Category Archives: Reviews

Reviews

Carla Bley – Tropic Appetites 12” LP

Carla Bley-tropic appetites

A wonderful piece of Avant-Garde class from 1974. Carla Bley was the Norse arch-bohemian Blanca lookin’ nut-case & composer bad-ass running with a crew of super cool NY envelope-pushers. This is also the first outing on her long-running record label Watt that she co-produced (& I assume founded?) with trumpeter Michael Mantler. Mantler is on this recording as well along with the great Dave Holland on bass, Howard Johnson on tuba & a whole gaggle of loons (seven in total) all enabling a herculean scope of detail & depth. Continue reading Carla Bley – Tropic Appetites 12” LP →

Reviews

Paul Bley – Paul Bley & Scorpio LP

Paul Bley-Scorpio

And so! Pianist & rollicking bohemian cool-dude Paul Bley drags in the super duo qualities of bassist Dave Holland & drummer/percussionist Barry Altschul to form the Scorpio trio, sliding around the deck in the Avant improvisational district over premeditated skeletons arranged by knock-out Carla Bley & Annette Peacock. Now, to seriously add the rainbow-fluid, magic-dust, cosmic-bollocks to an already exciting proposition – Bley is playing a plump expanse of synthesisers, electric keyboards & what’s either a killer moog or a synthesizer modal that’s damn close to one! Like a bad sweet-tooth, I have a real pash on mad moogs & the idea of them in an unbridled orbit backed up by Holland & Altschul is pretty goose-bump dappling.

Continue reading Paul Bley – Paul Bley & Scorpio LP →

Reviews

Michael Gregory Jackson – Karmonic Suite LP

MGJ-karmonic suite

A tremendous 1978 hidden (so to speak) recording from enigmatic guitarist, singer & multi-instrumentalist Michael Gregory Jackson & reedist Oliver Lake. Jackson is one of the drollest characters in the, um – Jazz/Avant-Garde arena operating a confusing chameleonic surf between categorically pioneering & highly astute intellectual Jazz innovation, ultra Avant-Garde, JazzFusion, Noise, Improvisation, Pop & R&B. his wildly contrasting history from cutting-edge 70’s New Music vanguard, major stardom, quite obscurity & genre defenestration is a fascinating, rare, unique & as of yet undisclosed (at least fully) page from Jazz history (presuming we can limit the definition to Jazz in this most multifaceted of musicology cases?). Continue reading Michael Gregory Jackson – Karmonic Suite LP →

Reviews

Anthony Braxton – The Complete Braxton 1971 DBL LP

Anthony Braxton-the complete Braxton 71

An excellent, highly balanced equilibrium into one of Braxton’s greatest phases. Through the early 70’s he dispensed a slew of brilliant records for Arista, backed frequently by the awesome finesse from rhythm-section Dave Holland & Barry Altschul, also regularly joined Kenny Wheeler on trumpet. Braxton’s phenomenal technique, smouldering soloing capacity & highly intricate, if not hifalutin, compositional directive is superbly relayed through these eight pieces capturing a snap-shot of his many miens. What does that entail exactly? Continue reading Anthony Braxton – The Complete Braxton 1971 DBL LP →

Reviews

Anthony Braxton – The Montreux/Berlin concerts DBL LP

Anthony Braxton-MBC

This is another of my favourite & most recommended Braxton recordings, scaling a large gamut of his styles from, for me, his greatest period. Bolstered by both George Lewis & Kenny Wheeler, the exceptional double act Barry Altshcul & Dave Holland & on the final splendid piece – The Berlin New Music Group (an Avant-Classical ensemble conducted here by Herr Hummel). Naturally, brilliant performances emerge from everyone, & Braxton himself renders both awesome playing & compositional accomplishment in a toweringly versatile pallet & persona.

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Reviews

Sidetracked – Double 12” LP

Sidetracked

A giant flippant & facetious wallop in the gob! This is essentially a digital-Shitnoise compilation with what seems to be an intentionally shabby, self-deprecating, deliberately underachieving pageant of self-immolation & shite-wallowing. There are 56 bands over two 12”LPs, most of which are on some ultra obscurist etchment (i suspect many will never publish outside this comp) that are in the kind of irresistible ruinous garbage of Breakcore, Speedcore, Gabber, Glitch, Mash-Up, Noise, Noisecore & other trashy distorted digital imploding & Ignoramus Dance Music. Continue reading Sidetracked – Double 12” LP →

Reviews

Marion Brown – Afternoon of a Georgia Faun CD

MB-afternoon434

A rare moment of astonishingly daring ostentation. More of this should & should have happened. It’s got to contend for one of the best on paper line-ups ever – Anthony Braxton, Andrew Cyrille, Bennie Maupin, Jeanne Lee, Chick Corea, Gayle Palmoré, William Green, Larry Curtis, Billy Malone & at the crown of it all – Mr Marion Brown himself. Marion presiding over such a session makes the prospect of those figures even more exciting. This was still very much in the nucleus of Marion’s ultra Avant phase (1970). If you don’t already know of his work during this spectrum, he was one of the wildest cards in the deck, & not due to any obvious or straightforward quality or approach but by much more unique means, principles & potencies. Continue reading Marion Brown – Afternoon of a Georgia Faun CD →

Reviews

Illusion Of Safety – Bad Karma CD

Bad Karma

One of the most interesting, accomplished & erudite machinators to exit the Industrial/Noise ambit, Chicago’s Illusion Of Safety have heaped on the heuristic unpredictable interpretations from the late 80’s onwards. An extensive lineage of releases & pioneering has waned only in it’s regularity over these decades, with the projects pilot Dan Burke continuing to spawn totally distinct & irregular uniqueness on a very consistent trajectory. Continue reading Illusion Of Safety – Bad Karma CD →

Reviews

Tani Tabbal – Mixed Motion CD

Tani Tabbal-mixed motion

It’s about time! Veteran drummer Tani Tabbal, most notable for his enduring interplay with Roscoe Mitchell & his Sound Ensemble (along with many other shared recordings) kicks out a six track CD as a band/project leader (preceded by last year’s Wizards by all but a whisker). A man of many deportments, who will leave separate impressions depending on what recording or live performance you have experienced of his, this album does quite a good job of capturing a decent range of his many faces. Continue reading Tani Tabbal – Mixed Motion CD →

Reviews

Meander – Dreaming In Reverse 12” LP

Meander-dreaming in reverse LP

Less low for your res!!! It’s another thrilling sliver to topple your timbers from the top-notch-digital- botch Detroit champion record label. The performer plucked from the circuit-board this time is Meander who were totally unfamiliar to me until this confrontation. This gorgeous four track LP complicates the Breakcore saga with massively expansive & enigmatic expertise. Continue reading Meander – Dreaming In Reverse 12” LP →