Mothers

Today is a celebration of Mothers.  Here is Albert Aylers spiritual hymn acting as  tribute. Happy Mothers' Day.
1964 - Freedom Label
Albert Ayler -tenor saxophone; Don Cherry - trumpet; Gary Peacock - bass; Sunny Murray - drums.

"Streets" - Charles Gayle Trio

Northern Spy continues to release boundless music with the recent drop of Streets by The Charles Gayles Trio. Consisting of himself on tenor, Michael TA Thompson on drums, and Larry Roland on double bass, this session is spiritual as it is heavy hitting.  A blast of supersonic sounds for one full hour, out of the gate it is one of the best jazz releases yet for 2012. 

The title alone draws attention to Gayle's own history from his homeless days. "Streets" is also an alter ego Gayle portrays which exhibits him in clown ensemble. 

photo by Geert Vandepoele

Like much of Gayle's music, Streets pays homage to religion and God. For example, the track "Glory & Jesus." A tune that has a ton of augmented and contrasting rhythm, Gayle solos here for nearly six minutes. For the title cut, we hear Gayle create notes that appear longer, and a little bit more slurred. Perhaps this is "Streets" creating a dialogue with us.  I don't know... Is that a cheesy thought?

Streets is a seriously good listen.  With much replay value, ultimately listeners can expect a complete improvised performance from play head to finish.  This album looks back as much as it looks forward, and Streets is clear evidence that Charles Gayle is still a prime player on the scene.   It's refreshing to hear an album that sounds like it could fit perfectly into the Avant-Garde of the 1960s, while still sounding unique and original today.

OutNow Recordings creates a great first impression.

Calling Brooklyn its home, OutNow Recordings is producing some seriously good avant-garde music by a solid crew of Jewish musicians. Jewish tradition, and even Klezmer music, has always had a strong influence on Jazz. In fact, the 2011 Portland Jazz Festival presented this connection as its theme. I must admit, beside's musicians like John Zorn and Perry Robinson, it is a part of Jazz that I am not overly familiar with. But luckily with Spotify it isn't too difficult to get exposed.

OutNow Recordings is the muses of Yoni Kretzmer, Yair Yona, and Ido Bukelman. Out of the initial six releases from this crew they maintain the Jazz medium while straying off with world music and even rock influences. I am particularly hip to Yoni Kretzmer's group Tel Aviv with their album Overlook. Employing many riffs and jaunting rhythms that remind me of the noise rock I used to enjoy in my youthful days (and still do), the drums swing, the the deep tones of the tenor sax and bass clarinet moan with intensity, and the rhythm is constantly flowing. There are faster tempoed pieces alongside ballads that turn into colorful expressions.

Ido Bukelman's Cracked Song pulls from many influences. I can't help but think of Joe Morris and Michael Gregory Jackson. The music is quite textured and overall an interesting listen. There are different stylings through each track with a mixture of acoustic and electric pieces. Bukelman also has a release entitled Solo, which is what it implies. Primarily acoustic, Bukelman creates the same obscure music with unique and interested tones not typically heard on a Martin guitar.

In their fist studio session, Electric Free Trio (EFT) features Ido Bukelman again with the inclusion of Daniel Davidovsky (electrics) and Ofer Bymel (drums). Pulling from free jazz and rock, this improvising trio really showcases the power of in-the-moment creation.

On the album East of Jaffa, Ehran Elisha (drums), Harold Rubin (clarinet), and Haim Elisha (piano) join forces for a session of improvised music. Father and son duo, Haim and Ehran Elisha, work with clarinetist Harold Rubin to create a unique sound. With the lack of a bassist and classical influenced piano playing, William Parker's Clarinet Trio seems like the opposite spectrum to this clarinet trio. Quite melodic and containing Eastern influences, patience is required by those listening who are then rewarded with a rich listening experience.

Ehran Elisha returns with a duo recording alongside Roy Campbell on trumpets, flute, and percussion. A dynamic and complex record, Watching Cartoons With Eddie is a real treat to listen to. These are players that can cook, react to each other, and show their venerated statuses at the same time. The album pays tribute to Jazz masters of history's past. With titles like "For BD" (Bill Dixon) and "The Dizzy Roach", even the title track is homage to Ed Blackwell. Which contains trumpet playing reminiscent of Don Cherry and a generous drum solo by Elisha.

This is forward looking, contemporary Jazz. A testament to improvised music, and proof that neither Jazz, nor Avant-Garde Jazz are dead. Be sure to stay up on OutNow Recordings as they have much more in the works. An Albert Beger release is slated for next month. Follow their Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr accounts for updates.

Happy 82nd Birthday Ornette!

Currently grooving to Free Jazz (first take) on WKCR. It's a beautiful day in Portland and perfect for opening all the windows and zoning out to Eric Dolphy's solo.
Tune-in for the collective experience.

I sometimes blog on my iPad using BlogPress. If you see the below signature attached to any post, it pretty much means I'm trying to justify any typos, weird capitalization, or awkward formatting issues.

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Tune-In to WKCR for their annual 24 hour Ornette Coleman Broadcast

My birthday is tomorrow. Which is then followed by Ornette Coleman's birthday on March 9th. As a birthday gift for myself each year I zone out and listen to Columbia University's WKCR all day long on the 9th.

As they do each year, they will broadcast 24 hours of Ornette Colemen to honor his big day. Typically they start playing in chronological order with rarer recordings mixed in as well. It leads to a wildly, mentally productive day.

BH&G @ The Blue Monk Tonight

I have neglected this blog for too long and plan to jump right back in. I have some reviews in the works that I hope to get up sooner than later. I have been doing too much listening and not enough jotting my thoughts down.

In the meantime, and unfortunately with late notice, I am happy to announce that Portland's leading improvising Jazz group, Better Homes and Gardens, is returning to The Blue Monk this evening as part of Ninkasi Presents Sunday Night Jazz series. The romping begins at 8pm.

Take note that moving forward Better Homes and Gardens will known as Battle Hymns and Gardens (as announced by drummer Tim DuRoche). I am excited that a new website and upcoming CD is in the works too.

Church Going Music

Happy Lazy Sunday.

One of my favorite Coltrane compositions. Eric Dolphy's bass clarinet moans like a sad bird. Coltrane dominates the chord changes with ease.

They Say They Come In Threes

I am late to the game here but I just wanted to post some words on the passing of Sam Rivers along with visual artists John Chamberlain and Helen Frankenthaler. If you follow Howard Mandel's Jazz Beyond Jazz blog then you probably noticed all of the great content on Sam Rivers he's posted in memoriam (and here).

I have always admired Sam Rivers. He was adaptable as he was individual. Most notable for me was his work on Dave Holland's Conference of the Birds, and his own Impulse release Sizzle. But also his incredible, forward looking records on Blue Note. Particularly notable was Fuchsia Swing Song, which is discussed by Ethan Iverson here.

John Chamberlain and Helen Frankenthaler were both artists in the Abstract Expressionist vein. Post war creatives that were part of the scene that brought Modernism to its apex. I had the great pleasure of spending hours upon hours with Chamberlain's work when I was employed at Dia:Beacon, an intensely large contemporary art space devoted to large scale, conceptual, pop, earth, minimalist Art and beyond.

Chamberlain took the aesthetics of Pollock or De Kooning and gave them substance as three dimensional objects using repurposed metals as his medium. Frankenthaler, an artist I must admit don't know as much about, focused on color field arrangements using organic shapes and elements in her canvas paintings.

Sam Rivers, John Chamberlain ,and Helen Frankenthaler were great individuals among individuals. In a world that ultimately seems more and more collective in the creative realm these three have left an invaluable impact on sculpture, painting, and sound.

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Photo Credits: Photo of Sam Rivers by Francis Wolff / John Chamberlain's The Line Up / Helen Frankenthaler's Southern Exposure.

Helen Frankenthaler on Artsy.

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Happy New Year. I'll be writing about some new music coming out of Brooklyn at the start of 2012.

Holiday Cheer for Geeky Jazz Enthusiasts

I thought I'd return with another gift guide intended to those looking to score points as gift givers. If that special Jazz fan in your life is like me, most likely they are super picky. Take a look at 2010's Gift Guide; and here are my 2011 recommendations:

1. The Jazz Experience
I'm fortunate to have an older brother that's into giving experiences rather than material items. This worked out because it often involved live performances. Get tickets to a big headliner strolling through your area, or maybe a night at a local jazz club accompanied by a stellar meal and sociable libations. Not to mention the Portland Jazz Festival is just around the corner for those in the Portland area.

2. Better Headphones
More and more we're enjoying our music on the go. Good headwear is key for grooving to those remastered albums. Siege Audio, Urbanears, and Dre ($$). Check out this Frog Design FrogMob to see what more folks are into.

3. Destination: Out MP3 Store
Had this on my list last year and the D:O store is awesome enough to repeat. These super limited and unique FMP releases are absolute treasures.

4. Sony Music's PopMarket.com Complete Album Collections
Let's face it, if they're into Jazz they're most likely a completist. Record collecting is like Pokemon, you have to have them all. Now available are complete album collections from Columbia and RCA Records spanning from the 1950s to the past decade. From Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, and Wayne Shorter to Nina Simone, Return to Forever, and Stan Getz. A little something for everyone.

5. Spotify Premium Membership

Spotify is insanely awesome. A premium subscription gives ad-free, high quality, online and offline listening. I've been obsessively digging through many of the rarer Avant-Garde Jazz albums available.

6. Books on Jazz

Here are a few that would be at the top of my list: George Lewis' A Power Stronger Than Itself, Valerie Wilmer's As Serious As Your Life, Fred Kaplan's 1959: The Year That Changed Everything, and Howard Mandel's Miles, Ornette, Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz. For a nice survey on Jazz I would recommend Gary Giddin's Visions of Jazz.

That's about all I have for now. Anything else I think of I'll add to the list. Be sure to have a killer Holiday Season!

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I sometimes blog on my iPad using BlogPress. If you see the below signature attached to any post, it pretty much means I'm trying to justify any typos, weird capitalization, or awkward formatting issues.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Perry Robinson in Portland

Last night we witnessed the live chops of clarinet great, Perry Robinson. One of my favorite albums I own is William Parker's Clarinet Trio which features Robinson on their release entitled Bob's Pink Cadillac. Along with a solid discography as a leader, Perry Robinson has contributed to many significant recordings as a sideman; Henry Grimes The Call (an album I always tend to leave a copy in my car), Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, Archie Shepp's Mama Too Tight, Burton Greenes' Klezmokum band, among other notable recordings.

See a detailed list here.

Perry Robinson was presented in a quartet alongside Portland's premier Avant-Garde drummer Tim DuRoche, stellar bassist Andre St. James, and Seattle's Marc Smason on trombone. We were tucked down in the cozy basement of The Blue Monk. A Jazz club with a speakeasy feel, it's one of the only places in town one can sip a Trappist Ales and tap their feet to some of the best live Jazz around. It's truly an authentic Jazz experience with candlelit round tables and small booth seating offering an intimate climate between musicians and audience. The Blue Monk's Ninkasi Presents Sunday Night Jazz even has a hostess MC, Mary-Sue Tobin, that reminded me of Alfred Lion's wife, Ruth Mason, from her introduction on Donald Byrd's Live at the Half Note.

The piano-less quartet (everyone knows my favorite form of Jazz group) offered a range of Klezmer inspired Jazz tunes to numbers that were amoebic and free in nature. Music that resembled the intricate horn work of Anthony Braxton's compositions, or the artfully crafted work of Roswell Rudd (New York Art Quartet springs to mind). It was some of the best live music I have seen all year. Robinson's tone was out of this world. He seemed in the moment yet he had full control of his clarinet. Andre St. James was powerful on bass, with amazing arco playing alongside a duo performance with Tim DuRoche. Marc Smason appeared to lead the group, directing how each number was arranged.

I feel honored to not only been able to see Perry Robinson perform live, but to see him in such a low key environment. I'm constantly reminded that #jazzlives.

Perry Robinson with Henry Grimes (bass) and Tom Price (drums)