day 2015. Every year, I feign disinterest but always get swept up in the (admittedly manufactured) excitement as the event draws near. But these days, I do it at my own pace. Grimey's is just too much of a crazy scene on the day of (but usually has plenty of stuff leftover the next afternoon) so I celebrated at a couple of other places. You can probably spot all the exclusive releases in my playlist but for more excruciating detail, check out my rambling show-and-tell video over on YouTube. I hope all your Record Store Day dreams came true!