This week's 120 minutes contains a massive 44 tracks from 36 artists, including 20 by whom, prior to last Saturday, I hadn't heard a single note ...
Despite making it into both the "pop" and "rock" Top 50's over at Mixcloud this week (and the Jazz Top 100) (via my 2014 Playlist No 11 for some unknown reason - which is one of the latest "add-backs" I've done as I reinstate for streaming those podcasts which have had to be removed for download due to storage restrictions at Podcast Machine), I've stuck to my guns and, rather than produce a playlist of things I think new found "followers" might wish to hear, today's selection once again reflects the week's actual listening, however difficult that might be...
So there's new found jazz from the likes of Badbadnotgood, Ernst Reijseger, Bennink/Borstlap/Glerum, Fletcher/Brice/Jozwiak, Tingvall Trio, Peter Epstein Quartet, Matthew Shipp Trio, Ginger Baker, Charles-Eric Charrier, Plymouth and Laplante/Dunn/Smith...
And some, at times, pretty "out there" classical work by The Hilliard Ensemble, Shostakovich, Scriabin, Schütz, Lachenmann, Rihm and Birtwistle...
Also, out on the left field, we have Ut Gret, Adebisi Shank, Tuatara, Bear the Mammoth, Chris Krasnow, Gentle Giant, Eklektik Ensemble, Talons, Tangerine Dream and, of course our very own Cloudland Blue Quartet...
And, as we're not averse to accessibility, there's some actual tunes from Loudon Wainwright III, Caribou, Cluster, Owl John, Bidiniband, Anoice, Lotus, Pet Shop Boys and a cheeky wee Brian Eno cover by Mr CBQ thrown in at the last minute...
And so I illustrate in sound, the input into my music collection over the last seven days...
...during which time, this...
...was created also by light entering the CBQ camera...
I'm still gradually adding the back catalogue of deleted weekly podcasts to Mixcloud - a slow laborious process - I still have around ten to sort (weeks 13 to 22)...
From this week, I'm abandoning the download option, as streaming from Mixcloud is more popular and, unfortunately, for some reason Podcast Machine just doesn't show up on many devices (including my own) and it's time-consuming enough doing this without using two sets of servers every week - so streaming it is from now on...
Press play and away we go...
BADBADNOTGOOD - I Got A Bad Feeling About This 0:07
from "BBNG"
We start with just seven seconds from the debut album by Canadian jazz trio BADBADNOTGOOD - more from them later...
Ut Gret - Rouse Brown Mouse 0:46
from "Radical Symmetry"
Next, two tracks from erstwhile Californian, now based in Kentucky, art-rock band Ut Gret, who have been playing in various formats since the 1980s, influenced by the likes of Frank Zappa, Gong, Magma and King Crimson...
Ut Gret - The Departure 0:56
from "Ancestor's Tale"
A second snippet from the Gret crew - I expect they will feature here again...
Ernst Reijseger - Crystal Palace XXIII 1:04
from "Crystal Palace"
A short piece from the latest album by Dutch cellist Reijseger. He has written film scores for Werner Herzog, who advised of Mr R that he "could play the American Civil War on his cello"...
Adebisi Shank - (Trio Always) 1:06
from "This Is the Third Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank"
Adebisi Shank join the ever growing number of instrumental bands which have come over the horizon and into the collection this year. This track comes from, as the title suggests, their third album, which is due out next week - I would say though that it's not representative of the rest of the LP...
Han Bennink, Michiel Borstlap, Ernst Glerum - I Love You So Much It Hurts 1:14
from "3"
More jazz from Holland and Han Bennink's trio BBG, which features one time Bill Bruford improv partner Michiel Borstlap on piano...
The Hilliard Ensemble - Robert Fayrfax / I Love Unloved 1:50
from "Songs For A Tudor King"
Taken from a disc of music written in the time of Henry VII, Fayrfax , born 550 years ago, was considered the most prominent and influential English composer of the reigns of both Henry VII and Henry VIII...
Loudon Wainwright III - The Morgue 1:55
from "Haven't Got The Blues (Yet)"
As is often the case here, we move from the sublime to the ridiculous with a short song about love and death from Loudon Wainwright III...
Caribou - Julia Brightly 2:03
from "Our Love"
The new Caribou album is the best I've heard from the former Manitoba man - with shades of Moby - and I mean that in a good way...
Fletcher Brice Jozwiak - Interlude 2:06
from "Nick Of Time"
A flute based piece from the debut by this Birmingham UK based improvising trio, the whole album being recorded in an afternoon. Fletcher Brice Jozwiak's spontaneous music treads a line between jazz and the avant-garde. Tasty...
Tuatara - Calling the Spirits 2:16
from "Underworld"
Tuatara is a sort of indie supergroup, featuring members of REM, Screaming Trees and Luna. You can currently (August 2014) stream the whole album via the LA Times here...
Cluster - Heisse Lippen 2:22
from "Deutsche Elektronische Musik"
A track from the first 2CD set of "krautrock" from Soul Jazz Records of Soho contains some crackers (like this from Cluster) and some howlers. Happily the former strongly outnumber the latter...
Owl John - Stupid Boy 2:29
from "Owl John"
Owl John is a "solo" album by the singer and guitarist of Selkirk's Frightened Rabbit. Whilst I find this to be quite pleasant, there's something about the Proclaimeresque unreconstructed Scottish accent to the fore which grates with me...
Bear the Mammoth - Cloverlea 2:39
from "Yamadori"
There seems to be a great post rock scene in Australia and Bear the Mammoth are the latest band to impress me with their output. This track comes from their debut album, which was released into the world at the end of June...
Bidiniband - The Motherland 2:40
from "The Motherland"
Arriving from Canada this week, one of just a handful or so of physical albums which joined the collection, is the superb third LP from ex-Rheostatic Dave Bidini's Bidiniband, which also contains his erstwhile Rheos colleague Don Kerr, along with top notch guitarist Paul Linklater, who produced a 47 track triple CD a couple of years back which also sits on my CD shelf...
Chris Krasnow - eight21 2:49
from "The 6-8 Experience"
An off the wall album from the multi-talented Chris Krasnow - take a look at his cover of Jimi Hendrix' "Crosstown Traffic" (also on the LP) over on Youtube...
Shostakovich - Chamber Symphony In C Minor, II. Allegro Molto 2:53
from "Shostakovich Chamber Symphonies"
After an accidental reverse into the Bidiniband, there's a strident movement from one of Shostakovich's most popular works...
Shostakovich - Piano Trio No.2 in E Minor, Op.67: 2. Allegro non troppo 2:59
from "Shostakovich/Ravel: Piano Trios"
...followed by a tasty Allegro Non Troppo from his second piano trio, played here by Trio Zingara...
Gentle Giant - The Power and the Glory 2:59
from "The Power and the Glory [Steven Wilson Remix]"
This track was recorded at the time of Giant's classic of the same name but did not appear on the LP. Instead it first saw the light of day on a 2LP compilation "Giant Steps The First Five Years". Here it's been given a 2014 remix by Steven Wilson...
Scriabin - Scriabin: Piano Sonata #4 In F Sharp, Op. 30, 1 Andante 3:06
from "Piano Sonatas #1, 4, 5, 7 & 9"
A beautiful interlude now form the pen of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin, performed here by the Norwegian Håkon Austbø...
Eklektik Ensemble - Odra 3:11
from "Punkt Eklektik Session 01"
...which is rather rudely interrupted by the Eklektik Ensemble from Wroclaw, Poland which, according to their website is more of an idea than a band - nonetheless, their music impresses...
Tingvall Trio - Den Vilsna Tomten 3:12
from "Beat"
This track from the latest album by the multi-national Hamburg based Tingvall Trio demonstrates the superb musicianship they offer. Recorded in Italy, the album was released this month...
Anoice - autumn waltz 3:16
from "From The Studio"
From Hamburg to Tokyo and an enchanting piece from Anoice, who bill themselves as a "modern-classical/post-rock ensemble". More tuneful than much "post rock" out there right now - not that I mind either way...
Peter Epstein Quartet - Polarity 3:36
from "Polarities"
The opening track from the first album in a while from saxophonist Peter Epstein, who has been busy teaching for a few years apparently. Welcome back Mr Epstein...
BADBADNOTGOOD - Triangle 3:48
from "III"
A little longer piece now from BADBADNOTGOOD, who came together to give a jazz take to some unloved hip hop tracks and have gone from strength to strength. I acquired three of their albums this week and there's another track to come later on...
Lotus - Out Of Focus 3:52
from "Gilded Age"
Originally an instrumental jam band, Lotus were formed in Indiana in 1999 and this comes from their twelfth album. You can hear the math rock equations in this song which impressed Mr CBQ as he trawled the internet for interesting stuff and found this to be, indeed, interesting...
Matthew Shipp Trio - Code J 4:04
from "Root Of Things"
Some abstract noodlings from Matthew Shipp and his trio from their latest album. He also has an excellent 2CD set available of solo improvisations, on Blue Note, which is worth a listen if you can lay your hands on it...
Talons - Stay Cold 4:04
from "New Topographics"
Talons are an excellent six piece instrumental outfit from Hereford. This track comes from their second album which is out this week. They are undertaking a short UK tour in September - sadly no dates in Scotland but catch them if you can...
Schütz - Paratum cor meum 4:12
from "Symphoniae sacrae I"
Born around a hundred or so years after the previously featured Robert Fayrfax, Heinrich Schütz is regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and often considered to be one of the most important composers of the 17th century. Having said that, this type of music can be hard going for some...
Pet Shop Boys - The Memory And The Control 4:27
from "A Man From The Future"
The Pet Shop Boys presented their latest work at the BBC Proms last week, based on the life of Alan Turing and narrated by Juliet Stevenson. Like most pop/classical crossovers it kind of falls between two stools. I've included it here for curiosity's sake but the work is hit and miss, probably more miss for me - which, as a PSB fan, is a bit of a disappointment. Neil and Chris are a bit out of their depth here methinks...
Ginger Baker - Why? (edit) 3:00
from "Why?"
Still working at 75, here's the title track from Ginger Baker's latest album. Most are unaware that, following his departure from the Graham Bond Organisation, it was actually Baker, not Eric Clapton, who lead the band Cream. This album demonstrates amply that there's life in the old dog yet...
Lachenmann - String Quartet No 3 : Grido 3rd Movement (edit) 3:00
from "String Quartets"
Some segues from here on in due to the sheer number of pieces being featured. The Exec Producer and I are off to Berlin soon and we will witness a performance of a couple of pieces by German contemporary composer Helmut Lachenmann, whose works I sought out this week and very much enjoyed...
Charles-Eric Charrier - Toumimi Tataye (edit) 3:00
from "Petite Soeur"
Sandwiched between the two Lachenmann pieces is this slice of abstract jazz from French musician and composer Charles-Eric Charrier who "mines the remote seams of music between post-classical, jazz, acoustic blues and ambient". Yep, that seems about right...
Lachenmann - Allegro sostenuto 4th Movement (edit) 3:00
from "Allegro Sostenuto"
Another piece from Lachenmann which we'll hear live in a few weeks' time. Looking forward to it. Probably slightly more so than the Exec Producer...
Rihm - String Quartet No. 5, 3rd Movement (edit) 4:00
from "String Quartets"
And we will enjoy, along with a few other string quartets, this from the not often known to write an actual tune, some time Frazier Crane look-a-like, Wolfgang Rihm...
Plymouth - Plimouth (edit) 4:00
from "Plymouth"
Led by Jamie Saft and Joe Morris, Plymouth is another jazz improv outfit discovered this week. To see how they work, watch this from Youtube. I really enjoyed this three track album and what I've included in today's podcast is a mere taster. I urge you to investigate further...
Birtwistle - The Triumph of Time (Pt 2) (edit) 3:30
from "The Triumph of Time"
I was turned on to this 1972 piece by Harrison Birtwhistle from the writings of the Bad Plus' pianist Ethan Iverson last Saturday and immediately went in search of it. Visceral in places and, while not too out of the ordinary these days, must have seemed pretty avant garde when pitched up against T Rex, Slade and Gary Glitter forty-two (aargh!!) years ago...
Travis Laplante , Trevor Dunn & Ches Smith - Remember To Remember (edit) 3:00
from "Ancestral Instrument"
Recorded live on a very snowy night last December in Brooklyn - more jazz improv, this time from Laplante/Dunn/Smith - yowsah!
Tangerine Dream - Essen 1968 (Part One) (edit) 3:00
from "Essen, 1968"
Tangerine Dream - The Keep (Pt 2) (edit) 3:00
from "The Keep - Original Soundtrack"
Tangerine Dream - Space Is The Place (edit) 3:00
from "Space Is The Place"
Three tracks from Tangerine Dream form a collage of work from the sixties, eighties and seventies. I think the soundtrack to "The Keep" may well be the last "up to their own high standards" thing they've recorded - with apologies to Mr Froese of course....
BADBADNOTGOOD - Earl (Feat. Leland Whitty) 3:46
from "BBNG2"
And the last of the three pieces from BADBADNOTGOOD comes from their second album and features some excellent forceful drumming and the sax of guest Leland Whitty - top notch...
Cloudland Blue Quartet - The Reinhardt Absent Overlay (Detail) (edit) 4:00
from "Twenty Four Paintings (Details)"
As is often the case, we finish with some CBQ and a short edit of a track from the still as yet undated release "Twenty Four Paintings"...
Cloudland Blue Quartet - On Some Faraway Beach 3:50
from "Here He Comes EP"
...and a recording from the 2003 Brian Eno based EP, "Here He Comes", discovered languishing on a hard drive this week...
So that's it, hope you enjoyed this eclectic mix and will pop back next week for some more...
So that's it, hope you enjoyed this eclectic mix and will pop back next week for some more...
No comments:
Post a Comment