listening to…April 30 – May 5, 2013

Debashish Bhattacharya – Beyond the Ragasphere (Riverboat/World Music Network)

The latest from Hindustani slide guitar virtuoso Debashish Bhattacharya. I got hip to his nimble guitar work through his Raga Bhimpalasi on the India Archive label in the late ’90s. This album is a little less traditional, featuring guest appearances by jazz guitarist John McLaughlin and Bluegrass Dobro guitarist Jerry Douglas. There’s something very special about the way he transfers the extremely ornamented traditions of North Indian Classical music to a Western instrument even though there’s been Indian slide guitarists in the past like Brij Bhushan Kabra and Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.

John Stowell and Steve Brown – Cross Roads (CDBY)

Fine guitar duets! I’m such a big fan of John Stowell and I love hearing him in this context.

Bill Evans and Jim Hall – Undercurrent (Blue Note)
Craig Taborn – Light Made Lighter (Thirsty Ear)
Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden – Jasmine (ECM)
Ed Bickert – Out of the Past (Sackville)

Sam Rivers on flute V

Another in an ongoing series of horn players who double on flute. Today, another by Sam Rivers.

From the 1979 “Contrasts” LP. ECM Records.

Sam Rivers – flute
George Lewis – trombone
Dave Holland – bass
Thurman Barker – drums

listening to…April 14-28, 2013

Craig Taborn – Chants (ECM)
Masabumi Kikuchi – Sunrise (ECM)
Quest – Circular Dreaming (enja)
Bud Powell – Bud Powell Trio (Roost/Roulette)
Bud Powell – the Amazing Bud Powell (Blue Note)
the Bill Smith Quartet with Jim Hall – Folk Jazz (Contemporary)
Jim Hall – Jazz Guitar (Pacific Jazz)
Jim Hall – …Where Would I Be? (Milestone OJC)
Jim Hall and Ron Carter – Alone Together (Milestone OJC)
Paul Desmond with Ed Bickert – Live (A&M)
John Stowell/Michael Zilber Quartet – Shot Through With Beauty (Origin)
Anthony Williams – Lifetime (Blue Note)
Anthony Williams – Spring (Blue Note)

Giacinto Scelsi – The Piano Works, Vol. 1 (Mode)
Giacinto Scelsi – The Piano Works, Vol. 4 (Mode)
Giacinto Scelsi – Music for High Winds (Mode)
Giacinto Scelsi – Works for Bass (Mode)

Led Zeppelin IV (Atlantic)
Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy (Atlantic)
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (Atlantic)
Rolling Stones – Some Girls (Rolling Stones Records)
Rolling Stones – Emotional Rescue (Rolling Stones Records)

Sam Rivers on flute IV

Another in an ongoing series of horn players who double on flute. Today, Sam Rivers.

recorded live September 2, 1976 at the Bim Huis, Amsterdam.

Sam Rivers – flute
Joe Daley – tuba, french horn
Warren Smith – drums

Album – Sam Rivers & James Newton ‎– Flutes! , ( Circle records)

Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition

Like of lot of people my age, I heard Keith Emerson’s arrangement of Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition for his band ELP in the early 1970s, he’s still playing it years later.  Originally a suite for solo piano, the orchestral arrangement by Maurice Ravel is also well known to classical music lovers.

Yamashita Kazuhito’s recording of his guitar transcription was reissued a few years ago on CD, but it’s already out of print. Prices on Amazon are astronomical, someday I’ll probably find a used copy somewhere for a dollar. I’ve heard it and there’s plenty of virtuoso guitar, but the performance sounded ragged.

Jorge Caballero should record it. but doesn’t list Pictures in the repertoire page of his website. However, here’s two versions of his transcription for guitar. It’s an old favorite, perfect for guitar.

Tony Williams, Mosaic Select

Tony Williams – Mosaic Select

For a few years I’ve been following up on recordings by drummer Tony Williams that I had never heard, so I finally had to break down and get a copy of this little box. Five Blue Note albums on three CDs “in the tradition” from ’85-’91 make up this box. Electronic drums and machines on Foreign Intrigue sound tastefully dated, having both Bobby Hutcherson (vibes) and Mulgrew Miller (piano) in the same band forced the composer to tightly arrange the music so they don’t get in each other’s way.

Too bad Tony wasn’t more adventurous with the instrumentation, he always uses at least a front line of trumpet and saxophone with a piano in the rhythm section. The remaining four albums…maybe later I’ll listen deeper and check to find out how good the compositions are. After all that…Tony Williams was amazing, even on his most commercial/accessible releases.

• Mosaic listing
• Two AAJ reviews: #one and #two.

listening to… April 1-13, 2013

David Friesen & John Stowell – Other Mansions (Inner City)
David Friesen & John Stowell – Through the Listening Glass (Inner City)

I got hip to John Stowell a few years ago, I saw a lot of references to him in on-line Jazz guitar forums and thought I’d follow up. John turned out to have a unique approach to harmony, bringing out some very striking chord voicings.

There’s a few solo guitar albums that I really love, Resonance and Solitary Tales.  Those albums lead me to a few trios on Origin Records that were very nice. Recently I acquired a pair of early albums with bassist  David Friesen that show Stowell was already phenomenal in the late ’70s. There’s a bit of the influence of the chamber jazz sound of ECM Records and Gary Campbell’s soprano saxophone on Through the Listening Glass reminds one a bit of Oregon.

Muhal Richard Abrams – Black Saint/Soul Note box (CamJazz)

All new to me…fresh is the word. It turns out I’m crazy about this box, I’m glad I took the chance. These large group and “orchestra” bands are colorful and unpredictable. Sparkling, even.

Edgar Froese – Stuntman

I’m working on following up on early solo albums that I’ve never heard by Edgar Froese from Tangerine Dream. Old synths sound glorious.