La Folia [La Folia Home] [Archives
by Contributor] [Archives by Date] |
|
Incredible Risks: New and Improvised Music Steve Koenig [April 2001. Originally appeared in La Folia 3:3.] Strange synchronicities. I was listening to the great music comedienne Anna Russell’s routine about bagpipes (note to Sony Legacy: a complete boxed set, please) and what should come in through the transom but three significant bagpipe discs. I first "met" jazzpiper Rufus Harley in a flea market and for my quarter ran away grinning like a madman with Atlantic SD 1539, bought mainly because it had a picture on the cover of this man with the soulful look of Coltrane, and on the back a photo of Harley on the Steve Allen TV show where the look was more Rahsaan Roland Kirk. The liners, too, showed a serious sense of humor: the subtitle of the 1970 King/Queens is "A Universal Oneness-and-There Ain’t But One Thing Going On, All You Have To Do Is Dig It." Producer Joel Dorn continues his reissues from the Atlantic vaults with Harley’s The Pied Piper of Jazz (Label M 495710). Pauline Oliveros wields her wheezebox well Live at the Meridian (Sparkling Beatnik SBR 0024, 53:43, sparklingbeatnik.com) in The Circle Trio of violinist India Cooke and singer Karolyn van Putten, also on tar. Well known for her musical quasi-new age experimentalism and environmentalism (Oliveros often uses cavernous spaces for resonance), this one-piece live concert is very effective, developing slow threads from each into quite loud, piercing free-improv, but the dynamics, both in volume and textural interplay are continually evolving and involving. Using all the techniques of world-music singing, van Putten creates an original melange with derivations ranging from a tremulous accordion-like quaver to Tibetan multiphonics, serving the piece and her partners in its own way . At about 14 minutes in, threads of Southern, which I then recalled has its roots in Irish, fiddling joined the accordion’s pointillism. At the 20 minute mark, there is a Glass-like galactic swirl of accordion, and then the violin slashes away all hints of Minimalism with virtuoso swashbuckling as the piece continues with the hypnotic effect of a long piece of Gagaku mixed with the blues, her cohorts shouting her on to spelling-binding effect. This goes on the permanent shelf. I was listening to the PBS documentary on Um Khalsoum, when the mail brought the newest release of Anthony Braxton, Composition N. 247 (Leo CD LR 306, 61:37, atlas.co.uk/leorecords/) dedicated her. (Sometimes I wonder about the connection between iconic musicians and politics; Celia Cruz, Um Khalsoum and even Satchelmouth had partisan politics which were very conservative and nationalistic, which is not to say there were merely two-dimensional. Likewise, their politics entered their music only metaphorically or by emotional association. While I digress, Celia’s Carnegie Hall concert this past November 13th was that of a master, but somewhat sentimental; she was supported by the late Tito Puente’s band. The first and only other time I saw her live, she stunned us at Brooklyn College’s Whitman Auditorium. At Carnegie, she seemed to coast on her laurels, but those were some mighty laurels.) Anthony Braxton, Matthew Welch and James Fei (whose Leo disc Solo Saxophone made my Top Ten of 1999 list) offer another of Braxton’s Ghost Trance works. After an extended repetitive section comes a drastic change in direction, akin to a drop in pressure when an airplane suddenly loses altitude; we are now in a music jungle, these reeds the calls of birds and elephants, with the lowing of the contrabass sax and clarinets, then Welch’s bagpipes, interweaving a basket to hold these sounds. This is the most successful of the Ghost Trance Musics to date, for me, although I’ve only heard the first few Braxton House releases, which I found interesting but numbing. The liner notes by reedist James Fei are exemplary; he explains Braxton so clearly that any layman would understand the intellectual concepts and compositional constructs. As Braxton is one our most significant composers, and he usually is excruciatingly oblique in his own writings, I’m grateful to Fei (and to continual Braxton-explainer Graham Locke) for those of us who want to know more about the "how" of his music. We are promised several two-CD sets live at Yoshii’s.
Hank and Slim. The World Turned Gingham. (Caciocavello
CAD 6, 61:37, soleilmoon.com). Hank Sterman and Slim Fenster, that is.
The tag says "File under avant garde country & western," saving
it from the ambient or electronica catch-all. Nonetheless, the country
component here is minimal; there’s some slow, twangy guitar and
lyrics muttered somewhat like the Residents, with Pink Floydy slow pulses
and washes. This is my favorite in this category since Hemorrhoy Rogers’
disc Klippity Klop Don’t Rob Me (Eerie Materials
Sw04, eerie@crl.com), which of course is totally different and wonderful,
sounding like Chadbourne-meets-the-Chipmunks; besides, how could you
resist titles like "On The Day The Sheriff Stopped Wearing Diapers on
his Forehead, I Got Married to a Low-Flying Horse"? But back to the
boys at hand, who offer a psychedelic trance mix, starting with a radio
warning of a hurricane watch on the Texas coast, with the ambient clouds
moving in, with different colors of drone-clouds. High effective in
this genre, not a notch of (musical) pretense, and a keeper. This too
has genuinely funny biographical notes about the long-lost duo. There
are also instructions about how to make Slim’s Dream Catcher, which
involves pony beads and DAT machines. I intend to make one as soon as
I put this column to bed.
A brief note to mark the passing of John Lewis, late of the Modern Jazz
Quartet, J.S. Bach, and this world.
Most exciting is the longest-ever continuous recording, seven-hours
long, audio-only but on a DVD disc. I will report more on Robert
Rich’s Somium (Hypnos HYP 2131, DVD, hypnos.com)
as soon as I get my hands on a DVD player. The composer is famed for
his Sleep Concerts, mixing electronics with environmental sounds. This
is supposed to be the next closest thing, for home use, and designed
to affect your "hypnogogic states," for both active and passive listening.
Digitalis by Markus Reuter (Hypnos HYP 2128, 62:57,
hypnos.com) might appeal to those ambient-lovers who enjoy "space music."
When I hear this, although I don’t like the synthesized sounds
per se, I think of an aural equivalent to looking at galaxies, with
sparkles and washes of sound, grand and small at the same time. Big
sounds with much detail.
Composer Beth Custer has a group and album Doña
Luz 30 Besos (City of Tribes COTCD-026, 40:55, cot.com) which
is on constant rotation on my portable, and dedicated to Cuban singer
Gloria "Yoya" Bravo, who now is on my look-for list. The songs are mostly
English; this is rock for those who love jazz. The vocals and the band
are sultry, wistful, and self-confident, with Will Bernard’s guitar
pyrotechnics serving texture rather than flash. Custer herself plays
piano, clarinet, accordion, percussion and "mouth ’bone." Through
her voice is not quite like theirs, if you like Kitty Brazelton, Karen
Mantler, or Jane Siberry, put this on your shopping list without fear.
Like the first two, the interplay with the musicians is intuitive and
mines a rich vein. The Colombian/Cuban cumbia rhythm has deep roots
and I’m most familiar with the variety played all over Mexico by
groups such as Los Angeles Azules. Percussionist Greg Ribot
and El Norte has put an instrumental jazz spin on this loping rhythm,
and varied the instrumentation track to track on The International
Conspiracy (Cathexis GRC40, 70.:20, cathexisrecords.com). Still,
I miss a vocal component. The disc is fun, but on the restrained side.
Not dull, mind you, just not blaring out. Yes, he’s brother to
guitarist Marc Ribot. I expected one of my other fave guitarists, Dr. Eugene Chadbourne, would be serving up a slice of ethnic tinge with his Piramida Cu Povesto (Leo CD LR 304, ), "set against a background of intrigue and insanity in post Caecescu Romania," with a booklet of fairy-tale-like stories by the politically-astute Doctor. These three long improvisations on dobro steel guitar are of unspecified provenance, and no apparent Rumanian connection. It’s the first Chadbourne disc I didn’t like, and I’ve bought over twenty-five plus dozens of his home-made cassette objêts-d’ found art. Pointillistic and random. On another listen, I did like it. Maybe it’s me who’s random. Mark Elf is a contemporary guitarist whose previous releases were more mainstream than is my taste. He told me that I’d probably prefer him in concert: "I think I really come to life in a live setting," and boy is he right. I was smilin’ and-a foot-tappin’ all through Live At Small’s (JenBay Jazz JBR 0007, 69:04, jenbayjazz.com). Elf is joined by Meal Miner on bass and drummer Joe Stausser. The guys picks away high-speed, messes around excitedly between the chords, and you egg him on just as his playing does you, the audience and his cohorts. Standards are the main fare: "Stella By Starlight," "Quick Silver," "Too Close For Comfort," and Monk’s "52nd St. Theme." The originals are in the same vein and just as rich listening. Another more-than-nice surprise. George Benson was foremost a jazz guitarist before getting smoothed out by CTI, and when on Warners his smooth and pleasing vocals brought him deserved fame with standards such as Leon Russell’s "Song For You." For folks like me who missed his solid-jazz era, Sony Jazz Legacy just reissued two exciting discs, both including now-customary and useful extra tracks. Produced by John Hammond, It’s Uptown (CK 66052, 61:26, sonylegacy.com) adds five extra tracks to this enjoyable bop and tiki-lounge date. There’s a Kenny Burrell-like "Willow Weep For Me" and a strikingly bluesy vocal on "A Foggy Day," and neat-o twisted phrasings of "Summertime." He should have become a jazz singer instead of a pop singer. Uptown is good enough, but for real kicks, tune into The George Benson Cookbook (CK 66054, 53:11, sonylegacy.com), which indeed cooks, including Benson’s title tune "The Cooker." On tracks both boppish and bossa, he is joined by solid backups including organist Lonnie Smith, Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, trombonist Al Hall. I didn’t realize he sang early on as well, doing a fifties-jumpstyle "All Of Me" with vocal phrasing also revealing totally appropriately solid sixties-soulstyle whoops and melismas. The notes reveal that Benson started out as a singer, at ten years old. The four "bonus tracks" are of unstated provenance, and one, Little Willie John’s "Let Them Talk," is previously unreleased. I haven’t seen the packaging of this advance copy, but all recent Legacy single reissues have come with original labels. I hope this does too. "All Of Me" should be released as a single.
While we’re riding the mainstream, I highly recommend an easy-to-overlook
reissue from bassist Sam Jones called Something in Common
(32Jazz 32217, 62:29, 32Records.com) taken from the title Muse LP and
half of Cedar Walton’s live Firm Roots. These session
are a most wonderful surprise from 1977. They are neither just head-and-solo
nor are they totally free, but explorations within the mainstream structure
and texture. The lineup: Cedar Walton, Slide Hampton, Blue Mitchell,
Bob Berg, Billy Higgins, and not one of them coasts on their reps. The
twelve-minute opener, "Seven Minds" begins with a wonderfully woody-rich
bass solo, and carves out beautiful space which hits a rich vein they
never leave. The rest of the disc is exciting and deep, and will appeal
to those of all stripes. The final three cuts are Jones, drummer Louis
Hayes, and Walton on electric keyboards live in 1974, the first pair
fine, but sadly ending the disc with (do they still call it ) an M.O.R.
"You are the Sunshine of My Life."
Another surprise keeper is the new Columbia Broadway Masterworks reissue
of Topol’s Fiddler on The Roof, London Cast (Sony
Legacy SK 89546, 63:38, broadwaymasterworks.com) not least for the performance,
which I enjoy but for me will never replace Mostel’s, but the five
bonus tracks of rehearsal tapes from Jerry Bock’s private collection.
In fine mono quality, these home tapes show have bock and Harnick campily
and joyfully testing out drafts of songs which later were remolded into
"Tradition" and "Tevye’s Dream." (Fiddler freaks should check last
issue’s column, about jazz, hiphop and Mexican versions.) My hero
Judy Holliday stars in a new reissue of the original Broadway cast of
Bells Are Ringing (SK 89545, 51:28). Holliday flammed
the McCarthy commission by playing her dumb blonde character, and named
no names. The cover photo is better than that of the original LP, and
has the original 6-eye black and gray CBS label, though missing the
bottom black bar on my LP. Three short Jules Styne tracks are bonuses.
This work of Comden and Green with Jules Styne features the poignant
hit, "The Party’s Over." Holliday is a fine balladeer, as exemplified
in her o/p torch disc "Trouble Is A Man," last seen on a Sony Special
Products CD.
Carlo Actis Dato. The Moonwalker. (Leo CD LR 311, 53:27).
Lots of live, short solo pieces from this Italian sax master recorded
in Bangkok, Katmandu, Marrakech, Mali, Bali and Java, liberally spiced
with local color between sets. Here Actis Dato (now you know
how to file him alphabetically) uses bari and tenor, plus bass clarinet.
The pieces ranging from an r’n’b-like tongue-thwacking polyrhythmic
piece sounding like a one-man saxophone quartet ("Bad Rap 1") to others
which evoke Sardinian vocal quartets, and others which have hysterically
funny two-part saxo-fights ("Fusi Orari"). I like this better than his
previous solo outing, Urartu, and perhaps even more than
his engaging ensemble works, most available from Leo and Splasc(h).
It’s a great survey of a diversity of saxophone styles, and each
miniature, ranging from 38 seconds to five minutes, is a gem. The hour
flies. Genuinely funny liner notes. Miles, however, continues to surprise beyond the grave as Columbia Jazz Legacy sends an advance of a previously unreleased Miles Davis Live At The Fillmore East (March 7, 1970): It’s About That Time (C2K 85191, 44:02 + 46:19), slated for June release. Opening for Neil Young and Crazy Horse, this is Miles smoking! The guy famed for single, pure, vibrato-less tones here blows like crazy, with the Bitches Brew band (Shorter, Corea, Holland, DeJohnette, Moreira) performing works recorded the summer before, but not yet released at the time of this concert. This two-CD set came in just at deadline, but it’s an astounding concert and puts a whole new slant on my understanding of the various ways Miles works. A major coup: two full unedited sets. Important historically, but more significantly, the music is required joyous listening. I love this concert, and will be listening to this more frequently than any other Miles I have. Columbia Jazz Legacy is also offering a new two-disc The Essential Miles Davis compilation with tracks taken from all period of his career from 1945-1986, and borrowing material from six other labels he recorded for (C2K 85475, 76:38 + 73:19).
Another surprise reissue is one of my favorite Steve Lacy discs, Morning
Joy. Hat Hut has remixed this one, and added an extra track
for a total of 76:10, the new track being Monk’s "Work," taken
from the same live Radio France concert in Paris. The new disc trades
the original strange but interesting cover painting for a b/w shot of
a joyless Paris morning. Comparing the two, the sound is considerably
tightened up on the new release, Jean-Jacques Avenel’s bass now
getting the royal treatment, and the rest audibly cleaned up from hatArt
CD 6014. I have to keep both, natch, because in a weak moment I asked
Mr Lacy to autograph Morning Joy. (hatOlogy 556, cadencebuilding.com)
|
Copyright 1998-2010. All rights
reserved. [La
Folia Home] [Archives by Contributor] [Archives
by Date] |