Was doing what I've been doing up to midweek, then it occurred to me I should stop listening to new stuff and close out the current column. Usual problems: only one pick hit, only two duds, way too many A- and HM records. Many of the latter are by now quite old, and worse than that, many unwritten ones are even older. And since I didn't do a thorough cull last time, the lists of graded, still contending records have grown ridiculously long. Making matters worse, with all of my distractions, I've slipped from a column every three months to something more like four or maybe even five. Those delays haven't slowed down the rush of releases, least of all ones worth writing about. But realistically, I'm never going to catch up, so it's probably time to do some serious pruning, hacking even.

After a couple of days trying to write up graded records that I particularly want to work in sooner rather than later, the raw numbers: 65 records written up (23 A- or better, 40 HM, 2 duds), 2662 words (only about 1500 will run, probably less); 138 records graded but unwritten (27 A-, 63 ***, 47 **); 34 records held back from first round of jazz prospecting (4 tentatively A-, 14 ***, 13 **, 1 *, 1 B, 1 B-); 159 records unrated. I've started to cut out some eligibles, writing up short notes on them in the surplus file -- a sort of consolation prize (2 so far). At that point, I set up stubs for the next round, moving the unrateds into them. I figure I'll take one more week to get it all sorted out, and that will be the end of this cycle. Next week is likely to be real short on prospecting, but there will probably be some loose ends to clear up.

Of course, I still have my construction tasks. In some ways it should be easier to multitask closing -- at least I'm playing records that I've already played before, and good ones at that. At present I got this column down to 1886 words, leaving 1026 for the next one. I figure this round will be done sometime this week, with a fairly substantial effort on hacking down the surplus, and a second column nearly complete.

Fly: Sky & Country (2008 [2009], ECM): Sax trio, with Mark Turner leading, Larry Grenadier on bass, Jeff Ballard on drums. All three write -- breakdown is Turner 4 songs, Ballard 3, Grenadier 2. Ballard and Grenadier are well known for their work with Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau. Turner was one of the best young tenor saxophonists to come up in the 1990s. From 1994-2001 he cut 3 records for Criss Cross and 4 for Warners, then his discography dries up until 2008 -- except for a first Fly album in 2004. I've remarked recently on how impressive he sounded on two recent side credits: Diego Barber's Calima and Enrico Rava's New York Days. Can't say as this makes much of an impression: maybe we can blame the muted sound on producer Manfred Eicher; maybe it's just too much of the soprano sax that virtually all tenors of his generation feel obliged to double on. Maybe it's the writing, which never manages to spring anyone loose. Can't blame it on Turner's power saw accident, which happened well after this was recorded. Reports are he's started to play again, but it sounds like a tough road back. Meanwhile, this isn't bad. It's the sort of inside playing that might sneak up on you given enough time. B+(*)

Paul Dunmall Sun Quartet: Ancient and Future Airs (2008 [2009], Clean Feed): Dunmall has a big discography, both in his own name and under the group Mujician. I've sampled it lightly, finding him very hit-and-miss, but always welcoming any new effort that comes along. Plays tenor sax and, well, bagpipes -- the latter make a brief appearance here, and aren't as horrible as possible. The group adds a second saxman, Tony Malaby (tenor, soprano), plus Mark Helias on bass and Kevin Norton on drums and vibraphone -- support about as solid as you can imagine. Two long pieces. More hit than miss, but not by much. B+(*)

Denman Maroney Quintet: Udentity (2008 [2009], Clean Feed): B. 1949, plays something he calls hyperpiano, which is basically prepared piano and then some. Has a couple of previous albums I haven't heard; I've run across him mostly in the company of Mark Dresser -- an album called Time Changes (2005) pairs the two to limited but interesting effect. This quintet opens him up: Ned Rothenberg plays reeds (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet), Dave Ballou trumpet, Reuben Radding bass, and Michael Sarin drums. The two horns are always interesting, although mostly they play it straight compared to the funny stuff coming off the piano, maybe even bass and percussion. (PS: Quintet has another album, Gaga, on Nuscope. A similar quintet recorded Fluxuations -- sub Mark Dresser on bass and Kevin Norton on percussion.) B+(***)

Michael Blake/Kresten Osgood: Control This (2006 [2009], Clean Feed): Sax-drums duo. Blake plays soprano, alto, and tenor, uncharacteristically favoring the alto this time. Osgood is a Danish drummer, b. 1976, has appeared on several good albums recently -- Scott Dubois' Banshees is one. Starts a little awkward, but picks up through a version of Ellington's "Creole Love Call" that spend a long time away from the melody, and retains its interest to the end -- a second cover, Charlie Parker's "Cheryl." (Well, almost -- didn't get the final joke.) B+(**)

Trinity: Breaking the Mold (2006 [2009], Clean Feed): Scandinavian quartet -- maybe just Norwegian; no idea where the name comes from -- led by reed player Kjetil Møster, with Morten Qvenild on keyboards, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on bass, and Thomas Strønen on drums. The latter two show up a lot and are first rate. I've run across Qvenild a couple of times before, in the groups Shining and In the Country, and I've heard Møster's MZN3. Free jazz, kranky sax, some odd and amusing little keyboard fills. B+(*)

Helen Schneider: Dream a Little Dream (2008 [2009], Edel): Singer, b. 1952 in New York, cut a record in 1976, performed in Nashville and Las Vegas, toured Germany in 1978-79, and more or less stayed, now based in Berlin. Has a few movie credits, many more stage credits, including the Berlin production of Cabaret, which she seems perfect for, and a solo show called A Walk on the Weill Side. Nothing Weimarish here; all American standards, top drawer stuff like "Where or When," "You Go to My Head," "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," "Love for Sale," "The Man I Love," "In My Solitude." Voice is a little affected, but she has no trouble delivering such sure shot fare. Til Brönner produced, and on four cuts is credited with "brass section." B+(**)

Gypsy Schaeffer: New Album (2008 [2009], PeaceTime): Group website title is: "traditional straight ahead free jazz." Seems like an apt description, because it underlines how unsurprising their "free jazz" is. Andy Voelker (saxes), Joel Yennior (trombone), Jef Charland (bass), Chris Punis (drums). Third album. Quite listenable, especially if you're fond of the sax/'bone harmonics (as I am). But also quite forgettable, as I keep finding now that I've played this -- what? -- five times. B+(*)

Rova: The Juke Box Suite (2006 [2007], Not Two): Saxophone quartet, founded in 1977 (same year as the World Saxophone Quartet), name originally derived from initials of its four founding members -- Jon Raskin, Larry Ochs, Andrew Voigt and Bruce Ackley -- but Steve Adams replaced Voigt in 1988, breaking that link. Group has 25 albums since 1978 (more, but not by a lot, than WSQ). I've never much like saxophone quartets or choirs, regardless of how brilliant I regard the individuals to be: as much as I like the sound of most saxophones, they have a harmonic monotony unless you add something to the mix -- bass, drums, almost anything helps. I've heard almost everything WSQ has released -- their players are major stars in my view of the jazz galaxy. By contrast I've only lightly sampled Rova -- Beat Kennel and two takes of Coltrane's Ascension, the second a Penguin Guide crown album -- and never connected to anything, not that my sample is a good test. (I've always regarded Ascension with indifference, a feeling that Rova faithfully regenerated.) In contrast to WSQ, Rova's saxophonists remained unknown to me -- when I started to write Ochs requesting an unrelated album from a label I had no contact for, I didn't realize he was part of Rova. Same for Adams when Clean Feed recently dropped an album of his. So, obviously, I'm pretty low on the learning curve here. But this album is a revelation. My complaints about tone and color are still operative, but are overcome are nearly every front. The world music juke box concept doesn't ensure danceability, but there's enough of a pulse, especially from Raskin's baritone, to keep it all moving, through pieces keyed to Afro-Balkan, Mambo, Niggum, Choro, Finnish folk (Värttinnä), and Detroit (White Stripes). The slower, unison themes are rich and often gorgeous; the breakaways startling and sometimes thrilling. A-

Larry Ochs/Rova Special Sextet/Orkestrova: The Mirror World (2005 [2007], Metalanguage, 2CD): Two discs, short enough they could be squeezed into a single long one, each a "realization" of something dedicated to filmmaker Stan Brakhage. One performed by the Rova Saxophone Quartet expanded to Sextet weight with two percussionists; the other by Orkestrova, where the Rova saxophonists lurk in the reed section of a larger, more orchestral group -- trumpets, trombone, cellos, bass, guitar, percussion, electronics. The Sextet tends to play rough, hot and bothered, with the drums breaking up the sax monotone. The Orkestrova is more layered and nuanced, far less likely to break into an old-fashioned noise fit. B+(*)

Introducing Sunny and Her Joy Boys (2009, Stony Plain): Sunny is singer Sunny Crownover, who grew up in Texas and is based now in Providence, RI. First among the Joy Boys is guitarist Duke Robillard, who has some fame as a bluesman but has been trending toward trad jazz lately. Group name reminds me of Julia Lee (and Her Boyfriends) and Jimmy Liggins (and His Drops of Joy), but Liggins swung much harder, and Lee put out much more. Swing era songs -- "That's My Desire," "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," "I Got It Bad" -- done so sweetly I can't disapprove. B+(*)

Jessica Lurie Ensemble: Shop of Wild Dreams (2008 [2009], Zipa! Music): Saxophonist, mostly alto, some tenor, originally from Seattle, now based in New York; also sings here, plays flute, accordion, and baritone ukulele. Group includes Eric Deutsch (piano), Brandon Seabrook (guitar), Todd Sickafoose (bass), Alison Miller (drums) -- several of these intersect with Ani DiFranco bands, and Lurie herself has played with Sleater-Kinney. Fourth CD since 2004, although her side credits go back to the Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet in 1992. No indication that she's related to any of the other Luries, although there's a slick postmodernism to her instrumentals that follows the Lounge Lizards. I'm less certain about her vocals. B+(**)

Mark Winkler: Till I Get It Right (2009, Free Ham): Singer, based in Los Angeles, writes most of his lyrics (10 of 12 songs here) but credits the music elsewhere. Ninth album since 1985. Has written several musical revues: "Play It Cool," "Too Old for the Chorus," "Naked Boys Singing." Stylistically slicker than anyone in the Mose Allison-Bob Dorough school, not as affected as Mark Murphy (who wrote the liner notes), more inclined to wax philosphical than to croon. Cheryl Bentyne chips in on "Cool." Bob Sheppard contributes some sax, and Anthony Wilson has a couple of nice spots on guitar. B+(***)

Frank Macchia: Saxolollapalooza (2008 [2009], Cacophony): Saxophonist, b. 1958, from San Francisco, did a lot of TV and movie work, has a bunch of albums since 2000, starting with the Little Evil Things series. This one six saxophonists -- Eric Marienthal and Bob Sheppard are the names I recognize -- and drummer Peter Erskine, with Jay Mason's bass sax subbing for string bass. The song list is old, starting with trad's "Shortening Bread," "Down by the Riverside," and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," advancing through "Creole Love Song" and "Caravan" to Benny Goodman's "Air Mail Special," with Nat Adderley's "Work Song" a ringer. Pretty obvious stuff, although the arrangements and instrumentation have some charm. B

And these are final grades/notes on records I put back for further listening the first time around.

Bill Frisell/Ron Carter/Paul Motian (2005 [2006], Nonesuch): More back catalog. Once I decided to bury the excellent East West in the surplus, it became necessary to clean this loose end up. Even simpler than the East West trios, most likely because Motian never indulges a beat. Frisell and Motian have played quite a lot together in Joe Lovano's company, but without Lovano's dominance they can wander. And Carter? Well, who wouldn't want to play with him? Still, I shouldn't gripe. I'm happy to have the loose Americana -- "Pretty Polly," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," even "You Are My Sunshine" -- and also the Monk-in-Motian. B+(**)

For this cycle's collected Jazz Prospecting notes, look here. The current (near-final) count is 227 records, down quite a bit from the 293 of the previous cycle.

Unpacking: Found in the mail this week:

• Jim Beard: Revolutions (Sunnyside)
• Todd Bishop's Pop Art 4: 69 Année Érotique: Plays the Music of Serge Gainsbourg (Origin)
• Sarah Brooks and Graceful Soul: Under the Bones of the Great Blue Whale (Whaling City Sound)
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out - 50th Anniversary (Legacy Edition) (1959-64, Columbia/Legacy, 2CD+DVD): advance, May 26
• François Carrier/Michel Lambert: Nada (Creative Sources)
• Mélanie Dahan: La Princesse et les Croque-Notes (Sunnyside)
• Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain - 50th Anniversary (Legacy Edition) (1959-60, Columbia/Legacy, 2CD): advance, May 26
• Freddie Hubbard: Without a Song: Live in Europe 1969 (1969, Blue Note): advance, June 2
• Los Angeles Jazz Collective: Sampler Vol. 1 (Jazz Collective)
• Thomas Marriott: Flexicon (Origin)
• Charles Mingus: Ah Um - 50th Anniversary (Legacy Edition) (1959, Columbia/Legacy, 2CD+DVD): advance, May 26
• Olatunji: Drums of Passion & More Drums of Passion (1959, Columbia/Legacy, 2CD): advance, May 26
• Dolly Parton: 9 to 5 and Other Odd Jobs (1980, RCA Nashville/Legacy)
• The Best of AR Rahman (1999-2006, Legacy)