Blog Entries [660 - 669]

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Weekend Roundup

I spent much of the week in Oklahoma, visiting my 92-year-old cousin, his two daughters, and various other family. I packed my Chromebook, then forgot it, so went a few days without my usual news sources -- not that anything much changed while I was away. Trying to catch up here, including a few links that seem possibly useful for future reference.

Looks pretty obvious from my "recent reading" sidebar that I'm in a gloomy mood about the viability of democracy in this nation. The odd book out is subtitled "On the Writing Process" -- thought that might inspire me to write about it, and it has made me a bit more self-conscious in my writing. The one I recommend most is Jason Stanley's How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them. I lumped it into a list in my recent Book Reports, but it's well thought out and clear, with a fair smattering of historical examples but more focused on here and now: things you will recognize. I rather wish there was a more generic word than "fascism": one with less specific historical baggage, one that can be used in general discourse without tripping off unnecessary alarms. On the other hand, as a leftist, I've always had a keen nose for generic fascism, so the word suits my purposes just fine. I have, in fact, been using it since the 1970s, which is one reason the modern American conservative movement always seems to coherent and predictable.

Some scattered links this week:

I don't have much to say about Game of Thrones, but I was struck by this ratiocination by Zack Beauchamp: "But it's one thing for Daenerys to act like Bush, and another for her to act like Hitler." He's talking about the indiscriminate fire-bombing of cities full of innocent civilians, but while Bush criminally started wars, lied about his reasoning, rounded up and tortured supposed enemies, disrupted the lives of millions doing irreparable harm, just to show the world that it's more important to fear his "shock and awe" than to respect his self-proclaimed beneficence, and while Hitler did those same things on an even more epic scale, the most comparable historical example of a leader laying waste to entire cities was Harry Truman -- who we generally recall as an exceptionally decent and modest president.

You can say that war does that, even to otherwise decent people. You can say that Hitler and Bush were worse than Truman because they started wars whereas Truman was simply trying to end one he had inherited. (This is not the place to get into how he escalated the Cold War and the Korean War, which in many ways I find more troubling than his "final solution" to WWII.) You can say that Hitler was worse than Bush because his desire for war was more deeply rooted in the uncritical imperialism and racism of the era, which made him even more vindictive and bloodthirsty. But I'd also note that Truman was not above the prejudices of Hitler's era, and that Bush (while less racist than Truman let alone Hitler) was, like all conservatives ever, fully committed to traditional hierarchies of wealth and power, which made it easy for him to run roughshod over all the others.

I have no idea where Daenerys fits among this trio, as she is a fictional character in an imaginary world. Even if she reflects the world of her creators, she does so haphazardly and inconsistently.

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Monday, May 6, 2019

Music Week

Music: current count 31469 [31440] rated (+29), 248 [255] unrated (-7).

Had a low energy period after posting April Streamnotes last Monday, so I'm not surprised that the rated count dropped. If anything, I'm surprised it's as high as it is, but that was mostly from streaming back catalog of artists recently reviewed.

I speculated last week that Walt Weiskopf's Worldwide is his best yet, but I had missed most of his 1990s albums, so I had to hedge. There are still a couple things I haven't heard, but nothing old came close to the new one -- best of the albums below is probably Siren (1999). When I gave Betty Carter's The Music Never Stops an A- a few weeks back, I noted lots of holes in my database. Scratching my head for something to listen to, I remembered that, and plugged a few of them (while being unable to find others). The new Teodross Avery album also sent me back. No great finds from any of those excursions.

I also tried looking up the album Carter and Ray Charles did together in 1961, but couldn't find it. I noticed then I had an unrated Charles record, and wondered whether I could build a playlist to duplicate it (as opposed to having to dig up my physical copy). Turns out there's damn few of Charles' ABC records on Napster, but I still got 17/20 songs from Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, while the other three were easy to find on YouTube. Not quite an equivalent listening experience, but close enough, I figured (especially given that I recalled hearing nearly everything). I'll do a few more Ray Charles albums next week, starting with the early Atlantics.

On the other hand, this week's two new A- records are ones I hadn't read a thing about before they showed up. After months of second guessing other folks' picks, I feel like I've done my job.

I'll be posting a new XgauSez overnight (link always points to the latest Q&A).

Teodross Avery: After the Rain: A Night for Coltrane (2019, Tompkins Square): Tenor saxophonist, seemed like a big deal when he debuted on GRP in 1994 but has hardly been heard from since -- tours with Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse, some studio work, a Ph.D. and a teaching gig. Not sure when this live quartet set was recorded, but he holds forth on Coltrane, really lighting up a few classics. B+(***)

The Campfire Flies: Sparks Like Litle Stars (2019, OverPop Music): I probably would have filed this as a mid-B+ with a sigle play had it not been for voice-of-the-Cucumbers Deena Shoshkes sending me the CD. She sounded as appealing as ever, but I could have done without the predominant male vocals (members of groups I've never bothered with: Speed the Plough, the Thousand Pities). I guess that's democracy, with all six members singing, most writing and playing multiple instruments. Gradually the male songs emerged more clearly, with several (especially John Baumgartner's "Deep Water") reminding me of the Go-Betweens. And Deena just kept getting better. A- [cd]

Mark Dresser Seven: Ain't Nothing but a Cyber Coup & You (2018 [2019], Clean Feed): Bassist, major figure since the 1980s, with a soft-toned septet -- flute (Nicole Mitchell), violin (Keir Gogwilt), clarinet (Marty Ehrlich, also bass clarinet and alto sax), trombone (Michael Dessen), piano (Joshua White), and drums (Jim Black). B+(**) [cd]

Satoko Fujii: Solo Piano: Stone (2018 [2019], Libra): Japanese avant-pianist, celebrated turning 60 last year by releasing an album each month, back to a more normal pace this year, with her second album through four months. Solo piano, from two sets at Samurai Hotel in New York. Quieter than normal, comtemplating the "beautiful music" her grandmother claimed to hear after she went deaf. B+(**) [cd]

The Invisible Party: Shumankind (2017 [2018], Chant): Guitarist Jon Lipscomb, based in Malmo, Sweden and/or Brooklyn (same page claims both), has appeared in groups like Super Hi-Fi and Swedish Fix, plays punk-noise jazz here, backed by bass (Kurt Kotheimer) and drums (Dave Treut). Most bracing guitar-bass-drums trio I've heard in some time (and, yes, I've heard Harriet Tubman). Everyone agrees this came out in September 2018, but nobody listed it last year, and I first heard about it when it popped up in my mail last week. A-

Jon Lipscomb Quartet: Fodder (2016 [2018], self-released): Avant-guitarist, also has a volume of Solo Guitar Improvisations as well as several group efforts. This seems like a warm up for Invisible Party's Shumankind, with tenor saxophonist Sam Weinberg sharing the spotlight, but not making as much of it. B+(**) [bc]

Rent Romus' Life's Blood Ensemble: Side Three: New Work (2018 [2019], Edgetone): Alto saxophonist, leads an octet counting guest Vinny Golia, sometimes through a tricky postbop slalom, sometimes blasting through with sheer energy. B+(***) [cd]

The Richard Shulman Trio: Waltzing out of Town (2019, RichHeart Music): Pianist, "since 1984, dedicated his music to the expression of love and the awakening of inner joy," with an upbeat and pleasantly catchy trio. B+(*) [cd]

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Kinloch Nelson: Partly on Time: Recordings 1968-1970 (1968-70 [2019], Tompkins Square): Guitarist from Rochester, NY; studied classical and jazz (with Gene Bertoncini), but this comes closer to "American primitive" folk. B+(*) [bc]

Old music:

The Teodross Avery Quartet: In Other Words (1994, GRP): Tenor saxophonist (also soprano), debut album, no more than 21 when this was released on a major label, wrote 9 (of 11) songs, rhythm section no better known at the time, but Roy Hargrove got a couple of guest spots. Fashionably mainstream, a hot start, handles the ballad well. B+(**)

Teodross Avery & the 5th Power: New Day, New Groove (1998 [2001], 5th Power): After a second GRP album (New Generation), the saxophonist decided to do a funk/groove album, with raps by Common, Ransom,and Ursula Rucker. Probably figured this was his ticket to mass appeal, but didn't work out that way. Long interview at the end, over a minor vamp. B+(*)

Teodross Avery: Bridging the Gap: Hop-Hop Jazz (2008, BTG Music): I'm not unsympathetic to the ambition of jazz/hip-hop fusion, but this comes up short on execution, on both sides. Inadvertent humor: Roy Ayers comes on to praise Avery by admitting to being stuck in the gap Avery's bridging. Still, this has some moments, mostly because the man can play. B-

Betty Carter/Ray Bryant: Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant (1955-56 [1996], Columbia): Lillie Mae Jones, from Detroit, made her debut here, with half an LP backed by pianist Bryant's trio, plus Jerome Richardson on flute (3 tracks). The flip side was just Bryant's trio, with Wendell Marshall (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Two different things, but the CD reissue tilts toward Carter, leading off with her backed by Gigi Gryce's big band (four cuts, Hank Jones on piano). B+(*)

Betty Carter: The Modern Sound of Betty Carter (1960, ABC): Big band, arranged and conducted by Richard Wess. The music strikes me as modernistic, a not especially interesting impersonation meant to spruce up a passing form. You can say the same for Carter's scat, the more impressive technical feat. B+(*)

Betty Carter: Inside Betty Carter (1964-65 [1993], Capitol Jazz): A one-shot album for United Artists, produced by Alan Douglas, backed by Harold Mabern (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass), and Roy McCurdy (drums). Mostly ballads, nothing fancy. Reissue adds a 1965 session with Kenny Burrell on guitar, unknowns on piano-bass-drums. B+(*)

Betty Carter: Finally, Betty Carter (1969 [1975], Roulette): Live set, lots of scat, backed by piano trio -- Norman Simmons, Lisle Atkinson, Al Harewood -- including a couple of medleys. B+(*)

Betty Carter: At the Village Vanguard (1970 [1993], Verve): Backed by same piano trio, pushes the envelope a bit harder. B+(**)

Betty Carter: The Betty Carter Album (1976 [1988], Verve): Self-released at the time, reissued after she signed to Verve. Backed by piano trio (Danny Mixon or Onaja Allan Gumbs). Probably more to it, but slipped past me easily. B

Ray Charles: Greatest Country and Western Hits (1962-66 [1988], DCC): Out of print, one of the first wave of Charles CDs (quickly superseded by the also-out-of-print Rhinos), but listed as unrated in my database, so it must be around here somewhere. Wasn't too hard to pick out a playlist, given that 17 (of 20) songs come from Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, where he came up with his shtick -- country tunes with string orchestration (or less often big band) and a chorus. That sounded like genius at the time, but could easily flip to corny. The three later singles are all Buck Owens songs, right up his alley. A-

Jon Lipscomb: Solo Guitar Improvisations Vol. 1 (2016, self-released): Guitarist, recorded these five tracks (39:53) in Sweden. Noise at first, then turns it down and plays with the rhythm, developing some interesting ideas. B+(*) [bc]

Walt Weiskopf: Night Lights (1995, Double Time): Tenor saxophonist, a few records in, quartet with piano (Joel Weiskopf), bass (Drew Gress), and drums (Steve Davis). Mostly standards, three originals, nothing fancy, but strong and dynamic saxophone. B+(**)

Walt Weiskopf: Song for My Mother (1995 [1996], Criss Cross): Nonet, credited on the back cover but not on the front, which just lists the musicians under the leader's much larger name. Expansion from four to nine is all horns: two brass (Joe Magnarelli on trumpet and Conrad Herwig on trombone), two more saxes (Jim Snidero on alto, Scott Robinson on baritone and bass clarinet), and flute (Anders Bostrom, et al.). Still, the flutes are hardly noticeable, while the leader's tenor sax towers over everyone. B+(***)

Walt Weiskopf: Sleepless Nights (1996 [1998], Criss Cross): Sextet, adding alto sax (Andy Fusco) and trombone (Conrad Herwig) to spread out the horns. Originals (plus one standard), sketch pieces stretched out, a platform for some superb tenor sax. B+(***)

Walt Weiskopf: Anytown (1998, Criss Cross): Tenor sax, back by piano trio (Renee Rosnes, Doug Weiss, Tony Reedus) plus very energetic vibes (Joe Locke). Hard postbop. B+(**)

Walt Weiskopf: Siren (1999, Criss Cross): Another nonet album, same lineup as on Song for My Mother except at bass (Doug Weiss replaces Peter Washington). The solos are better distributed, the ensemble even more energetic, and the leader plays his ass off. I do question leaving the blues cover to the flutes. B+(***)

Walt Weiskopf: Man of Many Colors (2001 [2002], Criss Cross): Quartet, moving on to a new generation of players (emerging then, famous now): Brad Mehldau (piano), John Patitucci (bass), Clarence Penn (drums). Two covers ("Haunted Heart" and "People"), originals which show off the group's impressive chops. B+(***)

Walt Weiskopf: Sight to Sound (2003 [2004], Criss Cross): Sextet, new horns (Andy Fusco on alto, John Mosca trombone), familiar rhythm section (Joel Weiskopf, Doug Weiss, Billy Drummond). B+(**)

Walt Weiskopf: Open Road (2014 [2015], Posi-Tone): Second album for producer Marc Free's label, a return to form in a standard quartet setting, with Peter Zak (piano), Mike Karn (bass), and Steve Fidyk (drums). Two covers, ten originals, burns at both ends. B+(***)

Walt Weiskopf: Fountain of Youth (2016 [2017], Posi-Tone): Adds Behn Gillece (vibraphone) to the previous quartet, picking up the pace and adding some sparkle, not ultimately making much difference. Still an impressive tenor saxophonist. B+(**)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • Yoko Miwa Trio: Keep Talkin' (Ocean Blue Tear Music)

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Weekend Roundup

No time to work on this, as I spent Sunday trying to break in a new Mexican cookbook. Much of Saturday too, and more of Friday -- not that I had even started then. The one story that dominated the interest of the liberal media was Attorney General William Barr's Senate testimony and his failure to appear before the House. I was tempted to tweet when I looked at Talking Points Memo and they had devoted their entire front page to Barr (aside from one bit on the implosion of Stephen Moore's Fed nomination).

Actually, this should have been a banner week for the media to pick apart Trump's increasingly manic and deranged foreign policy. The US hasn't been taken such a nakedly imperial stance toward Latin America since FDR traded in his cousin's penchant for Gunboat Diplomacy for the sunny promise of a Good Neighbor Policy. I didn't link to anything below on Trump's phone call to Putin, mostly because no one seems to know enough about it to write intelligently. But there were also fairly major stories that could have been reported about Korea, China, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Yemen, and Israel/Palestine (where Netanyahu celebrated his election victory by launching the heaviest assault on Gaza since 2014).

Some scattered links this week:

For the record, tonight's Cinco de Mayo menu, nearly all from The Best Mexican Recipes (America's Test Kitchen):

  • Chicken adobo
  • Braised short ribs with peppers and onion
  • Cheese enchiladas
  • Classic Mexican rice
  • Skillet street corn
  • Restaurant-style black beans
  • Shrimp and lime ceviche
  • Mango, jicama, and orange salad
  • Cherry tomato and avocado salad
  • Key lime pie
  • Duce de leche cheesecake

I generally cut the hot peppers back by 50%. I made the beef and the desserts the night before. Started around noon, aiming at 6pm dinner, but it wound up closer to 7pm, putting a couple guests to work. Used a gluten-free shell for the key lime pie, but made cheesecake crust from scratch, using a box of caramel and sea salt cookies plus some graham crackers. Used store-bought yellow corn tortillas, which were the weak link in the enchiladas (otherwise pretty great). Ten people, so the table was pretty crowded. Kitchen was a colossal mess, but got it straightened out by bedtime.

I've never been a big fan of Mexican food, but figured I should give it a try, especially given access to specialty grocers here. But when I bought my first Mexican cookbook, I found it impenetrable. This one is intentionally simplified, which helped get me started. This cookbook didn't have any desserts, so I scrounged around the web, not finding much that interested me. (I've made flan and rice pudding many times before, but didn't want to do them here. And while I'm partial to cake, tres leches isn't a favorite.) On the other hand, lime figures large in the meal, and I had the pie shell on the shelf. The cheesecake was a second thought, and turned out to be a nice complement.

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Monday, April 29, 2019

Music Week

Music: current count 31440 [31400] rated (+40), 255 [256] unrated (-1).

Last Monday of the month, so time to unveil April Streamnotes, including this week's subset below. Five Mondays this month, so the totals are up handsomely from the two previous four-Monday months. Weekly rated count is up a bit, but that's partly because I found five records I failed to record grades for recently. Some of those bookkeeping errors probably caused me to log 29-album weeks (four so far this year) instead of 30, long my standard for a productive week.

Worth noting that all three of this week's new non-jazz A-list albums here also placed high on Phil Overeem's latest list (numbers 4, 6, and 20). For what little it's worth, I wrote those before seeing Overeem's list, but not before Dan Weiss praised them on Facebook (although I think I first heard of Billie Eilish from Christgau).

Those tips help make up for the frustration of declining awareness I've been feeling. Although I still keep a music tracking file, I've stopped making any systematic effort to find and list prospects, leaving me with little concept of what to search out next. As a result, I veer off on arbitrary tangents, as when I found a piece called A Guide to Drexciya's Futuristic Electro. I really liked Drexciya's Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller, Vol. I back in 2012, so that seemed worth pursuing. But it certainly fell far short of a plan.

Finally, a link that makes more sense to list here than in yesterday's Weekend Roundup: Rachel Syme: Vince Aletti's Obsessive Collection of Seminal Fashion Magazinse. Vince was one of the first people I met when I moved to New York City in 1977, so it's good to see him again, even older, as we all are.

New records reviewed this week:

Kevin Abstract: Arizona Baby (2019, Question Everything/RCA): Rapper Clifford Ian Simpson, has a couple albums under this alias, but more recently has been involved in the group Brockhampton. This is short (32:21), released in three spurts before being consolidated into an album. Loose, some catchy bits, more I didn't quite get. B+(**)

Juan Álamo & Marimjazzia: Ruta Panoramica (2016 [2019], Summit): Marimba player, from Puerto Rico, teaches at University of North Carolina, directing the Percussion Ensemble there. Latin jazz, lots of percussion, several cuts with vocals by Christina Alamo Medina. B+(**) [cd]

Anderson .Paak: Ventura (2019, Aftermath/12 Tone Music): California rapper/singer, Brandon Paak Anderson, fourth album, continues in quick succession his crawl up the coast from Venice through Malibu and Oxnard. Some nice pieces here, but feels a bit like leftovers from Oxnard. B+(***)

Brittany Anjou: Enamigo Reciprokataj (2015-16 [2019], Origin): Pianist, based in New York, originally from Seattle. Debut album, two trio sets, with different bassists/drummers. Background includes touring with Bikini Kill and singing in an experimental metal band. Understands that upbeat keeps it moving. B+(**) [cd]

Seamus Blake: Guardians of the Heart Machine (2017 [2019], Whirlwind): Tenor saxophonist, strong mainstream player, born in London, grew up in Canada, based in New York, twenty albums since 1994. Solid quartet with piano (Tony Tixier), bass, and drums. Then he sings one. B+(***)

Club D'Elf: Night Sparkles (Live) (2011 [2019], Face Pelt): Title per cover, although some sources expand to "(Live at the Lizard Lounge, Cambridge, MA)." Group dates back to their 2000 debut, As Above: Live at the Lizard Lounge, with a 2005 album from the same venue. More of their trademark world-groove jams, with guests David Tronzo (slide guitar) and Moussa Traore (djembe). B+(***)

Control Top: Covert Contracts (2019, Get Better): Post-punk trio from Philadelphia, female singer (Ali Carter) on bass, plus guitar (Al Creeton) and drums (Alex Lichtenauer), first album: hard, fast, short (29:28, but 11 songs so I don't count it an EP), "cathartic" is a word often used to describe them. Can't make out many words, but with rants against "capitalist patriarchy, . . . indictments of wrongdoing and abuse of power, odes to empathy and ego death," I wouldn't refuse a lyric sheet. A-

Cooper Moore/Stephen Gauci: Studio Sessions Vol. 1 (2019, Gaucimusic): Piano/tenor sax duets, eight numbered improvs, free and far out. The pianist's name is usually hyphenated, hence my sorting. Focus on the piano here. That's what the saxophonist is doing. B+(***)

Ronnie Cuber: Straight Street (2010 [2019], SteepleChase): Baritone saxophonist, approaching 70 when he assembled this quartet -- George Colligan (piano), Cameron Brown (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) -- about as mainstream as you can get, long (71:19) takes of standards ("All the Things You Are," "Summertime") and bop-era classics (three Coltranes, Gillespie's "Groovin' High," pieces by Scott LaFaro and Philly Joe Jones). B+(***)

Billy Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019, Darkroom/Interscope): Teenage (17) singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, last name O'Connell, home schooled, parents in show biz, older brother started writing songs before her. First album, but her debut was a 26:00 EP released in 2017, containing a single she recorded at 14 and turned into a video hit. Nothing here suggests she's so young. Counted as electropop, the songs stick with you but the hooks are so casual you scarcely notice them. A-

Anat Fort Trio: Colour (2019, Sunnyside): Israeli pianist, based in New York since 1996, has a handful of trio albums, this with Gary Wang (bass) and Roland Schneider (drums). B+(**)

Four: There You Go Thinking Again (2018 [2019], Jazz Hang): Saxophone quartet -- Mark Watkins (soprano), Ray Smith (alto), Sandon Mayhew (tenor), Jon Gudmundson (baritone) -- at least one previous album (although with a different alto player). Trick here is that they've doubled down by dubbing in five more saxophone quartets (two cuts each). B [cd]

Bill Frisell/Thomas Morgan: Epistrophy (2016 [2019], ECM): Guitar and bass duets, playing standards ranging from "Red River Valley" to two Monks and Paul Motian's "Mumbo Jumbo." Pretty minimal. B+(*)

Stephen Gauci/Sandy Ewan/Adam Lane/Kevin Shea: Live at the Bushwick Series (2019, Gaucimusic): Tenor saxophone, with guitar for extra squeal to go with the squawk, plus bass and drums. Three improvs, 38:10. Vigorous, little harsh for my taste. B+(*) [bc]

Lizzo: Cuz I Love You (2019, Nice Life/Atlantic): Melissa Jefferson, third album, raps, sings, wails, whines, cracks wise. Says she pledges to be "Aretha Franklin for the 2018 generation." Doesn't have the voice, but cranks up the drama, and the music is punched up to the max. She makes an outsized impression, only fading a bit at the end. A-

Lisa Maxwell's Jazz Orchestra: Shiny! (2019, Uncle Marvin Music): Her bio includes a lot of soundtrack work as well as playing saxophone for Guns 'n' Roses and Spinal Tap. This is her big band debut, dedicated to the late trumpeter Lew Soloff, mostly New York players, the best known with fusion/crossover credits. Splashy. B+(*) [cd]

Bennett Paster: Indivisible (2018 [2019], self-released): Keyboard player, grew up in New Mexico, studied in Boston, based in New York, has a few previous records. Backed by bass and drums, guitar (Al Street) on most cuts, tenor sax (Kenny Brooks) on half, plus scattered congas and percussion. Nice, lively mix, with some Latin tinge. B+(*) [cd]

Andrew Rathbun: Character Study (2017 [2018], SteepleChase): Tenor saxophonist, from Canada, moved to New York, came up in 2000 on Fresh Sound New Talent, mainstream player, gets some strong support from Tim Hagans (trumpet) and a top-notch rhythm section (Gary Versace on piano, Jay Anderson, and Bill Stewart). B+(**)

Eric Reed: Everybody Gets the Blues (2019, Smoke Sessions): Mainstream pianist, couple dozen albums since 1991, his first dedicated to Art Blakey, this one kicking off with "Cedar Waltzin'" (for Walton). With Tim Green (alto sax), Mike Gurrola (bass) and McClenty Hunter (drums). Blues may be the ground, but this is too bright and bouncy to get bogged down. B+(**)

Steph Richards: Take the Neon Lights (2019, Birdwatcher): Trumpet player; from Calgary, Canada; based in Brooklyn; has recorded with Vinny Golia and Henry Threadgill. Second album (first was credited to Stephanie Richards), backed by piano trio (James Carney, Sam Minaie, Andrew Munsey). B+(***)

Dave Scott: In Search of Hipness (2018 [2019], SteepleChase): Trumpet player, based in New York (teaches at Western Connecticut State), not to be confused with Dave Len Scott (another trumpet player), sixth album since 1995. Sextet with violin (Sarah Bernstein), guitar (Nate Radley), piano (Jacob Sacks), bass, and drums. "Hip" strikes me as too dated a word for such fancy postbop. B+(*)

Swindle: No More Normal (2019, Brownswood): British grime/dubstep producer Cameron Palmer, with some ties to the new jazz scene, but this never finds a real vibe, and strikes me as overblown. B-

Trapper Keaper: Meets Tim Berne & Aurora Nealand (2019, Ears & Eyes/Caligola): New Orleans "space-funk" duo, William Thompson IV (mostly keyboards) and Marcello Benetti (drums), one previous album, meet up here with two alto saxophonists (Nealand also plays accordion). One's tempted to credit Berne, but there's a lot going on. B+(***) [cd]

Cory Weeds Quintet: Live at Frankie's Jazz Club (2019, Cellar Live): Alto saxophonist, studied at UNT and Capilano U, owns Cellar Jazz Club in Vancouver and their label, fourteen albums since 2008 -- haven't heard any before, but Everything's Coming Up Weeds is a good title. Standard bebop quintet with Terell Stafford (trumpet), Harold Mabern (piano), bass, and drums. Live sound's a little thin. B+(*)

Walt Weiskopf European Quartet: Worldwide (2019, Orenda): Tenor saxophonist, first recorded in 1989, one of a cluster of richly-toned mainstream players from the 1990s, although I can't say as I followed him closely -- mostly a name that followed Benny Wallace like a shadow. Until I track down his 1990s albums, I can't really attest that this is his best ever, but both fast and slow it's a sax lovers delight. The Europeans are Carl Winther (piano), Andreas Lang (bass), and Anders Mogensen (drums). A- [cd]

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Afro-Blue Persuasion: Live at Haight Levels: Volume One (1967 [2019], Tramp): Previously unreleased Afro-Cuban jazz from San Francisco, a group led by vibraphonist Ulysses Crockett, with piano (John Miller), tenor sax/oboe/flute (Robert Harvey), bass (Robert Bing Nathan), drums (Robert Belinsky), and "guests" Paul Jackson (bass) and Harold Haynes (congas). Not super Cuban, with tunes like "Straight No Chaser" and a fast-tracked "The Girl From Ipanema." B+(**)

Afro-Blue Persuasion: Live at Haight Levels: Volume Two (1967 [2019], Tramp): More, both volumes could have squeezed onto a single CD but the main release focus is vinyl. Starts with "Cuban Fantasy" and ends with "A Night in Tunisia." B+(**)

Elecktrokids: Elektroworld (1995 [2019], Clone Classic Cuts): Billing: "based in Flint, Michigan, USA, the four young sons of an electrician welded together their debut album." No names, but one or both members of Drexciya are implicated in this Krautrock move, where the few lyrics are repeated at length, a strategy that works better for the beats. B+(**) [bc]

Mark Turner/Gary Foster: Mark Turner Meets Gary Foster (2003 [2019], Capri, 2CD): Foster's is a name I haven't heard in a while. Born in 1936, mostly plays alto sax, debut album in 1968, a few more through 1984, less often up to a 2006 duo with Putter Smith (bass), most when he was featured on someone's album. Turner is 29 years younger, had a smashing debut in 1994 and major label presence for a decade, until a saw mishap set him back. He's been busy lately, but his string of A-list albums predates this, a warm and friendly two-sax quartet, with Smith and Joe LaBarbera (drums). B+(***) [cd]

Old music:

Bill Cunliffe/Gary Foster: It's About Love (2003, Torii): Piano-alto sax quartet, with Jeff D'Angelo (bass) and Tim Pleasant (drums), mostly ballads, lush tending toward gorgeous, lovely showcase for the sax voice. B+(***)

Drexciya: Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller III (1992-97 [2013], Clone Classic Cuts): Detroit techno duo, James Stinson and Gerald Donald, constructed a whole mythology "of underwater dwellers descended from pregnant slave women thrown overboard during the trans-Atlantic deportation. Starting with their 1992 Deep Sea Dweller EP, they kept at it for a decade (Stinson died in 2002), then languished until this Dutch label started collecting their early work on four CDs. I reviewed I and II when they came out, but didn't notice later comps. This is nearly as good (maybe a bit less consistent) as the first. A- [bc]

Drexciya: Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller IV (1992-97 [2013], Clone Classic Cuts): Mopping up, including five "Unknown Journey" cuts. Some introduce a newly developed warble which adds a dimension to their sound, but doesn't seem as perfectly paced. B+(***) [bc]

Drexciya: Neptune's Lair (1999, Tresor): After enough short releases to fill the four Clone Classic Cuts CDs, the Detroit techno duo's first full-fledged album. B+(***)

Drexciya: Grava 4 (2002, Clone): Third (and last) album. Attractive beats, but fades a bit. B+(**)

Billie Eilish: Don't Smile at Me (2017, Darkroom/Interscope, EP): Eight track, 26:00 debut, "a sleeper hit," cracked the charts a month and a half after its release, going on to earn nearly a million "album-equivalent units" and "more than 1.2 billion on-demand audio streams" -- not that I noticed, at least until her follow-up album appeared. Singles are more pop, more easily distinguished from the filler. B+(***)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • Greg Abate with the Tim Ray Trio: Gratitude: Stage Door Live @ The Z (Whaling City Sound)
  • Brittany Anjou: Enamigo Reciprokataj (Origin)
  • Rebecca DuMaine and the Dave Miller Combo: Chez Nous (Summit): June 7
  • Satoko Fujii: Stone (Libra): June 7
  • The Invisible Party: Shumankind (Chant -18)
  • Peter Jensen & DR Big Band: Stand on Your Feet and Fight: Voices of the Danish West Indies (ILK)
  • Ellynne Rey: The Birdsong Project (self-released): May 1
  • Rent Romus' Life's Blood Ensemble: Side Three: New Work (Edgetone)
  • The Richard Shulman Trio: Waltzing out of Town (RichHeart Music): May 11
  • Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet: The Rhythm of Invention (Patois): June 7
  • Walt Weiskopf European Quartet: Worldwide (Orenda): May 3

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Weekend Roundup

Started early and still running late. Having recently read Benjamin Carter Hett's The Death of Democracy: Hitler's Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic, I woke up this morning with the idea of writing something about Trump, Republicans, and Fascism for today's introduction. Never got close to that. Hett's book is pretty straight history, but you can find a page here or there where you could easily gloss in Trump's name for Hitler's. Then you move onto other pages where Trump fails any comparison, usually by being too dumb or too lazy. There are also big differences between the Nazis and the Republicans, although differences on race, foreigners, unions, and military muscle are insignificant. The biggest one is that the Nazis actually had their own goon squad that could go out and physically attack their suspected enemies, whereas Republicans only wish they could do that. Still, the key point about Germany in 1932 was supposedly sober conservatives were so desperate to squash the left -- indeed, any trace of popular government, of democracy -- that they were willing to hand power over to a psycho like Hitler and his vicious gang of followers. Republicans seem happy to do the same thing here in America, for the same reasons, and with the same obliviousness to consequences.

I should note somewhere that former Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) died last week. Back in the 1980s he was the model of how a Republican politician could straddle moderate urban politics (he was mayor of Indianapolis) and the Reagan reaction, which for a time helped make the latter seem more innocuous and palatable. He was finally devoured by the right, purged in a primary by an opponent so extreme that the Democrats were able to (temporarily) pick up the seat. I never felt any particular fondness for Lugar, but I could understand why people respected him. Even his breed of Republican is now a thing of the past.

Also noted that historian David Brion Davis has died. His 1967 book The Problem of Slavery in Western Culture greatly affected the way pretty much everyone understood the history of slavery in the Americas. I've often thought I should check out his later books, especially the ones that extended his study into the 19th century. I learned of his death from a cranky Corey Robin note, which I decided not to bother with below. Here's a more useful (and generous) obituary.

Anyhow, this is what the week has to show for itself:

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Monday, April 22, 2019

Music Week

Music: current count 31400 [31371] rated (+29), 256 [252] unrated (+4).

Seems like pretty much everything is a struggle these days. My most common complaint is that I'm getting sick and tired of not being able to do things right. A typical example was trying to repair a screen door lock. A nylon washer disappeared, and has proven impossible to replace. I bought some things I thought I might be able to use, then lost them. Bought some more, and turned out they were too thick, and hole was too small. I tried drilling out the hole, and destroyed the washer. Finally reassembled the door handle without the washer. The set screw is hard to get a grip on. It will no doubt fall apart again in a matter of days, at best a couple weeks. I have a bunch of other things that are falling apart, many because I didn't do a good enough job building them in the first place.

On the other hand, I have gotten a few things done. The new pantry shelf unit is painted and bolted in place, although we haven't really put it to use yet. That's waiting a second pantry improvement. I built a rather neat storage unit, then screwed up hanging the door so it never closed correctly (or at least easily). It finally dawned on me that if I could shave a quarter inch off the bottom surface, it should close without having to change the hinges. All that's left to do there is to rehang the door, and see whether the theory worked. Tomorrow.

At least I finally got my computers moved, making my workspace much more comfortable. Still haven't done the next step, which is to set up virtual web servers on the secondary machine, so I can start redesigning the Robert Christgau and Carola Dibbell websites. I should at least know what I'm doing there.

Meanwhile, another routine week of music discoveries. Hard part for me is deciding what to search out. This seems like a typical week with two weeks of Christgau picks, further search down Phil Overeem's list, and the first Michael Tatum Downloader's Diary in quite a while. Unfortunately, I found myself coming up short with their well-considered picks. Instead, I went with the new Chemical Brothers album (I think someone on the Expert Witness Facebook group raved about it, but don't recall who), and a 1979 jazz album reissue that probably showed up in a Bandcamp Daily list (which I started using a couple weeks back when I couldn't play Napster).

Also, two rare regrades to from B+(***) to A-, originally reviewed by streaming but given a few more changes after CDs arrived. People shouldn't get the idea that all they have to do to get higher grades is to send me CDs, but they do help in cases where I've held a grade back due to some minor reservations.

April Streamnotes should be released with next Music Week, on April 29. Currently have 113 records in the draft file, so I'll probably wind up with 140-150.

New records reviewed this week:

Art Ensemble of Chicago: We Are on the Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (2018 [2019], Pi, 2CD): Formed as a quintet in 1969, out to make "great black music," recorded intensely at first, regularly until the founders started to die out: they tried replacing Lester Bowie (trumpet) in 1999, but didn't do much after Malachi Favors (bass) passed in 2004. Now they are down to two: Roscoe Mitchell (reeds) and Famadou Don Moye (percussion). Joseph Jarman died in 2019 after this was recorded, but doesn't play on it. On the other hand, the Chicago avant-garde turned out en masse here: some vocals I don't like, Moor Mother rap I do, too much strings and flute, but with transcendent stretches, enough to register who they are and what they're about. B+(**)

The Chemical Brothers: No Geography (2019, Virgin EMI): When I organized my database c. 2000 I filed all the electronica albums under "techno," which is evidently a more limited (shall we say technical?) term. But back then I was thinking of artists like this UK duo, with three fairly major albums 1995-99. They've slowed down, with just four even spaced albums since 2005. But this one sounds much like the early ones, with one foot planted in disco, the other pushing metal hard to the floor. A-

Martin Frawley: Undone at 31 (2019, Merge): Australian singer-songwriter, solo after two albums with the Twerps. B+(***)

Ahmed Ag Kaedy: Akaline Kidal (2019, Sahel Sounds): Tuareg from northern Mali, just guitar and vocal, a steady, easy roll, gentle blues minus the downside. B+(**)

Salif Keita: Un Autre Blanc (2018 [2019], Naive): A quite remarkable singer from Mali, born to royalty, cast out for his albinismo, gained fame as "the golden voice of Africa," first with his group Les Ambassadeurs then as a solo act from 1987. Past 70 now, with one of his better albums, the rhythm not quite as effortless as I'd like. B+(***)

Khalid: Suncity (2018, RCA, EP): Surname Robinson, first album showed his mastery of his topic, American Teen, now moving somewhat more cautiously into adulthood. Seven tracks including an intro skit and an interlude, 21:09. B+(*)

Khalid: Free Spirit (2019, RCA): Impressive second album, attractive, catchy in spots, pleasant throughout, but runs a bit longer than my interest holds out. B+(***)

Larry Koonse: New Jazz Standards Vol. 4 (2019, Summit): Guitarist, born in San Diego, based in Los Angeles, father was another jazz guitarist, Dave Koonse, and they have a couple of duo albums (one in 1978 when Larry was a teenager, another in 2003). Not much directly under Koonse's name, but lots of side credits -- seems like every jazz album recorded in LA over the last two decades. He leads a quartet here, with Josh Nelson (piano), Tom Harrington (bass), and Joe LaBarbera (drums), but the real auteur doesn't play: Carl Saunders, who's compiled 100 of his compositions into the book New Jazz Standards, and recruited the leaders of he previous volumes in this series: Sam Most, Scott Whitfield, and Roger Kellaway. As a big band trumpeter, Saunders knows what he's doing. But aren't standards supposed to be recognized first? B [cd]

Joachim Kühn: Melodic Ornette Coleman: Piano Works XIII (2018 [2019], ACT): German pianist, many albums since 1969, including a live duo in 1996 with Coleman. This is solo, Coleman tunes plus one original tribute. Makes a fair case for Coleman as a melodist, but that always seemed rather tangential to his genius. B+(*)

Russ Lossing: Changes (2018 [2019], SteepleChase); Pianist, from Ohio, based in New York since 1986, at least 15 albums, mostly trios (many unconventional), mostly original material, tends to find his own idiosyncratic way (much like his long-time drummer and mentor, Paul Motian). This is fairly conventional, a trio with Michael Formanek and Gerald Cleaver, mostly standards (3 Monk, 2 Ellington, opens with "Bye, Bye Blackbird"). B+(***)

Russ Lossing: Motian Music (2019, Sunnyside): The late drummer Paul Motian led kind of a dual life. On the one hand, he played in a remarkable series of piano trios, starting with Bill Evans and including Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley, Marilyn Crispell, Enrico Pieranunzi, Martial Solal, Geri Allen, and Lossing. On the other, he rarely used piano on his own records (a favorite trio was with Joe Lovano and Bill Frisell). This, a trio with Masa Kamaguchi (bass) and Billy Mintz (drums), is Lossing's second album of Motian compositions. It effectively merges the two paths, but the results, like Motian, are somewhat inscrutable. B+(**)

Reba McEntire: Stronger Than the Truth (2019, Big Machine): Country singer, from Oklahoma, in her sixties now, debut album in 1977, this is her 33rd in 43 years. Neotrad sound, strong drawl, some sad songs, some upbeat, a single ("Freedom") with the potential to be abused something awful. B+(*)

Sam Ospovat: Ride Angles (2018 [2019], Skirl): Drummer, originally from Lincoln, Nebraska; based in Bay Area, has at least one previous record. Trio with Matt Mitchell (most impressive on piano) and Kim Cass (bass), plus scattered guests -- Brandon Seabrook (guitar), Nick Lyons (alto sax), and Lorin Benedict (scat vocals) -- each adding an interesting twist. B+(**) [cd]

Hama Sankare: Ballébé: Calling All Africans (2018, Clermont Music): From Mali, plays a style called calabash, guitar has some drone and voice some moan giving him a desert blues vibe. B+(***)

Hama Sankare: Niafunke (2019, Clermont Music): Second album. Christgau prefers the first but they strike me as pretty interchangeable. B+(***)

Silk Road Assassins: State of Ruin (2019, Planet Mu): UK electronica trio, from Bath, monikers Tom E Vercetti, LovedrOid, Chemist. Vacillates between industrial and grime, picking up my ears with the latter. B+(*) [bc]

Marcos Silva: Brasil: From Head to Toe (2019, Green Egg): Keyboard player, born in Rio de Janeiro, based in Bay Area, which has become a major center for Brazilian music in the US. Band includes Gary Meek on sax and flute. Mostly a pleasant groove album, soaring a bit. B [cd]

Solange: When I Get Home (2019, Saint/Columbia): Knowles, long overshadowed by her sister Beyoncé, got a lot of attention for 2016's A Seat at the Table, follows that up here. I find both albums subdued and inscrutable, this one perhaps even more so. Cover art very similar, with her looking dazed and sad. B+(*)

Spellling: Mazy Fly (2018 [2019], Sacred Bones): R&b singer-songwriter Tia Cabral, second album, "experimental" in the sense that she doesn't fit the mold, or any other I can think of. B+(**)

Sunflower Bean: King of the Dudes (2019, Mom + Pop, EP): Indie rock trio from Long Island, Julia Cumming the singer/bassist, with two albums and three EPs -- this one 4 snappy cuts, 12:03. B+(**)

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Infinite Spirit Music: Live Without Fear (1979 [2019], Jazzman): One-shot Chicago group, best known member is percussionist and singer Kahil El'Zabar, although Ka T' Etta Aton also sings, and there are two more percussionists, plus Henry Huff (most impressive on sax), Soji Abedayo (piano), and Michaka Uba (bass). I'm not a big fan of the vocals (although the title hits home), but the music transcends such concerns. Vol. 27 in Jazzman's Holy Grail Series. Makes me wonder what else I've missed. A- [bc]

Live at Raul's (1979 [2019], Steady Boy): Ten songs from five punk/garage bands I'd never heard of -- The Explosives, Standing Waves, Terminal Mind, The Next, The Skunks -- recorded live in Austin, TX, released at the time. Reminds one what a shock to the system punk was back then. Also that Austin was still a backwater. B+(*)

Onda De Amor: Synthesized Brazilian Hits That Never Were (1984-94) (1984-94 [2018], Soundway): Crate-digging, no one here I recognize, and nothing that really stand out, but every cut has energy and panache, and they all flow together nicely. B+(**) [bc]

Weaponise Your Sound (2019, Optimo Music): British electronica comp, on "Diet Clinic's sublabel," "all proceeds go to London based charity, Focus E15, which demands social housing, not social cleansing." No one I've ever heard of. Not all electronic, veers a bit into exotica, all worth hearing. B+(**) [bc]

Old music:

Salif Keita: The Mansa of Mali: A Retrospective (1978-94 [1994], Mango): Mostly from three Mango albums, with one long song from much earlier and three more songs from soundtracks. Probably the place to start, though it trails off a bit toward the end. B+(***)

Russ Lossing: Dreamer (2000, Double Time): Pianist's first album, a trio with Ed Schuller (bass) and Paul Motian (drums). Seven originals, two Monks, one piece from Andrew Hill. B+(**)

Russ Lossing/Ed Schuller/Paul Motian: As It Grows (2002 [2004], Hatology): Same piano-bass-drums trio, a couple years down the road, with Lossing writing nearly everything. B+(**)

Russ Lossing: All Things Arise (2005 [2006], Hatology): Solo piano. Opens with a 4-part, 27:00 suite, featuring a fair amount of drama, then tacks on six more pieces: one original, two Ellingtons, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, "Alabama Song." B+(**)

Timosaurus: I Love You More Than Yesterday (2011, self-released): Avant sax-guitar-drums trio: Matt Nelson, Andrew Conklin, and Sam Ospovat. Free jazz squall up front, energetic but rough. Deconstructs later on, isolating the sounds while still retaining interest. B+(**) [bc]

Grade (or other) changes:

Kuzu: Hiljaisuus (2017 [2019], Astral Spirits/Aerophonic): Chicago trio: Dave Rempis (alto/tenor/baritone sax), Tashi Dorji (guitar), and Tyler Damon (percussion). This is very harsh free jazz, similar to when the Thing hooks up with a rock guitarist who just wants to freak out, but better (if you can stand it). I wrote that back after streaming last fall, then got a CD in the mail in February, causing various bookkeeping issues: the release in September 2018 was vinyl and digital, so is the February 2019 CD a reissue, or should I treat the real new release as 2019? I procrastinated, but when I finally did give it a spin, I was blown away. I used to hate this kind of free jazz squall, then got to where I could stand it, and once in a while even thrill to it -- this one of those rare cases. As for the bookkeeping, this gets a double entry -- I'll leave it in the 2018 lists at the lower grade, but include it in 2019's A-list as a new record. (Some comparable cases: I still figure on treating Cardi B's Invasion of Privacy as a 2018 release even though its CD didn't come out until Feb. 22, as I, and pretty much everyone else, heard it in 2018. On the other hand, I missed the 2018 digital release of Eric Dolphy's Musical Prophet, only hearing it after the CDs dropped on January 25, so I'm treating it as 2019.) A- [cd]

Matthew Shipp Trio: Signature (2018 [2019], ESP-Disk): Piano trio with Michael Bisio (bass) and Taylor Baker (drums). Seemed like a typically solid performance when I streamed it, but I took more time with it after the CD arrived, and it gradually fell into place -- less raw power than his best previous trios, but he keeps building. [was B+(***)] A- [cd]

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • The Campfire Flies: Sparks Like Litle Stars (OverPop Music)
  • Mark Dresser Seven: Ain't Nothing but a Cyber Coup & You (Clean Feed): May 10
  • Four: There You Go Thinking Again (Jazz Hang)
  • Bennett Paster: Indivisible (self-released): May 3
  • Trapper Keeper: Meets Tim Berne & Aurora Nealand (Ears & Eyes)
  • Mark Turner/Gary Foster: Mark Turner Meets Gary Foster (Capri): May 17
  • The United States Air Force Band: The Jazz Heritage Series: 2019 Radio Broadcasts (self-released)

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Sunday, April 21, 2019

Weekend Roundup

Let's start off with a range of reactions to the release (with extensive redactions) of the final report of Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller:

  • Alex Ward: The Mueller report, explained in 500 words: Fair to start with this executive summary of the report itself, but this falls far short of its intent ("everything you wanted to know . . . but detailed as briefly as possible"), mostly by not examining the context or process. One thing I've long wondered about was to what extent low-level operatives in Trump's (and his PAC allies') cyber operations were aware of let alone had contacts with the Russian operatives who worked on Trump's behalf. Even if they didn't explicitly coordinate, they very likely built on and reinforced each other's work. Mueller seems to have taken a top-down approach, looking at a few suspicious meetings, but it's not clear that he did any investigation of the campaign staff most competent to actually collude (not just with the Russians but with other foreign or nominally independent organizations). Mueller may have had narrow legal reasons for limiting his focus, but it would have been helpful to spell them out. One big problem with the American political system is that a lot of what campaigns -- both raising money and spending it -- do may not technically be illegal but stikes me (and probably most people) as profoundly corrupt.

  • Scott R Anderson, et al. (long list of contributors at Lawfare): What Mueller found on Russia and on obstruction: a first analysis. Also at Lawfare:

  • Anne Applebaum: Why was Trump so afraid of the Mueller investigation? We may never know. Indeed. Maybe, as the author implies, he had things to hide that Mueller didn't uncover. Maybe he just couldn't stand the pressure of being picked apart by investigators whose ambitions and/or biases could result in him being framed? Trump knows as well as anyone how the system can be rigged. The only thing you can be sure of is that Trump's word on what happened is worthless.

  • Bill Blum: Five critical takeaways from the Mueller report.

  • Zack Beauchamp:

  • Ryan Bort: Trump will be attacking the 'Crazy Mueller Report' for the rest of his life.

  • Alvin Chang/Javier Zarracina: The Mueller report redactions, explaind in 4 charts: Total redacted content: 7.25%. Most heavily redacted were Russian "Active Measures" Social Media Campaign (46%), Russian Hacking (23%), and Prosecution and Declination Decisions (31%).

  • Isaac Chotiner: Neal Katyal on whether the Mueller report went far enough: Interview with a law professor who helped "draft the special-counsel regulations" after Ken Starr's protracted effort to crucify Bill Clinton. Katyal says:

    I would say three people's colors have been revealed by this report. We have learned Mueller's reputation is real. We have learned Trump's disregard for the truth and the rule of law is real. And we have learned Barr has become a total Trumpian Attorney General.

  • Jane Coaston: The Seth Rich conspiracy theory needs to end now: "The Mueller report confirms that the late DNC staffer had absolutely nothing to do with leaked emails later shared by WikiLeaks."

  • George T Conway III: Trump is a cancer on the presidency. Congress should remove him.

  • EJ Dionne Jr: Mueller's report is the beginning, not the end.

  • Masha Gessen: The hustlers and swindlers of the Mueller report.

  • Susan B Glasser: The Mueller report won't end Trump's presidency, but it sure makes him look bad.

  • Glenn Greenwald: Robert Mueller did not merely reject the Trump-Russia conspiracy theories. He obliterated them.

  • Katie Halper: 9 ways the media blew it in its 'Russiagate' coverage.

  • Sean Illing: Does the Mueller report exonerate Trump? I asked 12 legal experts.

  • Jen Kirby: Confused about who's who in the Mueller report? Start here.

  • Ezra Klein:

    I originally figured I'd try to write up my take on this, but at this point I'm too exhausted (not to mention disgusted).

    Some scattered links this week:

    Ask a question, or send a comment.

    Monday, April 15, 2019

    Music Week

    Music: current count 31371 [31344] rated (+27), 252 [251] unrated (+1).

    May just be seasonal allergies, but feeling too lousy to even take a stab at writing an introduction. I still have XgauSez to edit and post before I go to bed tonight, so need to get onto that while I can.

    A couple of notes, though. I've been talking about moving computers around for a month or more. I finally got that done this week. Best thing so far is that I have two relatively uncluttered desks to work on, instead of one hopelessly messy one. Also I moved the speakers above the desk, where they sound better and I can access the controls. (Also, now both computers have speakers. Subwoofers are still under the desk, where they should be, and that space is less cluttered than before. No website work yet, but I should get to that soon.

    Delighted to see Michael Tatum's A Downloader's Diary (49) finally posted. I checked out a couple of his recommendations below (also found a new live Pet Shop Boys he didn't mention). Also continuing to pick albums off from Phil Overeem's 25% through the briar patch list.

    Finally, I finally did manage to cast a Downbeat Critics Poll ballot, a day past the deadline, but seems likely to be counted (not that I could ever tell from the results). I didn't do a very good job of collecting notes this time, but here is what I have.

    New records reviewed this week:

    Charlotte Adigéry: Zandoli (2019, Deewee, EP): Belgian singer, roots in French Caribbean, electronic dance grooves, second EP (5 tracks, 22:56). B+(**)

    Etienne Charles: Carnival: The Sound of a People Vol. 1 (2019, Culture Shock Music): Trumpet player, from Trinidad, studied in Florida and at Juilliard, teaches at Michigan State, seventh album since 2006. Plays up his Afro-Caribbean roots, and parties down. B+(**)

    Ben Lamar Gay: Confetti in the Sky Like Fireworks [This Is Bate Bola OST] (2018 [2019], International Anthem): Soundtrack to a short film that appeared in 2018, so I'm guessing that's the date (could be earlier). Mostly electronics, mostly atmospheric, aside from a bit at the end I zoned out before. B

    Ariana Grande: Thank U, Next (2019, Republic): Pop star, fifth album coming rather fast after her well-reviewed (except by me) Sweetener. This suggests to me that she's stabilizing as a top-tier pro, rather than (as I thought at the time) declining into a hack. Will keep an eye on her. B+(**)

    William Hooker: Cycle of Restoration (2018 [2019], FPE): Avant drummer, discography goes back to 1975, trio with Mark Kirschenmann (trumpet) and Joel Peterson (drums), sounds like some uncredited electronics mixed in. One improv set live in Detroit, starts "serene" so takes a while to get interesting ("Panchromatics 1" and "2"). B+(*)

    Amber Mark: Conexão (2018, Virgin EMI, EP): Pop/r&b singer-songwriter, has some self-released singles before graduating to this 4-song, 17:32 EP. Despite title, songs in English. I'm not finding any bio. A promising outing. B+(**)

    Wynton Marsalis: Bolden: Music From the Original Soundtrack (2019, Blue Engine): Dan Pritzker directed the movie, released May 3, starring Gary Carr as Buddy Bolden (1877-1931, but unrecorded and locked up after 1907), the first of the legendary New Orleans cornet players, and Reno Wilson his better known successor, Louis Armstrong. Marsalis was the obvious choice to score this, using his Jazz at Lincoln Center crew and guest vocalists: Catherine Russell, Brianna Thomas, and most often Wilson, who does his best to sing like Pops and isn't really up to it. B+(***) [cd]

    Xose Miguélez: Ontology (2018 [2019], Origin): Tenor saxophonist, from Galicia in Spain, the panhandle due north of Portugal, an autonomous region of Spain with its own language and folk culture -- something Miguélez specializes in. With guitar, bass, drums, and vibes on a couple cuts, an extra saxophonist (Matt Otto) on a few more. Ends with a 1981 field recording, but all along seemed a bit off the beaten path. B+(**) [cd]

    Billy Mohler: Focus! (2019, Make): Bassist, based in Los Angeles, Bandcamp page talks about "returns his Focus to jazz after a successful career in rock, pop and R&B production and songwriting." This may be his first album, a pianoless free jazz quartet, with Chris Speed (tenor sax/clarinet), Shane Endsley (trumpet), and Nate Wood (drums). Starts with a bit of bass solo, then the band cuts loose. Slows down toward the end, but still holds your interest. A- [cd]

    OGJB Quartet [Oliver Lake/Graham Haynes/Joe Fonda/Barry Altschul]: Bamako (2016 [2019], TUM): Alto sax, cornet, bass and drums. Haynes the youngest (b. 1960), the least avant, most African-oriented, but manages to fit in. Lake speaks on the Haynes' title piece. Mostly interesting mish-mash, except when Lake gets up a full head of steam and runs away with everything. B+(***) [cd]

    Nicki Parrott: From New York to Paris (2019, Arbors): Bassist from Australia, based in New York, sang a bit at first, and was so appealing she moved on to whole albums, mostly standards from the swing era. Plenty of New York and Paris songs to choose from -- my favorite is the one in French, "La Mer." Gil Goldstein's accordion adds that Gallic touch, with John DeMartino (piano), Alvin Atkinson (drums), and Harry Allen on tenor sax. B+(**)

    Jeremy Pelt: Jeremy Pelt the Artist (2018 [2019], HighNote): Trumpet player, close to twenty albums since 2001, leads this off with his layered five-part "Rodin Suite." Two keyboard players (Victor Gould on piano), guitar, the vibraphone/marimba stands out (Chien Chien Lu). Balance of album inches toward hard bop. B+(*)

    Pet Shop Boys: Agenda (2019, X2, EP): Four songs, short, punchy hits (13:08), mostly topical ("On social media," "What are we going to do about the rich?," "Give stupidity a chance"). B+(**)

    Pet Shop Boys: Inner Sanctum (2018 [2019], X2): Live at the Royal Opera Hall, released as a DVD although I'm just going by the audio. I don't think the duo gains anything in the concert hall, although the crowd noise draws (even a singalong on "West End Girls") you into the experience, and they have no trouble drawing twenty-plus terrific songs -- sometimes two or three to a cut -- from their deep discography. Ends with a reprise of "The Pop Kids" -- their latest, a pure throwback to their heyday, although songs like "It's a Sin" and "Go West" tower even higher. A-

    Joshua Redman Quartet: Come What May (2018 [2019], Nonesuch): Second-generation tenor saxophonist, was an instant star back in 1992 so seems like he's been around forever, but he's still under 50. Standard quartet: Aaron Goldberg (piano), Reuben Rogers (bass), Gregory Hutchinson (drums). Solid set, sounds like he's got his own sound back, some spark too. B+(***)

    Ruby Rushton: Ironside (2018 [2019], 22a): British jazz group, led by Ed Cawthorne (aka Tenderlonious; flute, soprano sax, synth, wah pedal, percussion), with Aidan Shepherd (keyboards) also writing a couple of songs, plus Nick Walters (trumpet) and Tim Carnegie (drums). Has some ambition, edge and drive, but nothing really sticks with me. B

    Jim Snidero: Waves of Calm (2019, Savant): Mainstream alto saxophonist, couple dozen albums since 1984, last album celebrated Cannonball Adderley, here goes for "deep reflection and restrained maturity," occasioned by "his father's ongoing struggle with Parkinson's disease." Lovely album, with help by Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Orrin Evans (piano), Nat Reeves (bass), and Jonathan Barber (drums). B+(***)

    Dave Stryker: Eight Track III (2019, Strikezone): Guitarist, been around, soul jazz groove with organ (Jared Gold), vibraphone (Stefon Harris), drums (McClenty Hunter), and congas on a few cuts. Covers include Steely Dan and a lot of Motown. B+(**) [cd]

    James Suggs: You're Gonna Hear From Me (2018, Arbors): Trumpet player, from Pennsylvania, teaches at University of South Florida, seems to be his first album, lined up some impressive backup: Houston Person (tenor sax), Lafayette Harris (piano), Peter Washington (bass), and Lewis Nash (drums). B+(**)

    Fumi Tomita: The Elephant Vanishes (2018 [2019], OA2): Bassist, based in New York for 15 years, teaches at U. Mass in Amherst, evidently his first record, subtitled "Jazz Interpretations of the Short Stories of Haruki Murakami." Easy-flowing postbop, with Jason Rigby (sax), Mike Baggetta (guitar), Art Hirahara (piano), and drums. B [cd]

    Warren Vaché: Songs Our Fathers Taught Us (2019, Arbors): Cornet player, retro swing when he started out in the late '70s, plays standards here from "My Melancholy Baby" and "Slow Boat to China" to "Birks Works." Guitarist Jacob Fischer is a steady force here, carrying most of the songs. Also with Neal Miner (bass) and Steve Williams (drums). B+(***)

    Dann Zinn: Day of Reckoning (2018 [2019], Origin): Saxophonist (tenor/soprano), also plays wood flute, teaches in Bay Area, fifth album since 2003 (or 1996?), backed by piano trio (Taylor Eigsti), upbeat, in commanding form throughout. B+(***) [cd]

    Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

    Louis Armstrong: Sparks, Nevada 1964! (1964 [2018], Dot Time): Late in his career -- he didn't record much after 1966, and died in 1971 -- but this catches him on top of the world, with a smash single ("Hello Dolly"), a crack (if no longer All Star) band (Billy Kyle and Arvell Shaw are still in). His voice has an extra load of gravel, but he's still remarkably nimble, especially as he pushes his hit to 7:05, and his trumpet is as brilliant as ever. Still, he takes a break, giving Shaw a long solo on "How High the Moon," then turning the microphone over to Jewel Brown for two cuts. But she's terrific, and he returns for the closing crowd pleaser: "When the Saints Go Marching In." A-

    Imamu Amiri Baraka: It's Nation Time: African Visionary Music (1972 [2018], Motown): Poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, wrote an important book on music (Blues People), made his name as Leroi Jones then changed it in 1965, appeared on a record that year with New York Art Quartet. This builds on his 1970 book It's Nation Time, a potent mix of black power politics and avant-jazz, notably with Gary Bartz (alto sax), various keyboards and guitar, scattered horns, Reggie Workman (bass), and lots of percussion -- intense, angry, frazzled. B+(***)

    Duke Ellington: In Coventry, 1966 (1966 [2018], Storyville): Solo piano for the 9:13 openener, "New World A-Comin'," then joined by the orchestra. Set in Coventry Cathedral, he decided to go sacred, most melodramatically with 20:39 of "In the Beginning God" -- lifted midway with a bit of gospel hoedown, before he gets way too serious again. B

    Ben Lamar Gay: 500 Chains (2013-14 [2018], International Anthem): Chicago-based musician, sings/speaks, plays cornet, probably more, recorded seven unreleased albums since 2010 before his "greatest hits" debut, Downtown Castles Can Never Block the Sun. This is the first of the seven "source albums" to appear. Hard to wrap my head around the spoken parts, but spots (especially with the horn) impress (actually a bit more than the "best of"; he's a project). B+(***)

    Ben Lamar Gay: Grapes (2013-14 [2018], International Anthem): Very experimental, closer to rock or soul than to jazz, which isn't to say it's predictable or easy. B+(*)

    Ben Lamar Gay/Edinho Gerber: Benjamin E Edinho (2011-13 [2018], International Anthem, EP): Adds a tropicalia vibe with Brazilian guitar master, from a couple stretches when the duo co-resided in Rio de Janeiro and Chicago. Eight cuts, 28:27. B+(*)

    Joanne Grauer: Introducing Lorraine Feather (1977 [1978], MPS): Pianist, based in Los Ageles, eponymous debut in 1974, only a few albums after this sophomore effort. Trio on the A-side, three B-side tracks introduce the singer and also mark an early appearance for tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts. B+(*)

    Kankyo Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental and New Age Music 1980-1990 (1980-90 [2019], Light in the Attic): Beware the version differences: the full 3-LP package has 25 tracks, the 2-CD a bit less at 23, but the digital, which is the only one I've heard, stops at 10 (41:47). This doesn't sound like much at first: a bit of quiet piano, a shift to synth and more electronics, the occasional light rhythm track. Nice and calming, not meditative (at least not exactly). Grows on you, or maybe just gets comfy. A-

    Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

    • Juan Álamo & Marimjazzia: Ruta Panoramica (Summit)
    • Larry Koonse: New Jazz Standards Vol. 4 (Summit)
    • Lisa Maxwell's Jazz Orchestra: Shiny! (Uncle Marvin Music): May 17
    • Sam Ospovat: Ride Angles (Skirl)
    • Marcos Silva: Brasil: From Head to Toe (Green Egg): May 3

    Ask a question, or send a comment.

    Sunday, April 14, 2019

    Weekend Roundup

    I don't feel up to writing much about Julian Assange, but following his arrest in London, I anticipate that I'll find a bunch of links this week and should collect them together. Assange is an Australian, a computer programmer who came up with Wikileaks, a system to collect and publish anonymously submitted documents. That's always seemed like a noble endeavor, an aid in exposing how the rich and powerful conspire in private to manipulate and profit, and for a while he seemed to be doing just that. He quickly ran afoul of those powers, most notably the US government, which set out to charge him with various crimes, and quite possibly orchestrated a broader smear campaign against him. Assange, in turn, sought asylum from criminal charges, and since 2012 has been sheltered by the Ecuadorean embassy in London. I don't know how much Assange has had to do with Wikileaks since 2012 (or how much freedom he has had to do anything), but his brand name wound up playing a role in Trump's 2016 campaign when it framed the release of hacked emails from the Clinton campaign. One effect of the DNC dump was to expand the Democratic side of bipartisan outrage against Assange, especially as Clinton's drones tried to paint him as a Putin accomplice.

    I don't have strong opinions about Assange one way or the other, but I did welcome his release of leaked documents on the Iraq War and the US State Department. (See my September 2, 2010 entry, Troops, on the "Collateral Murder" video, anti-war vet Ethan McCord, and a related speech by Barak Obama -- what I said then is still pretty relevant today.) Releasing the DNC emails didn't particularly bother me either, although the timing was suspicious (immediately after the release of Trump's Access Hollywood tape, allowing the media to spin scandal on top of scandal), as was the lack of any RNC/Trump campaign emails to balance the picture.

    Anyhow, the Assange links:

    Let's also break out multiple links on Israel's elections:

    Scattered links on other topics this week:

    Ask a question, or send a comment.

    Monday, April 8, 2019

    Music Week

    Music: current count 31344 [31312] rated (+32), 251 [249] unrated (+2).

    Back in business. I figured all it would take to get Napster working again was a reboot -- it broke following a software update that didn't require one but involved a new Flash module, so I suspected that threw things out of sync. Still, I didn't want to do that for other reaasons, but was forced to when the computer freaked out and gave me a swizzle patterned screen. That suggested something far worse, but the reboot fixed that too.

    Working Napster gave me a chance to catch up with the last couple weeks of Robert Christgau picks -- Stella Donnelly/Sharon Van Etten and Pedro the Lion/Jason Ringenberg -- where only the B+ record didn't disappoint. (Actually, I couldn't find Ringenberg's Stand Tall on Napster, but was able to fish a Soundcloud link from my email trash, so thanks to the publicist.) Guess I'm still missing the Ariana Grande/Amber Mark week -- I had the former's Sweetener way down at B, a grade split matching Mitski's Be the Cowboy, but haven't heard the more recent one.

    Took a dive into George Strait after panning his new one, mostly because I noticed an unheard Christgau A- in the database (Something Special), and it panned out. I had his first Greatest Hits (1985) at A-, so it made sense to check out its source albums (just three of them). I'm not sure that grade holds up, but didn't recheck it. Still, after dismissing most of his songs as unmemorable, I've wound up with "You Look So Good in Love" stuck in my mind all week.

    Other records suggested by various sources, most prolifically Phil Overeem. The tip on Angel-Ho came from breathless hype in The Nation ("Angel-Ho is the future of pop music"). I dug up Petra Van Nuis after she wrote to me (so sometimes that works). Strait and Mandy Barnett just showed up in Napster's featured lists.

    Making fair progress on most projects, although not enough on moving the computer. (Will do that after I post this, I promise.) Biggest one is a new piece of badly-needed pantry shelving, which needs one more coat of paint before I drag it in and bolt it to the wall. I have a couple more projects in that space, ready to roll as soon as the first one is operational. Still, more projects seem to present themselves all the time. Dug up a couple plastic drawers full of CDs today, and my wife argued that I should get rid of them (something about the hoarding being psychotic). I had a plan a couple years back to start donating CDs to a local library, but never followed through on it -- partly because I was working on the Jazz Guide, maybe because they kept naming various buldings after the Kochs. The reason for having a substantial library is to look things up, but I'm fast losing my ability to do so, not to mention my prospects of ever writing anything worthwhile on the subject.

    Still, the project I feel more pressing need for is to come up with a system so I can quickly identify where all my tools (and hardware) are. I'm forever thrashing, trying to find things I know I have somewhere, sometimes even having to buy more tools to replace those I've lost (most recently, a set of hole saws). In fact, thrashing seems to be the word for the week, maybe even the season.

    New records reviewed this week:

    Angel-Ho: Death Becomes Her (2019, Hyperdub): South African electronica producer Angel Antonio Valerio, trans, veers between hip-hop and electro-noise, beat-heavy but not that simple. B+(*)

    Art "Turk" Burton: Ancestral Spirits (2019, T N' T Music): Percussioist (conga and bongo drums) from Chicago, rooted in Latin jazz but also involved in AACM, playing in Muhal Richard Abrams' big band and Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble. Gathers up three more percussionists here, Eddie Beard on piano and organ, Ari Brown and Edwin Daugherty on saxes, and singer/narrator Maggie Brown. Opens with a nod to Mongo Santamaria, followed by "A Night in Tunisia" and "Killer Joe," and later adds memorable takes of "Summertim" and "Freedom Jazz Dance." Latin groove throughout, although the saxes sometimes get out of hand. A- [cd]

    Romain Collin: Tiny Lights: Genesis (2019, XM): French pianist, studied at Berklee, debut album in 2007, joined here by Matthew Stevens (guitar), Obed Calvaire (drums), and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, with string arrangements by Kazuma Jinnouchi. Starts fusion, a hard groove album, gets fancier when they slow it down. Hype sheet promises two more volumes shortly, Blood and Gold. B+(**) [cd]

    The Comet Is Coming: Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery (2019, Impulse!): London-based band, names listed as King Shabaka (Shabaka Hutchings, tenor sax), Danalogue the Conqueror (Dan Leavers, keyboards), and Betamax Killer (Max Hallett, drums). Second album. Inspired by spiritual jazz artists like Alice Coltrane and extraterrestrials (similar but not quite the same thing) such as Sun Ra. B+(**)

    Jordon Dixon: On! (2019, self-released): Tenor saxophonist, born in Baton Rouge, based in DC, second album, backed by piano-bass-drums (plus trumpet on one cut). Mainstream, original pieces, lovely tone, soulful. B+(***) [cd]

    Stella Donnelly: Beware of the Dogs (2019, Secretly Canadian): Singer-songwriter from Perth, Australia, offers what Christgau calls "a catalogue of assholes" -- males, "boys will be boys" -- although I'm also struck by the allergies and bearers of infectious diseases. B+(***)

    Steve Earle & the Dukes: Guy (2019, New West): Sings the Guy Clark songbook, marginally better than the originals but not significantly different or even distinctive. Could broaden Clark's audience a bit. B+(***)

    Fleurine: Brazilian Dream (2018 [2019], Pure Imagination): Dutch jazz singer-songwriter, last name Verloop, fifth album since 1995, all self-penned Brazilian tunes here, plays some guitar, with a mostly Brazilian band -- Vitor Gonçalves, Rogerio Boccato, and Chico Pinheiro the best known -- augmented by Brad Mehldau and Chris Potter, strings on one cut, horns on another. Dreamy, indeed. B+(**)

    • George Freeman: George the Bomb! (2018 [2019], Blujazz/Southport): Jazz guitarist, born 1927 so he's edged over 90, leans heavy on funk and blues here, with the Southport house band, with vocals shared by Billy Branch and Joanie Pallatto. Couple of standout food songs: "Where's the Cornbread?" and "Home Grown Tomatoes." B+(**) [cd]

    Polly Gibbons: All I Can Do (2019, Resonance): Jazz singer qua blues belter, third album, wrote 2 (of 12) songs, the best surprise from Prince. Backed with piano, organ and guitar (Paul Bollenbeck). B [cd]

    Girls on Grass: Dirty Power (2019, self-released): Brooklyn alt/indie band, led by singer-songwriter Barbara Endes (also plays guitar), with girl drummer Nancy Polstein and two blokes. Second album. One lyric jumped out at me: "Capitalism ruins everything that's worth doing." Also something about "Commander in Thief." B+(**)

    Pablo Lanouguere Quintet: Eclectico (2019, self-released): Bassist, from Argentina, based in New York, plays electric as well as upright, first album, original compositions that feature Nick Danielson on viola, backed by guitar (Federico Diaz), piano (Emilio Teubal), and drums (Franco Pinna). Struck me as avant-classical, so took me a while. B+(**) [cd]

    Jenny Lewis: On the Line (2019, Warner Bros.): Singer-songwriter, fourth studio album (not counting her tenure with Rilo Kiley or various other ad hoc projects). She has good pop sense, but I'm not picking up much here. B+(*)

    Helado Negro: This Is How You Smile (2019, RVNG Intl): Singer-songwriter Roberto Carlos Lange, born in Florida, parents from Ecuador, half-dozen albums since 2009. Woozy tempo with shifting shapes, reminds me a bit of Arto Lindsay at his most Brazilian, but even more deliberately -- so much I doubt I really caught much of it. B+(*)

    New Orleans Jazz Orchestra: Songs: The Music of Allen Toussaint (2018 [2019], Storyville): Directed by drummer Adonis Rose, a big band, several guest vocalists -- Dee Dee Bridgewater, Phillip Manuel, Gerald French -- nine songs, as advertised. B+(**) [cd]

    Pedro the Lion: Phoenix (2019, Polyvinyl): Indie rock band formed in Seattle in 1995, broke up after their fourth album in 2004, singer-songwriter David Bazan going on to a checkered solo career. Bazan is an interesting guy with things to say, but his music never did much for me. The band beefs it up. B+(**)

    Jason Ringenberg: Stand Tall (2019, Courageous Chicken): Country rocker from Illinois, called his first band Jason & the Scorchers -- their 1983 EP Fervor earned the name -- tried a solo album in 1992, occasionally recorded as Farmer Jason, this his first since a Christmas album in 2014. In 2017, he got a gig as artist-in-residence at Sequoia National Park, and wrote a couple of songs about the tall trees there, as well as the title instrumental. Added a Ramones tribute, and a few titles like "John the Baptist Was a Real Humdinger," "Hobo Bill's Last Ride," and "Many Happy Hangovers to You." Sixty now, and still scorchin'. A- [sp]

    Royal Trux: White Stuff (2019, Fat Possum): Garage rock band from DC, formed 1988 by Neil Hagerty (ex-Pussy Galore) and Jennifer Herrema, released ten albums by 2002, regrouped here, as part of a deal to reissue their old records. Reports are they've already broken up again, beause Hagerty refuses to tour. I haven't heard their old stuff, and probably won't, but seems likely they have a cult following somewhere. B+(**)

    Sir Babygirl: Crush on Me (2019, Father/Daughter, EP): Kelsie Hogue, started in hardcore bands, solo debut is a 9-track (but if you scratch the reprises and outro more like six songs), 26:24 mini. Christgau: "So fake they're funny and so shiny they squeak." B+(***)

    George Strait: Honky Tonk Time Machine (2019, MCA Nashville): Dependable, predictable: his first two albums were called Strait Country and Strait From the Heart, but he was smart enough not to return to that well, moving on to One Step at a Time and Always Never the Same in the late 1990s, and more recently Here for a Good Time and Cold Beer Conversations. This is his 30th album, a little more explicit in honky tonk references, probably because the songs speak less. B

    Terraza Big Band: One Day Wonder (2017 [2019], Outside In Music): Co-led by Michael Thomas (alto sax) and Edward Perez (bass), who composed most of the pieces, arranged the rest. Standard sections, mostly New York names I recognize, plus guitar and (3/9 cuts) extra percussion (Samuel Torres). B+(*) [cd]

    Sharon Van Etten: Remind Me Tomorrow (2019, Jagjaguwar): Singer-songwriter from New Jersey, fifth album, finds an engaging groove and haunts it. B+(*)

    Petra Van Nuis & Dennis Luxion: Because We're Night People (2018, String Damper): Voice and piano duo from Chicago. Fifth album for the singer (-songwriter?), including a couple of previous duos with guitarist (husband) Andy Brown. The pianist played with Chet Baker in the 1980s, and with vocalist Diane Delin -- Discogs credits him with one album each, but his own website lists 6 and 4, as well as a dozen more albums with various leaders. B+(*)

    Dave Zinno Unisphere: Stories Told (2018 [2019], Whaling City Sound): Bassist, third album, all under this group rubric, a hard bop quintet with Mike Tucker (tenor sax), Eric 'Benny' Bloom (trumpet/flugelhorn), Tim Ray (piano), and Rafael Barata (drums). Bright and upbeat, except for the cover of "Michelle," which (Like most Beatles songs) is a tarpit for jazz musicians. B+(*) [cd]

    Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

    Burnt Sugar/The Arkestra Chamber: Twentieth Anniversary Mixtapes: Groiddest Schnizzits: Volume Two (2001-17 [2019], Trugroid/Avantgroidd): Back in 1999 rock critic Greg Tate decided to try his hand at cosmic jazz, rounding up friends and acquaintances, his own credit most often "conduction" -- the Butch Morris term for a conductor trying to direct improvisers. Tate's a word guy, so he recruited singers. I'm not, so I've always had trouble following that aspect. For their 20th, they came out with three discs of remixes -- this is the only one I've found so far (otherwise I'd be tempted to review them as a set). B+(***)

    Old music:

    Mandy Barnett: I Can't Stop Loving You: The Songs of Don Gibson (2013, Rounder): She built her career in Patsy Cline tributes, and has the voice for the job. Turns her attention here to the writer of Cline's signature song, "Sweet Dreams," which she nails perfectly. Elsewhere I miss Gibson's own self-effacing swing, not that I mind her torching his laments -- she has the voice. B+(***)

    The Comet Is Coming: Channel the Spirits (2016, The Leaf Label): First album, more groove and harder grind, but not quite all the way through. B+(***)

    George Strait: Strait Country (1981, MCA): First album, ten songs none running more than 3:06 (27:51 total), mostly draws songs from Dean Dillon and Frank Dycus, relationship songs that understand it's complicated: "Every Time You Throw Dirt on Her (You Lose a Little Ground)," "She's Playing Hell Trying to Get Me to Heaven," "Her Goodbye Hit Me in the Heart." B+(**)

    George Strait: Strait From the Heart (1982, MCA): Second album, marginally longer (28:45), recorded his first original ("I Can't See Texas From Here"), better than "Marina del Rey" let alone "Lover in Disguise." B

    George Strait: Right or Wrong (1983, MCA): Another short one, but his voice is maturing, and his roots are spreading. After three albums the label decided they had enough to release a Greatest Hits, and I thought it was pretty good. But I won't complain about the filler here, except to note that he didn't write any of it. B+(***)

    George Strait: Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind (1984, MCA): No fluff, his shortest album yet (25:55), the honky tonk songs done elegantly and/or plaintively, which is to say with a bit less inspiration than one would wish for. B+(**)

    George Strait: Something Special (1985, MCA): Hits his stride here, even if he doesn't break a sweat trying. Better songs are the key, nothing especially classic, but tapping ten different writers/teams suggests he's looked high and low. And he's so relaxed singing them he delivers his longest album to date (32:49). A-

    George Strait: The Best of George Strait [20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection] (1983-93 [2002], MCA Nashville): The standard Strait compilation these days is probably 50 Number Ones (2004), but rather than wallow in all that I thought I'd first check this short one (12 songs, 39:01), as I missed it last time I tried going deep on the series. But aside from one 1983 hit ("You Look So Good in Love") this sticks to a fairly narrow time slice, 1987-93. Given his career (even just to date), I doubt I'd pick more than 3-4 of these. B+(**)

    George Strait: 50 Number Ones (1982-2004 [2004], MCA Nashville, 2CD): He released one album nearly every year from 1981 through 2009 (skipping 1995, 2002, and 2007), usually with 3-4 singles from each, so steady production adds up. He has four albums and no hit singles since 2009, but Wikipedia credits him with the most number one Billboard US country singles ever (45, disputing ten songs here) and the second-most top-tens (86, behind Eddy Arnold's 92). One new song here, making 51 total (and yes, it was released as a single and went number one). His always sounds fine, never rubs you the wrong way -- his consistency is truly remarkable, but I doubt he's turned out a stone cold classic, here or elsewhere. B+(***)

    Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

    • Art Ensemble of Chicago: We Are on the Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (Pi, 2CD): April 26
    • Art "Turk" Burton: Ancestral Spirits (T N' T Music): May 3
    • George Freeman: George the Bomb! (Blujazz/Southport)
    • Wynton Marsalis: Bolden: Music From the Original Soundtrack (Blue Engine): April 19
    • Xose Miguélez: Ontology (Origin): April 19
    • Billy Mohler: Focus! (Make)
    • New Orleans Jazz Orchestra: Songs: The Music of Allen Toussaint (Storyville): April 19
    • OGJB Quartet [Oliver Lake/Graham Haynes/Joe Fonda/Barry Altschul]: Bamako (TUM): May 17
    • Dave Stryker: Eight Track III (Strikezone): May 3
    • Fumi Tomita: The Elephant Vanishes (OA2): April 19
    • Dann Zinn: Day of Reckoning (Origin): April 19

    Ask a question, or send a comment.

    prev -- next