"Lower Bottoms" - Matt Nelson

Released yesterday, Matt Nelson's first solo album delivers a far out investigation in sound and technique.  Nelson's curiosity and experimentation, coupled with a tremendous use of guitar effect pedals, treats our minds to a feast of noise, sound, and concepts

With electronic manipulation and a healthy dose of feedback the saxophone is delivered fresher than ever before.  Nelson showcases smooth, hypnotic moments intertwined with disjointed assaults.  Allowing us to peek into Nelson's expanding approach to his instrument.

Nelson's tonal range is on full display thanks to the production efforts of engineer Eli Crews.  With a nice system dynamic highs, warm mids, and boomy lows are all brought to light.  I'm not much of a low-end guy, but the moments that sound like my speakers are beneath the floorboards are some of my favorite parts.

... I can guarantee that no other 2014 release comes even close to Lower Bottoms.

Matt Nelson will be performing in Portland next Monday, 10/27, at the Habesha Lounge.  You can also catch him play in Battle Trance, an all saxophone quartet, on 11/02/14 at the Habesha Lounge.

2014 - Tubapede Records

New July Releases From OutNow Recordings

Gordon Beeferman Trio, 
Out In Here

This collection of improvised music places us into Beeferman's new piano trio outing. At times Out In Here possesses a physical dominance that's pulled from Cecil Taylor's early 60s work, and at other moments evolves into textural and fluid bits much like a Paul Bley piece. These strong structural landscapes are carried through the entire recording. Production-wise this CD is a dream. With a wide stereo image Out In Here comes off clear with tight pacing. 

• Gordon Beeferman - Piano
• James Ilgenfritz - Double Bass
• Michael Evans - Drums

Yoni Kretzmer / Pascal Niggenkemper / Weasel Walter, ProtestMusic

Right out of the gate, from the album title to the very first note, ProtestMusic elicits emotional, reactionary movements. If these two CDs were Abstract Expressionists, ProtestMusic would be Jackson Pollock while Out In Here would be Barnett Newman. 

ProtestMusic is raw and organic. Pulling from the stylings of Frank Lowe, Charles Gayle, and Pharaoh Sanders, Yoni Kretzmer's dense tenor playing appears front and center in this piano-less trio. With Kretzmer as the nervous system, Pascal Niggenkemper and Weasel Walter form a strong (and deformed) skeleton to complete this disjointed body.  

• Yoni Kretzmer - Tenor Saxophone
• Pascal Niggenkemper - Double Bass
• Weasel Walter - Drums

Charlie Haden; August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014

Charlie Haden redefined the role of a bassists.  His musical impact stretches beyond the boundaries of jazz, and the avant-garde.

I'll just leave you Ramblin'...

... And direct you to these great pieces.
Howard Mandel, Jazz Beyond Jazz
Fred Kaplan, Slate

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog Wowed PDX

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog pulled into Portland Tuesday night with one of the best sets I have seen in awhile. Ribot, along with Ches Smith (drums/electronics), and Shahzad Ismaily (bass/percussion/moog), displayed an amalgamation of genre bending sounds.  The trio's songbook flowed seamlessly from free improv, to punk, to math rock, to free-jazz(ish) in front of a packed house at the renowned Mississippi Studios. 











Even in unfamiliar territory, familiarity was found within a punk-fusion variation of Paul Desmond's Take 5; offering glossy licks and cool jazz scales over a turbulent free-punk mash.  Ribot switched gears by singing on a handful of numbers. His singer-songwriter persona brought a certain cynicism into the equation which was evident in songs like "Masters of the Internet."

Ceramic Dog's performance kept the crowd looking around the corner to see what was coming. Altogether a bitches brew containing Smith's melodic, mathy drumming, Ismaily's noisy, improvised base lines, and at the helm Ribot's thrashy, amplified guitar chops.
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You can check out Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog's latest studio album, Your Turn, at Northern Spy a Records.

PDX Show Announcement: Ceramic Dog with 1939 Ensemble

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog , a noise/avant-garde/free-punk outfit, will be playing at Mississippi Studios Tuesday night , 5/27/14.

Portland's ethereal vibe/drums duo, 1939 Ensemble, will be kicking things off at 8pm.

GIG INFO:
Ceramic Dog
05/27/14
Doors: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227

Tabor Space is the Place

Today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Sun Ra's arrival on the planet Terra...  Tomorrow Tabor Space is the place...

From the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble:
The PJCE celebrates Sun Ra with new pieces by George Colligan, Ken Ollis and Galen Clark.

6:30 — Meet the Composers, Appetizers and Silent Auction

7:30 — Concert

Tabor Space, 5441 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97215

$5-60 Sliding scale donation. (All donations above $10 are tax deductible.)



... Be there or be square.

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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

New York Is Now!

I'm just off off the heels of visiting friends & family in New York.  Lingering on our time spent there I've been dialed into Ornette's 1968 Blue Note masterpiece, New York Is Now!



Although I haven't posted about this album, I'm probably the most familiar with it from Coleman's large discography.  It's simple, well stated, and prominant in its presence.   Since this session is backed by Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison, a unique back drop is created for Coleman to work within.  

In typical Blue Note fashion this album swings, swings, and swings some more.  I love Jone's heavier use of the kick drum here.  It anchors the group with pops and flutters behind Coleman's melodic playing.  And Dewey Redman's presence is a welcomed contrast to Coleman's concepts.

New York Is Now! is a must listen for fans of Coleman, Coltrane's Classic Quartet, and post-bop.   It warrants re-listens, and appears to fit in the background of most situations.  

It's a small drop in Ornette's Large discography, and along with its sister release, Love Call, stands out from anything else he's released.

April Jazz in Oregon / Plus new things from Northern Spy Records

Couple of show announcements ...

Wednesday, 4/16, at Mississippi Studios you can catch the Chris Speed Trio, featuring Dave King of The Bad Plus and Chris Tordini, with the Blue Cranes also on the bill for the night.

Northern Spy recording duo, Jooklo Duo, will be hitting three locations throughout Oregon.  Thursday, 4/17, at Interzone in Corvallis, OR as part of their The Red Room: Improvised Music Series, along with two dates in Portland: Friday, 4/18 at Valentines, and Easter Sunday, 4/20, at Reed College.

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... Speaking of Northern Spy artists, I've been really into Locus by the Chicago Underground Duo.  This amalgamation of genres feels like a love child between The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Aphex Twin, and Thurston Moore. 

We hear processed sounds that are pulled from analog and digital sources, and derive anywhere between a synthesizer and a Game Boy. Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor take us on an adventurous sound experiment across the realms of music.  Heavily rhythmic within its melodies, Locus creates a sense of eagerness from one cut to another.  Each track is like a layer revealing a next step onward into uncharted territory.  Through every listen I find myself wanting to re-cue this record once the last note hits.

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April 19 is Record Store Day.  Northern Spy has an exciting lineup of RSD only releases.  So check in with your local haunt for some shiny new wax from J. Spaceman & Kid Millions, or a Deerhoof + Marc Ribot / Ceramic Dog split 7".

Cloud Becomes Your Hand - Portland Show Announcement

Off the heels of their new album, Rocks or Cakes, Brooklyn based band Cloud Becomes Your Hand will be performing at Valentine's in Old Town Portland.

Cloud Becomes Your Hand joins ambient themes along with well arranged electronics and harmonies. Staggering from Post Punk-esq noise, to whimsical melodies reminiscent of carnival or marching band music, to tracks that create an old school, spacey Sci-Fi feel.

About Northern Spy Records - Weather it be jazz, noise, prog, minimalist, electronic, etc., Northern Spy's portfolio stretches to the far edges of the avant-garde universe. Including the latest release from the Chicago Underground Duo, entitled Locus; dropping this week.

3/26/2014
Valentine’s
232 SW Ankeny
8PM
All Ages

Peter Brötzmann / Paal Nilssen-Love Duo Tonight in Portland

This show is one for the books and a must see for any experimental music fan.  Peter Brötzmann and Paal Nilssen-Love Duo will be performing tonight at the Secret Society thanks to Portland's Creative Music Guild.  There's isn't anything I can say about Brötzmann that hasn't already be said.  So this post is strictly to promote the event.  See you tonight.

Chicago Underground Quartet

 

I only recently discovered this album this year and it has been in regular rotation for me. I am only somewhat familiar with the musings of Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor's successful Chicago Underground Duo and Trio with Noel Kupersmith, but once I learned Tortoise guitarist, Jeff Parker, is a long time collaborator with Chicago Underground I was happy to stumble across this CD. 

Chicago Underground Quartet is a near flawless listen which is partially owed to its stylized production. With a nice amplifier and good set of speakers you're treated with lush low ends complimented by bright highs, and the warmth of acoustic meets electric happenings in between. This is particularly observed in Four in the Evening where a simple theme is tooled between Kupersmith's bass and Mazurek on cornet. It's a short spacey piece that leads right into my favorite track, A Re-occurring Dream. Another minimalist themed composition that highlights licks over a simple blues line. For me, I can't help but think of "Audrey's Dance" from Twin Peaks.

Those two slow paced tracks are the perfect setup for the fast tempoed, free-form movement, Welcome. Which begins with a burst of cymbal splashes and an intriguing guitar melody. The melody is repetitively emphasized here before the formation of the Quartet's improvisation skills kick in.  It may seem abrasive at times but everything is weighted nicely here.

Total Recovery mixes it up with a tight groove that offers a platform for Parker and Mazurek. It's the perfect piece before the next improve cut, Sing, Charge, Fixture. Where, different from Welcome, the spacing and silence is as much a part of the composition as the instruments being played. Nostalgia, the concluding track, sounds as if it would fit perfectly over an obscure Science Fiction movie with the galactic sounding moog. It's the perfect segue out the album's atmospheric setting. But even afterwards, there is a short Easter Egg for those who are patient enough.

The self-titled Chicago Underground Quartet is a strong album. I would imagine that anyone who is interested in the Chicago Underground Duo probably already owns it, but if you are fan of contemporary jazz and experimental music this is a must for your library. 

2001 - Thrill Jocky.
Noel Kupersmith - Bass; Rob Mazurek - Cornet, Electronics; Jeff Parker - Guitar; Chad Taylor - Percussion, Vibraphone.  

"... isn't it too dreamy?"

Creative Music Guild Outset Series

Last night the Creative Music Guild hosted their twice-monthly Outset Series at Revival Drum Shop.  Before the show it was announced that German, free-improv icon Peter Brötzmann will be playing Portland on November, 17.

Playing as a duo Joe Cunningham and Reed Wallsmith (of Blue Cranes, and Battle Hymns & Gardens) performed a set that contained an ocarina, utilized plastic wrappers as percussion pieces, and the bells of their saxophones placed together during their fiery conclusion (pictured above).  

Following Cunningham and Wallsmith was the project Ifsh by Ryan Steuwe of Eat.  Offering a droned-out, spontaneously combustible set of sounds and samples; his work felt as much analog as it did electronic.

ESP-Disk' Findings and Burton Green in Portland

Couple of recent vinyl purchases from Burton Greene and Gato Barbieri.  Both ESP-Disk' titles.  Each of them fierce in their own way.  Greene offering a physical enduring adventuring while Barbieri drives your spiritual sensations.  

I have had digital versions of both albums for years, but I love the opportunity to rediscover records on vinyl.  It's all about the surface noise.

Burton Greene visited Portland back in April for two live performances.  I caught one of them at the Camellia Lounge in NW Portland.  Greene is a legiy improver and seeing him at work was electrifying and immersive.  It's refreshing to see players like Burton Greene continue to push musical boundaries in person.

"Life In The Sugar Candle Mines" - Black Host

The new Northern Spy release from Black Host, Life In The Sugar Candle Mines, is textured and far out.  Cooper-Moore (piano, synthesizer), Brandon Seabrook (guitar), Darius Jones (alto sax), and Pascal Niggenkemper (bass) join drummer Gerald Cleaver here.  Much like Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers, leader Gerald Cleaver allows Black Host to act as catapult for the collective endeavor of his bandmates. Yet each individual identity from this quintet acts as their own appendage within this improvising ensemble.

Life In The Sugar Candle Mines is a collective romp that certainly stands out within Avant-Garde Jazz.  And each cut seems to be more exciting than the next.  The first two pieces, "Hover," and "Ayler Children" present a fierce momentum early on in the record, but later tracks such as "Test-Sunday," and "Wrestling" still anchor my attention with their building intensities.  While numbers such as "Citizen Rose" and "Amsterdam / Frames" offer spacey explorations reminiscent of prog/psychedelic and thrash rock.  I bet Thurston Moore listens to this album on repeat.

Still, there are melodic parts along with creative ensemble bits that inspire a conceptual motive here; much like succussful visual, abstract artists.  If you're into experimental music but are searching for the right diving off point for the Jazzier side then Life In The Sugar Candle Mines will hit the sweet spot.  With its forward-looking approach and strong roots in the NYC Avant-Garde scene experienced listeners have an album worth checking out as well. 

A Moonship Journey with Sun Ra

Yesterday was Sun Ra's birthday.  99 years ago he arrived on this minuscule rock in our universe.  And with his arrival Jazz was changed forever.  Sun Ra oozed creativity, diversity, and change during an era of Jazz that needed all of the above.  His discography is deep and eclectic offering a magnitude of atmospheric music for any mood. 

I like to think Carl Sagan listened to Sun Ra. [Image Source]

With the advent of his birthday, I am making an excuse to dive into his discog for a few days.  I have been listening to Sun Ra for years, and still only feel like I am at the surface of his enormous catalog.  But there's one album I continue to return to, Cosmos.  A mid 1970s recording issued on the Cobra label; I am reminded of Pharoah Sanders' Impulse cuts from the decade earlier.  Perfect ambient tones along with exciting ensemble sections.  

Solo and ensemble wise, the horn parts are immaculate here.  And the warm buzz of the low ends of electric bass amalgamates with Sun Ra's Rocksichord playing.  My favorite track is "Moonship Journey."  It starts off with a 45 second melodic solo by Mr. Ra before he kicks into a rhythmic groove setting a precident for the Arkestra as they begin chanting, "Prepare for the Moonship journey... Journey on the Moonship."  Which is exactly what you need to do for Cosmos.
1976 - Cobra.
Sun Ra - Keyboards [Rocksichord]; Danny Davis, Marshall Allen - Alto Saxophone, Flute; Danny Ray Thompson - Baritone Saxophone, Flute; Eloe Omoe - Bass Clarinet, Flute; Jac Jackson - Bassoon, Flute; Larry Bright - Drums; R. Anthony Bunn - Electric Bass; Vincent Chancey - French Horn; John Gilmore - Tenor Saxophone; Craig Harris - Trombone; Ahmed Abdullah - Trumpet.

Other This Shape of Jazz posts on Sun Ra here.
My friend Devan Cook wrote this feature from the April 2011 issue of Propeller.

PDX Jazz brings The Bad Plus to Portland this Sunday

The Bad Plus.  I started listening to The Bad Plus when I was 19.  Mainly because at the time I was into a lot of noise and math rock and these guys brought a new style of music to the table.  They have a rocky, angular vibe and I love their time signature changes and rhythms.  And their Rock covers?  Yes please.

Jazz has always been a about progression.  It's a syle that has developed a vast array of sub genres since the early 20th Century.  And The Bad Plus sheds new light on what Jazz is, how it can evolve, and how it can glance towards the future.  Much like the Pixies, when Ethan Iverson, Reid Anderson, and Dave King play in this formation, they create unique music that cannot be replicated elsewhere.  With both technique and composition, each of them bring an individuality to the table that amalgamates Jazz, Rock, Classical, and the Avant-Garde.

On the heels of their newest album, Made Possible, PDX Jazz is bringing The Bad Plus to the Mission Theater this Sunday with a 3pm set and a 7pm set.   If memory serves right, I believe the last time TBP came to Portland was 2009.  Making Sunday all the more special for fans.

More exciting Jazz performances for JazzApril!

Since it's #JazzApril I'm not sure this is intentional, or some sort of chaotic order is happening, but it's shaping up to be a stellar month for live Jazz in Portland, Ore.  I have already posted about these shows, but there's more...

Avant-Garde icon Burton Greene is playing two shows in Portland this week.  His US appearances are rare enough so it's an honor that he will be playing in town twice.  First show is tonight at the Camellia Lounge at 7pm, $7 to get in. He will also be at the Piano Fort in Sellwood this Friday at 8pm, $15.  The Piano Fort show is co-sponsored by PDX Jazz and The Creative Music Guild and is coupled with a film screening of Moldavian Blues: A film of Burton Greene.   Greene will be accompanied by one of Portland's leading jazz bassists, Andrew St. James, along with virtuosic drummer Tim DuRoche, and Seattle's Marc Smason on trombone.  Get to one these shows!

Speaking of Tim DuRoche, The Kin Trio (featuring Sunjae Lee and Andre St. James) will be having a CD release party this Saturday at Ford Food and Drink from 7-9pm.  This show is free, but you can give off good vibes by purchasing a CD to support the cause.  This release is part of an exciting series of Jazz albums by local players as part of the Portland Jazz Composers' Ensemble new record label.

"Omens & Talismans" - Farthest South

Farthest South is an electric/electronic group from Israel that focuses on individual and group improvisation.  "Omens & Talismans" brings jazz improviser Albert Beger into the recording studio as they bring us new, uncharted territory to conquer.

I can't help but think I am listening to a David Lynch soundtrack here.  In the opening cut, A Lesson Learned - Part I - Creating Transformation, a contrast of pulsating and ambient tones along with thrashing guitar licks and flowing cries of a tenor sax offer an intense listen.  A Lesson Learned - Part II - Lecture instantly grabs your attention with a hard hitting electric beat that still gives evidence to a non-existent narrative that I want to insert into this music.  

The second half of the record brings Concrete - Part I - Godshall and Concrete - Part II - Mantram.  Part I - Godshall is the most ambient and atmospheric song in this album.  An exploration that certainly highlights Beger's saxophone over dissonant and jagged electronics.  And even though there is a strong Eastern sensibility in this whole record, Part II - Mantram emphasizes this even more creating a reasonable exit to the suite.

You can listen to "Omens & Talismans" on their Bandcamp page, where it is also available for digital download.
2013 - Fairsouth West Records.
Yair Etziony - electronics, bass; Barry Berko - guitar; Yair Yona - bass guitar, effects; Alber beger - saxophone. 

PDX Jazz delivers with Spring Programming

On the heels of the 2013 Portland Jazz Festival, PDX Jazz has been putting together an eclectic schedule of concerts for this spring.  Here are a few dates to note:

The Instant Composers Pool Orchestra presented by The Creative Music Guild.
April 5, 8pm at Redeemer Lutheran Church. 

The Bad Plus 
April 28, two shows at 3pm and 7pm at The Mission Theater. 

Classic Coltrane: 1964-65. The Azar Lawrence Quintet featuring Devin Phillips with George Colligan, Alan Jones and Eric Gruber
May 30 and May 31 at Jimmy Maks.

Three great shows.  Unfortunately I can't make it The Instant Composers Pool Orchestra, but I would imagine it will be a memorable night of avant-garde music.  The Bad Plus continues to astound me with some of the most innovative music in modern days.  Their live shows are among the best one can see.  And I am fan of local icon Devin Phillips, and he has the chops to play Coltrane's music.  The Azar Lawrence Quintet will be a promising night of intimate Jazz.

More on The Bad Plus as we get closer to that show...

Happy Birthday Cecil Taylor

Another March birthday for an Avant-Garde legend.  Cecil Taylor turned 84 today.

I remember the moment when I first heard Taylor. I was listening to Jazz Advance on Blue Note Records. It has been a rollercoaster of awesome ever since.  

What's invigorating about Taylor's work is that he'll never break from his concepts.  During an era when so many musicians in the scene started to move towards more commercial aesthetics, Taylor would rather wash dishes than de-evolve his music.  It was this uncompromising mentality that has paid off for listeners.


One of my favorite Cecil Taylor albums is Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly!.  Put out by the German label MPS in 1980, samples of this record are hard to come by on the internet.  But a few cuts from this solo release do exist on Youtube (and here, and here).  


Alternatively, I am leaving you with a solo piece that works in the same vein.  This  excerpt hails from Ron Mann's 1981 documentary "Imagine the Sound."