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trustjm · 2 years

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Tuvan throat singing soundbyte

Tuvan throat singing soundbyte free#

įourth, there is the younger generation, bringing this free jazz a step further, closer to free improv, such as Nuts, Trespass Trio, Abdelhai Bennani, Rodrigo Amado, Demian Richardson, Transit, Aida Severo, setting a totally new context based with often stunning results. Ware, Trio X, Joe McPhee, The Nu Band, Dennis González, Fred Anderson, Fonda/Stevens Group. Third, there is the real free jazz, solidly rooted in jazz and blues, yet so perplexingly alive. Examples are Dans Les Arbres, Mokuto, Paura, Bill Dixon, Graveyards, Carl Ludwig Hübsch, Buffalo Collision, Cardinal, Ear&Now, Carl Maguire. Second, there are the acoustic sound sculpturers, who completely do away with melody and rhythm, and create the most unheard kind of aural vistas, sometimes hard to get into, sometimes with stunning results. who demonstrate that musical intensity and power can as equally be generated by subtlety and nuance. What a lot of new things we got this year, and what quality.įirst, there is a tendency away from volume, moving into free minimalism or free lyricism, with musicians like the WHO trio, Lotte Anker, Samuel Blaser, Christian Lillinger, Torben Snekkestad, Katherine Young. Without the financial risks of these labels and without the passion of the people who run the labels, much of the great music that we enjoyed this year would have remained unheard.Īnd that's the good news. I hope they all get the revenue they deserve. I have no explanation for this transatlantic difference, but the good news is that good music is still being released, regardless of the geographic location of the labels. and I'm of course missing some, so apologies for that. Think of labels like Clean Feed, Leo Records, Not Two, NoBusiness, HatHut, Futura Marge, RogueArt, Jazzwerkstatt, Intakt, Creative Sources, Amirani, Kadima, MultiKulti, Fennomedia, FMR, Matchless, ECM, ILK, Ayler. In Europe, and this despite the economic crisis, the output is quite good. Since quite a lot of the music comes from American musicians, they have to resort more and more to European labels to get their voice heard. (or are my worries ungrounded and is this all an illusion, created by lack of proximity?) ) the most relevant US labels are the initiative of the musicians themselves (Tzadik, Atavistic, Skirl, Screwgun, Firehouse 12. With the exception of a few (AUM Fidelity, Porter, Delmark, ESP. I reviewed a little less than 300 albums this year, and listened to a lot more, although sometimes just barely, I must admit.įirst the worrying news : the divide that is growing between the CD output by European labels as compared to US labels, not only the number of labels, but also the number of albums by label. Not that I'm such a fan of lists or rankings, but it's always a good occasion to look back and see what the year has brought us. His implicit message to young musicians is clear : it may take a long time of searching, but finding new musical vistas is possible, and artistically so rewarding. Plays Albert A.", a 20-minute reverent vinyl tribute to Ayler pressed in 100 copies only (thanks Tony!), from which the above picture is taken. Next to an uncompromising Lithuanian quartet release, he also presented his new band " Fire!" he brings jazz into rock music, and again with great success. Any emotion you have (he has) gets amplified, reinforced through his instrument: directly, immediately and raw, whether it's agony, distress, sadness, and everything in between. On both albums, the saxophonist demonstrates that his instrument has become part of his body. This year, he releases two albums with get a five-star rating, one solo album, one duet with Barry Guy. A restless soul, never satisfied with his achievements, he keeps looking for new things. It's hard to keep count of the numbers of bands and albums the Swedish saxophonist plays with/on, but he's getting better and better still, and creating great music in many directions.

#Tuvan throat singing soundbyte

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dustedmagazine · 2 years

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Listed: Michael Bisio

Equally adept with fingers and bow, double bassist Michael Bisio has a knack for the complementary gesture that makes another musician sound good. This may explain his enduring relationships with multi-instrumentalists Joe McPhee and Charles Gayle, drummer Tani Tabbal, and, most notably, pianist Matthew Shipp. But Bisio has also been a bandleader and composer since the early 1980s. For the first three decades of his career, he was based in Seattle, but even then, he often came to New York to perform and record. Beginning in the 1990s, Bisio established an enduring relationship with Joe McPhee, and in 2007 he moved to New York. Within a couple years, he had joined Shipp’s trio. But it’s as a leader that he most recently was covered by Dusted. In our 2022 Midyear roundup, Bryon Hayes said of MBefore, a quartet recording that features Karl Berger, Mat Maneri, and Whit Dickey, “the quartet is so in sync that there’s no discernable rhythm section. Equally matched, the players create the perfect storm of sound.”

Matthew Shipp Trio — World Construct (ESP-Disk)

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OK, let’s get this out there upfront, I am on this recording and it’s a privilege. My relationship with this ensemble, music and artists is deep, very deep. I am in my third decade of making music with Matthew. His vision, dedication and follow through are beyond beyond. Newman Taylor Baker brings it at the very highest level, always. I hear his humanity in every note. There have been many peaks, World Construct is Mount Everest.

Charles Mingus — Mingus The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott’s (Resonance Records)

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Like most other bassists, hopefully most musicians involved in this music, Charles Mingus is a primary influence. His ability to infiltrate and lift my soul is a boundless joy. This document is no exception. His direction is simultaneously in the tradition and moves the tradition forward. His writing and playing are always phenomenal. On this set his abilities as leader, musical director, and conductor (especially on the two longest tracks) are astonishing! Much of this material we’ve heard before, but this ensemble brings such energy, power and beauty to it that it’s new again… and again. Although it is a band of giants, I am especially blown away by John Foster’s connection to the bassist’s every color, whim and direction.

Gene Ammons — The Greatest Hits, Vol.1 The Sixties (Original Jazz Classics)

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What can I say, this one is going to school for me… with a big smile on my face and I can’t wait for tomorrow! This curated collection is absolutely superb, each performance raises the bar. Just listen to Misters Ammons and Stitt (on alto) connect on My Foolish Heart — stunning. The ballads are especially poignant but everywhere it “floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee.”

John Coltrane — A Love Supreme (Impulse)

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The classic and in a class by itself. My son was born to A Love Supreme. I brought a boom box and cassette into the delivery room. Those beautiful sounds welcomed him into this world. Perfect.

“I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music.” John Coltrane

Art Farmer Quintet — The Time and The Place /The Lost Concert (Mosaic Records)

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This is one of the many recordings given to me by Mike Panico, a dear friend, producer, and label owner (Relative Pitch Records), now departed. Before hearing it I honestly didn’t know what to expect. It is a live recording from MoMA’s Jazz in the Garden series, dated 1966. I was blown away by what I heard. Jimmy Heath blowing Trane, absolutely owning it, Art Farmer playing free on “Blue Bossa!”Don’t get me wrong. The music stands on its own and is remarkable, due in no small part to an ultra-remarkable rhythm section. It does however always leave me wondering where the music sans the neo wars of the ’80s might be today.

Billy Bang / William Parker — Medicine Buddha (NoBusiness Records)

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A live recoding from The Rubin Museum of Art, 2009, given to me by another wonderful, beautiful friend. June 13, 2019, I played The Vision Festival. June 14, 2019, I had open heart surgery. It was not a surprise. I planned it that way. I did not want to miss this spectacular celebration. In between sets I visited with my friend, Maria, we had a wonderful conversation. She wished me well and was aware of the stresses and strains of recovery. A couple of weeks later this CD showed up in the mail with a note from Maria letting me know what good medicine this music was… It is.

Bob Nell — Soft & Bronze (Plechmo)

I am on this one as well but please don’t let that stop you from hearing it. To call Bob my friend is an understatement of gigantic proportions. The same is true of the term genius as applied to Bob. Beyond being my friend, Bob taught me almost everything I know about harmony simply by playing music with me day-in and day-out, all day, every day. By itself, that’s not a good enough reason for you to listen. But Bob’s music, artistry and spirit certainly are. You need to hear him.

Alice Coltrane — Journey In Satchidananda (Impulse)

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This music is stunning, spiritual and amazing in the most joyful sense. Cecil McBee’s contribution to this music is monumental — the way he can maintain and manipulate an ostinato is beautiful. His solos are out of this world!

Charlie Haden / Hampton Hawes — As Long As There’s Music (Verve)

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This one seems hard to come by nowadays. Hampton Hawes is one of my favorite musicians. His artistry is amazing! This recording documents the last time he and Charlie Haden played music together. (Side note: if you haven’t read Raise Up Off Me, do yourself a favor). Although I am not the biggest fan of the sound of the piano on this recording, the music is stellar — magical really.

To my ears Charlie Haden was born to play in the classic Ornette Coleman Quartet. Although there were other great bassists associated with OC (Scott LaFaro, David Izenzon) he defined the sound, function, spirit and language of the bass for that music. Here he redefines all those qualities in the piano/bass duo format. A very special recording.

Albert Ayler — Revelations (Elemental Music)

Albert Ayler - Revelations by Albert Ayler

There are few artists who had a bigger impact spreading the word. I can vividly remember brother Paul (a great musician, local Hendrix clone) bringing home New Grass (Impulse)… Wow! It’s about the sound! Spiritual Unity (ESP) remains monumental! (I seem to need a lot of exclamation points writing about Albert Ayler.) Yet this collection of live concerts certainly deserves its place in the pantheon of those beautiful documents. Power, energy and love are always evident. There are four great CDs in this set, all remarkable. To me disc three is the giant among giants.

#dusted magazine #listed #michael bisio #matthew shipp #charles mingus #gene ammons #john coltrane #art farmer #billy bang #william parker #bob nell #alice coltrane #charlie haden #hampton hawes #albert ayler

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undressjess · 6 years

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Uhhhh... Nite y’all. Tonight was dead af. I’m going to have to check into a homeless shelter soon at this rate. Lol. Please send your prayers. #deadclub #nobusiness #twerkwerk #premiumsnapchat #snapchatfilters #fishnet #sheerlingerie #teamnosleep #thicc #thickfit #curlyhair #curlyclipins #showgirl #xcessevansville (at Xcess)

#thicc #curlyclipins #fishnet #deadclub #sheerlingerie #showgirl #snapchatfilters #xcessevansville #twerkwerk #nobusiness #premiumsnapchat #teamnosleep #thickfit #curlyhair

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damnbandgirl · 6 years

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I am too crafty and art based to work a conventional job. But that’s exactly what I’m doing. Because I have no life or any other was to make money since no one wants my art (I’m a pretty shitty artist)

#art #artist #cosplay #photography #drawing #painting #perlerbeads #copics #crossstitch #ownonlinebusiness #nobusiness #no one wants my works

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arindam-mukherjee · 3 years

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Today I was watching GRAHAN. I was in New Delhi to shoot Sikh Genocide after 25 years. I am not so strong to handle the stories of thei pain. Cried every day. Here is the fact Sarjeet Kaur lost her husband in the Sikh Genocide in 1984. His only son who was bitten badly now walks with the support of a stick and gets spinal chord aches at night. She was traumatized and ever since has remained sick, suffering even after 25 years of the incident. Tilak Vihar in New Delhi is called the widow colony. Widows and children of the Sikhs who were killed in 1984 Sikh Genocide live here. Four thousand Sikhs were killed in 72 hours in Delhi alone but no body till date has been punished for such an inhuman crime. Illiteracy, drug addiction, child labour and immense poverty characterize the area. Twenty five years ago all the male family members above the age of 15 were killed and burnt, leaving their uneducated widows and children behind to suffer, even after 25 years. The present generation is jobless, steeped in alcoholism and have lost their directions in life. November 2009. New Delhi, India, Arindam Mukherjee.. #noprints #nomoney #nobusiness #arindammukherjee #love https://www.instagram.com/p/CT0CJtGhV05/?utm_medium=tumblr

#noprints #nomoney #nobusiness #arindammukherjee #love

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jdchiaramonte · 3 years

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#school #poetry #nobusiness #athome #humanities #only #today #quote #texte ##notes #ecriture #instinct #memory #memoire #graphic https://www.instagram.com/p/CROqMfKNwdr/?utm_medium=tumblr

#school #poetry #nobusiness #athome #humanities #only #today #quote #texte #notes #ecriture #instinct #memory #memoire #graphic

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darealgem · 3 years

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Get ready 🔥🔥🔥💯 #NoChymall #nobusiness #chymallcolouryourlife #ChyMallEcommerce #ChyMallNigeria #ChyMallGhana #ChyMallLagos #ChyMallGlobal #ChyMall #ChyMallIfe #SairuiMall #NaijaBusinessHello #Ecommerce #NaijaBusinessWomen💕 #NaijaBusinessMen💪🏾 #NaijaBusiness #VIP1 #VIP2 #VIP3 #VIP4 #VIP5 #VIP6 #VIP7 🛒🛒🛍️🛍️💥💥 #CHYPays #CHYStays #CHYStaysStrong https://www.instagram.com/p/CMXmLARs1vM/?igshid=fgc45tlpc90d

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ib2se · 6 years

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#Stream @LennArrrts B:sides ~ NoBusiness Records 📻🎶

The B:sides-Playlist 2018-05-21 @ Radio Vättervåg 98,5 Mhz

This week: snippets of releases from NoBusiness Records

'B:zväng' TextMix, recording, production & reading af MrZ Komposition & Del-Produktion af SkåneJokke Lütz [0:41]

1. 'Night in Europe 1' from Night in Europe af Martin Küchen | Johan Berthling | Steve Noble [3:26] 2. 'Focusing' from Cinema Spiral af Jason Roebke Octet [2:16] 3. 'Prophecy of Nue' from Prophecy of Nue af Ton-Klami [3:08] 4. 'Hiroshima, Part One' from Centering. Unreleased Early Recordings 1976-1987 with William Parker af Big Moon Ensemble [1:31] 5. 'Yawning Baku' from Kami Fusen af Itaru Oki | Choi Sun Bae | Nobuyoshi Ino [3:55] 6. 'Solo 3' from Live at Cafe Amores af Kang Tae Hwan [3:21] 7. 'I Remember Clifford' from Kami Fusen af Itaru Oki | Choi Sun Bae | Nobuyoshi Ino [2:30] 8. 'LAMENT FOR BILLY BANG' from The Final Concert af The Nu Band [2:38] 9. 'Time and Period' from Centering. Unreleased Early Recordings 1976-1987 with William Parker af William Parker and Daniel Carter Duo [1:35] 10. 'The Angle of Repose' from Live in Paris af The Nu Band [1:13] 11. 'Tototo (Warrior Spirit Who Sings)' from Centering. Unreleased Early Recordings 1976-1987 with William Parker af Centering Big Band (Extending the Clues) [1:50] 12. 'The Freedom Principle' from The Freedom Principle af Rodrigo Amado | Peter Evans | Miguel Mira | Gabriel Ferrandini [2:52] 13. 'Munyaovi (Cliff of the Porcupine)' from Centering. Unreleased Early Recordings 1976-1987 with William Parker af Centering Big Band (Extending the Clues) [2:04] 14. 'Entrusted Spirit (Dedicated to Bilal Abdur Rahman)' from Centering. Unreleased Early Recordings 1976-1987 with William Parker af Centering Dance Music Ensemble 1980 (continues) [1:48] 15. 'IDEAL' from Live at Vilnius Jazz Festival af Liudas Mockūnas | William Hooker [4:02] 16. 'North' from North and The Red Stream af RED Trio And Mattias Ståhl [3:09] 17. 'Illuminese / Voice' from Centering. Unreleased Early Recordings 1976-1987 with William Parker af Centering Dance Music Ensemble 1976 (Dawn Voice) [2:07] 18. 'Be Strong and Resolute' from ✡ For We Have Heard af Steven Lugerner | Darren Johnston | Myra Melford | Matt Wilson [2:12] 19. 'Facing the Sun, One is Never the Same' from Centering. Unreleased Early Recordings 1976-1987 with William Parker af Centering Dance Music Ensemble 1980 [1:34] 20. 'X04' from The Prisoner af Ingrid Laubrock | Mat Maneri | Max Johnson | Tomas Fujiwara [2:19] 21. 'Rainbow Light' from Centering. Unreleased Early Recordings 1976-1987 with William Parker af Centering Dance Music Ensemble 1980 (continues) [1:26] 22. 'For We Have Heard' from ✡ For We Have Heard af Steven Lugerner | Darren Johnston | Myra Melford | Matt Wilson [1:54] 23. 'Avanti Galoppi' from Live in Paris af The Nu Band [1:01] 24. 'Getting High' from Cinema Spiral af Jason Roebke Octet [2:10] 25. 'No.2 Once Upon a Time / No.1 Fallout' from The Prisoner af Ingrid Laubrock | Mat Maneri | Max Johnson | Tomas Fujiwara [1:55]

incl jingles from B:sides on Spotify DAGENS SYNAXARIUM This weeks BibleVers: "Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees." ~ Psalm 119:155 Drink Espresso - God bless U! /MrZ :)

www.ib2.se Soli Deo Gloria

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techjivnani · 4 years

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"Bitter Reality of 2020, Join the parade of online business or go out of Business." MaMo has best inhouse tech experts to navigate you with right online strategy. #realitycheck #makerightchoice #notechnology #nobusiness #growfaster #growwithus #change2020 #colombiaonline #panamaonline #brasilonline #puertoricoonline #miamionline #floridaonline #spainonline #peruonline #latamonline #latinoonline #latinostartups #italystartups #padovaitalia #veniceitaly🇮🇹 #barcelonastartup (at Vadodara, Gujarat, India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEI9rokpDq1/?igshid=1d0vz7t34btuk

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streets2020 · 4 years

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Nadie en el centro. El año pasado esta plaza estaría llena de gente de fiesta. • • • #nobody #covid19 #coviddiaries #covidphotodiaries #feria2020 #fotografiacallejera #streets #lensculture #street_life #street_is_life #bnwphotography #bnwmood #bnw_greatshots #bnw_zone #quarantinelife #emprendedorascreativas #thoughts #economy #nobusiness #crisis2020 #málaga #documentaryphotography #news (at Plaza de la Constitución (Málaga)) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEEu3mPnBVO/?igshid=44pqvunuqajs

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miltonp · 4 years

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120 fuel pumps and only one other person and I are fueling up. #Pandemic2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #Bucees #KatyTX #KatyTexas #CoronaVirus #PandemicLife #Pandemic #Quarantine #Texas #TX #MiddleOfTheNight #FuelStop #GasStation #FortBendCounty #FuelPump #EmptyAF #Empty #NoBusiness (at Buc-ee's) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_1pfz6ptvC/?igshid=129vux5bkvodr

#pandemic2020 #bucees #katytx #katytexas #coronavirus #pandemiclife #pandemic #quarantine #texas #tx #middleofthenight #fuelstop #gasstation #fortbendcounty #fuelpump #emptyaf #empty #nobusiness

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cozysueta · 4 years

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Not sure what to think at the moment. #covi̇d_19 #nowork #stayhome #corona #airbnb #nobusiness #noguest #selfisolation #socialdistancing #airbnbsuperhost #airbnblove #fightcorona #godblessus (at Cozy Wayan Sueta Bed & Breakfast) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-uFpSFDK5Z/?igshid=1xisbwxnl0r6z

#covi̇d_19 #nowork #stayhome #corona #airbnb #nobusiness #noguest #selfisolation #socialdistancing #airbnbsuperhost #airbnblove #fightcorona #godblessus

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dustedmagazine · 2 years

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The Old Normal: Derek Taylor 2021

2021 marked my twenty-third-year writing about music. Across the avocation, I have taken hiatuses. One must, I think, to remain engaged, inspired and hopefully, relevant. Late September signaled another sabbatical and the good ship Dusted sailed on without my association. Reviewing for this publication and being part of its community of writers for the past two decades has been a pleasure and a privilege. It is a pursuit that I plan to resume in earnest in early-2022.

In the meantime, here is an annual tradition of trawling through the vast musical treasures released over the past twelve-months to construct a semblance of a list of those that sound elevated to these ears. There is so much in the world designed to deaden, diminish, and deter one’s faculties, but artists and the music they create past, present, and future continue to persevere and endear. Despite the tenacious primacy placed on self-interest in this country, we are still all in this together.

Wadada Leo Smith

Doyen Wadada Leo Smith was steadfast in celebrating his ascension to octogenarian early, opting to embrace the entirety of the year through a series of opulent and edifying releases on the Finnish TUM label. The pandemic pushed back, delaying several until after his December 18th birthday. The titles in the world as of this writing are all nigh essential, including the three-disc solo, Trumpet, the mix-and-match Sacred Ceremonies with Milford Graves and Bill Laswell, The Chicago Symphonies, conceived and scored for his all-star Great Lakes Quartets, and A Love Sonnet for Billie Holiday, which enlists pianist Vijay Iyer and drummer Jack DeJohnette in an album-length paean to the star-crossed chanteuse. The remaining titles are thankfully set to drop in February.

Joe McPhee

McPhee has an invariable and inviolable place on this list, year-end, year out. The passing of his brother Charlie in June 2020 was the biggest blow that year, but he kept a busy release schedule into the next across a variety of projects including the sensibly solo Route 84 Quarantine Blues and a handful of exciting ensemble ventures, among them: Flow Trio’s Winter Garden (ESP), the Blue Reality Quartet with Michael Marcus, Jay Rosen and Warren Smith, and The Sweet Spot, aptly titled in its assemblage of McPhee, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Michael Bisio and Juma Sultan, who turns 80 in April and appears to still be going strong.

Julius Hemphill — The Boye Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (New World)

Physical box sets are still plentiful and popular these days; this one managed to easily match the ask of its exorbitant price with the copious riches of its contents. Curated by the late Hemphill’s erstwhile student Marty Ehrlich, it is an “inside baseball” survey of the maestro’s work from the invaluable perspective of previously unreleased recordings. Vintage duets with musical soulmate and cello wunderkind Abdul Wadud? Check. String ensemble reimaginings of Charles Mingus compositions? Check. The list goes on, and Hemphill shines with scintillating consistency in every context, whether he is playing notes or not.

John Coltrane — Love Supreme Live in Seattle (Impulse)

It is hard not to harbor ill will towards the late Joe Brazil, who sat on the tape source that yielded this release for 43-years and subsequently left hungry listeners the world over in the dark as to its treasures. Yes, the balance is suspect, preserving Elvin Jones’ drums in stentorian clarity while recessing Coltrane to something of a muted, off-mic guest on his own gig. And yes, it is sidemen McCoy Tyner and Pharoah Sanders who subjectively shine most brightly in their respective solo features. But this is still very much a late-period Coltrane concert and one of plum circumstance and topical focus. The titular devotional suite receives a singularly expansive reading, one steeped in energy music extrapolations that set it starkly apart from both its earlier studio and Antibes renditions. Essential listening.

Stephen Riley

Another regular in these end of annum assessments, Riley’s now my depending-on-the-day favorite under-fifty saxophonist, simply because he aged out of the under-forty bracket. I Remember You astutely teams him with an old teacher, guitarist Vic Juris, who lamentably passed away several weeks post-session. Original Mind is similarly incandescent in its capture of a duo concert with pianist Ernest Turner at a Canadian patron’s home. Both deliver on the deep listening, colloquial improvisation that is not as common as it should be given the immense possibilities such intimate engagement accords.

James Brandon Lewis

Science no longer carries the pervasive cachet in public consciousness that it once did. Lewis’ music exists as an exhilarating rejoinder to this depressing directional turn. Inspired and shaped by the intricacies of molecular biology, his working quartet with pianist Auran Ortiz, bassist Brad Jones, and drummer Chad Taylor is proudly egghead on their sophomore album, Code of Being (Intakt), completely sidestepping pretentiousness for an abiding soulfulness and improvisational cooperation. Jesup Wagon (Tao Forms), is a sister project in that regard, working from a broader palette trading piano for cornet, cello, guembri and mbira in aural homage to African American scientist/inventor George Washington Carver.

Cecil Taylor

Taylor’s been gone almost four-years, but the archival wing of his discography is still yielding riches. Lifting the Bandstand (Listening Foundation) applies attention to a dynamic quartet as diverse in membership as it was in sound. Göttingen and Music for Two Continents – Live at Jazz Jamboree ’84 (Fundacja Sluchaj) feature two large ensembles: the first a sprawling variation on Taylor’s workshop venture, the second an iteration of his Euro-American orchestra bolstered by the heavy horn firepower of Frank Wright, Enrico Rava Tomaz Stanko. Corona (Corbett vs. Dempsey) frames a 1996 reunion duo with Sunny Murray with vocal choir while Live in Ruvo di Puglia 2000 (Enja) unearths a solo first set from a momentous concert with the massive Italian Instabile Orchestra. The master’s legacy lives.

Haasan Ibn Ali

A half-century’s worth of whispers and rumors finally came true this year with the release of two archival repositories returning pianist Haasan Ibn Ali to the limelight. Metaphysics dusts off his long-thought-lost quartet session for the Atlantic label with a twenty-something Odean Pope bringing Philly tenor heat. Retrospect in Retirement of Delay takes a deep and welcome dive into the solo side of Ali’s ivories-gilded expression through an extended program of standards and originals. Both are essential post-bop documents, indicative of a fiercely original improvisor who died tragically absent his due.

Fresh Sound

Strange that the most consistently satisfying jazz reissue label is this Spanish one that operates largely independent of stateside copyright considerations and still manages to produce product that frequently puts its domestic counterparts to pasture. This year signaled the launch of another series, “Rare and Obscure Jazz Albums,” which is absolute truth in advertising, returning seminal sides by the likes of reedist John La Porta and the Sandole Brothers (older sibling Dennis, a teacher of Coltrane) to circulation in two-fer form. Bassist Vinnie Burke, guitarists Jimmy Gourley and Arv Garrison, vibraphonist Bobby Montez, and pianist John Dennis (a contemporary of Haasan Ibn Ali) received similar regal treatment through their regular reissue line.

NoBusiness

This Lithuanian label is similarly persistent and dependable in its mission of balancing new free jazz and improvisation releases with impeccably curated archival editions. Most ambitious on their docket this year, Joel Futterman’s Creation Series: five densely packed discs of solo performances by the improvising pianist, doubling sparingly on curved soprano saxophone and creating arrestingly involving worlds of sound. Undulation, a fifth entry in the ongoing Sam Rivers archival series, documents a regrettably truncated fusion-infused tributary of his discography, while the Chap Chap series, revitalizing the work of key Japanese and Korean improvisers, highlights historical performances by saxophonist Mototeru Takagi and brassman Itaru Oki.

Ezz-thetics

A passing of torch in remastering engineers from the prolifically nonpareil Peter Pfister to the so-far worthy Michael Brandli, did little to decelerate the latest iteration of producer Werner Uehlinger’s Hat Hut label. The purview is still a balance of new recordings of creative improvised music and modern classical proponents and carefully refurbished and curated combinations of classic free jazz sessions from labels like ESP, Impulse and Fontana. Vocal detractors may question the legality and ethics of retooling these sacred texts, but there is no denying the proof of the enhanced fidelity on projects like New York Eye and Ear Control and Celebrating Bird at one hundred, the latter which adds further luster to iconic concert and studio sides by centenarian Charlie Parker.

Ches Smith’s We All Break — Path of Seven Colors (Pyroclastic)

Ches Smith had a cultural appropriation problem. Certain audience members started attributing the Vodou rhythms laced inventively through his music as his own creations. The drummer addressed the erroneously assumed authorship head on, forming a band with the Haitian musicians who had inspired him. This handsome, but still economical, box documents two of the ensemble’s iterations separated by a span of a half-decade and the outcome is one of the finest cross-cultural collaborations of improvised music in recent memory. Smith’s kit is a frequent fulcrum, but the singers and percussionists that surround him in both settings are on equal, if not more prominent footing in the figurative and literal dances that ensue. Everybody wins.

Natural Information Society with Evan Parker — descension (Out of Our Constrictions) (Eremite)

Originally released on vinyl, but beyond my scope in that format for reasons noted below, the CD edition of this double album as licensed by Eremite to the Aguirre label brought the music into my orbit and it has never really been absent since. Josh Abrams first assembled the ensemble back in 2010 and like the “ecstatic minimalism” it espouses, there’s malleability to both instrumentation and direction that feels simultaneously deeply organic and mesmerizingly optimistic. Recorded at London’s Café Oto in the summer of 2019, the concert finds Evan Parker augmenting the core instrumentation of harmonium, drums, bass clarinet and Abrams’ anchoring guembri. It is an inspired addition, as the saxophonist mostly sheds his usual acerbic accoutrements for a sonorously sustained euphoniousness that’s utterly disarming.

Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 2 (Rhino/Warner Bros.)

More of Joni as I tend to dig her most. Just a guitar or piano within reach and a repertoire threaded with both originals and folk covers that serves as a means of reciprocal satisfaction between her and audience(s). This second dispatch from singer/songwriter’s dusted-off and voluminous archives leans more to the former stripe. Delicate pathos and winding turns of veiled phrase and phrasing are still populous and personal no matter their sourcing. Fidelity is expectedly variable, but surprisingly listenable across the coffee house stages, TV and radio studios, living rooms and Carnegie Hall. Joni is vulnerably and venturously Joni throughout.

Baligh Hamd — Instrumental Modal Pop of 70s Egypt (Sublime Frequencies)

An invaluable hour-long survey of one of the undisputed innovators of Egyptian orchestral pop music, this assiduously assembled compilation still only scratches the surface of Hamdi’s vast discography. Similar to Salah Ragab in his openness to Western music forms and instruments as additives to a fundamentally Arabic musical foundation, Hamdi’s reach was wider, deeper, and more prolific. The sides gathered, sourced from 1970s albums, revel in intricate quarter-tone constructions and grand ensemble gestures that also benefit from the presence of ace instrumentalists like guitarist Omar Khorshid, organist Magdi al-Husseini, and accordionist Faruq Salama to interpret them. It is the kind of keenly programmed teaser disc that begs for an expansive box set follow-up.

Pastor TL Barrett & the Youth for Christ Choir (Numero)

A Chicago spiritual staple, Pastor TL Barrett recognized that rolling with the idiomatic changes instigated by soul music and proactively involving youth in his vibrant Southside ministry were crucial strategies in successfully spreading the gospel. Barrett recorded a string of albums in the 1970s that are optimal candidates for the royal Numero Group treatment. This CD edition gathering four of the finest of them along with a fifth disc of extras is an effective antidote to the “exorbitantly-priced vinyl blues.” The music is keenly indicative of that contemporaneous “Trojan Horse” tactic of cloaking religious teachings in musical trappings popular with secular circles to create a supercharged alloy equally appealing to audiences suited to both Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings.

Smokey Hogg — The Texas Blues of… (Ace)

Texan Smokey Hogg left a lot to be desired as an accommodating bandleader. Ruled by an idiosyncratic rhythmic compass that rivaled the likes of Jenks “Tex” Carman or John Lee Hooker, he often left his sideman struggling to conventionally accompany him. Keeping up with and catering to his quixotic whims just came with the gig. This compilation, the fifth from the UK Ace imprint, captures more of the weirdly satisfying gestalt Hogg was miraculously able to maintain much of the time. His vocals and guitar spill and slosh over valiant, often futile, backing and somehow stay compelling through a confluence of swagger and ad-lib invention. Solo sides confirm the scrupulous method undergirding his outward-facing arbitrariness. File under music ill-suited for fence-sitters.

V/A — Shake the Foundations: Militant Funk & the Post Punk Dancefloor, 1978-1984 (Cherry Red)

The UK-based Cherry Red imprint has cobbled a cottage industry out of curatorial box sets that also serve as enlightening aural textbooks around musical genres and idioms. This three-disc set applies a research lens to a loosely defined species of funk-influenced post punk that sprang up in British clubs at the cusp of the 1970s. Backbeats and corpulent, rolling bass lines abound, vying with jangly guitars, staccato synths and the occasional compact horn section to express attitude and anomie without sacrificing the vital supremacy of epic grooves. Simple Minds, Jah Wobble, Vicious Pink, Furniture, Perfect Zebras and forty-four other bands get single track opportunities to impart their parts in shaping the scene.

Dollar Vinyl

It is a not-so-secret secret that I have lived nearly the entirety of my adult life without a turntable. That has not precluded the procurement of vinyl, but it has necessitated playing it on borrowed equipment. The reasons behind the admittedly odd abstention fall to spatial considerations and spousal appeasement, but my wife signaled a sea change when she reversed past proclamations and gifted me a record player for my 50th birthday. Since then, it has been self-determined limitations of selectivity and a preference for dollar-priced vinyl with specific priority placed on vintage belly-dancing and Hawaiian/country steel guitar recordings. The specimen below is an especially enjoyable envoy from the first category and made all the better by the presence of a surf-meets-Anatolia guitarist in the accompanying band who arguably was on a steady diet of Omar Khorshid albums at the time.

Unleash the Archers

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As a writer who professes a wide purview when it comes to ingesting music, I can still be stubbornly parochial towards certain genres. This is true of metal, where dabbling in unfamiliar bands is something done only rarely and sparingly. Unleash the Archers came to my attention during a lapse in defenses. Initially chafed by their sci-fi-meets-sorcery bombast and theatrics, these traits, amplified through unabashed earnestness that feels gloriously grounded in their British Columbian roots, are now aspects I unreservedly adore. Iron Maiden and Queensryche are indelible antecedents, but Brittany Slayes’ stratospheric pipes, twining melody-musclebound guitars, a Spinal Tap-style, revolving bass chair, and the math-meets-meteorological event that is often Scott Buchanan’s properly pummeled cans make for a reliably engrossing, fist-pumping, power metal result.

Twenty-five more in loosely stochastic order:

Roscoe Mitchell & Mike Reed - Ritual & the Dance (Astral Spirits)

JD Allen – Queen City (Savant)

Nicole Mitchell/ Tomeka Reid/ Mike Reed – Then There’s This (Astral Spirits)

Ben Goldberg – Everything Happens to Be (Bag Productions)

Roscoe Mitchell/ Sandy Ewen/ Damon Smith/ Weasel Walter – A Railroad Spike Forms the Voice (ugEXPLODE)

Claire Chase – Density 2036 (Corbett vs. Dempsey)

Jamie Branch – Fly or Die Live (International Anthem)

Lee Morgan – Complete Live at the Lighthouse (Blue Note)

Roy Brooks – Understanding (Reel to Real)

Ray Russell – Forget to Remember, Live Vol. 2 1970 (Jazz in Britain)

Sun Ra – Lanquidity (Philly Jazz/Strut)

Lloyd McNeil – Tori (Baobab/Soul Jazz)

JR Monterose – JR is Alive in Amsterdam (HSM/Ultra Vybe)

Spontaneous Music Ensemble – Question & Answer 1966 (Rhythm & Blues)

Juju – Live at 131 Prince Street (Black Fire/Strut)

Don Cherry – The Summer House Sessions (Blank Forms)

V/A – Zanzibara 10: First Modern Taarab Vibes from Mombasa & Tanga 1970 – 1990 (Buda Musique)

V/A – Edo Funk Explosion, Vol. 1 (Analog Africa)

V/A – Habibi Funk Vol. 2: An Eclectic Selection of Music from the Arab World (Habibi Funk)

Costantinos Kostas Bezos – Jail’s a Fine School (Mississippi)

Bad Brains – Rock for Light, Original 1983 Mix (ORG)

Keith Hudson – The Black Breast Has Produced Her Best, Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood (Mamba/VP)

Neil Young – Way Down in the Rust Bucket (Reprise)

Reverend Robert Ballinger feat. Willie Dixon – King’s Highway (Bear Family)

Waylon Jennings – Singer of Sad Songs/ The Taker & Tulsa/ Good Hearted Woman/ Ladies Love Outlaws (RCA/Morello)

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