I got $20 ---->$40 in emu credits and spent most of it yesterday, mostly on things from everyone's lists. That and the 7digital Kinks set should help to get me through this first day back after a long vacation. I really should have sprung for that extra vaca day.
It's NYOP on Bandcamp, found through a TMT rec., nice chill downtempo electronic, reminds me a bit of Delta's plane boarding music. I clicked on it because I was busy and didn't know what to listen to next (it was alphabetically near War On Drugs), but I'm turning out to really enjoy it.
Jonah's No. 1; wow this is great! Listening at first, I thought, "I'm surprised this is considered jazz." Listening more I thought, "what else would you call it?" It seems like jazz, but not like any other jazz I know.
#1 on the Jonah list and the only one in my collection:
Enter is a massive creative statement. Everything Fire! Orchestra does is Big. The rises and falls of intensity have an epic presence. It also possesses an attention to detail, and no matter how big the sound becomes, it finds a way to reflect all the nuance and details of the varied musics that influence this thrilling album. It is challenging music that cloaks itself in a pop music persona. Its why the clashes of dissonance and chaotic waves of intensity dont detract from the albums personable nature not unlike how Tom Waits gravelly voice can sing perfectly of heartbreak, home, loneliness and love with more genuineness than any pop star.
No matter how many times the album is played, its impact is no less resonant or affecting. The avant-garde big band Fire! Orchestra goes all-in on Enter, guided by an astute intelligence and powered by a huge heart.
Re: Fire! Orchestra . . . a repost from the N&N thread in 2012: Fire! With Oren Ambarchi - In The Mouth - A Hand - "For their third album Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin team up with Oren Ambarchi, a true explorer of the guitar, "re-routing the instrument into a zone of alien abstraction where it´s no longer easily identifiable as itself" as The Wire once wrote. As with Jim O´Rourke on the previous album this is not a mere guest appearance, Ambarchi is fully intergrated as a member making this a glorious monster of a record. With their heavy, hypnotic, psychedelic rock´n´jazz explorations they have carved out a monumental and different sound than any of the projects they are normally associated with."
- Rune Grammofon
- http://www.earthwindand.com/
I was thinking about this album, by sound, and I had totally forgotten what it was called. I thought it might just be lost in my stacks forever. Then I was reading Dave's review of the Bob Stewart album, and it's mention of tuba, and I remembered I had an album with tuba on it, and thought I should pull that out. That one was easier to find, by googling jazz albums with tuba and marimba, turns out it's Arthur Blythe's Focus. (Turns out that's Bob Stewart too, which makes sense, there not being an excessive amount of tubaists (tubists? tubaers? tubers?) out there). So when I pulled up the backup cd with Arthur Blythe, there this was and I remembered it. Gentle guitar strums and little fender Rhodes plucks; enjoyable, if insubstantial.
That Jane Bunnett album again; really great. Hard-edged spiritual-meets-free jazz, plus lots of pretty horn playing and a gospel baritone, if you can imagine all that. This was on my S4L forever, what was I waiting for? AAJ review
Just listened to Get The Blessing and Fire Orchestra from Jonahpwll's list, and enjoyed both. Might even buy one or both - Thanks.
NP: Marc Johnson's Bass Desires - Second Sight
Nereffid's no. 1, also great, thanks. Or maybe it's only no. 1 by alphabetical? Anyway, very enjoyable.
Eta: looked again- it's an actual number 1. This really is something that I could see Jonah and anybody who enjoyed his list liking; it's composed, but has a lot of common threads in instrumentation and folk appreciation to a lot of the jazz.
Then:
Ana Tijoux, Vengo and La Bala
Picked this up from an end of year list, I think NPR. Have never listened to Ana Tijoux or any other Chilean hip hop. Enjoying some of this though.
Brad Mehldau - Largo
Well, most of it - I picked up a used CD copy and was in a hurry and failed to ascertain that whoever sold it to the sotre successfully palmed off a copy that they had spilled something irremovable on, so some of the tracks will not play. The ones I can play I really like, though.
Emil De Waal+ Gustaf Ljunggren and Søren Kjærgaard Feat. Elith "Nulle" Nykjær (self-titled)
-I'll be posting a recommendation on my site tomorrow, but, seriously, just go buy the thing. Easily would have made my Best of 2013 list had I encountered it sooner.
Really loving this that I picked off the TMT list; solo Japanese singer with simple instrumentation (alternates between guitar and keyboards), haunting and pretty and very nice. Available at emu. Recommended.
Comments
But right now I'm listening to: AyGeeTee - The Lightning Speed of the Past
It's NYOP on Bandcamp, found through a TMT rec., nice chill downtempo electronic, reminds me a bit of Delta's plane boarding music. I clicked on it because I was busy and didn't know what to listen to next (it was alphabetically near War On Drugs), but I'm turning out to really enjoy it.
Anne Guthrie - Codiaeum variegatum
Jonah's No. 1; wow this is great! Listening at first, I thought, "I'm surprised this is considered jazz." Listening more I thought, "what else would you call it?" It seems like jazz, but not like any other jazz I know.
;-)
ETA: Oh ! that makes two of us . . .
Fire! With Oren Ambarchi - In The Mouth - A Hand
- "For their third album Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin team up with Oren Ambarchi, a true explorer of the guitar, "re-routing the instrument into a zone of alien abstraction where it´s no longer easily identifiable as itself" as The Wire once wrote. As with Jim O´Rourke on the previous album this is not a mere guest appearance, Ambarchi is fully intergrated as a member making this a glorious monster of a record. With their heavy, hypnotic, psychedelic rock´n´jazz explorations they have carved out a monumental and different sound than any of the projects they are normally associated with."
- Rune Grammofon
- http://www.earthwindand.com/
I was thinking about this album, by sound, and I had totally forgotten what it was called. I thought it might just be lost in my stacks forever. Then I was reading Dave's review of the Bob Stewart album, and it's mention of tuba, and I remembered I had an album with tuba on it, and thought I should pull that out. That one was easier to find, by googling jazz albums with tuba and marimba, turns out it's Arthur Blythe's Focus. (Turns out that's Bob Stewart too, which makes sense, there not being an excessive amount of tubaists (tubists? tubaers? tubers?) out there). So when I pulled up the backup cd with Arthur Blythe, there this was and I remembered it. Gentle guitar strums and little fender Rhodes plucks; enjoyable, if insubstantial.
1. Benjamin Koppel's good ol' Polar Expedition crew
2. Alexander Turnquist - "Flying Fantasy"
I really like how the first leads into the second on my morning-albums playlist.
Another great one - thanks.
NP: Marc Johnson's Bass Desires - Second Sight
Nereffid's no. 1, also great, thanks. Or maybe it's only no. 1 by alphabetical? Anyway, very enjoyable.
Eta: looked again- it's an actual number 1. This really is something that I could see Jonah and anybody who enjoyed his list liking; it's composed, but has a lot of common threads in instrumentation and folk appreciation to a lot of the jazz.
Couldn't resist.
Then:
Ana Tijoux, Vengo and La Bala
Picked this up from an end of year list, I think NPR. Have never listened to Ana Tijoux or any other Chilean hip hop. Enjoying some of this though.
Brad Mehldau - Largo
Well, most of it - I picked up a used CD copy and was in a hurry and failed to ascertain that whoever sold it to the sotre successfully palmed off a copy that they had spilled something irremovable on, so some of the tracks will not play. The ones I can play I really like, though.
while working on a project for my website.
Albums include these two:
(on Bandcamp):
Emil De Waal+ Gustaf Ljunggren and Søren Kjærgaard Feat. Elith "Nulle" Nykjær (self-titled)
-I'll be posting a recommendation on my site tomorrow, but, seriously, just go buy the thing. Easily would have made my Best of 2013 list had I encountered it sooner.
I have never listened to this album before. It was OK.
NP:
Anouar Brahem - "Souvenance"
-Friggin' beautiful. Quartet with Brahem's oud, a bass clarinet, a pianist, a bassist and an orchestra with sparing, tasteful contributions.
Jonah playing this a few days ago reminded me of it!
Really loving this that I picked off the TMT list; solo Japanese singer with simple instrumentation (alternates between guitar and keyboards), haunting and pretty and very nice. Available at emu. Recommended.
Two very good, very different, duo collaborations by Julian Lage last year
Celluloid - 1981
Bill Laswell (all): 4-, 6- + 8-string basses
Michael Beinhorn (all): synthesizers, tapes, radio, guitar, drums, voice
Sonny Sharrock: guitar (all exc. 7-9)
Fred Frith (1, 4, 5, 7): guitar, violin, vibes
Olu Dara (2, 3): cornet
Henry Threadgill (2, 6, 7): alto saxophone
George Lewis (1, 7, 8): trombone
Billy Bang (3, 6): violin
Fred Maher (all exc. 8+9): drums, percussion, guitar
Charles K. Noyes (1, 8): drums, bells, percussion
Rome Fortune - Small VVorld
Craig