Streamnotes: October 28, 2025

Most of these are short notes/reviews based on streaming records from Napster (formerly Rhapsody; other sources are noted in brackets). They are snap judgments, usually based on one or two plays, accumulated since my last post along these lines, back on September 29. Past reviews and more information are available here (26500+ records).

New Music

$ilkMoney: Who Waters the Wilting Giving Tree Once the Leaves Dry Up and Fruits No Longer Bear? (2025, Lex/DB$B): Rapper from Virginia, Murphy Graves, fourth album since 2018, all long, run-on titles. B+(***) [sp]

Marja Ahti: Touch This Fragrant Surface of Earth (2025, Fönstret): Born in Sweden, based in Finland, combines field recordings with electronics and sundry instruments for speculative ambient arts, including a couple others on clarinet and cello. B+(*) [bc]

Pheeroan akLaff/Scott Robinson/Julian Thayer: aRT: Live at Kampo Bahal Gallery (2025, ScienSonic, EP): Drums, reeds, bass trio, the drummer originally named Paul Maddox, from Detroit, has a long and distinguished career starting with Oliver Lake in 1975, including work with Henry Threadgill and Wadada Leo Smith. I think of Robinson as being more retro, but not here. The bassist has few side-credits, mostly with Robinson or Klaus Suonsaari. The three recorded a trio album in 2024 which has proven elusive, but this shorter (23:34) improv piece is probably indicative, but also seems tentative. B+(*) [bc]

Gary Bartz & NTU: The Eternal Tenure of Sound: Damage Control (2022-23 [2025], OYO): Alto saxophonist, in his 80s now, best known for his Afro-centric NTU Troop albums (1970-74), but has a long catalog up through 2011, less recently (although he was featured on one of the Jazz Is Dead albums). I like the sax here, but can't get into the vocals, although they work well enough for slow soul jams. B+(*) [sp]

Chrome Hill: En Route (2024 [2025], Clean Feed): Norwegian jazz group, fifth album since 2008, main name I recognize is Atle Nymo (tenor sax, bass clarinet), but composer is Asbjørn Lerheim (Fender Bass VI, electric guitar, electronics), backed by Roger Arntzen (bass, electronics) and Torstein Lofthus (drums). B+(**) [sp]

Mike Clark: Itai Doshin (2024 [2025], Wide Hive): Drummer, generic name is easy to forget but he's been active since the the early 1970s (with Herbie Hancock) and Discogs credits him with 21 albums since 1992. Quintet of veterans here -- Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Craig Handy (sax), Patrice Rushen (piano/rhodes), Henry Franklin (bass) -- so mainstream you know what to expect, but can't help but be pleased. B+(***) [cd]

Tom Cohen: Embraceable Brazil (2025, Versa): Drummer, from Philadelphia, has several previous albums back to 1997, plays a wide range of Brazilian standards here, some with Chico Pinheiro on guitar and/or Barbara Mendes for vocals. B+(**) [cd]

Jorge Espinal: Bombos Y Cencerros (2023 [2025], Buh): Guitarist from Peru, has a previous trio album from 2015, not sure how much else. This is solo, improv, but the credit reads: "all at once, prepared electric guitar, bass drum, cowbell, pedals, and laptop." Nine pieces, 29:07. For a while I could imagine Captain Beefheart singing to it, but it wound up too fragmented even for Tom Zé. B+(**) [sp]

Debby Friday: The Starrr of the Queen of Life (2025, Sub Pop): Electropop singer-songwriter, born in Nigeria, raised in Montreal, second album. First, which won the Polaris Prize, I liked a lot, this is a bit more inscrutable. B+(***) [sp]

Miho Hazama: Live Life This Day: Celebrating Thad Jones (2025, Edition): Japanese pianist, based in New York, debut 2012, her 2023 m_unit album caught me by surprise, but she's also been involved with European big bands: a 2018 album with Metropole Orkest, and since 2019 she's been "chief conductor" of the Danish Radio Big Band, a post that had previously been given to several notable Americans: Jim McNeely, Bob Brookmeyer, and Thad Jones. They're bolstered here with strings from the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, for this live program of Jones compositions plus a couple Hazama additions. B+(*) [sp]

Conrad Herwig: Reflections - Facing South (2020 [2025], Savant): Trombonist, started with Clark Terry in the 1980s, played with Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano, and Mingus Big Band, but has shifted into Latin jazz, especially with his series of The Latin Side Of recordings. Trio here with Eddie Palmieri (piano) and Luques Curtis (bass). The Latin quotient seems subdued without percussion, but they enjoy space to breathe, without just being hurried along. B+(***) [sp]

Hot 8 Brass Band: Big Tuba (2025, Tru Thoughts): New Orleans brass band, founded 1995, long led by Bennie Pate, who died in 2021, carries on. B+(**) [bc]

Hunx and His Punx: Walk Out on This World (2025, Get Better): Punk band from California, principally Seth Bogart, three albums 2011-14, regrouped here for a fourth. B- [sp]

JID: God Does Like Ugly (2025, Dreamville/Interscope): Atlanta rapper Destin Route, started with mixtapes in 2009, fourth studio album since 2017, sprawling with 15 tracks, 57:06, many guests, a fairly generous view of God. B+(***) [sp]

Rick Keller: Heroes (2024-25 [2025], Vegas): Saxophonist (tenor, soprano, alto, some flute), started career in 1983 in Europe, based in Los Angeles since 2001 (and now Las Vegas?), has a couple records as far back as 1988, many more side credits, styles this as tributes to "musicians who shaped my development" -- mostly with fusion connections (Davis, Shorter, Zawinul, Hancock, Marcus Miller) or groups (Weather Report, Brecker Brothers). Some vocals don't help. B- [cd]

Zack Lober: So We Could Live (2025, Zennez): Canadian bassist, previuos album from 2021, couple dozen side credits going back to 2003. Nice quartet with trumpet (Suzan Veneman), tenor sax (Jasper Blom), and drums (Sun-Mi Hong). B+(***) [cd]

Donny McCaslin: Lullaby for the Lost (2024 [2025], Edition): Tenor saxophonist, started early 1990s, has released regular albums, especially since 2000, has always impressed me with his chops if not necessarily judgment. Opts for a fusion-heavy mix here, employing various combinations of guitars (notably Ben Monder), keyboards (Jason Lindner), bass, and drums. B [sp]

Jim McNeely: Primal Colors (2025, Challenge): Pianist, composer and big band director, working here with Frankfurt Radio Symphony and Frankfurt Radio Bigband, for a major production. B+(*) [sp]

Mexstep & Principe Q: Tráfico (2025, Puro Unity, EP): San Antonio rapper Marco Cervantes, has a couple previous albums, with "genre-defying" DJ/producer Svani Quintanilla, the grooves a mix of Tex-Mex and turntablism. Six songs, 16:51. B+(***) [bc]

Joe Morris/Brad Barrett/Beth Ann Jones: Abstract Forest (2025, Relative Pitch): Avant-guitarist, many albums since 1990, here with cello and bass. B+(***) [sp]

Elizabeth Nichols: Tough Love (2025, Pulse, EP): Country singer-songwriter, from Kentucky, seems to be her first record, not much info available but has some appeal, could stick around; 7 songs, 20:08. B+(**) [sp]

Bill Orcutt/Steve Shelley/Ethan Miller: Orcutt Shelley Miller (2024 [2025], Silver Current): Guitar, bass, drums trio, considered "experimental rock," because all three have rock band backgrounds (Shelley on Sonic Youth; Orcutt's first group was called Harry Pussy -- I still file his records under rock, but list them with jazz). B+(***) [sp]

Juan Pastor's Chinchano: Memorias (2024 [2025], Calligram): Drummer-led Latin jazz group, seems to be "(2)" in Discogs (which doesn't have this or other albums on the artist's website, but gives him a side credit for James Davis' Beveled). Cover adds names for Stu Mindeman (piano), Matt Ulery (bass), Dustin Laurenzi (tenor sax), and "featuring" Gian Luiggi Cortez Mejia (congas/cajón/bell/cajita). B+(***) [cd]

The Prize: In the Red (2025, Anti Fade): Australian power pop band, "equal parts brains and bravado." B+(**) [sp]

Patrick Shiroishi: Forgetting Is Violent (2025, American Dream): Alto saxophonist, based in Los Angeles, very prolific since 2014. "Supporting cast," including some notable rock figures, is mentioned in the write-up but not properly credited. Mostly voices, not very distinct. Some fine sax runs over a noise backdrop. B+(*) [bc]

Kalie Shorr: My Type (2025, Pound It Out Loud, EP): Singer-songwriter from Maine, based in Nashville, which gets her no-twang pop anthems a bit of a country audience. Has a good album from 2019, plus several EPs. This one has 6 songs, 18:19. B+(***) [sp]

Wadada Leo Smith/Sylvie Courvoisier: Angel Falls (2024 [2025], Intakt): Trumpet and piano duo, the former in his 80s, an early AACM member, his discography going back to 1971, but it seems like he only rose to a much higher level after 2010, as he started getting grant money for expansive compositions. Swiss pianist, very productive since 1997. Her name is first on the front cover, but his comes first on the back, and on the spine. Similar to last year's duet with Amina Claudine Myers (or this year's with Vijay Iyer). A bit slow for my taste, but rewards a close listen. B+(***) [cd]

Sprints: All That Is Over (2025, City Slang/Sub Pop): Irish garage punk band, Karla Chubb the singer, second studio album after some EPs. Another strong album. B+(***) [sp]

Laura Taylor: Think I'm in Love (2025, Vegas): Las Vegas-based standards singer, recorded a pretty fair disco album in 1979, Discogs goes straight from it to this one, but I have four intermediate albums in my database, including a tribute to Julie London and Chet Baker and a Johnny Mercer songbook. B+(*) [cd]

The Third Mind: Right Now! (2025, Yep Roc): Americana "supergroup" -- best known are Dave Alvin, Victor Krummenacher (Camper van Beethoven), and Jesse Sykes (who takes most of the vocals) -- take some improv ideas from jazz, which include some heavy guitar, and a closing 7:51 "The Creator Has a Master Plan." B+(***) [sp]

Pat Thomas: ود ود (Wadud/Most Loving) (2023 [2025], Nyahh): British avant-pianist, often drops Arabic into his titles -- best known is his group, Ahmed -- solo here, one 30:35 piece, piano sounds prepared. B+(***) [bc]

UNLV Jazz Ensemble 1: Double or Nothing (2025, Vegas): College-level 21-piece big band, directed by Dave Loeb and Nathan Tanouye, mixed a couple of original pieces along with standards, notably Ellington/Strayhorn and Gillespie. B [cd]

Kamasi Washington: Lazarus [Adult Swim Original Series Soundtrack] (2025, Milan): Tenor saxophonist, major chops but also has crossover appeal, one of three soundtracks for Shinichiro Watanabe's anime series (the others are by Bonobo and Floating Points). Soundtracky, with some boss sax. B [sp]

Wednesday: Bleeds (2025, Dead Oceans): Country-ish rock band from North Carolina, although they also venture into Sonic Youth territory, principally Karly Hartzman (vocals, guitar), although guitarist MJ Lenderman has the bigger profile, and most of the songs (aside from a Lefty Frizzell cover) are jointly credited. Lots of people love this album, and they're not wrong. A- [sp]

Recent Reissues, Compilations, Vault Discoveries

Armen Donelian: Stargazer (1980 [2025], Sunnyside): Pianist, had played with Mongo Santamaria and Billy Harper before recording this first album, a trio with Eddie Gomez and Billy Hart, originally released in Japan in 1981. B+(**) [cd]

Hot Chip: Joy in Repetition (2005-22 [2025], Domino): British electropop group, 8 albums 2004-22, this compilation appears to be selected from singles (including a bait track included here, but of uncertain age). Looking back at my individual album grades, I'd say that selection helps, but doesn't clear them as a singles band. B+(**) [sp]

Mark O'Leary Group: I See Further Than You (2001 [2025], TIBProd.): Irish guitarist, released a series of albums on Leo in the early 2000s that were well regarded in Penguin Guide, but moved away from jazz (or toward something else?) after 2008. This is one of several old tapes recently released, this one with Michael Formanek (bass) and Joey Baron (drums). (Two others I reviewed last month but spent most of my time puzzling over the missing dates.) B+(**) [bc]

Eli "Paperboy" Reed: Sings "Walkin' and Talkin'" and Other Smash Hits [20th Anniversary Edition] (2005 [2025], Yep Roc): Blues-smitten singer-guitarist from the Boston suburbs, made a pilgrimage to Clarksdale, Mississippi after graduating high school, but went to Chicago for college, then returned to Boston to record his first album: 12 tracks here, with the reissue adding 15 more (4 bonus tracks + 11 radio sessions). B+(**) [sp]

Atef Swaitat: Palestinian Bedouin Psychedelic Dabka Archive (1970s [2025], Majazz Project/Palestinian Sound Archive): Two sides (46:31) compiled from "immersive field recordings from weddings across the Galilee in the 1970s." B+(***) [sp]

John Taylor: Tramanto(2002 [2025], ECM): English pianist (1942-2015), many side credits starting in 1970 with John Surman, Graham Collier, Harry Beckett, Alan Skidmore, and Kenny Wheeler. This is a trio with Marc Johnson (bass) and Joey Baron (drums). This was a live recording in January, befor the April studio session the trio released as Rosslyn. B+(**)

Old Music

Abdullah: Life's Force (1979, About Time): Trumpet player Leroy Bland, better known as Ahmed Abdullah, Discogs (which notes that he kept the Arabic name even after converting to Buddhism) treats this as a group name. Played with Sun Ra, Arthur Blythe, a few others -- his 1974 group, Melodic Art-Tet, is especially notable. Group here with Vincent Chancey (French horn), Muneer Abdul Fatah (cello), Jerome Hunter (bass), Jay Hoggard (vibes), and Rashied Sinan (drums). B+(***) [bc]

Pheeroan ak Laff: House of Spirit: "Mirth" (1979 [1980], Passin' Thru): Drummer, first album on his own, solo, produced by Oliver Lake. B+(***) [yt]

Willem Breuker Kollektief: William Breuker Collective (1983 [1984], About Time): Dutch saxophonist (1944-2010), a co-founder of ICP, ran his group from 1974 on, a not-quite big band which played free jazz while liberally quoting from Kurt Weill, classical, and circus music. Most of their records are on the BV Haast label. I've sampled them occasionally where I could, but my grades are all over the place, as is their music. This was snagged from a rare New York performance, much like European labels latch onto concerts by visiting Americans. This one is more wonderful than not, but still trips up more than I would like. B+(***) [bc]

François Carrier Trio With Uri Caine: All' Aba (2001 [2002], Justin Time): Canadian alto saxophonist, debut 1994, impressed me early and has long been a favorite. The pianist was in peak form during this period. A- [bc]

Mike Clark: Plays Herbie Hancock (2022 [2023], Sunnyside): Veteran drummer, joined Hancock's band in 1974, and remained in the Headhunters long after Hancock left. Acoustic trio here with Jon Davis (piano) and Leon Lee Dorsey (bass), playing eight Hancock standards. B+(**) [sp]

Jerome Cooper: The Unpredictability of Predictability (1979, About Time): Drummer (1946-2015), best known for Revolutionary Ensemble, also injects flute, whistle, balafon, percussion, and voice into this early solo album. It's a remarkable tour de force, especially as the balafon adds a melodic overtone to the basic thud of the drums. A- [bc]

Jerome Cooper Quintet: Outer and Interactions (1987 [1988], About Time): Drummer-led quintet, his compositions, he also plays chiramia, balaphone, and flutes, joined by Joseph Jarman (tenor sax/flute), William Parker (bass), Thurman Barker (drums), and Jason Hwang (violin). Best parts here focus on the percussion. B+(***) [bc]

Fred Hopkins/Diedre Murray Quartet: Prophecy (1990 [1998], About Time): Bassist (1947-99), not much as a leader (two more albums with the cellist around this time list her first, but he started out with Air in 1975, was a regular with David Murray, and appeared with others like Don Pullen, Oliver Lake, and Henry Threadgill. Quartet with cello (Murray), guitar (Brandon Ross), and drums (Newman Baker). B+(***) [bc]

Ronald Shannon Jackson and the Decoding Society: Eye on You (1980 [1981], About Time): Drummer (1940-2013), from Fort Worth, part of Ornette Coleman's mid-1970s Prime Time group. This is a similar-sounding group, with two saxophonists (Byard Lancaster and Charles Brackeen), two guitarists (Vernon Reid and Bern Nix), electric bass (Melvin Gibbs), violin (Billy Bang), and percussion (Erasto Vasconcelos). Still, none of them (even Bang) can quite pull off the sort of miracles Coleman so often delivered. B+(***) [bc]

Sam Jones Plus 10: The Chant (1961, Riverside): Bassist (1924-81), a dozen-plus albums starting in 1960, huge number of side credits (especially with Cannonball Adderley and Cedar Walton). Second album, three brass, three saxes, drums, piano/guitar (Victor Feldman/Les Spann) or piano/vibes (Wynton Kelly/Feldman), three tracks where Jones plays cello and Keter Betts picks up the bass. B+(***) [sp]

Jim McNeely Quintet: Rain's Dance (1976 [1978], SteepleChase): Pianist (1949-2025), owns one of the few solo piano albums I've rated A- (his Vol. 20 entry in Maybeck Recital Hall Series), but is best known for extensive work in big bands, starting with Thad Jones/Mel Lewis in 1978, including its later Vanguard Jazz Orchestra edition, and work with several European big bands. Quintet with Larry Schneider (tenor/soprano sax), Mike Richmond (bass), Bob Merigliano (drums), and Sam Jacobs (percussion). B+(***) [sp]

Joe Morris: Racket Club (1993 [1998], About Time): Avant-guitarist, long list of records starts in 1990, this one with two saxophonists (Jim Hobbs on alto and Steve Norton on baritone), electric bass (Nate McBride), and two drummers (Jerome Deupree and Curt Newton). B+(***) [bc]

Mark O'Leary/Cuong Vu/Tom Rainey: Waiting (2004 [2006], Leo): Freewheeling guitar-trumpet-drums trio. B+(***) [sp]

Mark O'Leary/Ståle Storløkken/Stein Inge Braekhus: St. Fin Barre's (2002 [2008], Leo): Guitar-organ-drums trio, recorded on the guitarist's home turf in Cork City. B+(*) [sp]

Mark O'Leary/Eyvind Kang/Dylan Van Der Schyff: Zemlya (2004 [2008], Leo): Another trio, recorded in Seattle, with viola and drums (and electronics credits for all). I'm rarely getting a good sense of how the guitar fits into these records, but the viola is exceptional here, and the timbre is close enough that the two instruments co-extend. A- [sp]

Mark O'Leary/Kenny Wollesen/Jamie Saft: The Synth Show (2005 [2008], Leo): The guitarist adds E-Bow and Soundscapes to his repertoire, with Saft on synthesizer and Wollensen on drums. At the time, there was a boomlet for "jazztronica," extending from Matthew Shipp's Blue Series to postmodernists like Dave Douglas and even to retro-oriented Nicholas Payton. My favorites, like Nils Petter Molvær and Nik Bärtsch, focused on rhythm. This one is more into texture. B+(*) [sp]

The Henry Threadgill Sextet: When Was That? (1981 [1982], About Time): Saxophonist (alto/tenor, clarinet, flutes), started with Air in 1975, effectively kicked off his solo career here (after a best-forgotten 1979 album on Arista/Novus), a group with Olu Dara (cornet), Craig Harris ( trombone), Fred Hopkins (bass), Brian Smith (piccolo bass), and drums (Pheeroan Aklaff or John Betsch). B+(*) [bc]

The Henry Threadgill Sexett: Just the Facts and Pass the Bucket (1983, About Time): Seven figures (back facing) on the cover, so the group appears to be misnumbered, with both drummers returning, the only change being replacing the piccolo bass with a proper cello (Diedre Murray). B+(**) [bc]

Limited Sampling

Records I played parts of, but not enough to grade: -- means no interest, - not bad but not a prospect, + some chance, ++ likely prospect.

Grade (or other) Changes

Sometimes further listening leads me to change an initial grade, usually either because I move on to a real copy, or because someone else's review or list makes me want to check it again. Also some old albums extracted from further listening:

Mark O'Leary Quartet: White Album (1998 [2025], TIBProd.): Early New York set with Paul Motian (drums), Kenny Werner (piano), and John Patitucci (bass). B+(*) [bc]

Mark O'Leary Group: A Simple Question (1999 [2025], TIBProd.): Early trio with Marc Johnson (bass) and Bill Stewart (drums). B+(**) [bc]

Rechecked with no grade change:

Additional Consumer News:

Grades on artists in the old music section.

Music Weeks

Music: Current count 36534 [36534] rated (+0), 149 [149] unrated (+0).

Excerpts from this month's Music Week posts:

Notes

Sources noted as follows:

• [cd] based on physical cd
• [cdr] based on an advance or promo cd or cdr
• [lp] based on physical lp (vinyl)
• [dvd] based on physical dvd (rated more for music than video)
• [bc] available at bandcamp.com
• [r] available at napster.com (formerly Rhapsody)
• [sc] available at soundcloud.com
• [sp] available at spotify.com
• [yt] available at youtube.com
• [os] some other stream source
• [dl] something I was able to download from the web; may be freely available, may be a bootleg someone made available, or may be a publicist promo

Grades are probably self-explanatory, aside from B+, which is subdivided 1-2-3 stars, because most records that come my way are pretty good, but they're not all that good.