Charles Hayward dialoga con Mike Barnes per Invisible Jukebox sul numero di febbraio 2012 della rivista inglese The Wire. Tra un ascolto e l'altro non mancano commenti e ricordi riferiti ovviamente a Quiet Sun, This Heat, Camberwell Now e Massacre, a Drum Garden e About Group tra i progetti più recenti, e anche a Matching Mole, Last Exit, Tony Allen, Peter Brötzmann, Martin Carthy e David Cunningham.
www.charleshayward.org
http://www.thewire.co.uk/issues/336
Districandosi tra leggende, dicerie, oscuri sospetti e manifeste falsità, Ralph ERA cerca di riscrivere gli esordi dei Residents, raccogliendo una manciata di brani anteriori al 1974 (B4-74) e raccontando degli anni in San Mateo, del famigerato film mai portato a termine Vileness Fats, degli album non pubblicati Warner Bros e Baby Sex, delle apparizioni al club di San Francisco The Boarding House e del ruolo di marcatore temporale del singolo Santa Dog: www.residents.com/home/page13/page13.html
Il nuovo album di Mike Cooper è Radio Paradise, registrato a Beirut tra il maggio e il dicembre 2010 per l'etichetta libanese Johnny Kafta’s Kids Menu.
This is the latest release from the comically named ‘Johnny Kafta’s Kids Menu’, who fittingly gave out free shawarma at Mike Cooper’s album launch and continues with the eccentricities (the album comes packaged in a padded brown envelope). The album cover – a beautiful silkscreened illustration of a man’s hairy chest in a pink shirt of flowers and grenades – might give a hint that this isn’t going to be any ordinary release. Played in lap steel-style guitar, Mike Cooper starts with a raw Delta blues melody that distorts into a re-sampled blur as he hollers with his gravelly, soulful vocals on a cover of Arthur Crudup’s ‘If I Get Lucky’. ‘A Dream of Arrival’ is perhaps the most experimental on the album, with haunting loops and pulsing machines; rich, somber vocals and a steel guitar kick in at the end. ‘In Exile in Aghmat’ is an intense, slow-building climactic instrumental with an oriental edge that ends in a layered meltdown. Now into his sixties, Cooper’s music is at its most interesting and experimental. Using live guitar processing and sampling, his intense and heartfelt blues and folk wander into sonic experiments. The layering of sounds and compositions are incredibly original, making Mike Cooper’s sound unlike any other.
http://johnnykafta.com/radio-paradise-mike-cooper-in-beirut
http://johnnykafta.com/mike-cooper-in-beirut
Un nuovo titolo, il settimo, si aggiunge alla collana a tiratura limitata Portal Series creata da Elliott Sharp per documentare propri lavori di particolare rilievo compositivo o di interesse storico: Cut with Occam's Razor contiene partiture per quartetto d'archi (The Boreal, per il Jack Quartet), doppio quartetto d'archi (Occam's Razor, il Sirius String Quartet e il Jack Quartet insieme) e solo pianoforte (Oligosono, esegue Jenny Lin).
http://www.repple.se/datacide
Per la serie Film Music, l'etichetta Tzadik raccoglie alcuni lavori di Zeena Parkins prodotti per il cinema: Double Dupe Down.
Zeena Parkins is a keyboardist, harpist and composer who has worked closely with Fred Frith, Bjork, Ikue Mori and many others. Her brilliant work for dance has earned her three Bessie Awards, and her own bands have toured the world for over twenty years to great acclaim. This special compilation brings together her best compositions written for film and features some of the greatest musicians in the downtown scene. An endlessly creative collection of work by one of the most important and consistently fascinating figures out of New York’s downtown scene.
www.tzadik.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeena_Parkins
http://www.allmusic.com/album/double-dupe-down-r2381461
"Sometimes things come together in amazing ways. I can't say I ever expected or aimed to collaborate with the son of a Beatle, a supermodel, and a legend of British folk. But Sean Lennon, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Vashti Bunyan and I, despite our diverse backgrounds, have connected through music, because we all love to find new ways to balance the ancient elements of melody, harmony, sound, and meaning". Così annuncia il suo nuovo bellissimo album David Garland: si intitola Conversations with the Cinnamon Skeleton, ed è pubblicato e distribuito on-line tramite Bandcamp. Il video del primo brano in scaletta, The Long View, con le immagini di Takahiro Kimura, circola da qualche giorno su Vimeo. Tra i commenti della primissima ora spicca quello di Robert Wyatt: "Witty, melancholy songs, arranged and performed with such careful skill and a natural unforced originality; David Garland and his friends have done it again!"
http://www.cinnamonskeleton.com
http://davidgarland.bandcamp.com
http://vimeo.com/35358079
http://www.davidgarland.com
http://tinyurl.com/7h3crrn
Festeggia quest'anno ventun anni di attività Mopomoso, il programma di iniziative didattiche e concertistiche dedicate alla musica improvvisata coordinate a Londra dal chitarrista John Russell. Per uno degli appuntamenti mensili presso il Vortex Jazz Club lo scorso 15 gennaio con Russell c'erano Henry Lowther e Satoko Fukuda, Alison Blunt con Dave Leahy e Tony Marsh, Kay Grant in duo con Hannah Marshall e Caroline Kraabel con Veryan Weston. Alcune immagini della serata sono su Flickr.
www.mopomoso.com
www.flickr.com/photos/92523880@N00/tags/mopomoso
Un'intervista a Keith Tippett effettuata l'1 settembre 2008 in occasione del festival Ai confini tra Sardegna e Jazz a Sant'Anna Arresi (Ca): è disponibile in podcast negli archivi di Battiti.
http://tinyurl.com/2fa7poe
Alla prima lettera dell'alfabeto ebraico è intitolato il nuovo album di Terry Riley, Aleph, un doppio cd in uscita a giorni per l'etichetta Tzadik. L'idea risale al 2008, quando John Zorn presentò nello spazio Yud del Contemporary Jewish Museum di San Francisco un progetto dedicato appunto alle lettere dell'alfabeto ebraico, coinvolgendo oltre a Riley anche Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Erik Friedlander, Chris Brown, Alvin Curran, Raz Mesinai e Jewlia Eisenberg tra gli altri.
Maestro Terry Riley returns to the transcendent brilliance of his improvisatory All Night Flights from the 1970s in this spectacular two-hour solo performance for just intonation keyboard. Originally created for the Aleph-Bet Sound Project that John Zorn organized for the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, the music has been sitting in Terry’s archives for years and now finally sees the light of day in all its glorious entirety. Recorded at Terry’s private studio at Moonshine Ranch at Midnight, the music captures a magically mystical vibe, timeless, meditative and entrancing. A modern classic from the godfather of minimalism who continues to surprise and challenge us with each new release.
www.tzadik.com
http://terryriley.net
Innova Recordings pubblica il nuovo album di Guy Klucevsek, The Multiple Personality Reunion Tour, quasi un compendio delle varie influenze e degli interessi che attraversano la lunga produzione del versatile fisarmonicista, con omaggi e dediche a Erik Satie, Kepa Junkera, Ivan Milev, Martin Denny e The Swingle Singers. C'è anche un brano, Ladereld, preso dal canzoniere dell'indimenticato Lars Hollmer.
If there’s one adverb-adjective combo that can describe composer/accordionist Guy Klucevsek, it’s unabashedly eclectic. Over the course of twenty-one releases, his music has combined the heart-pounding rhythms of eastern Europe with teeming contrapuntal passages, gorgeous melodies, and Klucevsek’s own “trailblazing virtuosity”. But his twenty-second release, The Multiple Personality Reunion Tour, might be his most ambitious yet. It’s a global tour, a worldwide tribute to the composers and musicians who have shaped him as a creative artist. From France to Bulgaria to Spain, he pays homage to Erik Satie and the Swingle Singers, Ivan Milev, and Basque trikitixa maestro, Kepa Junkera. On “The C&M Waltz” and “Moja Baba Je Pijana” Klucevsek harks back to the Slovenian-American polkas and waltzes of his childhood, while Martin Denny’s exotica gets a nod on “O’O”. Middle Eastern pop even creeps in in the form of “Pink Elephant”.
www.guyklucevsek.com
www.innova.mu/albums/guy-klucevsek/multiple-personality-reunion-tour
Carl Munson ha intervistato Mike Westbrook il mese scorso per il programma The Barefoot Breakfast Bonanza, su Phonic FM: "Here's my recent interview with UK Jazz legend Mike Westbrook, who talks about his fascinating life, his work as a musician, composer and band leader, as well as sharing some of his favourite tunes. Mike tells us about his incredible musical journey that began in 1950s London. He recalls the beginning of his professional career at the first Ronnie Scott's club, his time working with performance artists in hospitals, prisons and factory canteens across Europe, involvement with both fringe and major theatre, and touches on the the perennial challenge of balancing creative freedom with commercial success. Throughout we hear the work of Jazz greats including Duke Ellington, Roland Kirk, Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane and Joni Mitchell, plus clips of Mike's own music.
Si riascolta tutto in http://tinyurl.com/cy2h6ll
Alcune delle ultime registrazioni effettuate da Hugh Hopper e un paio di sue composizioni trovano posto nell'album Immeasurable Currents, che il titolare Dave Willey (Thinking Plague, Hamster Theatre, 3 Mice) ha pazientemente costruito attorno a un ciclo di poesie lasciate qualche anno fa dal padre; al progetto contribuiscono anche Mike Johnson, Dave Kerman, Deborah Perry, Elaine diFalco, Farrell Lowe, Wally Scharold e Udi Koomran. L'album è su AltrOck.
Coloradan Dave Willey says he worked on Immeasurable Currents “for a million years”; the long effort paid off nicely. These musical settings of poetry by Dave’s father, Dale Willey, were recorded at Dave’s home, with the “Friends” of the “Dave Willey & Friends” moniker contributing from near and far, including - among others - singer Deborah Perry, present on nearly all the tracks, in Colorado; singer/keyboardist Elaine diFalco in Oregon; and the late bassist Hugh Hopper in England. Udi Koomran handled mixing and mastering in Tel Aviv. Surmounting innumerable - if not immeasurable - challenges ultimately resulted in a CD that serves the elder Willey’s legacy well (he died in 2001, and doubtless would have loved hearing this). Son Dave is best known for his involvement in two groups with shared members, several of whom participate here; he co-leads the entirely instrumental Hamster Theatre, a comparatively light, melodic, and quirky bunch, and plays bass in Thinking Plague, a challenging, less overtly “tuneful” avant-prog band with vocals and Art Bears-ish lyrics. Although not without insinuating hooks, Immeasurable Currents often centers around poetry in free verse, in that sense sounding more like Thinking Plague than the Hamsters or, for that matter, Dave’s 1995 debut foray into rodent music, Songs from the Hamster Theatre. The natural world - both beautiful and foreboding - is a recurring theme, informed by clarity that digs deeper than surface aesthetics.
http://www.myspace.com/quasidayroom
http://tinyurl.com/8ycv8y7
http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Dave_Willey-P367258/Biography
http://www.therocktologist.com/willey-dave-and-friends---immeasurable-currents.html
http://www.allmusic.com/album/immeasurable-currents-r2334589/review
Tornano in circolazione a fine febbraio 2012 in versione rimasterizzata ed estesa a doppio cd con materiali aggiuntivi in parte inediti, brani dal vivo, versioni alternative, apparato grafico originale e nuove note di copertina. Si possono prenotare presso Burning Shed. Inconfondibili. Indispensabili, bien sûr. Matching Mole e Little Red Record.
Matching Mole - A Canterbury supergroup formed in 1971, Matching Mole featured former Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt, former Caravan keyboard player Dave Sinclair, guitarist Phil Miller, and Quiet Sun bassist Bill McCormick. This edition has been re-mastered from the original master tapes and is expanded to include five previously unreleased studio session alternate takes; the single versions of O Caroline and Signed Curtain, along with two BBC Radio One sessions from 1972.
Little Red Record - Produced by Robert Fripp and featuring a guest appearance from Brian Eno, Matching Mole's (Robert Wyatt's post Soft Machine band) second album saw Dave MacRae replace the outgoing Dave Sinclair. This edition has been remastered from the original master tapes and is expanded to include four previously unreleased studio session alternate takes and Matching Mole's appearance on BBC Radio One 'In Concert' from July 1972.
www.burningshed.com/store/canterburyscene/product/104/3544
www.burningshed.com/store/canterburyscene/product/104/3543
Keith Tippett è a Piacenza domani 14 gennaio per un laboratorio musicale e un concerto serale gratuito alle ore 21.00 presso il Conservatorio Nicolini, nell'antico monastero di Santa Franca; lì è previsto anche un suo concertino pomeridiano, verso le 17.30, nell'ambito delle iniziative didattiche legate all'open day della scuola: http://tinyurl.com/7rqj37b
www.conservatorio.piacenza.it
Prende oggi il via a Oslo il festival di musica improvvisata All Ears, organizzato come ogni anno dai musicisti Guro Moe, Paal Nilssen-Love, Jon Rune Strøm e Lasse Marhaug. Il programma dell'undicesima edizione, con concerti fino al 15 gennaio, vede tra i protagonisti Keith Rowe, Burkhard Beins, Steve Noble, Okkyung Lee, Raymond Strid, Andy Moor, Thomas Lehn, Marcus Schmickler e il trio Evan Parker / Barry Guy / Paul Lytton.
Informazioni in www.all-ears.no/2012/2012.html
La sessione dal vivo che Jad Fair, Mick Hobbs e Gilles Rieder hanno registrato lo scorso 3 dicembre per Hello GoodBye, programma di Resonance FM, è disponibile in podcast negli archivi dell'emittente londinese: http://podcasts.resonancefm.com/archives/8071.
Alcune immagini sono su Flickr.
Performing live in session on this week’s Hello GoodBye we had the lo-fi, living legend Jad Fair. Jad was joined by regular collaborators Mick Hobbs on guitar and Gilles Rieder on percussion. Jad Fair embarked upon a musical career when he formed the group Half Japanese with his brother David back in the late 1970's. Jad has since gone on to carve out an incredibly impressive and mind-bogglingly productive career, with over 50 albums to his name (including a multitude of collaborative projects with the likes of Mo Tucker, Daniel Johnston, Yo La Tengo, Teenage Fanclub and many many more.) Jad’s childlike enthusiasm and creativity remain entirely undiminished and he is nowadays almost as well known for his striking and poetic ‘paper-cuts’ artwork as he is for his music.
A collection 109 songs from Jad's gargantuan back-catalogue are currently available on the triple CD Beautiful Songs through Fire Records.
http://podcasts.resonancefm.com/archives/8071
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellogoodbyeshow/archives/date-taken/2011/12/03
Al quarto capitolo Sacred Geometry - atmosfere musicali suggerite da Mikey Cosmic a favorire stati di sogno diurno, espansione mentale e rilassamento - partecipano a vario titolo Daevid Allen, Steve Hillage, Jean-Philippe Rykiel e Gilli Smyth: www.planetgong.co.uk/bazaar/cd/sacredgeometry4.shtml
Al sassofonista britannico Mike Osborne è dedicato l'album di Evan Parker e Zlatko Kaučič Round About One O'Clock, pubblicato dall'etichetta polacca Not Two e tratto da un concerto del 2009 tenuto al cinquantesimo Jazz Festival di Ljubljana.
Scrive il percussionista: "Bogdan Benigar is the musical director of the Ljubljana Jazz Festival. He gave me the opportunity to perform with the great musician Evan Parker on the occasion of the 50th Jubilee Festival. I met Evan the day before the concert and there was an instant connection between us. I told him a story about being in Spain and playing with the amazing Mike Osborne in Valencia and Madrid. It was in 1978 in a small club called Tres tristes tigres in Valencia. It was an absolutely thrilling experience, despite the fact Ozzie was very ill at this time (acute schizophrenia). I remember a concert in Madrid with a sold-out theatre (over 1000 people) where we didn’t have any PA system, and the sound of Mike’s alto was so strong, so powerful, hit so directly into the heart of people that the public was just stunned. After that, I didn’t have any news of him. I was told that he went into a mental hospital to cure himself. He stopped playing after 1982 and went back to Hereford, his home. He passed away on September 19, 2007. So Evan and I decided to dedicate this record Round About One O’Clock to the memory of Mike Osborne - Ozzie".
http://tinyurl.com/7dgxjkd
http://www.nottwo.com/PelnaPlyta.php?Id=418&W
http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/labels/nottwo/mw863.html
Tra i doni più graditi della Befana arriva la promessa della pubblicazione integrale del concerto, inedito, di Elton Dean con il suo gruppo Ninesense tenuto al 100 Club di Londra il 5 marzo 1979. Provvederà la Reel Recordings, pescando dagli archivi audio e fotografici di Riccardo Bergerone. Il doppio cd sarà pronto il 5 marzo 2012: l'annuncio è in http://tinyurl.com/7ct653q
For the many friends and fans of the late saxophonist and composer Elton Dean, this poignant double compact disc release is the debut presentation of a complete concert performance from Elton’s ensemble of Brit-Jazz firebrands known as Ninesense. Elton Dean was a consummate musician, widely recognized for his indelible sound and serpentine solos on alto sax and saxello. From his roots in the R&B styling of Long John Baldry’s Bluesology, through The Keith Tippett Group, Soft Machine, and Just Us, Elton founded Ninesense from London’s finest jazz upstarts: Alan Skidmore, tenor & soprano saxophones; Mark Charig, cornet & tenor horn; Harry Beckett, flugelhorn & trumpet; Nick Evans & Radu Malfatti, trombone; Keith Tippett, piano; Harry Miller, bass; Louis Moholo, drums. Joining Ninesense during their second set is American trumpeter Jim Dvorak.
www.reelrecordings.org
Cinque nuovi titoli salutano il nuovo anno Cuneiform: Ergo, If Not Inertia; Forgas Band Phenomena, Acte V; Michael Gibbs con la NDR Big Band (e Gary Burton), Back in the Days; Joel Harrison e Lorenzo Feliciati con Cuong Vu, Roy Powell e Dan Weiss, Holy Abyss; Decline and Fall, sesto atteso titolo per Thinking Plague.
www.cuneiformrecords.com
E per dessert? Zuppa inglese, naturalmente!
‘English Soup, or the Battle of the Classic Trifle’ with music by Mike Westbrook and lyrics by Kate Westbrook, was commissioned by Bollwater Project and premiered by the Village Band in 2007 in the Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival, Plymouth. The DVD combines a state-of-the-art soundtrack, recorded by Jon Hiseman, with images of the two protagonists acting out the drama, location filming of the band and mouth watering glimpses of Trifle - all presided over by a hipster compere. In the battle between two passionate Trifle makers, both agree the Trifle is an endangered species. They agree too, that there are layers in a Trifle, but one protagonist is a high minded individual using only organic ingredients, and the other champions common-or-garden materials. The music runs the gamut from Trad to cutting edge. In the glorious be-bop Finale, the two lay down their arms and agree that when it comes to Trifle all that matters is to improvise.
http://www.westbrookjazz.co.uk/englishsoup/index.shtml
