Friday, May 4, 2007 ... 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. ... KZSU, 90.1 FM

Format:
ARTIST -- "TRACK TITLE" -- ALBUM TITLE (LABEL, YEAR)
Horizontal lines denote microphone breaks.

* David Binney -- "Brainstorms Part 1" -- Out of Airplanes (Mythology, 2006)

Adventurous stuff that tends toward the melodic in the composing, with quite a few tracks reaching these soaring crescendos cut from the same cloth as Pat Metheny. Not all of the compositions grab me -- I prefer a lump less of sugar -- but the soloing is top notch, from Binney, Bill Frisell (guitar), and Craig Taborn (keys). Former local drummer Kenny Wolleson rounds out the band.

Previously noted here.

* Charles Mingus -- "Ode to Bird and Dizzy" -- Music Written for Monterey, 1965 (Sue Mingus, 2006; recorded 1965)

Nels Cline -- "Yokada Yokada/The Rumproller" -- New Monastery (Cryptogramophone, 2006)

Previously noted here.

* The Miyumi Project -- "Gate" -- Re:Rooted (Southport, 2006)

Previously noted here.

An album of improv snippets, each kept consciously short (about 1 or 2 minutes). Interesting little scribbles from a couple of "downtown" NYC jazzers. Previte put out one or two improvvy records on his Depth of Field label before giving it up (running a label, even if it's just for your own releases, is a lot of work); and of course, he's shifted closer to a rock milieu lately.

Cooke Quintet -- "Hard 8" -- An Indefinite Suspension of the Possible (Black Hat, 2006)

Exploratory jazz from clarinetist Michael Cooke, whose band this time includes a koto! Cooke is a local guy who's been working a free-jazz kind of ethic for the past few years. A couple of tracks, like this one, notch into the nicely fast and grooving feel you'd expect from the phrase "free jazz." Cooke also adds Klezmer elements, creating some nice color. Many tracks end up in slower, thoughtful improvising before catapulting into more aggressive improv or a kind of grooving feel.

* Jeff Arnal and Gordon Beeferman -- "Terra Infirma" -- Rogue States (Generate, 2006)

Previously noted here.

* Matthias Schubert -- "Plus Minus" -- Trappola (Red Toucan, 2006)

Jaunty free-jazz session with a European quasi-classical air that brings circus music to mind -- they've got tuba instead of bass, and they frequently get into these happy/silly march rhythms. Lots of abstract free-improv segments that get quiet, particularly on the longer tracks.

Previously noted here. This one's a slower track, meant as a transition to...

An interesting experiment where older folks in New York were stopped on the street and asked to explain what the old jazz standards meant to them back in the day. The CD incorporates a few of the responses, often from colorful personalities, and adds de Chassy (piano) and Yvinec (bass) playing the actual songs.

The concept doesn't work for me; the interview snippets are often very short, serving just as intros to each song's title. They do get a couple of people to sing the songs in question, which is nice, but gets old fast. And while the de Chassy/Yvinec duets are well played, they kind of kill the momentum.

This track is the exception. Some fellow, no doubt reflecting on a happy and full life, recites the climactic monologue to Casablanca, followed by an eerie twilight variation on "As Time Goes By." It's effective and bittersweet.

* Brad Dutz -- "Soiled Palm" -- When Manatees Attack (pfMentum, 2006)

Previously noted here.

Previously noted here.

Sun Ra -- "Hole in the Sky" -- Somewhere Else (Rounder, 1993)

*! Sister Vanilla -- "Slacker" -- Little Pop Rock (Chemikal Underground, 2007)

Folky rock group from Scotland, with alternating male and female lead vocals.

Local noise electronics artists. I'm not really doing them justice here; this track is just an electronic buzzing. Other tracks get more ambitious, with varying moods and more grand soundscapes.

Previously noted here.

Ivo Perelman and Borah Bergman -- "Parallelism" -- Geometry (Leo Records, 1997)

Create (!) -- "Durindana" -- A Prospect of Freedom (Sounds Are Active, 2006)

Previously noted here.

Dan Plonsey -- [Parts A,B,C,D] -- Portcullis (Unlimited Sedition, 2004)

Previously noted here.

Previously noted here. You have to appreciate the attitude behind this album.

Yet another interesting find from the library. This is a trio from Germany (or possibly Switzerland, Unit Records' home), consisting of two trombones and drums. Weird-ass combination, in terms of instruments. Mostly they build spacious improvisations; this is one of the more "concrete" sounding tracks on the disk. Interesting stuff, with cover artwork that shows a sense of humor. I'll have to come back to this one later for a closer listen.

Previously noted here.

* = Item in KZSU rotation
! = Pop anomaly
? = Item not in KZSU library

-- Go back to Memory Select playlists.
-- Bay Area free/improv music calendar: http://www.bayimproviser.com.