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!

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!