The Abyssinians: Satta Massagana

This 1993 release, with a quartet of extra tracks, of the 1976 roots reggae classic is probably best known for the title track, which is one of the all-time great songs in the genre.  But this album is full of excellent tunes emphasizing the harmonies of the brothers Donald and Lynford Manning and Bernard Collins and such legendary musicians as the rhythm masters, drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare, along with "Horsemouth" Wallace, another great drummer, guitarists Mikey Chung and "Chinna" Smith. Chung's brother Geoffrey on keyboards and Tyrone Downie on that instrument, among others.

The combination of strong material, all of the pieces written by individual members of the trio except "Satta Massagana," which credits all of them, great playing and the singing of The Abyssinians make Satta Massagana an excellent album all the way through.  To this listener, there isn't a weak tune in the original ten tracks and the four additions to the original CD version, released on Heartbeat Records, are stellar, as well.

The CD was purchased when the edition first came out and it quickly became a favorite, even if The Abyssinians released just one follow-up record and then split up, though there was a reunion some two decades later, and they were not nearly as well-known broadly as Bob Marley and The Wailers, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear, Culture and other famous roots reggae names.  "Satta Massagana" has been covered countless times and "Declaration of Rights" has also been remade many times.

Donald Manning is quoted extensively in the liner notes about the group's early days and struggles, including bootlegged versions of recordings, losing out on financial rewards and other aspects that are all too familiar.  He did say, though that "everywhere we go people tell us that they never see any other group like we" and that "we are unique doing our thing."  Ruefully, he added, "if we were constant what would really have gone down" because "no one could stop us."  With Satta Massagana, there was nothing to stop The Abyssinians from making one of the all-time greatest of reggae records.

Carlos Hernández Chávez and Los Trovadores: Songs of México (I)

This 1994 JVC World Sounds release has the note on the back tray that "this disc is perfect for novice Mexican music listeners" and that certainly applies to this one.  The trio of principal vocalist Carlos Hernández Chávez, who was a founder of Los Trovadores in 1947 and died in November 2024, second vocalist Jesús de la Rosa, who joined in 1976, and third vocalist Luis Miranda, who became part of the group two years before that, are excellent musicians and made a remarkable record.

There are a few pieces with which we novices are generally familiar, including "Cielito Lindo," "La Malagueña," and "Besame Mucho," but the album is filled with great songs like "La Zandunga," "La Bikina," "Perfidia," the humorous "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás," and the combination of "El Reloj" and "Amor."  It isn't just the great solo singing and harmonizing, but the acoustic guitar work is also excellent, beyond the very high quality of the songwriting.

The liner notes remark that "although the genre of the Mexican vocal trio enjoyed great popularity outside Mexico during the 1950s and 60s," but with rock becoming very popular, "it somewhat disappeared."  Yet, it continued, "although these songs retreated into the background, there has never been any danger that such a vocal tradition nurtured over many long years would ever disappear."  

Let us hope so, especially as in current circumstances with so much dehumanization of immigrants, a great many of them Mexican, taking place, because there is so much to admire and enjoy about Mexican culture, including its musical history and traditions.  This first edition of the Songs of México may have been geared toward novices like this blogger, but it is also a potent reminder of the beauty and quality of this genre of the vocal trio.

Muhal Richard Abrams: Levels and Degrees of Light

The music coming out of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) from the mid-1960s and onward was nothing short of spectacular.  While the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Anthony Braxton and Henry Threadgill might be some of the more recognizable names of those who emerged from the AACM's big tent of creativity, no one was more vital to the Association's existence and success than co-founder and pianist/composer Muhal Richard Abrams (1930-2017.)

The Chicago native had many creative interests, including the visual arts, while his musical imagination embraced not just jazz, but modern classical, including electronic music, but he was largely self-taught, finding traditional academic study not fulfilling enough.  In June and December 1967, not long after the establishment of the AACM, Abrams recorded his first album, Levels and Degrees of Light, released on the local independent Delmark label, which issued landmarks from by future Art Ensemble members Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell.

In the liners, Abrams was hesitant to explain the music, offering only that "I think the musicians involved tried to join their thoughts to mine" and the collaboration was "a kind of prayer" in which the session was "the capturing of a moment in that constant prayer."  He then obliquely stated that "what is here is what we are and what we hope to be."  To this listener, the title seems to indicate the varying shades of sound on the recording, involving quiet, contemplative passages, those building up to an incredible level of intensity, the voices of classically-trained singer Penelope Taylor and poet David Moore, and the timbres from the instrumentation.

This includes the leader on clarinet and piano; Braxton's alto; the tenor of Maurice McIntyre; Leroy Jenkins on violin; Gordon Emanuel's vibes; Charles Clark and Leonard Jones on bass; and drummer Thurman Barker.  It does sound as if everyone was totally in tune with Abrams' compositions and aesthetics.  "The Bird Song" is an astounding piece, evoking a sort of environmental calmness at the outset, including bird-like sounds, but including a stunning mass of roaring, rumbling and coruscating ensemble work towards its end.  The title track and "My Thoughts Are My Future—Now and Forever" are, however, also very compelling and reflective of the composer's remarkable range of ideas.

Muhal Richard Abrams was not nearly recorded enough, compared to the musicians and groups mentioned above, but he is a pivotal figure in the development of jazz and Black creative music for roughly a half century and future posts will highlight more of this master's work.

Joan Tower: Chamber and Solo Works

This recording, another excellent release by Composers Recordings Incorporated (CRI), which existed for about a half century from 1954 to 2003 to promote the work of modern classical music composers, is a great compendium of the work of Joan Tower (b. 1938), who is still with us and whose most recent performed piece was from about five years ago.

The album includes eight recordings spanning almost a decade from 1972 to 1981 and featuring the Da Capo Chamber Players, which the composer/pianist helped form in 1969 and which is still active, and the sextet Collage, as well as three soloists from the ensembles, clarinetist Laura Flax, violinist Joel Smirnoff and flautist Patricia Spencer, this latter still with Da Capo.  Tower performs with Da Capo on three pieces, "Amazon" and the two "Breakfast Rhythms."

Tower wrote in the liners that she was inspired by Stravinsky's ballet Petroushka and captivated by paired figure skating for "Petroushskates" and she noted that "the figure skating pairs became a whole company o skaters," or musicians, for what she calls "a sort of musical carnival on ice."  For "Wings," the composer envisioned a falcon soaring high in the sky without much movement before "the bird goes into elaborate flight patterns that loop around, diving downwards, gaining tremendous speeds."

The composer spent part of her childhood in Bolivia and credits her learning of that nation's music and playing percussion there for much of her approach to rhythm.  For "Amazon," the great South American river, with its "consistent background flow" and change in width and speed is reflected in the variations of the work, of which there is an orchestra version II.  "Platinum Spirals" is dedicated to her father, who as a  geologist and mineral engineer and the piece draws on platinum's flexibility and malleability in its score for the violin.

The instrumentation in "Breakfast Rhythms" and "Noon Dance" are the same and the second follows the other, with the second a comment on the ties between dance and chamber music, especially in following and leading.  The first was motivated by Beethoven's approach to contrasts in rhythm and texture, with an emphasis on patterns of pitch in the harmonies and melodies, as well as a focus on how the clarinet's "lyrical passages . . . lend at-home and away-from-home feelings."

Spencer's flute is spotlighted in "Hexachords," the title referring to the harmonic components of "a six-note unordered chromatic collection of pitches" where vibrato and rhythm in different registers "creates a counterpoint of tunes" to hold the listener's attention through five sections that Tower says "are most easily differentiated by a sense of either going nowhere or staying somewhere."  

The complexity of Tower's writing is both modern and, as another part of the notes suggest, still has "an accessible, tangible quality."  This listener is hardly well-tutored on the finer points of music, but it seems that the way she develops and works with harmony and rhythm and especially how she uses color with the instruments in the ensemble amply provides this quality.  This is compelling and immersive music that never fails to hold the attention and is beautifully played and well-recorded.

Bruce Springsteen: Nebraska

This album was purchased new after its late September 1982 release and for a 17-year old who'd heard familiar Springsteen songs like "Hungry Heart," "Born to Run," and a raft of other popular songs on the radio, the experience of listening to this lo-fi and reflective recording was truly a bracing experience, especially after the follow-up, Born in the U.S.A., rocketed to massive sales in 1984.

Those were the only two Springsteen albums in the collection until recently when The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, Born to Run and The River were acquired and a new appreciation for his music garnered.  Still, there's something distinctive about Nebraska that still makes it a favorite more than four decades later.  Simply put, it's the raw emotion and directness of the music and lyrics that reaches this blogger in a way his other recordings, great as they are, do not.  Moreover, it stood out amid the music that was produced during that period, when synthesizers and drum machines rose to prominence and Springsteen and his acoustic guitar were a total contrast.

It's hard to choose particular tunes as stand-outs because Nebraska feels like a unified suite of songs or something of a song cycle, though it certainly was not designed that way.  The title track is about a pair of teen serial killers and is haunting and unforgettable, while "Atlantic City" tells of a desperate man inviting his girlfriend to join him in the resort town (where the President lost a bundle in a failed casino project) as he contemplates working for the mob.  "Highway Patrolman" is a compelling tale of an officer who allows his troubled brother to escape after he chases him following another committed crime.

"My Father's House" is about a failed attempt at reconciliation between a father and son and, while dour, is very affecting and "Reason to Believe" ends the record with some glimmers of hope.  It bears remembering that American was in a long period of economic recession, even as Ronald Reagan's election two years prior was a conservative promise to renew the nation's financial prosperity.  Additionally, the fact that Springsteen recorded this on a basic four-track recorder in his bedroom had a profound influence on other musicians, even as he archived electric E Street Band renditions.

Nebraska was a bold statement, a gutsy move from a major rock star and, more importantly, an impressive artistic achievement.  Born in the U.S.A. is a great album and propelled Springsteen to the highest echelons of the music world and some of the songs were kin of its predecessor, but, for this listener, Nebraska is a more compelling recording, revealing, intensely immersive and quietly, but insistently penetrating and powerful.  In these times, it also seems very relevant and especially meaningful.

Iraq: The Maqams of Baghdad

Here is another stellar recording in the series issued by Ocora, the label of Radio France, featuring amazing music from around the world.  Recorded in the Iraqi capital and ancient city of immense historical importance in 1972, The Maqams of Baghdad, runs not too far over 50 minutes and features three compositions in this traditional style, including the Husseini, Hleilawi and Seigah, with the first and last lasting just over 20 minutes each and the middle about half that length.

The hypnotic performances by vocalist Yusuf Omar and the Al Tchaighi Al Baghdadi ensemble, including Abdallah Ali on the santur, Sha-ubi Ibrahim and Hassan Ali on djoze, Abdul Razzak Madjid on tabla, Kan'an Mohamed Salih and Dia' Mahmoud Ahmad on deff are just spectacular.  Important with any recordings of music from other lands, the liner notes by Professor Scheherazade Qassim Hassan, who taught at the University of Baghdad from 1967-1982, established that city's Center for Traditional Music, and later taught in London, Paris and Prague written nearly a quarter century later, are very information and enlightening.

Dr. Hassan wrote that the maqam vocal tradition likely dates back to as far back as the 8th century and, with deep connections to other parts of the Islamic world, given Baghdad's central location, necessarily evolved.  She added, as is the case throughout the world, that intensive modernization and Westernization, not to mention economic, political and social conflict, led to a dramatic loss of performers and a simplification of the form.  Moreover, she emphasized the fact that the maqam in Iraq, of which there were some 50 examples, was differentiated from the maqam of other Arab countries in that it specifically concerned vocalization.

These three pieces are remarkable and indicative of what often happens to the traditional music of countries around the world when conditions change dramatically.  In Iraq, Saddam Hussein took control of the nation seven years after his recording and the terrible war with Iran followed, during which Professor Hassan left for Europe.  Hussein's ouster by the United States in the Second Gulf War involved more turmoil in the nation and Middle Eastern politics is, of course, incredibly turbulent and dangerous currently.  This recording, however, is a reminder of the amazing musical history of this ancient society and its culture.

John Coltrane: Live in Japan

In July 1966, a year before his far-too-early death at age 40, John Coltrane and his quintet toured Japan amid a period of American turmoil.  The escalation of the Vietnam War, riots at Watts in Los Angeles the prior summer, the assassination of Malcolm X earlier in 1965, and the much else marked the period.  In jazz, a tumult was at hand, as well, as so-called "free" jazz arose to the consternation of critics and the horror of traditionalists, while the rise of rock, soul and R&B music were of great concern, as well.

For John Coltrane, who released his masterpiece, A Love Supreme, at the dawn of 1965 and who was one of the most popular jazz musician of his era, his relentless search for expression led him to move further away from more standard forms of harmony, rhythm and melody.  Later that year, he recorded the astounding Ascension, which confounded many fans, as well as critics, but which is a powerful testament to his current musical calling and evocative of Ornette Coleman's large-ensemble masterwork, Free Jazz, from five years earlier.

Towards the end of the year, Coltrane recorded Meditations, which may be seen as an extension of A Love Supreme, but in a far more intense, open and relentlessly searching manner, with the softer "Love" and "Serenity" contrasted with such searing performances as the awesome "The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost" and the excoriating "Consequences."  1965 was also the year when his famed Classic Quartet with pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones and bassist Jimmy Garrison was pushed to its limits and then dissolved.

Jones was the first to go, unable to accept the changes that affected his inimitable style, while Tyner was increasingly concerned, as well, about his place and departed not long after.  Garrison remained as the solid grounding force of what was expanding mightily in sound, thanks to the continued presence of Pharoah Sanders and his shrieking and keening saxophone playing juxtaposed to the leader's performances and the additions of Coltrane's wife, Alice, and her stunning exploratory piano work, very different from that of Tyner, and drummer Rashied Ali, whose work fit in extremely well with the new direction.

Recorded at a pair of Tokyo dates on 11 and 22 July, the four-disc Live in Japan  (only one disc of which was previously released in 1973 as a double LP) tests the limits of the listener on every level.  First, the shortest of the half-dozen pieces on three discs is 25 minutes with the longest approaching an hour.  Those used to hearing symphonies or Indian ragas, for example, may have no issue with this at all, but it is more the sonic openness and freedom that is, perhaps, the greater challenge.  As noted above, typical ideas of melodic expression, rhythmic underpinnings and harmony among the ensemble are deconstructed and refashioned.

The sheer intensity and power of these performances can be overwhelming, even though there are moments of calm and reflection, and coruscating solos, filled with microphonics and overtones, by Coltrane and Sanders are countered by the expansive, shimmering and swirling solos of Alice Coltrane.  Garrison, as always, holds down the bottom with precision and power and, for those who take the time to list, solos to open "Crescent" with innovation and invention.  Ali's endurance is truly remarkable as he makes incredible use of his kit through these lengthy and dense pieces and his solo on "Leo" is awesome.

The two versions of "Peace on Earth" are the most ballad-like and especially powerful given the war in Vietnam and the fact that it was just two decades after America's atomic bomb attacks on Japan.  "Leo" is especially intense and any expectation (as with 1966's Live at the Village Vanguard Again) that the signature "My Favorite Things" will be anything like the hit 1960 recorded version is soon dashed by the complete reworking of the standard.

This was purchased new in 1991 and memories are very clear of sitting on an apartment balcony and taking this in through several dedicated listening sessions.  Coltrane was a near-obsession, starting the prior year with, of course, the My Favorite Things record but including his freer work, and Live in Japan is perhaps the most daunting listening experience on multiple levels, but highly rewarding at the end of some four hours of among the most intense and immersive music out there (and "out there" is meant literally!)

Henryk Górecki: Miserere

Miserere means "have mercy" and, in these particularly troubled times of war, sectional strife, deportations, political assassinations, searing heatwaves as our planet warms, and much else, this recording of Henryk Górecki's choral masterpiece of that name seems particularly timely.  The work was composed nearly 45 years ago in response to a militia's violence against a Polish union during the Solidarity movement that began in 1980 and helped lead to the transfer of power from the Soviet-backed Communist government there nine years later.

As the liner notes observe, Górecki usually avoided political and social commentary in his work, but he quickly wrote the piece with a simple five-word text: "Lord our God, have mercy on us."  Because of conditions in Poland, the work was not performed until 1987.  It is also noted that the "architectural procedure" of "Miserere" is "very close to the canon at the beginning of [his] Third Symphony," which  was first performed in 1977 and became a worldwide sensation fifteen years later when Elektra Nonesuch, which issued this recording, released a version that sold more than a million copies.

This blogger attended a live performance of the Third Symphony at the Hollywood Bowl in 1993 and it was a powerful experience.  This would almost certainly be the same for "Miserere," which the notes state "demands concentration and thoughtful consideration" because it "is a heartfelt plea for peace and understanding from a composer who believes in the values of personal individuality and compassionate responsibility."

There are three other choral pieces on this 1994 recording, including Górecki's first unaccompanied choral work, "Euntes ibant et flebantm" with quotations from Psalms; "Wislo Moda, Wislo Szara," which is about the great Vistula River; and "Szeroka woda," also based on well-known Polish folk songs.  These flow naturally with "Miserere" in terms of the composer's fondness for slower tempos, modal approaches and deep interest in textures that included sustained notes.  The Chicago Symphony and Chicago Lyric Opera choruses and, for the Vistula work, the Lira Chamber Chorus, perform with great beauty and sensitivity and this recording has been playing a lot these days as more compassion and mercy are badly needed, for people and for our planet.

Brian Eno: Ambient 1/Music for Airports

A prior post here covered the amazing first collaboration by Robert Fripp and Brian Eno, 1972's (No Pussyfooting) and, at some point, we'll have to delve into the remarkable Evening Star from 1975, as well.  As for Eno's solo work, however, that has only recently been explored and it's really too bad that it's taken so long.

Ambient 1/Music for Airports, released in 1978 on Editions EG, is an astounding recording and one that has an eternal feel to it and, to this listener, does not sound as if it is almost a half-century old.  What's notable is that, as Eno did with Fripp on the aforementioned albums and then on his own Discreet Music, also from 1975, he utilized tape looping of notes that either came in small clusters of three or four or of sustained tones with the timing based on the length of tape used.  These variations allowed for the establishment of new patterns or development of sounds.

The first piece "1/1" features Soft Machine's Robert Wyatt playing a piano, while "2/1" and "1/2" incorporate the voices of Christa Fast, Christine Gomez and Inge Zeininger singing one sustained note for ten seconds and then these looped, with piano utilized again in the latter piece.  Eno once stated, "I just set all of these loops running and let them configure in which ever way they wanted to, and in fact the result is very nice."  That it is and the feeling is of immersion in the sound world created.

Not unlike Anthony Braxton, Eno, who, though, does not read music, developed a graphic score for each piece, reproduced on the cover.   Each, however, represents the compositional approach of the phrasing and looping undertaken.  Employing the strategy recommended by Donald Ayler, whose brother, Albert, was a powerful force in free jazz, especially in the last half of the 1960s, to follow the sound, not the notes, letting this music be an experience.

Eno, in fact, was inspired by sitting in an architecturally compelling airport in Cologne, Germany, but was struck by the piped-in music being incompatible, in his view, with the surroundings.  This was his concept for how such a musical environment could be developed and introduced, though he also said in an interview that the idea that a traveler could end up in a fatal plane crash was a major part of this thinking.  As relaxing and enveloping as this music is, that is certainly not the impression left for this listener!

Madagascar: Pays Antanosy Sarandra

Madagascar, an island off the southeastern portion of Africa (and probably only known to most Americans because of the 2005 film of the name) is more culturally related to the Indonesian archipelago a few thousand miles east across the Indian Ocean though it is also deeply tied to France because of the colonial control asserted by that European power for about six decades until independence came in 1960 and also has strong religious affiliations with Islam.

The Malagasy people include the Antanosy, who largely occupy the southastern end of the island, and this recording from the great Ocora label focuses on sarandra, a genre of singing that the liner notes compares to the performances of Andalusian flamenco vocalists in northern Spain.  Moreover, it is said that the genre "really comes into its own when performed at funeral wakes" as "this music plays the role of memory" and involves "a sort of emotional commentary on the deceased" and relationships with the living and ancestors.  The singing is also described as blues-like and employs many notes to a syllable in the lyrics and it is telling that "the Antanosy say they love musical expression because it makes them cry."

Instruments include the sosoly, a type of flute broadly called the sodina, and is related to the ney used extensive in Arabic music; the kabosa, or lute, and which also came from the Arab and Persian migrations of long ago and another word used is mandaly, akin to mandolin; the langoro, or membranophone, which is a two-skin cylinder-shaped drum hit with a pair of sticks; and, occasionally, the atrañatra, a xylophone played only by women and situated on their legs, jejo bory, or short lute, and the lokanga, or fiddle, though these have been falling out of favor.

A little more than half the tracks, the first 11, were recorded in Paris in 2006, while the remaining nine were captured in various locations in Madagascar between 1998 and 2000 and, while the instrumental portions can be quite remarkable, it is the vocalizations that are the most striking and evocative.  As with other music in areas of the world that are totally, or almost completely, unfamiliar, hearing this album is an incredible experience, opening vistas that help bring at least a modicum of understanding about what brings people from very different backgrounds together through the universal language of music.

Tim Berne's Snakeoil: You've Been Watching Me

With Tim Berne, there's pretty much a constant that there is no constancy in his prolific catalog of work dating back now close to a half-century.  The alto saxophonist and composer is so fascinating because he continually pushes his music in new directions through varied ensembles, instrumentation, and sonic approaches to his pieces.  While he often has groups gathered under a banner, such as Snakeoil, even these can be very different from recording to recording.

With this project, Berne was signed to ECM, the German label that made its name largely because of its long-running association with Keith Jarrett and for whom Berne's wife worked as its American label chief, and this meant more opportunity for a broader audience, especially as he had not released a studio album in eight years when the self-titled Snakeoil album was released in 2012.  This was then followed the next year by Shadow Man, and then, in 2015, with You've Been Watching Me.

Recorded at the end of 2014, the album features Berne's usual pastiche of pieces offering complex themes, remarkable dynamics, often abrupt time-shifting and incredible playing requiring musicians who can listen to and work off each other.  Piano is not an instrument heard on that many of the composer's records, though the incredible Craig Taborn memorably made a huge impact on Science Friction and the astounding The Sublime And in the early 2000s.

Here, Matt Mitchell plays the instrument and introduces electronics to great effect, adding significant color and shading.  For the rhythm section, Ches Smith uses all the resources of his drum kit, as well as vibraphone, tympani and other percussive elements and works very well with Mitchell.  There is no bass guitar, by Oscar Noriega, bass clarinet and the impressive guitar work of Ryan Ferreira, often function to develop that section of the ensemble.  Moreover, Noriega provides a remarkable counterpoint in sound to Berne's alto when they play in unison and offers impressive solos.  Berne is always a fascinating player projecting innovation and intensity buttressed by awesome ensemble support and You've Been Watching Me is another compelling and deeply immersive listening experience by a great composer and musician who should garner more attention and support for his diverse and significant body of work over the decades.

Edvard Grieg: Piano Music Vol. 2

The prolific piano works of the master composer Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) have been issued by the Naxos label in many volumes recorded by Einar Steen-Nøkleberg at the Norwegian State Academy of Music in Oslo with this August 1993 session yielding 70 minutes of works based on folk music traditions in the composer's home country.

There was great interest among many European composers in utilizing these resources, with Antonin Dvokrak and Bedrich Smetana particularly coming to mind with their work with Czech folk music, just as one prominent example, and this is a reflection of a growing nationalism arising in that part of the world, including the unification of such countries as Germany and Italy, not to mention the increasing desire of the Polish people to reestablish their nation.

Grieg tended to be best known for his "small form" work as opposed to larger-scale piano sonatas and concertos or orchestral works and the liner notes intriguingly quote from his letters regarding his popularity with audiences, but also the difficult reviews from critics.  The notes also point out the melodic bases for Norwegian folk music and the emphasis on harmony and rhythm which makes the composer's music particularly distinctive and appealing.  

In fact, it is remarked that Grieg was especially insistent regarding the importance of rhythm in works that were influenced by his country's dance traditions, while it was also noted that "harmony is at the heart of his work" with the master writing "the realm of harmony, has always been my dream world" and that there was a mystery to the tie between his sense of harmony and the folk songs that inspired him.  There are more than 45 such pieces and dances on this record, including two improvisations based on them nd two shorter works, as well.

It is said that his work was not particularly technically challenging, but that his compositions were very widely played and enjoyed, despite the lack of critical acclaim.  It is easy to hear why with this album, which is beautifully played and recorded, and is especially enjoyable in these challenging and difficult times.

Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark

Why it took this long to get to listening to Joni Mitchell is an interesting question because she's certainly been someone who's been on the radar for a long time—the same could be said for Neil Young or Brian Eno, the Rolling Stones and others who've finally been on the playlist lately.  For many people, the obvious place to start is Blue, Mitchell's phenomenal 1971 album that has bene heard as part of this discovery and will certainly get its due.

Court and Spark, however, from a few years later is where we'll start, not because it's considered better, but it's where this belated appreciation began.  With appearances from stellar musicians as Tom Scott, Joe Sample, Larry Carlton, José Feliciano, Robbie Robertson, David Crosby and Graham Nash, among others, as well as comedic cameo from Cheech and Chong, Mitchell's complex and incisive songwriting and gorgeous singing are given ample support.

Moreover, this is a notable level of diversity in the tunes in terms of tempo, instrumentation, harmonics and other factors that make the album truly stand out.  As great as "Help Me," which remains her biggest hit is, there really are so many great songs on Court and Speak that it is hard to pick out some more than others.  The title track, "Free Man in Paris," "Down To You," "People's Parties," and "The Same Situation" stand out in this listener's mind, but it's actually what Mitchell does throughout the album that makes the biggest impact.

This means the multi-tracking of her vocals which, as a fan of Cocteau Twins since 1986, this blogger immediately recognized as major influences on that group's Elizabeth Fraser and her vocalizations.  The intricate and innovative melodies and the style of Mitchell's singing are also obvious focal points, as are her amazing lyrical abilities, which find some humorous expression in "Raised on Robbery," while her cover of "Twisted," with its trenchant lyrics by Annie Ross and set to a solo by the great tenor sax player, Wardell Gray, is an entertaining way to complete a stunning album.

Having started with Court and Spark, it was easy to move to Blue and then to follow that with other Mitchell albums, though, again, why it took so long to finally get here is more than puzzling.

China: Uyghur Music

One of the great tragedies of our time is the terrible treatment of the Uyghur people of the province of Xinjiang at the furthest western edge of China, with the government engaging in horrific efforts to suppress their culture and "reeducate" and indoctrinate them into Han Chinese society.  We can only hope that, ultimately, the cultural and social practices of the Uyghur will persevere in the face of such tyrannical actions, including the music.  

This recording from 2011 and released seven years on the incredible Ocora label of Radio France presents a dozen pieces, including the Chong Näghmä and the Dastan Näghmä, multi-movement works, and a Mäshräp vocal based on a Sufi poem.  Given the long history of these Muslim people, the musical ties extend throughout central and eastern Asia, including to Persia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan and other areas.

Vocals by men and women and instrumentation on frame drums and percussion, lutes and fiddles reflect a long tradition of complex and compelling music that is truly intoxicating to hear.  Hearing this music is a direct experience of how the famed Silk Road from Persia to China manifested its influences, just as music from India and the Middle East traveled, through the lute instruments from the sitar to the guitar, southwest through the northern portions of Africa to Spain via the incredibly rapid Muslim spread and then made the leap to the New World.

The muqam. or system of melodies based on arrangements of pitches, uses scales on which improvisation is developed and refers to these motifs during pieces that can often be quite lengthy.  So, on this October 2011 recording, the Chong Näghmä takes up well over a half hour and the Dastan Näghmä is just more than 23 minutes in length.  The mäshräp is a specifically male performance for social occasions typically one of significance for bonding Uyghur men.

Sadly, the repression of the Muslim Uyghurs threatens all aspects of their society, including their music, though one hopes that resilience will keep this remarkable tradition going in the face of oppression.

Horace Tapscott and the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra: Flight 17

The great Horace Tapscott, as mentioned before, was the act in the courtyard of the now-leveled sections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art when I went with a friend to the free concert and was astounded by his amazing musicianship and that of his band, which included the volcanic and lyrical saxophonist Michael Session and bassist Roberto Miranda.  Subsequent performances were heard at the original Catalina Bar and Grill location, as well, but, then, in 1999, this titanic figure died, vastly underappreciated in so many ways.

This included his commitment to community and the foregoing of what might have been a successful national and international career as Tapscott focused on his Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension organization and the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and promoting Black music through local talent, including free lessons for children and performing regularly at South-Central Los Angeles churches.

Tapscott's dedication to his cause meant that he was not recorded all that often, but the Nimbus West label was established by fan Tom Albach specifically to document the pianist-composer's work, including some stunning solo piano recordings.  This album is an "Ark" work recorded at the Immanuel United Church of Christ (now a Latino Pentecostal house of worship) and features Session, Miranda and many talented musicians creating a wonderful ensemble sound performing works by the teenage Herbert Baker, who died at just 17 years of age, Miranda, bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Sharps, and saxophonist Sabia Matteen, as well as a medley of pieces by John Coltrane.

Notes from the legendary music educator Dr. Samuel R. Browne, who taught so many great musicians at Jefferson High School, remarks that "the talent displayed in this album is the result of a commitment made by Horace Tapscott many years ago 'to pass it on,'" in terms of working to give young musicians opportunities for developing their talent and, hopefully, improving their financial situation.  Tapscott is also quoted as remarking, that the U.G.M.A.A., formed in 1961, "contributes quality works of art that reflect the natural rays of creativity, the essence of our existence."  

We are fortunate to have these recordings as reminders of those rays reverberating among us today decades after their production and as Tapscott's enduring legacy.

Jennifer Higdon: All Things Majestic/Viola Concerto/Oboe Concerto

Despite having a Pulitzer Prize and Grammy, the Brooklyn-native composer Jennifer Higdon, who grew up near Atlanta and in eastern Tennessee, is relatively unknown, but her work is very rich harmonically, strong and forward rhythmically and deeply melodious.  The Viola Concerto was commissioned by the Library of Congress and Higdon made a point of writing a score that was lighter and brighter than most works for that instrument, while she also made the first movement slow, contrary to typical practice, and then increasing the tempo over the final two.

For the Oboe Concerto, the composer emphasized the lyrical nature of the instrument and its pairing with other instruments in the orchestra and Higdon, in the liner notes, observed that "I have always through of the oboe as being a most majestic instrument" and she was happy to focus on "its beauty and grace" in the piece commissioned by the Minnesota Commissioning Club.

All Things Majestic as commissioned by the Grand Teton Music Festival for its 50th anniversary and the setting at Jackson Hole, Wyoming provided more than enough inspiration for the work, which also promoted "the majesty of all our parks."  Higdon thought of each of the movements as reflective of "a musical postcard" evoking the natural wonders of mountains, lakes, rivers and the "cathedral" effect of park environments.  Given our current political climate, it is a shame that is not shared enough by those in positions of power.

Roberto Díaz, a longtime collaborator of the composer, shines in the viola piece and James Button fully evokes the qualities of the oboe, while the Nashville Symphony, led by Giancarlo Guerrero, performs beautifully in this 2016 recording released the next year by Naxos.  Higdon's work was a chance discovery, as is often the case, and a very rewarding one.

Burning Spear: Man in the Hills/Dry and Heavy

This reissue of a pair of classic prime-era reggae albums by Winston Rodney's Burning Spear project on Island Records takes us back to 1976-1977, after the phenomenal Marcus Garvey and its dub version, Garvey's Ghost, which have been featured here before.  With Bob Marley and the Wailers justifiably achieving international renown, many great bands and individuals were given the opportunity to demonstrate their talent, including the awesome Burning Spear.  

Not as hard-hitting as Marcus Garvey, 1976' Man in the Hills is a reflection of Rodney's youth growing up in the same area (St. Anne's Bay) as Marley, as well as political and spiritual concerns.  Moreover, you can't miss with his band mates, Delroy Hines and Rupert Willington, the Riddim Twins of Robbie Shakespeare (bass) and Sly Dunbar (drums), not to mention Marley's great Wailers drummer, Aston "Family Man" Barrett and other great musicians like Earl "Chinna" Smith, Tyrone Downie, Earl "Wire" Lindo and horn players like Bobby Ellis, Vincent "Trommie" Gordon, Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall and Herman Marquis.

With Dry and Heavy, from 1977, Rodney mined his earlier recordings for the famed Studio One and re-recording the material with Shakespeare, Barrett, drummer Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, percussionist Uziah "Sticky" Thompson and many of the others who appeared on Man in the Hills.  This album was more of Rodney-directed project, with producer Jack Ruby dismissed, as were Hines and Willington, though there are backing vocals, and most reviewers view it as less successful as its predecessor.  For this listener, however, Dry and Heavy is a strong record, if mellower than Man in the Hills.

Burning Spear went to make Social Living, released in 1980, and we'll look to feature that in a future post here.  Meanwhile, interested readers might try and find this two-fer, as well as the two Garvey albums, and really delve into some of the finest music made during the essential reggae period of the last half of the Seventies, when there was far more to the music than Marley and the Wailers.

Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited

Before the film, A Complete Unknown, was known to this blogger, an interest in revisiting the music of Bob Dylan surfaced last year after close to four decades of not hearing much of his remarkable work.  After acquiring John Wesley Harding, which had not been heard before, a spate of other albums were purchased, including such classics as Blood on the Tracks, Bringing It All Back Home, Blonde on Blonde and, more recently, Before the Flood, the great live album with The Band.

A favorite of the Dylan recordings that have been rediscovered is Highway 61 Revisited, released at the end of August 1965 (when this blogger was a day shy of two months old) and appearing just four months after Bringing It All Back Home.  It's hard to argue that, with Blonde on Blonde being 22 months away, Dylan was at his creative zenith, churning out amazing songs with startling frequency on albums that redefined much of popular music.

Obviously, his move from acoustic folk to electric rock was controversial to the ardent fans of the former —and the fourth volume of the Bootleg Series comprising two discs of the notorious Royal Albert Hall concert in London in May 1966 during which an outraged Luddite yelled "Judas," to which Dylan sardonically replied, "I don't believe you"—is a fantastic document of that move.

Highway 61 Revisited is a staggering record from the opening "Like A Rolling Stone" to the rollicking "Tombstone Blues" to the "Ballad of a Thin Man" and ending with the epic "Desolation Row."  With musicians like Mike Bloomfield and his impressive guitar work and Al Kooper's iconic organ on that first tune and elsewhere, not to mention Bobby Gregg's drums and Charley McCoy's guitar, accompanying Dylan's impressionistic and immersive lyrics, the album is a masterpiece from start to finish.  

Listeners expecting to get some enlightenment from Dylan's liner notes can be amused by the wordplay and seemingly stream of consciousness expressions including his remark that "the songs on this specific record are not so much songs but rather exercises in tonal breath control" while the lyrics about "beautiful strangers, Vivaldi's green jacket & the holy slow train."  Dylan often commented that the content meant various things to different people and it may be better to enjoy his way with language and the performances of the musicians rather than to try and interpret the so-called "voice of his generation."

Music of Polynesia II: Tuamotu, Austral Islands

This excellent release from the JVC World Sounds series from Japan includes 20 pieces, all but three from the Tuamotu Islands and the remainder from the Austral Islands, both in the broad archipelago of French Polynesia and collectively comprising fewer than 16,000 residents.  These people are increasingly affected by climate change in terms of such threats as ocean warming and acidification and sea level rise and who knows what will happen to them and their culture as conditions continue to worsen.

This makes recordings like this all the more valuable as documentation of the rich and fascinating musical heritage of the Tuamotu and Austral societies.  Recorded between 1977 and 1990, these pieces reflect a wide range of songs pertaining to aspects of everyday life and are a potent reminder of how music in much of the world is not professionalized and distanced from those practices and rituals.

The core of this music is the beautiful harmonies and melodies of small choral groups, often sung a capella and otherwise accompanied by hand claps and some instruments, including guitars and like ones, while dancing is an important component to the performances of many of the tunes.  As a part-Hawaiian, this listener readily hears comparisons to music from that part of Polynesia, taking in commonalities and appreciating the differences.

Fundamentally, there is a gorgeous expression of the musical cultures of these remote Pacific Ocean societies and the songs here actually serve, especially at this moment, as a soothing tonic in the face of so much tension and turmoil in the world.  Anyone seeking a similar treatment and is open to the experience is well-advised to seek this or other recordings of Polynesian music and will not be disappointed.

Anthony Braxton/Kyle Brenders: Toronto (duets) 2007

One of the many amazing attributes of Anthony Braxton's music is that he shines in duet performances, as this listener personally witnessed at a concert performed with harpist Jacqueline Kerrod and held in the lobby of The Broad contemporary art museum in Los Angeles in 2019, and that he supported and encouraged students in recordings with him during his nearly quarter-century tenure teaching at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

The featured album for this post is just such an example of both aspects, a double-disc recording with Kyle Brenders in a session in Toronto that comprises two of Braxton's Ghost Trance Music, which he noted was influenced by his taking classes at Wesleyan on Native American music, including those dealing with the Ghost Dance rituals.  The box set 9 Compositions (Iridium), which may someday be featured in this blog, included a quote from the composer about the influence that the music from these spiritual practices had on him as "various tribes came together and compiled whatever information they had left" before most of their culture was decimated—this included the perspective of tying our reality to communication with the spirit of ancestors.

As is often the case in Braxton's complex music, the performance of these numerically-assigned compositions, in this case, 199 and 356, allow for the transposition of elements from other pieces within the GTM system that could also involve the varying of tones, tempo and other aspects.  Not surprisingly, his philosophy and systems can be very complicated and challenging for non-specialists (like this blogger) to comprehend.

What stands out in this recording is the use of themes that sound like military music and repeat before the players move into other melodic and tonal territory, some of it quite beautiful and reflective amid frequent use of repetition.  Braxton, playing alto, soprano and sopranino saxophones, meshes so well with Brenders, on clarinet, soprano and tenor, that their playing almost seems telepathic, though this is clearly the result of the two of them fully utilizing the resources of the GTM model.  Brief notes by Scott Thomson observe that the use of "dialogue" means a reference to "language," which is how Braxton often speaks of his approach to musical composition and Thomson rightfully calls this recording an expression of "a beautifully original dialect" spoken by the players.  

PainKiller: Samsara

Samsara (the cycle of death and rebirth in our material world in Indian philosophy) is a welcome return to recording by PainKiller, the trio formed in 1991 comprising saxophonist John Zorn, bassist Bill Laswell, and Mick Harris, whose lightning fast drumming is replaced by beats and electronics, and which quickly recorded two albums in 1991-1992, followed by a 1993 live album and 1994's Execution Ground, which reflected a gradual move into more ambient and dub territory.  A second live recording, made in 1994, was issued eight years later, followed by a couple more live recordings with other drummers.

In 2008, Harris joined Zorn and Laswell for a one-off performance in Paris, accompanied by vocalist Mike Patton and Fred Frith, whose Guitar Solos was the last post here.  It seemed like that was going to be the last time we'd hear from PainKiller, until the surprising news that Samsara was to be released last November.

The most striking difference from earlier recordings is Harris' use of electronic percussion, which he has focused on in myriad ways for the last three decades, and, to this listener, it takes the PainKiller sound in an interesting and welcome direction.  Zorn, who played to Harris' recorded material sent to New York City from Birmingham, England, shows all of the incredible technique and power he's had for a half-century, and, as always, is very impressive.

Laswell has had serious health and financial issues and Zorn has worked frequently with his old friend in recent years to help him deal with both and, if for no other reason, this is a fundamental reason for PainKiller to reunite.  Laswell has great difficulty in playing the bass and so relied on some technical assistance while resorting to playing that is far more basic and simple, but still very effective in holding the bottom along with Harris' contributions so that Zorn can explore the dynamic range of his sax.

A new album, The Equinox, is due to be released this month and, apparently, an ambient recording is also in the works sometime this year, so there will likely be more PainKiller posts in the offing relatively soon.

Fred Frith: Guitar Solos

The last thing anyone should expect in listening to this remarkable and fascinating compilation are "guitar solos" in any popular sense.  Fred Frith has spent decades exploring the sonic range and textures of the instrument using fingers, picks and a great many other devices and tools, so that a "prepared guitar" is commonly utilized, not to mention sounds made by his breath and feet.

Moreover, improvisation is core to these eighteen pieces, the first eight of which were recorded in 1974 over four days with remainder recorded in 1976, 1978 and 1988 and the compilation made in 1991 by the Swiss label Rec Rec Genossenschaft.  Beyond this, it helped this listener to dispense with the idea that there are songs, though some titles like "Glass c/w Steel," "Out of Their Heads (On Locoweed)," "Alienated Industrial Seagulls," and "Insomnia," are evocative what is heard in the pieces.

This is also not background music and dedicated attention, either through headphones or the volume turned up is most cases, is the best way to approach these challenging works.  Though there is some harshness, including the "Alienated Industrial Seagulls" and its intense string-stretching and other elements, much of this could be heard as ambient.

The goal is not the representation of traditional technique in terms of riffs, the rapid recitation of notes in soloing and so on, but, it seems, the exploration of tone, color and the evocation of environment.  In this, Guitar Solos is a decided success, especially if one allows for the music to envelope the listener as an engrossing atmospheric experience.

Music of the Nubians, Northern Sudan

The northeastern portion of Africa known as the Sudan is an area that has endured terrible warfare and suffering in recent decades with a horrific humanitarian crisis taking place now amid famine and violence.  Moreover, the gutting of USAID makes the situation much worse and the need for the people there even more acute and urgent.

The history and culture of the Sudan is incredibly ancient and rich, including its music, and this post features a two-disc set, released in 1998 on compact disc and 1980 on vinyl, by the Staatlische Museen zu Berlin, an institution under the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, celebrating the music of the Nubian people of Northern Sudan.

The recordings date to 1973 and 1974 with the kisir (lyre) being the dominant musical instrument along with a frame drum called the taar.  Clapping and the stamping of feet are also used to accompany singing, whether soloists, small ensembles and large groups and the 33 songs are representative of such themes as religion, patriotism, work in the fields, lullabies for children, weddings and many others.

There is a great booklet with thirteen photographs and detailed text by Artur Simon discussing Sudanese history, culture and specifics about the music, instrumentation and the varied pieces.  A second booklet includes musical transcriptions and the lyrics.  These are valuable enhancements to a fascinating listening experience, especially as Simon observes that a lack of instrumentation, compared to Western nations, is hardly a lack of musical expression, which is abundant on this memorable recording.

Cabaret Voltaire: Plasticity

This one, a 2-LP vinyl set, was bought just after its October 1992 release at a Portland, Oregon record store and, a few years removed from Groovy, Laid-Back and Nasty, with the 44-minute EP Colours and Body and Soul as precursors that found CV trying to rebound from that strange 1990 relic, Plasticity was a welcome move into a new (and final) phase for Cabaret Voltaire. 

Released on the Plastex label set up by Stephen Mallinder and Richard H. Kirk after their EMI debacle, the recording was the first of three releases, followed by International Language (1993) and a personal favorite, The Conversation (1994), in which the music was all-instrumental.  While it has been said that Mallinder still had an active role, it sounds like Kirk exercised more control over these albums.  They can also be compared to such projects as Sandoz and Electronic Eye from that era.

In any case, a favorite CV track, "Low Cool," opens the record with a sample of Los Angeles gang members casually talking about the violence and nihilism of their world. "Soul Vine (70 Billion People)" took found sound from the 1981 underground dance floor hit, "Yashar," while "Inside the Electronic Revolution" is a highlight, as is "Neuron Factory."  More ambient tunes like "Resonator" and "Deep Time" nicely provide alternates to the flow of the album, while "Soulenoid (Scream at the Right Time)" hits the sample peak with an eerie and unsettling series of female screams to end a fascinating record.

The CD version omits "Brazilia" and "UFO" erasing almost 13 minutes from the double vinyl version and a planned 60-minute video was shelved because of financial concerns, but, despite this, Plasticity rates high among the mammoth CV catalog and showed the Kirk and Mallinder were able to find redemption and relevancy after a significant bump in the long road of their 20-year career.  The duo managed to stay abreast of changes in electronic music, while keeping the core of what made them so great going back nearly two decades, including abundant sampling, unnerving ambience and potent up-tempo elements.

John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy: Evenings at the Village Gate

To hear some critics, with their infinite reservoirs of wisdom, tell it in 1961, the inclusion of the masterful multi-instrumentalist and composer Eric Dolphy in John Coltrane's band was a blasphemy against jazz.  The Los Angeles native wrote and played in unconventional and highly distinctive ways and to those unimpressed ears, his work was harsh, noisy, dissonant and not tonal enough.  

Not unlike those who could not wrap their heads (ears) around other great innovators of the era, whether it was Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor or others, these critics were also generally unhappy with Coltrane's move into more experimental territory after he left Atlantic Records to join the upstart Impulse! label, where among his first recordings were the amazing performances from November 1961 at the Village Vanguard in New York City.

The album released early in 1962 with three tracks "Spiritual," "Softly, As In a Morning Sunrise," and the astounding "Chasin' the Trane" were divisive among many so-called experts, who decried the leader's explorations into the varieties of sound generated by his soprano and tenor saxophone playing.  Dolphy played bass clarinet on "Spiritual" and did so on "India" when that tune and "Impressions" appeared on the 1963 release titled after the latter.  In 1997, however, a 4-disc set of the complete Village Vanguard recordings provided devotees with an aural feast with Dolphy and Trane joined by pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassists Reggie Workman (the sole survivor of these recordings and now 86 years old) and Jimmy Garrison.

A fascinating complement to these recordings is Evenings at the Village Gate, released last year after the tapes, recorded by engineer Rich Alderson with the venue's new sound system, were discovered at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts by an archivist working on Bob Dylan recordings, as the folk artist was recorded at the Village Gate that year, as well.  These tapes were from August 1961, but with the same sextet format and with Art Davis as the other bassist.

Coltrane and Dolphy famously issued a published answer to the naysayers in Down Beat magazine, but this album and the Vanguard tracks should suffice in hindsight because Trane's observation that Dolphy broadened the band's sound as well as freed its musicians to take the music in new directions is on the mark.  All that critical angst is a reminder that innovators have to be allowed to pursue their passion for finding new ways to express themselves and those wedded to "tradition" shouldn't stand in the way or criticize honest and authentic artistic endeavor.

These pieces range from 10 to 22 minutes allowing the band to explore at a comfortable and organic pace and for soloists to take their showcases wherever they need to go.  The hit "My Favorite Things," which would be reprocessed into much freer territory in subsequent years, "Impressions," and, especially, "Africa," long a favorite of this listener, are especially impressive, while "Greensleeves," part of Trane's repertoire at the time is also taken to new levels of expression.  The surprise here, perhaps, is "When Lights Are Low," in which the 1930s chestnut sounds somewhat out of place on one hand, but, on the other, shows what innovators can do to both respect and expand upon tradition.

Sadly, Dolphy died in 1964 at age 36 after falling into a diabetic coma and a 9-disc box set of his complete Prestige recordings is a phenomenal document of his underappreciated career.  Coltrane went on to greater success, peaking with the transformative A Love Supreme, but was soon stricken with liver cancer from which he died at age 40 in 1967.  These two giants, criticized as they were in 1961, left behind some of the greatest music ever produced and this is a great document to show that.