Henry Threadgill Ensemble: The Other One

This 2022 live recording for Pi Recordings, dedicated to the great percussionist Milford Graves, shows the masterful composer Henry Threadgill demonstrating his immense talents in the world of chamber music.  This work, with the title "Of Valence" in three movements, with the first and third divided into sections and a finale, while the middle one is a continuous piece, reflects all the intricacy, unusual harmonies, melodic expressiveness and experiments with sound that mark Threadgill's long, productive career.

He doesn't perform on this, which was recorded as part of a multi-media presentation (yes, there was another set called "The One"), but he conducts the dozen musicians, including those playing alto and tenor saxes, clarinet, bassoons and tuba; cellos, viola and violin, a drummer who added other percussion and electronics and a pianist.  Threadgill has not often worked with the latter instrument, but it opens the work and establishes a fine introduction for a piece that melds composition with improvisation.

The Pi website for the album notes that the composer "was driven to create this new large work based on his observations of the exodus of people from New York City during the Covid pandemic," but, specifically, what was left behind in terms of trash and other debris in Threadgill's East Village neighborhood "and what this reveals about human transience, rampant consumerism, and a disposable society.  Other aspects of the performance involved the projection of paintings and photographs, video, his voice pre-recorded as a choir, electronic sounds, Threadgill singing while playing the piano and his prose recitations about the effects of technology on behavior.  It was added that the attitude of the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) regarding the approaches of its members to art and music are well-exemplified here.

The Other One is dedicated to the great percussionist Milford Graves, who was dedicated to the ways in which the heart beat and music are melded, and this is heard in the lengthy second movement, during which a string trio plays while cardiologist-recorded playbacks of their heartbeats provided them with the tempo.  Drummer Craig Weinrib, moreover, had transducers connected to his cymbals and electronic impulses gave these a different effect in timbre.  It was noted that Threadgill's memoir, Easily Slip Into Another World, was published in conjunction with this release, and that book is very highly recommended, as is this remarkable recording—which is another stunning addition to a vast and versatile catalog!

Sonny Rollins: The Freelance Years (The Complete Riverside & Contemporary Recordings)

It is truly the end of an era (though the great Marshall Allen, best known for his incredible work with Sun Ra, just turned 102!) with the death of Sonny Rollins, one of the masters of the saxophone and who was often called "Saxophone Colossus," the name of one his masterpiece albums.  The 95-year old giant had such an indelible sound, with its power, strength of tone, lyrical and melodic brilliance, while he also composed so many classic jazz tunes.  

These include such early tunes written during a very fruitful association with Miles Davis, such as "Airegin," "Doxy," and "Oleo," as well as "Sonnymoon for Two," "St. Thomas," and the phenomenal "Freedom Suite."  Rollins, however, was a remarkable interpreter of classic songs and for incorporating snatches of them in his solos, why he played a key part in the work of other jazz greats, including Thelonious Monk's Brilliant Corners.

This top-notch box set, issued for the master's 70th birthday a quarter-century ago, presents a quintet of discs demonstrating the range, breadth and depth of Rollins' work in the years 1956-1958, including that classic Monk album, support for trumpeter Kenny Dorham, recordings with vocalist Abbey Lincoln and his own sessions, including for the Contemporary (a Los Angeles imprint that also issued Ornette Coleman's first two albums at about the same time) and Riverside labels.

Recordings include the staggering Brilliant Corners with Monk's absolutely unique approach to piano paired with Rollins' inspired playing leading to one of the great albums in American music history; the surprising, but impressive Way Out West, which was recorded in Los Angeles in one day starting at 3 a.m. with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne, and played up the Western theme to the hilt; the spectacular standards-filled The Sound of Sonny with such stalwarts as Percy Heath and Paul Chambers on bass and Roy Haynes on drums; Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders, his second work for the Los Angeles label, and completely comprised of standards; and the great Freedom Suite, with that outstanding sidelong tune complemented by more standard songs.

What is heard on this box is Rollins' consistent greatness as a composer and interpreter as well as a preeminent stylist with amazing consistency and creativity, not to mention stamina (this is especially notable on the live A Night at the Village Vanguard, previously highlighted here.  In really just a few years, the master had a very busy recording and performing schedule and ascended to the heights of the jazz firmament.

In 1959, Rollins, concerned about his health, spiritual development and his perceived shortcomings as a musician, suddenly retreated from the public eye, spending much of his time "woodshedding" on the pedestrian portion of the Williamsburg Bridge connecting that neighborhood of Brooklyn with the Lower East Side of Manhattan as he pondered the next steps in his future.  This was the first of several reinventions over the course of his long, distinguished career and lasted two and a half years.  He followed with a string of records on RCA Victor and Impulse! before another sabbatical in the late 60s and early 70s.  He may never have garnered quite the attention he did in the period this set covers, but he continued working actively until about a dozen years ago, when he retired, largely due to problems with cystic fibrosis.

We may have lost one of the few remaining greats from a golden age of jazz, but his recorded legacy, hopefully, will continue to endure.  Love live Sonny Rollins!

Tim Berne and the Copenhagen Art Ensemble With Herb Robertson and Marc Ducret: Open, Coma

In his nearly half-century of making music, Tim Berne has been exceptionally committed to evolutionary exploration in terms of his compositions, ensembles and the presentation of the two in always unpredictable and exciting ways.  This listener was blown away in 1991 with the purchase of his Pace Yourself album with the Caos Totale collective.  The whole album was incredible, but the centerpiece to these ears was "The Legend of P-1," a 26-minute tour de force with the altoist joined by trombonist Steve Swell, Mark Dresser on bass, drummer Bobby Previte, Marc Ducret on guitar and Herb Robertson playing trumpet, cornet, flutes, flugelhorn and more.

A few years later, the next Caos Totale recording was Nice View, with the group joined by Django Bates on keys, piano and the E-flat horn and stretching, in the best way, for nearly 40 minutes is the astounding "Impacted Wisdom."  Recorded that same year, 1994, and released the following one was Memory Select, the third in a series of live albums by another phenomenal Berne group, Bloodcount, including Ducret along with Chris Speed on clarinet and tenor, bassist Michael Formanek and Jim Black on drums.  Only two tracks were on the recording, including the 51-minute "Eye Contact."

With these three mammoth works performed live for radio broadcast and the new studio-recorded "Open, Coma," the album of this latter name marked the first time Berne recorded with a larger ensemble, including ten musicians and a conductor, allowing him to work with the material and the performers in a different way because he released this stunning recording on his own Screwgun label.  What stands out to this largely untutored listener is how the complex compositions, which already sounded full-bodied with Caos Totale and Bloodcount, become richer and deeper and the sound is more expansive and enveloping.

Robertson and Ducret are part of the ensemble, which includes tenor and soprano saxes, flute, clarinet and bass clarinet, a second trumpet, a cornet, a trombone, a bass trombone, a tuba, a piano and organ and a bassist and drummer.  Berne's compositions often have a classical, orchestral feel in the arrangements and the ways the instrumentation works with harmonies, including contrasting ones, but to have this expanded lineup, they effect is even more striking.

What's great, as well, as that, with this more symphonic character, these extended pieces could each be heard as having a variety of movements, as in classical composition, as tempo, tone, and other aspects of form change, including light and shade and movement from quiet, contemplative sections to powerful, propulsive intensity.  The diversity of color in the types of instrumentation also stand out, so that, even if a listener has heard the Caos Totale and Bloodcount pieces on those three records, there are, of course, familiar aspects, namely melodic elements, but there is a freshness to the larger ensemble performance that makes them sound new, including, as just one example, the use of organ and piano with Ducret's guitar in "Impacted Wisdom" that hearkens somewhat to Miles Davis' In A Silent Way.

In 35 years of listening to Berne's amazing body of work, Open, Coma stands out because of this rare opportunity for a big band-type of ensemble and it should be noted that it took him, Robertson and Ducret traveling to Europe for it to happen.  This was more than a quarter-century ago and it seems only fair and reasonable that Berne be given an opportunity to make more music like this in our country.

Erroll Garner: Dreamstreet & One World Concert

The jazz pianist Erroll Garner is not as well remembered as he should be, even among the many giants on that instrument in the genre, but this disc combining two of his recordings from 1959 and 1963 on his own Octave label, and re-released on the Telarc label in 1995, reflects his brilliance in both the studio and in concert.

The Pittsburgh native was something of a child prodigy, beginning his playing at age three and performing professionally just four years later, while playing by ear and never learning to read music.  Before his teens, he was playing on boats plying the Allegheny River, but was not as well known in the local jazz scene as his older brother Linton.

Though he moved to New York City as the bebop scene was developing and he played with Charlie Parker among others, he was most often compared to the likes of Art Tatum, Earl Hines and Fats Waller.  From 1950 until his death more than a quarter century later, he was managed by Martha Glaser, who contributed notes to this set and wrote that, as the conversion from the original master tapes to the digital format was made, she and others "found the material fresh, exhilarating and totally contemporaneous.

Glaser also notes the difference between the studio recording, Dreamstreet, recorded in 1959 and released two years later, and the live One World Concert, presented during the world's fair in Seattle in 1963.  Donald Elfman, in his contribution to the liners, observed that Garner's work "has the power to make us smile one minute and then gape in amazement the next."  

It is also noted that, with his own label, Garner had complete freedom in the studio and "reveled in this atmosphere" and his rhythm section of bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly Martin keep things as straight as could be, supporting the master with little other than the most basic of accompaniment.  Then again, that's what listeners would expect from someone as phenomenal as Garner, but the Seattle show really stands out for the energy inspired by a wowed audience—Garner's signature composition, "Misty," is always a highlight, but the many covers, including "Sweet and Lovely," "Mack The Knife," and "Lover Come Back" are all thrilling.

This double recording is an excellent showcase of one of the finest pianists America has ever produced and this remastered disc provides clear, crisp sound to enjoy Erroll Garner demonstrating his abounding and amazing talent. 

Jack DeJohnnette: Made in Chicago

The next post was going to be about a Henry Threadgill album and we'll get to that soon, but the news of the death, at age 83, of the phenomenal drummer Jack DeJohnnette, means that a tribute is being offered here to this master musician through his all-star group live record on ECM, Made in Chicago.  This great album, also part of the mammoth The Art Ensemble of Chicago and Associated Ensembles box set, was recorded in late August 2013 at Millennium Park for the Chicago Jazz Festival and is an agglomeration of titans of the Windy City's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, or AACM.

This includes the leader, his junior college classmates Roscoe Mitchell (of the Art Ensemble of Chicago) and Threadgill, the pianist and AACM founding figure Muhal Richard Abrams and bassist Larry Gray.  This quintet delivered a diverse and powerful performance program, including two pieces from Mitchell and one each from Abrams, DeJohnnette and Threadgill, culminating in a phenomenal improvised jam at the end.

Typical of the ethos of the AACM and the character of DeJohnnette, this is truly a group recording in terms of the choice of songs, but also the beautiful meshing of the performers and the listening that allowed for everyone to make their contributions in ways that varied widely but also came together beautifully.  Bassists, as per usual, are not as heralded because of their function of keeping the rhythm well grounded, but Gray does this with great aplomb.  When, he, DeJohnnette and Abrams are accompanying the horns, they are totally in sync and providing the right level of support.

Abrams is a pianist of not just great skill, but also of much sensitivity and creativity, while his "Jack 5" is another one of his rich and multi-varied compositions.  Mitchell, too, is a remarkable creator of music in composition, with his "Chant" and "This" as well as in his impressive use of alto, soprano and sopranino saxes, the baroque flute and bass flute.  Threadgill's "Leave Don't Go Away" is another of his many impressive forays into experimentation with form, though here with more standard instrumentation and his alto sax and bass flute playing is, as always, stellar.

To this listener, though, it is "Ten Minutes," which is really a little more than five minutes, that is the highlight of the album.  Here, these giants of jazz are no-holds-barred with Mitchell and Threadgill soaring into the stratosphere with their horns, while Gray and DeJohnnette charge full force and Abrams executes brilliant runs including his closing one on his own.  The ecstatic applause at the end signifies what a thrilling end to an amazing concert this was.

Jack DeJohnnette had a brilliant career as a leader and co-leader, including his album New Directions from 1978 and his early work with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis, as well as his long-standing presence in the standards trio with Gary Peacock and Keith Jarrett.  He leaves behind an awesome percussive legacy and long may he be heard!

Andrew Hill: Black Fire

Andrew Hill (1931-2007) made his mark with Blue Note Records from this debut recorded in late 1963 and through a series of excellent albums that followed, such as Point of Departure and Judgment!, both of which have been featured here.  While there was a decided push towards so-called "free jazz" during that era, Hill, being a pianist, continued with the emphasis on modal music, working with chord changes and fairly standard rhythmic accompaniment.

Yet, he was an experimenter and explored harmony, rhythm and texture, while also displaying an incredible talent for composition and melody, even he never achieved the renown or sales of such jazz figures as Miles Davis or John Coltrane.  For Black Fire, he utilized another underappreciated player, the great Joe Henderson, who is usually seen, as Hill has been, as a hard bop tenor saxophonist, on his own albums and as an in-demand side player.

If anything, with Hill's compositions and complex comping with unusual chord structures, Henderson pushes his playing further "out" than he might otherwise have done and his keening, but tonally strong playing is uniformly excellent as he appears more than inspired.  Then, there's the masterful rhythm section of bassist Richard Davis, always solid and wide-ranging, and Roy Haynes, with that readily identifiable "spreading" sound.  Both of these masters recently left us, Davis in September 2023 and Haynes 14 months later, but they are phenomenal on this record (Haynes was a late replacement for the great Philly Joe Jones.)

As for Hill, his composing and playing are graceful, studied, mannered and, yet, still innovative and searching in a way that keeps the music tethered to traditional forms while pushing into areas that seek greater freedom for all involved.  A core element, for this untutored listener, is how tight this quartet is in working with the structures of the pieces, accompanying solos and then demonstrating their mastery in the ensemble playing as well as when they are featured.  Black Fire does have plenty of that and it never turns into an uncontrolled conflagration.

Ornette Coleman: Free Jazz

Having first heard this 35 years ago (on vinyl) in the earliest explorations of jazz (along with classical and world music, to broaden listening horizons) and only having the barest of understanding of what was involved with improvisation and its relationship to harmony and rhythm, especially in that world in 1960, Ornette Coleman's 37-minute Free Jazz, recorded in one take and no editing, was really a jarring experience, but a fascinating one.  The leader stated that the goal "was for us to play together, all at the same time, without getting in each other's way, and also to have enough room for each player to ad lib alone—and to follow this idea for the duration of the album."

One of the elements of the recording that immediately stood out was the placement of four musicians on each channel, with the leader, trumpeter Don Cherry, drummer Billy Higgins and bassist Scott LaFaro on the left and bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Ed Blackwell on the right.  That way, especially with headphones, you can hear the differences between the two quartets, even as the processing of the octet as an ensemble is taking place.

Coleman called Free Jazz a collective improvisation because he only wrote out the parts played by the horns prior to each solo; otherwise, the musicians had that freedom to play whatever they wanted to complement or supplement what the soloists were playing.  That meant that the excellence of the individual musicians had to be sharpened as part of this collectivity and all eight of them were masters.  

As someone who tends to focus on the rhythm sections as the underpinning of the music, it is especially fascinating to hear the differences between but commonalities among the bassists and drummers.  LaFaro had the toughest assignment, as Haden, Blackwell and Higgins were experienced participants in the leader's unusual sound world.  The soloing of these duos is also fascinating, while it's the continual driving pulse the holds all of this together.

Regarding the horn players, the varying styles are clear, but so is the ability of them to be part of that ensemble as the other support the given soloist.  Having Dolphy, moreover, play clarinet adds a richness and depth, as well as variation, in the performance, while Hubbard, a more traditional player, seems to easily adapt to this freer environment, in which, of course, Cherry and Coleman were deeply absorbed.  Also very notable are the ways in which the other wind instruments engage with the soloist.

Those having the late 1990s CD version can also hear "First Take," which is less than half the length of the originally released recording and it is very interesting to listen to it and compare and contrast it to the fuller version.  Though Free Jazz was reviled, as well as hailed, by many when released in September 1961, it encouraged to future efforts like John Coltrane's Ascension (1965) and influenced a great many jazz musicians to open themselves in terms of what was viewed as necessary or required in the music.  

With music this untethered to traditional approaches, immersion seems the only way to appreciate what this incredible album offers.  As Coleman remarked in the liner notes: "We were expressing our minds and emotions as much as could be captured by electronics."   

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!)

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.

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.  

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.

Mary Halvorson Octet: Away With You

This remarkable composer and guitarist, who'd played her instrument since she was 11 years old, was studying biology at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, when she took a class taught by the great multi-instrumentalist and composer Anthony Braxton (oft-featured here, though not as often as wished) and decided to change her career course.

Like her mentor, Halvorson writes and plays in a dizzying array of styles even if she, like Braxton, is generally considered a jazz musician.  She has a clear tone, a clean sound and is a masterful soloist and sensitive accompanist to the wide variety of players with which she associates, but she can also unleash wild and unorthodox solos that are dazzling.

As importantly, she is a very interesting writer with wide latitude for the improvisation that makes jazz such a great musical form, though she brings rock, flamenco and other genres into her mind-bending works.  Notably, Halvorson recently commented that she had a tendency in the past to overwrite in her compositions, but 2016's Away With You, released on Firehouse 12 Records, which has featured Braxton and many other great musicians (Tyshawn Sorey, Myra Melford, and co-founder Taylor Ho Bynum) on its roster.

With four horns (alto and tenor sax, trumpet and trombone), a pedal steel guitar and bass and drums, Halvorson creates a diverse palette of sound in the eight pieces on the recording.  Like Braxton and another great composer/musician Henry Threadgill, she deftly orchestrates for the several instruments in ways that are richly creative, sometimes spiky, often contemplative and always interesting with an unerring eye for experiment.

Fred Tompkins: Curve Extended

A couple of weeks ago, I was doing some presentations for an Art Collectors program in Los Angeles for the lifelong learning Road Scholar/Elderhostel organization and briefly mentioned that Gordon Getty, son of the (in)famous oil tycoon and collector J. Paul Getty, is a classical music composer.  During a break, one of the participants, Fred Tompkins, walked up and asked about this and then mentioned that he was a flutist and composer.

As we talked, I learned that Fred has had a long and interesting career working with jazz and classical elements in his work, including the composition of the song "Yes" on the Poly-Currents album by the late, great drummer Elvin Jones, best known for his work with John Coltrane.  This is a record I've long enjoyed, so it was great to meet Fred, who is based in St. Louis which has an incredible jazz history as a  Mississippi River crossroads for all kinds of music, and, briefly, talk about his work.

That led me to purchase his 2006 recording, Curve Extended, which is a fascinating mixture of textures through varied instrumentation and small group combinations, as well as having notated and improvised components.  Among the more interesting pieces is the title track, for which Tompkins wrote that it "employs the use of multiphonics" as being "in the real of new techniques," through the simultaneous playing of a series of notes.

The two "Con Moto" pieces are also notable for his use of an E-mu sampler, while the last two works, "Coming Together" and "La America" feature the poems and readings of them by Michael Castro an contributions by Debby Lennon on the first of these.  Excellent work is provided on guitar by Dave Black, drums by Charlie Dent (NOT to be confused with the Pennsylvania politician), and soprano sax by Paul DeMarinis.

I'm always about supporting under-recognized and less-appreciated musicians of all kinds and those with an interest in jazz and classical connections should definitely check out Fred Tompkins and his very interesting work.

Harriet Tubman: The Terror End of Beauty

Following the great Oceans And, comprised of Aurora Nealand, Hank Roberts and Tim Berne at last week's double bill at Zebulon in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles was the phenomenal power trio, Harriet Tubman.  The group includes guitarist Brandon Ross, who I knew from his work with Henry Threadgill, starting thirty years ago with the phenomenal Too Much Sugar for a Dime by the Very Very Circus group and on several subsequent albums through the early 2000s; Melvin Gibbs, who stood out to me for his work with the incredible Sonny Sharrock on the Seize the Rainbow album (1987) and the Live in New York recording from two years later; and J.T. Lewis, whom I'd also heard on the Threadgill collective Make a Move (also featuring Ross) 1996 album, Where's Your Cup?

There was a huge contrast between the acoustic and contemplative work of Oceans And, which played one continuous piece during its approximately 50 minute set, and the bracing electric intensity of Harriet Tubman, which flexed its considerable muscle through the powerful work of Lewis cymbal-focused drumming, Gibbs' dexterous and deep bass work, and Ross' pedal-heavy explorations of the guitar.  At two points in the show, Gibbs paid homage to two of their most admired influences and favorites of this blogger: Sharrock and the sublime Alice Coltrane.

This band could do it all—nimble jazz, reggae-inspired riddims, the heaviest of metal and far more—and they had many in the audience dancing, headbanging, nodding and demonstrating engagement in all kinds of physical ways, not to mention hearty applause that grew louder as the set progressed.  By the time they finished, including a guest appearance by a remarkable vocalist who stepped on the stage from the audience and scatted, screamed, crooned and evoked in many ways, the crowd was roaring with appreciation.

The Terror End of Beauty is the fourth of five Harriet Tubman albums and the 2018 release features several songs rendered at the concert including "The Green Book Blues" and the title track (which evokes Sharrock in composition and Ross' playing), both show highlights.  The album captures the range of the band's tonal palette, including contemplative guitar treatments by Ross, the deep-end playing of Gibbs and the solid percussion work by Lewis.  It is very well recorded, mixed and engineered and is the product of a band the other recordings of which I definitely need to explore more.

The live show, though, demonstrated that Harriet Tubman is a trio that needs to be experienced live to be fully appreciated as the group takes their studio work and applies a much greater level of power, intensity and drive to move an audience to the types of reactions seen at last week's concert.  It would be very interesting to hear the band recorded live and to compare that with the studio work and I would love to see them again!

Tim Berne/Hank Roberts/Aurora Nealand: Oceans And

After 32 years of following an incredible array of immensely creative and intensely restless musical explorations from the amazing Tim Berne, I finally got to see him perform live last night at Zebulon in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles with long-time collaborator, cellist Hank Roberts, and accordionist, clarinetist and vocalist Aurora Nealand under the banner of Oceans And.

The concert was one extended piece featuring the remarkable interplay between these three master musicians and it was striking to hear the tonal relationships between Roberts and Nealand, especially when he was playing arco, with Berne demonstrating his usual stunning excursions on his alto.  To see all three listening intently, eyes closed, as the performance unfolded was interesting to observe as well as to hear what they offered up.

Often, Roberts would turn to playing the cello pizzicato, as well as tapping and drumming on his instrument, sometimes with breathtaking variety.  Nealand made the most of the accordion in terms of her solos and accompaniment, including as a drone.  The interplay between these two was often staggering as they provided an underlayment to Berne's playing.

There were long passages of quieter performance as well as those with a boiling intensity and it ebbed and flowed (perhaps this is where the ocean metaphor comes in?) and Berne's weaving in and out, sometimes with a plastic bottle inserted in the horn was often very powerful.  So, too, were sections in which overtones were employed and the three instruments were so in sync that it sounded almost orchestral.  Beautiful, mysterious, contemplative, unnerving—a wide range of emotions were expressed, including when Nealand offered wordless vocalizations that echoed what her bandmates were playing.

In many ways, the Oceans And album, released by the Swiss label Intakt in April, is what was heard in the concert, but longer and divided into a dozen tracks.  All of the qualities and characteristics are there, but it doesn't really seem to matter that there are individual pieces and titles and listening to the recording, which is beautifully rendered, recorded, mixed and engineered, it felt like the breaks into the tunes didn't matter because the performance of this highly immersive music made it seem like time was being stretched.

After the playing stopped, a man in front of me commented that, if someone was looking to discover jazz, this was probably not the place to start.  Perhaps—but Tim Berne's immense discography should be part of any primer even if a major recalibration is needed in terms of how to listen to music not observing standard conceptions of time, rhythm and harmony.

The other act performing last night was the power trio Harriet Tubman, so the next post will feature that amazing group and its latest recording, The Terror End of Beauty.

John Coltrane: A Love Supreme, Live in Seattle

What an amazing circumstance it was when the Impulse! label released, in 2021, this astounding document that was long hidden in the possession of saxophonist and teacher Joe Brazil and which was one of the very few live recordings of John Coltrane's transcendent suite, A Love Supreme.  Recorded on house equipment at The Penthouse club in Seattle on 2 October 1965, this music featured the master and his classic quartet of pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones, supplemented by bassist Donald Rafael Garrett, alto sax player Carlos Ward, and the great Pharoah Sanders, who departed this world last September.

After several years of working nearly exclusively with Garrison, Jones and Tyner and reaching the limits of what he felt could be done with modal jazz, Coltrane sought new ways of expression, with instrumentation, composition, improvisation, harmony and time and in other ways.  Not long after this recording, Tyner and Jones left the band, uncomfortable with the new directions pursued by Coltrane, while Garrison remained until the leader's death untimely death from liver cancer at age 40 in July 1967.

Not surprisingly, whereas the studio version of this masterpiece, recorded in December 1964, was conceived and played with precision, power, passion and no filler, this version, more than the other live recording, from the Antibes Jazz Festival in France in late June 1965, is looser, more open and free, and  often filled with explosive intensity unrivaled in jazz.  There were, too, the growing contradictions within the expanded band, especially for Tyner, a staggering pianist, but whose lyrical playing, complex soloing and distinctive comping often seems lost or out-of-place in the maelstrom—his solo on the third part, "Pursuance," however, is outstanding.  On the other hand, Garrison, the consummate accompanist, played well with Garrett and Jones, who often expressed frustration with the new manner of performance, more than keeps things moving with his great polyrhythmic playing for this unpredictable and fiery ensemble.

A lot has been said about Sanders and his often-abrasive and emotive style of playing, but he proved to be an excellent foil and complement, as well as an inspiration, to Coltrane, who was absorbing a good deal of "free jazz," most especially that of Albert Ayler (Trane made sure that Sanders and Ayler were signed to Impulse!).  Ward has some fine moments, as well, settling in somewhere between Sanders and Coltrane in terms of style and approach.  With respect to the leader, he was clearly inspired by new musicians and ways of writing and playing and making every effort to plunge forward fearlessly with records like Ascension, Om, and Meditations, while live recordings such as the ones in Seattle, Japan and the second Village Vanguard set show the full steam ahead approach that prevailed until the master died of liver cancer in 1967, at just age 40.

There was a lot of controversy about Coltrane's direction after 1964, but it's also understandable why he went where he did.  To grow is to change and this push into freer music was the only way he could see to go.  This end period was a world away from the hit version of My Favorite Things or his Standards album, but it is fascinating to follow him in those last years and this is a revelation for that era.

Miles Davis Quintet: 1965-'68, The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings

Another jazz giant has left us with the death of the great saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter. He, pianist Herbie Hancock, the incredible bassist Ron Carter and the phenomenal drummer Tony Williams worked with Davis for several years in the 1960s as what is often called Davis's "second great quintet."  This followed 1950s group that included John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Jo Jones, after which, in the early Sixties, Davis worked extensively with pianist and composer Gil Evans as well as various members of small ensembles.

Carter and Williams linked up with Davis in 1963 and, while the leader badly wanted Shorter to join his band, a commitment with Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, of which the saxophonist was musical director, meant that it was not until September 1964 that Shorter became part of the quintet, which previously included George Coleman and the avant-garde giant Sam Rivers.

Starting with E.S.P. and concluding with Filles de Kilimajaro, the five masters created works, live and in studio, that took the "modal" concept Miles developed previously and extended its possibilities in terms of song structure, the use of rhythm and in other ways and ended on the edge of fusion.  While Williams deservedly received a great deal of attention for his revolutionary way of drumming, it is impossible to overstate the importance of Shorter in terms of his playing, but especially, his compositions.

This box set moves chronologically through sessions that began in January 1965 in Columbia Records' Los Angeles studio and culminated in June 1968, with everything recorded since taking place at the label's main complex in New York.  Seventeen pieces written by the saxophonist were taped during the sessions that yielded five albums and material appearing on four compilations, including such notable tunes as "Footprints," "Nefertiti," "E.S.P.," "Masqualero," "Orbits," and "Paraphernalia."

Shorter's soloing was always lyrical, never about showing off how fast he could play, and in service of the material and the band.  His saxophone, naturally, was both a complement and a contrast to Davis' trumpet, as well as to Hancock's piano, but it's really more vital to think about the quintet as a true unit, united to realize the leader's vision while also expressing individual styles and playing off each other in what rrally seems to be a telepathic way.

Over the years, I thought about exploring Shorter's significant catalog of solo recordings, in addition to the fusion giant he co-founded, Weather Report.  When it came out in 1997, I purchased his duet album with Hancock, 1+1, but it may now be time to hear more of this important figure's work outside of the Davis quintet.  First, though, it's time to dig deep into this box set to appreciate Shorter's work with that ensemble and may he rest in peace. 

Pharoah Sanders: Tauhid

Another master musician has left us with the death of the great saxophonist Pharoah Sanders last Saturday at age 81.  He was best known for his upper register screaming when he joined John Coltrane's band in 1965 and he definitely divided listeners who either hated the "shrill tones" or were enthralled by the sheer passion he generated.

Coltrane was obviously wanting a counterpoint to his own playing, which was becoming increasingly "avant garde" as he entered the last few years of his all-too-short life.  In some ways, Sanders provided much the same role that Eric Dolphy had in his short tenure in 1961, though the groundswell of intense negative criticism that the amazing Dolphy faced was more muted because, by 1965, change was clearly coming.

Championed by Coltrane, Sanders was given a contract with Impulse! and he recorded a string of always-interesting albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s, even as they went into the far reaches of jazz at a time when the genre lost a great many listeners.  Sanders' music changed, as to be expected, over subsequent years, but one of my all-time favorite albums was when uber-producer and bassist Bill Laswell brought in Sanders to play on the phenomenal Sonny Sharrock recording, Ask the Ages (1991), with the saxophonist playing with the searing passion not heard for a long time.

I had the opportunity to see Sanders play live in the Nineties at the original Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood and was really grateful that I had the chance to hear him.  The featured album for this post is his first Impulse! set, Tauhid, recorded in November 1966 and released early the following year, not long before Coltrane's death.

It is, as all of Sanders' recordings were then, heavily spiritual and full of diversity in conception and playing, with the stunning "Upper Egypt & Lower Egypt," the brief but beautiful "Japan," (inspired by the 1966 tour of that nation by the Coltrane ensemble) and the remarkable three-part suite, "Aum," "Venus," and "Capricorn Rising."  The musicians include Sharrock, in one of his first recordings before he left music and then was found by Laswell and his career resurrected in spectacular fashion; the sensitive and understated Dave Burrell on piano; the underappreciated Henry Grimes on bass; drummer Roger Blank; and percussionist Nat Bettis, whose colorations really help flesh out much of this recording.

We're seeing so many great musicians departing and, while this is always saddening, the consolation, of course, is that we can revisit the amazing work they produced and with the sublime Pharoah Sanders, there is so much to enjoy and appreciate.  May he rest in peace!

Myra Melford Extended Ensemble: Even the Sounds Shine

For this International Women's Day, this post highlights the vastly underappreciated pianist and bandleader Myra Melford, whose extended ensemble's recording of Even the Sounds Shine, recorded in 1994 and re-released on Hat Hut Records in 2003, is astounding in its compositional complexity, richness and diversity and in the playing by a remarkable quintent, including trumpeter Dave Douglas, alto saxophonist and clarinetist Marty Ehrlich, bassist Lindsey Horner and drummer Reggie Nicholson.

The title is taken fom a poem by Fernando Pessoa and Myford wrote in her liner notes that "I have this habit of collecting seemingly unrelated buts of information: a title, a texture, a melody or phrase, that somehow in my subconscious belong together.  It's through creation that the different elements become juxtaposed or integrated into a whole."  She was in Portugal just prior to recording the album and came across Pessoa's reference to "in broad daylight even the sounds shine," though it went beyond an apt title to some thing that struck Melford "as an idea that expresses music and as an idea that I'd like to express through my music."

She was later in Austria for a music festival and heard a bird singing in such a way that is sounded like a melding of Ornette Coleman and another underappreciated master, violinist Leroy Jenkins, and Melford transcribed what she heard.  She added that the next morning "I awoke to the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard" and that the bird and other animals were singing and making other sounds so that "the texture had a clarity, vitality and gentleness to it that was very moving."

There is an abundance of all three of those attributes on this amazing album and her trio of the time is enriched and diversified by the stunning playing of Douglas (whose work in John Zorn's Masada project has been featured here before) and Ehrlich (who has also been mentioned through his association with the great Julius Hemphill.) Nicholson, too, has appeared in this blog through the appreciation of two recordings by the sublime Henry Threadgill.  As for Melford, her incredible solo work, reminiscent of Cecil Taylor and Marilyn Crispell, but definitely with her own imprint, and her compositional brilliance, are wonders to behold.

There are few women in jazz who get the credit they deserve and Myra Melford is one of those who should have far more recognition for her achievements.

Ornette Coleman/Charlie Haden: Soapsuds, Soapsuds

While Ornette Coleman was creating some fascinating music with his electric ensemble, Prime Time, he took a detour and engaged in a side project with Charlie Haden, his long-time bass playing colleague, and recorded Soapsuds, Soapsuds, a series of absorbing and revealing duets, in January 1977, released the next year on Coleman's Artist House label and later reissued on his Harmolodic label through Verve.  In his long, remarkable career, Coleman didn't record a lot of duet albums, but they can be among the most amazing of his projects, such as when he worked with pianist Joachim Kühn or with guitarist Pat Metheny, when the interplay between the two musicians reflects that they are truly listening to each other.  This was certainly the case with Coleman and Haden, who first played together two decades before, and who would continue working together occasionally after the bassist left Ornette's band about this time.  

There is an intimacy to many duet performances that draw the listener in as if you're hearing the performers in a private concert and this is one of those examples, all the more striking given the dense and usually exciting Prime Time performances of the era.  Haden was always a master of supporting the other musicians, never feeling the need to overplay or over-impress, and he was particularly brilliant here in giving Coleman the space to play some of the most beautiful tenor work (Ornette primarily being an alto player) he'd recorded.  In his rare, but typically cryptic notes, Ornette does say simply: "this music . . . has . . . a very simple message: these performers are playing for the sake of making music for people to enjoy their own concept of hearing."  Those last few words are particularly noteworthy.  As for Haden, he observed "most of what I have learned about the art of listening can be directly attributed to playing with Ornette. In order to contribute totally to his music, one must listen to every note he plays . . . and then come the endless possibilities."  This really is an immersive experience when focused concentration is directed to what these two masters brought to this stunning recording.