Friday, November 30, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/27/07 - 11/30/07



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DAVID BUCHBINDER: Odessa/Havana CD (Tzadik) - “Odessa/Havana” by Canadian brassman David Buchbinder is the latest release in Tzadik’s long-running and consistently fascinating Radical Jewish Culture series. Although it might seem, in theory, that the fusion of klezmer music and Cuban jazz that Buchbinder and award winning pianist/composer Hilario Duran have created might come off sounding incongruous and forced, the fact is that it actually works quite well, as both musical forms share such stylistic elements as an emphasis in minor chord modalities, intricate rhythms, and so on. This successful synthesis of sounds is best displayed on tracks such as “Impresionés”, the ultra-suave “Colaboracion”, and the slow-burning, smokey “Cadiz”. The ensemble is incredibly tight throughout the set and the solo features of the principles, Buchbinder and Duran, as well as those by Quinsin Nachoff (reeds) and Aleksander Gajic (violin) are first rate. Bright and bold, “Odessa/Havana” is a unique and compelling blend of sounds that transcends genres and geography.


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Running Count For The Year

Adds 110/86%

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Monday, November 26, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/22/07 - 11/26/07



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THE VALERIE PROJECT: S/T DLP (Drag City) - When I initially heard about this self-titled double LP by the Valerie Project, I must admit that I didn’t intend on purchasing it, as the reissue of the soundtrack to the film “Valerie and Her Week of Wonders” was one of the few releases from B-Music that I didn’t enjoy and didn’t keep. Upon further investigation, however, I learned that this album did not contain a mere modern recreation of that soundtrack, but rather, entirely new music inspired by the soundtrack. In addition, my research revealed that the Valerie Project was comprised of some of the premier practitioners of modern acid folk and psychedelic sounds, including Tara Burke (Fursaxa), Margie Wienk (Fern Knight), and several members of Espers, among others. Then, by amazing coincidence, it turned out that the Valerie Project was actually doing a live performance of this material at a screening of the film (one of the very few times the film has ever been shown in the US!) at the historic and very cool Brookdale Lodge, located deep in mountains near Santa Cruz, CA. So, needless to say, I had to check that out and, not surprisingly, the music was incredible, even if it didn’t always seem to correspond exactly to the action on the screen. So, of course, still in the high of the moment after that positive experience, I bought a copy of album, which was available, well in advance of its actual “street date”, at their merch table.

I’m certainly glad that I did, too, as the 30, mostly instrumental, tracks on this release even surpass, perhaps, the music I witnessed live that night. Rich organ drones, alien synth oscillations, fuzz leads, sweeping strings, delicate harp tones, ethereal vocal choruses and an assortment of percussion (bells, etc.), are all woven together to form a beautiful sonic tapestry, a seamless collage of traditional folk, modern acid folk, psych, and, even, prog sounds. In fact, as glorious as this material sounds rolling out of the grooves, I almost wish I had the CD version of this album just so I could let this lush flow of psychedelia wash over me for 75 minutes uninterrupted. “Tour de force”. “Masterpiece”. One can almost always dismiss such descriptions as merely being the hyperbolic ad copy of overly aggressive record label marketing, with respect to this debut by the Valerie Project, however, the use of such superlatives is both accurate and appropriate.


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Running Count For The Year

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Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/9/07 - 11/21/07



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MOUNTAIN HOME: S/T CD (Language Of Stone) - Mountain Home is a collective led by the duo of Joshua Blatchley (acoustic guitar, harmonium, and vocals) and Kristin Sherer (dulcimer) and this is their first full-length album. It is also the second release on Espers leader Greg Weeks’ new Drag City-affiliated label, Language Of Stone. Supported by an outstanding cast of musicians, including Marissa Nadler (her trademark haunting vocals gracing all but the last of the disc’s tracks), Margaret Wienk (strings), and Weeks, himself (electric guitar and who also produced this glorious sounding album entirely in analog formats at his Hexham Head studios!), Blatchley and Sherer have crafted five tracks of beautiful, crystalline acid folk with skillful precision. In fact, the only slight criticism I can really make about this material is that it is a little too perfect, it seems a little too “by the numbers” at times. I might, personally, prefer a bit more personality, more edge, some dissonance, some slight imperfection to cause ripples on the perfectly glass-like surface of this sonic lake of acid folk. These are trivial concerns, however, and gorgeous tracks like the lengthy "Battle, We Were" and the one track that features Blatchley on vocals, the amazing rendition of the traditional Celtic ballad “Nottamun Town”, make Mountain Home’s eponymous debut a clear winner that makes me look forward with great anticipation to hearing the group’s continuing development on future releases.


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Running Count For The Year

Adds 108/86%

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Thursday, November 08, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/8/07



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NICOLE MITCHELL’S BLACK EARTH ENSEMBLE: Black Unstoppable CD (Delmark) - Acclaimed jazz flutist Nicole Mitchell has been among the leading lights of Chicago’s thriving improvised music scene for many years now, performing with projects such as Frequency, the Indigo Trio, and Rob Mazurek’s Exploding Star Orchestra. The Black Earth Ensemble, however, is the primary vehicle for Mitchell’s compositions and creative vision and “Black Unstoppable” is their fourth full-length release.

As would befit a group led by the current co-president of the legendary Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), the material on this album incorporates the diverse range of “Great Black Music” from the blues, the sounds of New Orleans, pop vocals, and straight forward jazz to more modern, avant-garde jazz, and even hints of R & B/soul and African musical influences. Mitchell is excellent on flute and piccolo throughout and the ensemble, which includes such luminaries as Josh Abrams (bass), David Boykin (tenor saxophone), Jeff Parker (guitar/mindblowing effects), and rising star David Young (trumpet/flugelhorn), is incredibly tight, the somewhat brief solo segments impressive, and the overall production top notch, clear and clean. Highlights include the alternately swinging and slammin’ opening track "Cause & Effect", the blues stomper "Love Has No Boundaries" (which is one of several tracks featuring vocalist Ugochi Nwaogwugwu), the better of the disc’s two more experimental pieces “Sun Cycles”, and the album’s centerpiece "The Creator Has Other Plans For Me". With “Black Unstoppable”, Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble have created an excellent set of music that honors the traditions of jazz, while also looking forward to potential future musical horizons.


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Running Count For The Year

Adds 107/86%

Did Not Add 18/14%

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/1/07 - 11/7/07



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THE THING: Action Jazz CD (Smalltown Superjazzz) - “Action Jazz” is the appropriately titled fourth full-length release from Scandinavian free jazz trio the Thing. Led by reedmaster, Mats Gustafsson (alto, baritone, and slide saxophones), the group rips through a nicely varied set of originals and surprising covers of compositions by artists ranging from Ornette Coleman to Lightning Bolt. So, there’s a couple of short, pummeling, jazz-punk tracks, like “Sounds Like A Sandwich”. Then, there are several, more standard, free jazz compositions (if that description isn’t oxymoronic?!?), like “Chisma” and “...Through BBQ”, in which Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (double bass) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) laid down an incredible sonic foundation for the aggressive growls and wailing cries of Gustafsson’s adventurous solos. There’s even one fairly straightforward and soulful track “Danny’s Dream”, a cover of a melody by one of Gustafsson's musical heroes, Swedish jazz pioneer and great baritone sax player, Lars Gullin. Finally, there are also a couple of minimal improv pieces that failed to satisfy. Overall, however, the Thing delivers a powerful dose of challenging 21st Century improvised sounds - “Action Jazz”, indeed!


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Running Count For The Year

Adds 106/85%

Did Not Add 18/15%