#^d 2014-10-29
#^h Music Week
Music: Current count 23933 [23893] rated (+40), 543 [526] unrated (+17).
Back from three weeks on the road. I did manage to file a few blog posts
with link comments, but there wasn't much I could do with Music Week, or
indeed much to do until I got back. The incoming mail jumped up a level
while I was gone. I didn't take any new CDs with me. I did take a Chromebook
and listen to Rhapsody and jotted down a few record reviews, but I didn't
have a lot of time for that. (I got flak for playing Wadada Leo Smith, so
wound up switching to Oscar Peterson, but I wasn't able to sort out the
songbooks until I got home.)
I also fell out of the habit of writing tweet-length review lines, and
it doesn't seem like it would either be fun or all that useful to try to
catch up at this point. I'm due to post a Rhapsody Streamnotes before the
end of October, so you'll get the reviews soon enough. I only have about
50 notes in the draft file, so it will likely be the shortest one all year,
but those are the breaks.
I'll resume the grade-tweets after this post. One thing on my "todo"
list is to update the
Music Tracking 2014 file. One thing
not on my "todo" list is to organize another Turkey Shoot on Thanksgiving.
I wouldn't mind running it if someone else stepped forward (or you could,
as Christgau suggested to me, self-publish it on Medium). I am leaning
toward doing a metacritic file based on year-end lists (as opposed to
previous years when I folded year-long review data in). And I expect
there will be a Jazz Critics Poll, but don't have any details yet.
New records rated over the previous three weeks:
- Jhené Aiko: Souled Out (2014, Def Jam): [r]: B+(*)
- Kenny Barron/Dave Holland: The Art of Conversation (2014, Blue Note): [r]: B+(***)
- David Binney: Anacapa (2014, Criss Cross): [r]: B+(*)
- Samuel Blaser/Paul Motian: Consort in Motion (2010 [2011], Kind of Blue): [r]: B+(***)
- Buck 65: Neverlove (2014, WEA Canada): [r]: B+(**)
- Lajos Dudas Trio: Live at Porgy & Bess (2009 [2013], Jazz Sick): [cd]: B+(***)
- Lajos Dudas Quartet: Live at Salzburger Jazzherbst (2012 [2013], Jazz Sick): [cd]: A-
- El-P/Killer Mike: Run the Jewels (2013, Fat Beats): [r]: B+(***)
- El-P/Killer Mike: Run the Jewels 2 (2014, Mass Appeal): [r]: B+(**)
- Bill Frisell: Guitar in the Space Age (2014, Okeh): [r]: B+(***)
- David Hazeltine: For All We Know (2014, Smoke Sessions): [r]: B+(***)
- Branford Marsalis: In My Solitude: Live at Grace Cathedral (2012 [2014], Okeh): [r]: B+(**)
- Angaleena Presley: American Middle Class (2014, Slate Creek): [r]: A-
- Joshua Redman: Trios Live (2009-13 [2014], Nonesuch): [r]: B+(**)
- Rafael Rosa: Portrait (2014, self-released): [cd]: B+(**)
- Spoke: (R)anthems (2013 [2014], River): [cd]: B+(*)
- Wadada Leo Smith/Bill Laswell: The Stone (Akashic Meditation) (2014, MOD Technologies): [r]: B+(*)
- Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives: Saturday Night/Sunday Morning (2014, Superlatone, 2CD): [r]: B+(*)
- Dann Zinn: Shangri La (2014, self-released): [cd]: B
Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries rated this week:
- Jerry Heldman: Revelation(s) (1973-74 [2014], Origin, 2CD): [cd]: B
- Oscar Peterson: Plays the Harry Warren & Vincent Youmans Song Books (1952-59 [2014], Solar, 2CD): [r]: B+(***)
- Oscar Peterson: Plays the Richard Rodgers Song Book (1954-59 [2014], Solar): [r]: B+(**)
- Oscar Peterson: Plays the Irving Berlin Song Book (1952-59 [2014], Solar): [r]: B+(***)
- Oscar Peterson: Plays the Jimmy McHugh Song Book (1954-59 [2014], Solar): [r]: B+(**)
- Lester Young: Boston, 1950 (1950 [2013], Uptown): [r]: B+(*)
Old records rated this week:
- Oscar Peterson: The Oscar Peterson Trio at Zardi's (1954 [1994], Pablo/OJC, 2CD): [r]: A-
- Oscar Peterson: Plays My Fair Lady (1958, Verve): [r]: B+(**)
- Oscar Peterson: Plays the Harold Arlen Song Book (1954-59 [2001], Verve): [r]: B+(**)
- Oscar Peterson: Plays the Cole Porter Song Book (1959 [1990], Verve): [r]: B+(***)
- Oscar Peterson: Plays the George Gershwin Song Book (1952-59 [1996], Verve): [r]: B+(***)
- Oscar Peterson: Plays the Duke Ellington Song Book (1952-59 [1999], Verve): [r]: B+(***)
- Oscar Peterson: A Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra (1959 [1990], Verve): [r]: B+(***)
- Oscar Peterson: Fiorello (1960, Verve): [r]: B+(*)
- Oscar Peterson Trio: West Side Story (1962, Verve): [r]: B
- Oscar Peterson: The Jazz Soul of Oscar Peterson/Affinity (1959-62 [1996], Verve): [r]: B+(**)
- Richmond Fontaine: Winnemucca (2002, El Cortez): [r]: B+(***)
Grade changes:
- Oscar Peterson: Plays the Jerome Kern Songbook (1959 [2009], Verve):
[was: B+(**)] B+(***)
Unpacking: Found in the mail last three weeks:
- Greg Abate Quartet: Motif (Whaling City Sound)
- Allison Au Quartet: The Sky Was Pale Blue, Then Grey (self-released)
- David Borbo & Paul Pellegrin: Kronomorfic Entangled (Origin)
- Nels Cline & Julian Lage: Room (Mack Avenue): advance, November 25
- Freddy Cole: Singing the Blues (High Note)
- Kevin Conlon/The Groove Rebellion: In Transit (Blujazz)
- Michael Denhoff/Uli Phillipp/Jörg Fischer: Trio Improvisations for Campanula, Bass and Percussion (Sporeprint)
- Expansions: The Dave Liebman Group: Samsara (Whaling City Sound)
- Jean Luc Fillon: Oboman Plays Cole Porter: Begin the Night . . . (Soupir Editions)
- Brad Goode Quartet: Montezuma (Origin)
- Jonathan Kreisberg: Wave Upon Wave (New for Now Music)
- Thomas Marriott: Urban Folklore (Origin)
- Delfeayo Marsalis: The Last Southern Gentlemen (Troubadour Jass)
- Sam Newsome: The Straight Horn of Africa: A Path to Liberation [The Art of the Soprano, Vol. 2] (self-released)
- Clarence Penn & Penn Station: Monk: The Lost Files (Origin)
- Rex Richardson & Steve Wilson: Blue Shift (Summit)
- Boris Savoldelli/Garrison Fewell: Electric Bat Conspiracy (Creative Nation Music)
- Ryan Schultz Quintet: Hair Dryers (Origin)
- Pat Senatore Trio: Ascensione (Fresh Sound)
- Judy Silvano with Michael Abene: My Dance (JSL): January 6
- Tyshawn Sorey: Alloy (Pi)
- The Spin Quartet: In Circles (Origin)
- Lyn Stanley: Potions (A.T. Music)
- Brian Swartz & the Gnu Sextet: Portraiture (Summit)
- Natsuki Tamura/Alexander Frangenheim: Max (Creative Sources)
- Touch and Go Sextet: Live at the Novara Jazz Festival (Nine Winds)
- Marlene VerPlanck: I Give Up, I'm in Love (Audiophile)
- Walter White: Most Triumphant (Summit)
- Jason Yeager Trio: Affirmation (Inner Circle Music)
- Peter Zak Trio: The Disciple (Steeplechase)
- Miguel Zenón: Identities Are Changeable (Miel Music): November 4