Mostly Other People Do The Killing - Red Hot (2013)

Mostly Other People Do The Killing - Red Hot (Hot Cup, 2013)

Personnel:
Peter Evans: trumpet
Jon Irabagon: saxophones
Moppa Elliott: bass
Kevin Shea: drums
and
David Taylor: bass trombone
Ron Stabinsky: piano
Brandon Seabrook: banjo/electronics

Tracklisting:
01. The Sickshinny Shimmy
02. Zelienople
03. Red Hot
04. King of Prussia
05. Turkey Foot Corner
06. Seabrook, Power, Plank
07. Orange is the Name of the Town
08. Gum Stump
09. Bird-in-Hand

Yes, our heroes are at it again, mock-saluting - and sincerely saluting - every jazz movement in existence and naming songs after Pennsylvania towns.  This time the main focus is on the hot jazz of the 1920s, but pretty much every other sub-genre of jazz gets a shout-out.  You know the drill.  If Woody Allen ever went back to making the kind of comedies he wrote and directed at the beginning of his film career (it would be a self-conscious move of revisionism that would surely suck but), MOPDTK's “Red Hot” would make the perfect soundtrack for them.

Kicking off with “The Shickshinny Shimmy” (Hello PA!), the band moves in and out of the 1920s w/ characteristic speed and smart chops, featuring the super-hot rolling dixieland banjo strum of new member Brandon Seabrook.  The standard line-up is also augmented this time around by the magnificent Ron Stabinsky on piano and bass trombone star David Taylor.  The in-and-out pattern becomes fully established on “Zelienople,” which opens with a drum solo from the always astonishingly excellent Kevin Shea.  The decades crash into each other from 40 years apart, as Shea plays free underneath some good ol' hot jazz.  Sonny Murray plays with King Oliver for awhile and then Bill Evans shows up.  Then Bill Dixon joins in, courtesy of Peter Evans (who was also King Oliver, of course).  How this can seem like par-for-the-course for any band is beyond all logic, but this band calls it home.

The title track begins with electronic gurgles and blasts alternating with Seabrook's banjo.  Then the band joins in, full dixieland, full Jelly Roll, full fun.  These smart asses take the piss out of the earnest hot jazz revisionist groups so well, but there is a slight feeling of “sore winners” about it.  They're running past the other guys at the finish line and giving them the finger and laughing while they do it.  I'm not saying I don't approve; I'm just saying that's what it sounds like.

On “King of Prussia” Stabinski does a piano solo mash-up of various pianists / songwriters.  Scott Joplin and Joe Jackson stand out pretty obviously.  (He does a mean McCoy Tyner during “Orange is the Name of the Town.”  This guy can do anybody.)  The whole band plays a slow bawdy stomp while Seabrook bows his banjo through a reverb effect, giving the 1920s a touch of 1950s sci-fi.  Inexplicably, the track winds up in lounge jazz territory.

Band leader Moppa Elliot takes a bass solo at the beginning of “Turkey Foot Stomp,” which takes on a Foghorn Leghorn vibe as the music traverses through the barnyard carelessly and confidently.  The harsh, zero-sustain attack of a banjo lends itself well to the overall landscape, often providing relief when things get a little too self-conscious or serious.  On “Seabrook, Power, Plank” this tack goes so far as sounding a bit like Naked City at Dollywood.

Saxophonist Jon Irabagon opens “Gum Stump,” a traditional 12-bar blues (no foolin') with a whole bunch of over-the-top freakouts in it.  The 12-bar blues format is held steadily for over five minutes; and then it's back to business as usual.  Cross Cab Calloway with Django Reinhardt in a Shakey's Pizza in New Orleans and you get “Bird-In-Hand,” the album's closing track.  It also stands as the most concise piece of music on the disc; and in a perfect world it would be a hit single on top forty radio.  (Does that still exist?)

Red Hot is an irreverent tribute to 100 years of jazz masquerading as a take-off on 1920s dixieland.  It could have only been conceived at this time, where the “jazz wars” between the sub-genres are (finally!) almost non-existent.  I can't imagine any other band attempting such an idea, let alone succeeding in its execution and making it seem so effortless.[Free Jazz]

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Arthur Doyle Electro-Acoustic Ensemble - Patriotic Act (2006)

Arthur Doyle Electro-Acoustic Ensemble - Patriotic Act (Qbico, 2006)

Personnel:

Arthur Doyle: kinetic sax kaboom, village voice
Nuuj: electronics
Leslie Q:  guitar
Vin Paternostro: Roland 505
Dave Cross: turntables
Ed Wilcox: drums

Tracklisting:
A1. Homo      
A2. When The Shit Goes Down      
A3. Milk Brain      
A4. Butt Call   

"that was rec. at the 1st No Fun Festival, i was there, been done just few days after the 1st unite @ Tonic. it was pretty crowded and Arthur was in a good mood... Dave came up with the titles (on the his-story page there is a pic of him from that night); artwork is from Roberto private collection." qbico

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Goran Kajfeš Subtropic Arkestra - The Reason Why Vol. 1 (2013)

Goran Kajfeš Subtropic Arkestra - The Reason Why Vol. 1 (Headspin, 2013)

Personnel:

Goran Kajfeš: Trumpet, Cornet
Jonas Kullhammar: Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute, Lyricon
Per "Ruskträsk" Johansson: Baritone Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Flute, Piccolo Flute
Andreas Söderström: Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Jesper Nordenström: Organ
Robert Östlund: Organ, Electric Guitar
Mats Äleklint: Trombone
Johan Berthling: bass
Johan Holmegard: drums

Tracklisting:
01 - Yakar Inceden Inceden
02 - Storstad
03 - Desire Be, Desire Go
04 - The Nodder
05 - Okwukwe Na Nchewube
06 - Badidoom
07 - Es War Enmal
08 - Karina

Goran Kajfeš Subtropic Arkestra reveals the DNA of X/Y on new studio album The Reason Why - Vol.1.

2011 Nordic Music Prize winner and his large jazz ensemble reimagine Turkish psych, Brazilian soul, German psychedelic electronica and progressive jazz/rock on the follow up to the hugely successful X/Y. In preparation for his fourth studio recording, trumpeter Goran Kajfeš trawled his personal record collection to choose seven pieces of music that join the dots between the diverse array of influences in his music.

The Reason Why - Vol.1 sees Goran Kajfeš’ Subtropic Arkestra reimagine such colourful music as the Turkish psych of Edip Akbayram, the soulful groove of Brazilian singer Arthur Verocai, the German psychedelic electronica of Cluster and the progressive jazz/rock of Soft Machine, Bo Hansson and Tame Impala, among others.

The Reason Why - Vol.1 is in many ways a direct extension of his ambitious X/Y project and acts as a tribute to Kajfeš'  myriad inspirations and also as an attempt to push jazz away from the beaten track and into new territories.

Croatian-born (Sweden-raised) Kajfeš is a tireless innovator and a key figure of contemporary Swedish culture. In addition to his work as a bandleader, sideman and producer, he has worked with film, theatre, art and dance. In 2012, he released X/Y, an ambitious two-part recording through which he expressed contrasting aspects of his musical personality. Described as "a total work of art" and awarded 5/5 by The Independent (UK), given 4/5 by MOJO (UK) and voted Best Album of 2012 by Rob Young (The Wire) in Artforum Magazine, X/Y earned Kajfeš the prestigious Nordic Music Prize ahead of favourites Bjork and Lykke Li.

With a nod to Sun Ra legendary cosmic jazz ensemble, the 10-strong Subtropic Arkestra comprises the cream of the contemporary Swedish music scene with saxophonists Jonas Kullhammar and Per Johansson, guitarist Andreas Söderström (Ass, El Rojo Adios), bassist Johan Berthling (Fire!, Tape) and drummer Johan Holmegard (Dungen, The Amazing), Andreas Werllin (Wildbirds&Peacedrums, Tonbruket) among others. [Headspin]

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The best jazz album of year so far! Hardly recommended!

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Endangered Blood - Work Your Magic (2013)

Endangered Blood - Work Your Magic (Skirl, 2013)

Personnel:
Chris Speed: tenor saxophone, clarinet

Oscar Noriega: alto saxophone, bass clarinet

Trevor Dunn: bass

Jim Black: drums

Tracklisting:

01 - Kaffibarinn

02 - Blues in C Flat Minor

03 - Ah-Le-Pa

04 - Argento

05 - Manzanita

06 - Nice Try

07 - International Four

08 - LA#5

The out-jazz supergroup Endangered Blood is no less adventurous on their second album, but they’ve added more nods to conventional jazz this time.

The first album did have “Epistrophy,” but it was a version darkened by crinkly bass clarinet. Work Your Magic has “Argento,” a breezy swing tune with Jim Black’s bustling racket going on behind the straight-faced horns. “Blues in C-Flat Minor” really is a blues, albeit in 7/8 time and propelled by some bubbly, unconventional drumming.

And “LA#5,” apparently a nod to Lester Young, is a sweet ballad. Black goes into quieter mode for this one, using brushes for a more subdued style (as on his piano album, Somatic). Trevor Dunn gets a a nice bass solo before Chris Speed’s tenor sax takes over with his tart sound.

Most of Speed’s compositions reach further afield than that, though. Manzanita” starts with written counterpoint lines for alto sax and clarinet, sometimes with one player pulsing one note while the other one weaves in and out of the fabric. It’s a summertime cerebral jazz, played out politely until the group careens into speedier form. “Kaffibarinn,” named for an Icelandic bar, uses light Glassian arpeggios and a heavy melody of stern chamber music.

It’s all executed well, as you’d expect from these guys. Speed (tenor sax/clarinet) and Jim Black (drums) have been together since the ’90s in groups like Human Feel and Tim Berne’s Bloodcount. Oscar Noriega (alto sax/bass clarinet) has been on the post-downtown scene almost as long, and he’s most recently gotten airtime as a key part of Berne’s Snakeoil band. Dunn (bass), a darling of the out-rock set, has also been delivering solid jazz chops for any number of groups, including some great Bay Area groups in the late ’90s.

You do get more of the jazz in Speed’s playing on this album, and less of the wandering microtonal musings that he often favors. I like that. There are plenty of sax or clarinet solos over a bass/drums jam, certainly, but there’s also space for untethered improv duets (as on “Ah-Le-Pa,” which includes a nice Dunn/Black workout), criss-crossing composed lines for the reeds, or delicate chamber-jazz moments.

Further toward the outer edge of things, “International Four” (written by Hilmar Jensson, who’s played with these guys in other contexts) starts with free improvisation at a fast jog, full of sax/clarinet squawking, then gets into a composition of attractive long lines, a long path of bursty notes. [Wedgeradio]

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Rakka - Soutu (2012)

Rakka - Soutu (Nordic Notes, 2012)

Personnel:

Kusti Vuorinen: accordion, organ, percussion
Masa Orpana: tenor saxophone, flute
Jykä Ahola: trumpet, flugelhorn
Ville Rauhala: double bass
Janne Tuomi: drums, percussion
+ Simo Laihonen: percussion on 4 tracks

Tracklsting:
1 - Rosinante
2 - Reverence
3 - Soutu
4 - Try Not
5 - Laululintu
6 - Autuaita Ovat Autuaat
7 - Route 325

Rakka's members started to play together in the early nineties. They have played in many well-known Finnish bands such as Suurin Onni, Circle, Black Motor or Anssi Tikanmaen Film Orchestra. In its debut album "Soutu" ("Rowing"), the band mixes sounds from a mystical feeling, calm sights and improvised jazz. Songs from the album are written by Kusti Vuorinen who was nominated for Jazz Emma 2011, Masa Orpana who is one of the top Finnish saxophone players and Ville Raauhala who has played with many great jazz players like Raoul Björkenheim, Peter Brötzmann, Iro Haarla or Verneri Pohjola.

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Synchron - Synchron (2012)

Synchron - Synchron (Sagittarius A-Star, 2012)

Personnel:

Faruq Z. Bey: Saxophone  

John Dana: Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass
Ron English: Guitar
Keith Vreeland: Piano, Keyboards  
Leonard King: Drums

Tracklisting:
01 - Untitled
02 - Untitled
03 - Untitled
04 - Untitled
05 - Untitled

Lost big D eclectic jazz from the late 80's ! not much info/track titles about it ?! seems an unissued studio date who was planned for release but never happened, until now... it feauture rare appearances by members of Sphere (Vreeland/Dana) who unfortunatly released only one fantastic album back then on Strata... and Ron English who also rec. an LP for Strata under his name (but never issued on wax) and played with Lyman Woodard (drummer Leonard King was also part of the Organization), Wendell Harrison and Eddie Russ (to name a few). the most oblique rec. i ever heard from Faruq Z. Bey... that was for sure an innovative Group who sounds so unique also today... and probably even tomorrow...[label press]

Previously-unissued work from Michigan reedman Faruq Z Bey – a set that bristles with energy right from the start, and has that great 80s way of mixing in a bit of electricity with acoustic avant jazz! The style's similar to the best New York modes of the same period – with some electric bass, guitar, and keyboards used alongside Bey's saxes – but in ways that are hardly fusion at all, and which instead have this way of building strongly, in blocky formations that push the music along beautifully! A few tunes get a bit more acoustic – going for acoustic piano and bass – and titles aren't listed, but the set features five long tracks in all. (Dusty Groove America)

Recorded late 80's.

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The Lincoln Street Music Company - Inner Beckoning. Live at Depot Town (1983, 2001)

The Lincoln Street Music Company - Inner Beckoning. Live at Depot Town (Self-Released, 1983, 2001)

Personnel:

Faruq Z. Bey: tenor sax
Phil Lasley: alto sax
Doug Halladay: trumpet
Keith Vreeland: piano
John Dana: Bass
Danny Spencer: drums

Tracklisting:
1. Beware Blues  (Doug Halladay)
2. Rosa Crucial  (Faruq Z. Bey)
3. Suite  (Danny Spencer)
    a. Dorian
    b. Inner Beckoning
    c. Welcome


The music on this CD was recorded on a hot summer night in August, 1983 at Ypsilanti's Heritage Festival - a precursor to today's Frog Island Festival. It is a live recording, performed by some ol Detroit's finest musicians.
The Lincoln Street Music Company were the featured artists, and closing act at the festival following a day long jazz competition sponsored by WEMU. Ypsilanti's public radio station. Recently, the original 10" reels of this concert were discovered in the WEMU archives, and we are grateful to the staff at WEMU for preserving this historical concert.
The Lincoln Street Music Company is a collective of veteran Detroit jazz musicians, whose artistry is steeped in the rich tradition of Detroit jazz music: a tradition that builds on those who went before us, while pushing the boundaries of new territory. It is a tradition that is inclusive, has no racial barriers, is diverse in its approach to music and life, and has a strong spiritual foundation.
The music you are listening to on this recording reflects the varied backgrounds and experiences of the musicians in this ensemble. Each of the six members of the band brings their own unique voice to the mix: as professional musicians, composers, bandleaders, studio musicians, educators, and community activists. It is an eclectic mix of styles and musical roots that runs the gamut of blues, gospel, R&B, classical, avant garde, bebop, and fusion. which brought us to the point that we prefer not to put labels on the music!!!!
This CD is a live recording. It is unedited. What you hear is what you get!!! I've always believed that when music is played, it is in the air gone, but this simple two track stereo recording, mixed on the stage during the performance, is as close as you can get to capturing a moment in time, and the spirit of this evenings performance. It is raw, unpolished, and sometimes raggedy around the edges. But the musical energy and conversation between the musicians is apparent throughout.

Recorded live at Ypsilanti Heritage Festival, august 1983
Released in 2001, self published?

Out of print!

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