Free Jazz Music

This was one I waited on, and then by the time it came out I was somewhere else mood-wise and I just never got around to getting it. Then came Nels, Andrea and Tom's newer album, Downpour, which I picked up right around its release. That album is great and any fan of either of these 3 should own it. For a few weeks I was of the mindset that this album probably pales in comparison to Downpour but the more I listened to it, the more I knew I had to give this one a shot also.

Good thinking! Made up of more, and more compact performances, this live album is quite different in tone and attack than Downpour, though when it's really happening it's equally compelling. Though they all shine, I'm particularly fond of Andrea here. She seems to be in a more dominant role here than on Downpour, so it makes for a much different listen.

There are basically 3.5 tracks here that I love. I don't want to distract you from your own experiences with this music, so I'll not name them, but that's how I hear it. 3 great (and in some ways better than Downpour) improvisations, followed by 1 where I don't enjoy the first half of it (that half is my least favorite section of the cd) but somehow it morphs into freaked out beauty.

This is certainly one of Nels' more "noise" types of albums so don't expect the songs/compositions of Draw Breath or Destroy All Nels Cline. This one is about beautiful chaos, and I have to put it way ahead of Live At Luxx both in performance and sonic quality.

An essential document of where Nels' art was at... at least on the night this was recorded. =)

. . . but those who do are in for a special treat.

Nels Cline is slowly but surely establishing himself as one of the truly important figures in avant garde jazz and new music. Here the Left Coast guitar maestro finds himself in an entirely congenial setting with Downtown NY bandmates Andrea Parkins (accordion, piano, keyboards, and laptop samples) and Tom Rainey (drums). There's plenty of noise/grunge to satisfy the hardest core out-jazz freak; but there's also a lot of unexpected sheer beauty, with industrial white noise morphing into delicate and unexpected melody ("Alleys of North America").

This strikes me as the finest and most profound music the prolific Nels Cline has put to disc, containing a gravitas and sonic profundity sledom encountered in music of any stripe.

Greatly rewards close listening, although certainly not aural wallpaper or background music (despite apparent ventures into same).

Three of the most innovative and far reaching musicians working today, work very well together on this recording. It runs the gamut of styles, restlessly so, imaginatively so. Nels is in fine form and this is one of the best of his latest batch of recordings. Rainey is a great drummer (see his work with Tim Berne, epecially the Big Satan record), and Parkins who has played with everyone from Bjork to Zorn, is magical, adding in so many subtle layers of sound. You'll like this record--you may even love it if you listen to it long enough.

this has become one of my favorite albums. pharoah sanders is in fine form , elvin jones is a swirling fountain rhythm machine. and sharrock is mean and nasty. he realy is a forgotten man. you never here him mentioned with mcglaughlin and dimeloa. but this album rescues him from obscurity.just in time before his death. thats a shame. he might of run off a string of greatness after. im glad to have it. its jazzy, its proggy, its avant guard, reflective, and very listenable. no filler here. a very engaging cd.manny mansions is my favorite track.

On first hearing it, you might feel nothing but regret about "Ask the Ages." I certainly have never had an opportunity to play this disc with a loved one within earshot.

The session draws you in completely, though, within its first few measures. And with time, you may feel nothing else comes close. It is, to my mind, THE free jazz masterpiece. Its title is no pomp. Lasswell, as producer, strips the players' sounds down to the essence of each, and they gel into something every bit as timeless as the album's name suggests. It is a session sound that somehow is both intimate and spacious at the same time.

Every track will repeatedly shock, both in clarity and brutalism, sending chills right up and down the spine. The sound Sharrock gets out of his Les Paul and Marshall stack are the Alpha and the Omega of this date. He opens and closes each piece with ringing, transcendant melody. Then Pharaoh Sanders blasts in, and Sharrock can still ride that one-man herd. But incredibly, during every one of these Hendrixian fuzz-fests, Bill Lasswell has the guitarist's amp low in the mix.

That means we have all sorts of room to listen for every faint, layered rumble out of the superstar rhythm duo of Charnett Moffett and Elvin Jones. The two sound supremely confident of this whole fusion. Charnett Moffett is in his absolute prime, with a jaw-dropping 12 bars of perfection on "Who Does She Hope to Be?" And I have never understood Elvin Jones' technique better than I have on this disk -- every tap or roll sounds like it comes from an awesome, rainmaking deity just over the horizon.

And there's more going on than each man working alongside the other. "Little Rock" for instance, is a nice play on words. Step back from the solos, and you'll sense in the syncopated melodicism, Sharrock and Sanders having a little unspoken fun with the old doo-wop repertoire.

Sharrock's solo on "Many Mansions" is the most thrilling sound ever to issue from a Les Paul. (A fair-weather tribute to Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner.") And there was never a sweeter, or more anthemic close, than "Once Upon a Time." It will have you whistling for hours, until you dare spin up the whole CD again -- so that this time you can listen that much more closely.

I have been returning to this disc since it caught my ear as an undergrad in DC in 1991, and I could never part with it -- no matter what heights those eBay bids might scale.

I'd never heard of Sonny Sharrock until someone mentioned him to me in an e-mail discussion about Jerry Garcia. You ought to hear this album. If you can find it! Powerful, sensitive playing, simultaneously Zappa-like with JB Hutto flavoring. New ground broken. It is tragic that he died fairly young.

The song "who does she hope to be" is in my opinion what true love must sound like. I remember where I was the day I heard that Sonny died. He truly lives through this great body of work. He is fiercely beautiful.

This is a great jazz album...not for everyone though. First off, the fact that Pharoah Sanders plays on this one should clue you in that there will be violent, chaotic bursts of sound...not for everyone's musical taste. Sharrock also plays a whirlwind of notes, sometimes in a violently pointless manner. But the album swells into interesting tones and changes that make this an extremely unique accomplishment of jazz music. As a musician, I loved the sounds..the harmonies and noises...the rawness, nakedness of sound.

this has become one of my favorite albums. pharoah sanders is in fine form , elvin jones is a swirling fountain rhythm machine. and sharrock is mean and nasty. he realy is a forgotten man. you never here him mentioned with mcglaughlin and dimeloa. but this album rescues him from obscurity.just in time before his death. thats a shame. he might of run off a string of greatness after. im glad to have it. its jazzy, its proggy, its avant guard, reflective, and very listenable. no filler here. a very engaging cd.manny mansions is my favorite track.

On first hearing it, you might feel nothing but regret about "Ask the Ages." I certainly have never had an opportunity to play this disc with a loved one within earshot.

The session draws you in completely, though, within its first few measures. And with time, you may feel nothing else comes close. It is, to my mind, THE free jazz masterpiece. Its title is no pomp. Lasswell, as producer, strips the players' sounds down to the essence of each, and they gel into something every bit as timeless as the album's name suggests. It is a session sound that somehow is both intimate and spacious at the same time.

Every track will repeatedly shock, both in clarity and brutalism, sending chills right up and down the spine. The sound Sharrock gets out of his Les Paul and Marshall stack are the Alpha and the Omega of this date. He opens and closes each piece with ringing, transcendant melody. Then Pharaoh Sanders blasts in, and Sharrock can still ride that one-man herd. But incredibly, during every one of these Hendrixian fuzz-fests, Bill Lasswell has the guitarist's amp low in the mix.

That means we have all sorts of room to listen for every faint, layered rumble out of the superstar rhythm duo of Charnett Moffett and Elvin Jones. The two sound supremely confident of this whole fusion. Charnett Moffett is in his absolute prime, with a jaw-dropping 12 bars of perfection on "Who Does She Hope to Be?" And I have never understood Elvin Jones' technique better than I have on this disk -- every tap or roll sounds like it comes from an awesome, rainmaking deity just over the horizon.

And there's more going on than each man working alongside the other. "Little Rock" for instance, is a nice play on words. Step back from the solos, and you'll sense in the syncopated melodicism, Sharrock and Sanders having a little unspoken fun with the old doo-wop repertoire.

Sharrock's solo on "Many Mansions" is the most thrilling sound ever to issue from a Les Paul. (A fair-weather tribute to Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner.") And there was never a sweeter, or more anthemic close, than "Once Upon a Time." It will have you whistling for hours, until you dare spin up the whole CD again -- so that this time you can listen that much more closely.

I have been returning to this disc since it caught my ear as an undergrad in DC in 1991, and I could never part with it -- no matter what heights those eBay bids might scale.

I'd never heard of Sonny Sharrock until someone mentioned him to me in an e-mail discussion about Jerry Garcia. You ought to hear this album. If you can find it! Powerful, sensitive playing, simultaneously Zappa-like with JB Hutto flavoring. New ground broken. It is tragic that he died fairly young.

The song "who does she hope to be" is in my opinion what true love must sound like. I remember where I was the day I heard that Sonny died. He truly lives through this great body of work. He is fiercely beautiful.

This is a great jazz album...not for everyone though. First off, the fact that Pharoah Sanders plays on this one should clue you in that there will be violent, chaotic bursts of sound...not for everyone's musical taste. Sharrock also plays a whirlwind of notes, sometimes in a violently pointless manner. But the album swells into interesting tones and changes that make this an extremely unique accomplishment of jazz music. As a musician, I loved the sounds..the harmonies and noises...the rawness, nakedness of sound.

Wow, I hope no one read the first review. I thought I was reviewing R.L. Burnside. Anyway, the critique on the cover says this will blow you away. If you like avant garde jazz (and I do) it will, most certainly, blow your mind! Really, this is some awesome stuff. I do not have the words to explain how @*&$#^> awesome this is. Do yourself a favor and just buy it already.

I've collected volumes 1 through 6 with great enthusiasm and all have brought equal reward. John Zorn continues to amaze me with his prolific output, and overabundant talent and love for all things audible. With Book 7, Marc Ribot shines on all tracks, showing why he is the guitarist of choice for Mr. Zorn. Trevor Dunn also provides very solid basswork, and his interaction with Ribot is very tight, most likely coming from their past work in Electric Masada together. I am new to G. Calvin Weston's work, but from this effort alone, I will definitely be looking out for more. Tracks #2 and 4 are instant favorites, but none of the tracks are any less than stellar. Anyone obsessed with the involved parties probably have already picked this up, but anyone looking for a solid guitar/bass/drum trio effort, here it is.

Just picked this up the other day and I haven't stopped listening to it yet. Just guitar, bass and drums. Jewish/Sephardic melodies played in a rock/avante-garde jazz style. The brief liner notes compare his playing to Hendrix, McLaughlin, Sharrock, and Ulmer. I'd probably say closest to Sharrock, maybe because he's played with Zorn, but also because he may be the least "in the pocket" player and most willing to take chances, but without the trademark "blizzard of notes". Ribot's not a shredder, but he certainly keeps you guessing where the solo's going next, and he embraces dissonance like a certain bucket wearing guitarist Zorn is certainly familiar with. An interesting aspect of his style (on this cd anyway) is he doesn't use much vibrato, especially when holding a long note. Couple this with some of the high keening notes of the middle eastern scale and his slightly acidic tone and it really makes for a unique sound, almost like a reed instrument. The rhythm section is infallible, and keeps everything "real" and listenable through Marc's wanderings down Electric Ladyland. Trevor Dunn's bass work is quite remarkable, occasionally bubbling to the surface, then back down to groove-keeping. The tunes Yezriel, Zakun and Dagiel are my personal favorites. Yezriel in particular has a 60's groove reminscient of Jefferson Airplane's eastern experiments, but Ribot takes it somewhere Jorma never could have imagined (no matter how much acid he consumed). My only complaint is the cd's only 36 minutes long, but it's a thrilling 1/2 hour. Buy it cheap and enjoy!

"Asmodeus" is the seventh installment in John Zorn's Masada Book II. In case anyone reading is unfamiliar, a brief introduction: in the early '90s, Zorn began exploring his Jewish and Jazz heritages through the composition of a songbook of themes that could serve as a sprinboard for improvisation. He composed some 200 songs for the original jazz quartet, eventually expanding the project to be performed by other acts. Over a decade after its inception, Zorn revitalized the aging (by his standards) project by injecting a new songbook into the mix-- the Book of Angels, a collection of around 300 new themes. Instead of focusing on a band this time, Zorn has had different groups perform the material. "Asmodeus" presents ten pieces from the book as performed by a rock power trio led by guitarist Marc Ribot, ably supported by bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer G. Calvin Weston.

What follows is something that, even moreso than Electric Masada did, will shake your impression as to where this project can go. From the opener "Kalmiya"-- it's clear that this is something forceful-- Ribot comes blazing out with a frantic, noisy, overdriven guitar solo over a raging rhythm section before settling into a bit of a monster groove, with the melody eventually floating above (or perhaps in opposition to) a freely associating Dunn and Weston. Quite frankly, it's like Ornette Coleman's Prime Time project on steroids.

While the record admittedly settles down a bit (the second track, "Yezriel", finds the trio slinking into a blues rock feel after the explosive opener), the performance maintains a raging intensity and seemingly endless blistering guitar pyrotechnics throughout. Admittedly, at times this causes the performance to deviate a bit, capturing this sort of performance almost universally works better in a live setting where you can really see and feel the interaction and energy between the band, and here it can cause the pieces to occasionally feel disjoint ("Kezef" where Ribot seems tentative, "Armaros" where Dunn does, at least after his solo). Sometimes I suspect this was the intent-- if the goal was to capture a live energy here, it would stand to reason that you'd avoid repeated takes and sometimes you'll end up a bit disjoint. On the other hand, sometimes you'll end up so disjoint that what you'll have its a piece that bubbles over with so much energy, you can't help but be in awe of it, and Ribot's sound, while consistent on the record, still somehow manages to be all over the map, touching on John McLaughlin ("Yezriel"), Sonny Sharrock ("Cabriel") and Blood Ulmer ("Sensenya"), not to mention literally dozens of others.

One thing I can safely say about "Asmodeus", by the time it wraps up, you can almost feel exhausted. It is an immensely powerful record, and again while perhaps not as consisently successful as other entries in the Masada Book II catalog (the Masada String Trio record comes immediately to mind), this one is so overwhelming in its dissection and deconstruction of the rock idiom that it's hard to think of it as anything short of fantastic. Recommended.

This double CD by the World's Greatest Jazz Band on Arbors Records brings back many memories for me. Not that I was at Manchester's (England) Free Trade Hall on December 15, 1971 when this music was recorded. Far from it. However, the WJGB was one of the bands which helped pique my teenage interest in jazz. This was due to several factors - the heavy play which the late jazz DJ Phil MacKellar gave the WGJB on his Toronto radio show; the surprising availability of their records in a record store close to my home; and the presence in the group of two trombones (the instrument I was trying to play at the time). Eventually I saw the band live in 1974 with several changes in the personnel from the band on this CD. My tastes in jazz have broadened considerably since those early days, but I will always have a place in my heart (and my record collection) for the WGJB co-led by trumpeter Yank Lawson and bassist Bob Haggart.

The great appeal of the World's Greatest Jazz Band was its ability to constantly infuse the Dixieland/NewOrleans/swing/blues repertoire with lots of spirit and thereby uplift the listener's spirts. There was joy on the bandstand which spread to the audience whenever this band played. And their appeal cut across all generations.

The personnel on this CD is the classic WGJB lineup, consisting of Yank Lawson and Billy Butterfield on trumpets, Bud Freeman and Bob Wilber on reeds, trombonists Ed Hubble and Vic Dickenson, and the rhythm section of pianist Ralph Sutton, bassist Bob Haggart and drummer Gus Johnson Jr.
Tunes by Fats Waller, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and Jelly Roll Morton, among others, are featured. Bob Haggart contributes six tunes to the program, including some newer tunes such as "The Girl on the Beach", but also "What's New?" and the inevitable bass/drums duo "Big Noise From Winnetka".

The whole band jams together on some of the tracks, with solos from all the front-liners, but the larger group is often broken down into smaller units featuring one or two horns with the rhythm section. On a few tracks the rhythm section alone is featured. Billy Butterfield is outstanding on his "Summertime" feature. Bud Freeman swings in his distinctive tenor style on "I Got Rhythm" and is adventurous in his phrasing on "Muskrat Ramble." Ralph Sutton swings hard on his stride specialities - "Viper's Drag" and "Alligator Crawl". "One of those Things" features Freeman and Wilber, while "Black and Blue" has a lovely duet by Lawson and Butterfield. Both trombonists wail in their contrasting but compatible styles on "Limehouse Blues", and Dickenson has one of the concert's finest moments on "In a Sentimental Mood."

These are but a few of the highlights of a nicely balanced program which pleased an appreciative audience. It will please CD listeners too, though it must be said that the recording quality is adequate rather than of the highest quality. There is occasional evidence of tape deterioration. Still, CD releases by the WGJB have been quite rare, so this double CD set is a warmly recommended snapshot of the band at the peak of its powers. The music is also accompanied by comprehensive and often hilarious notes by writer Steve Voce.

In 1971, it would have been tough to dispute any claim that a nonet of Yank Lawson and Billy Butterfield on trumpet, Vic Dickenson and Ed Hubble on trombone, Bob Wilber on clarinet, Bud Freeman on tenor, Ralph Sutton at the piano, Bob Haggart on bass and Gus Johnson Jr. on drums WASN'T the "World's Greatest Jazz Band." Co-leaders Lawson and Haggart put the group together for this live concert in Manchester, England, and 35 or so years later, Rachel and Mat Domber of Arbors Records tracked down the recordings and turned out this historic two-CD set at a modest price. Lawson, Haggart, Butterfield, Wilber and Sutton are outstanding on these discs. Over the years, WGJB issued some fine studio recordings for Atlantic, Decca, World's and other labels, and Jazzology has recently reissued some of the World's recordings. Lawson and Haggart, veterans of the Bob Crosby orchestra, continued to perform at jazz festivals in Los Angeles and elsewhere until they died in their 80s. Finding this previously unheard concert is a pleasant surprise.