Friday, February 8th, 2008 ... 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. ... KZSU, 90.1 FM

(Return to playlists.)

Still adding comments, this may take a while. This evening, I'm rushing up to Berkeley, where Scott Amendola and Matthias Bossi (drummer for Sleepytime Gorilla Museum) present "a romantic evening of solo percussion music," as the bill says. I don't know what to expect, but it sounds like the kind of thing I'd like to support -- especially at the Starry Plough, an Irish bar that's cool enough to let nutso jazz/improv take over the stage every now and then. Devin Hoff (Good for Cows) opens with solo bass.

Then I'm hopping a plane to Philly on Saturday to see Tim Berne's Bloodcount, which I've overobsessed about as noted here. It's going to be a long, exhausting weekend, but I'm pumped up for it.

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

* Steve Lehman Quintet -- "Check This Out" -- On Meaning (Pi Recordings, 2007)

Previously noted here.

* Jeff Marx and Jeff "Siege" Siegel -- "Tumble" -- Dreamstuff (Ayler, 2007)

Previously noted here.

Local stuff: Dark, morose folk rock with some nice acoustic guitar strumming and a little piano. It's often very low-key and a bit sad. Nice.

I've talked about Dubuis before, noting the funky overtones and beats he adds to his aggressive, punk-leaning brand of avant jazz. This album shows that off in spades, with lots of funky and even bluesy three-minute snippets from his trio. It all just oozes attitude, and it rocks hard. A couple of tracks, like "Princesse de l'Espace," add a vocalist for an extra dose of fun and silliness. It's great, slashing stuff that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Tim Hodgkinson -- "From Descartes' Dreams" -- Each in Our Own Thoughts (Megaphone, 1994)

Previously noted here.

? (Tim Berne's) Bloodcount -- "Yes Dear" [from disk 1] -- Seconds (Screwgun, 2007; recorded 1997)

Previously noted here.

* Myra Melford/Trio M -- "For Bradford" -- Big Picture (Cryptogramophone, 2007)

Previously noted here.

Guitar trio spinning little soundscapes and jazzy beatless jams. Brandon Ross uses a very stereotypical rock/blues guitar sound, though -- you know, that "burning" rock sound used by people like Hiram Bullock. That gives this the feel of rock musicians taking a pass at "jazz" (and Ross' Living Colour-like hairstyle suggests that's probably where he wants to be). That said, I do find a lot to like here, and wouldn't kick them off the stereo.

* Virgil Moorefield -- "Five on Six" -- Things You Must Do To Get to Heaven (Innova, 2007)

Previously noted here.

* Tony Wilson 6tet -- "I Am the Walrus" -- Pearls Before Swine (Drip Audio, 2007)

Previously noted here.

A compilation of Australian post-punk music, lots of Gang of Four types of bands. Really good stuff, covering all sorts of styles within the genre, from vicious rebellion to crisp pre-'80s dance music. This particular track seems a bit tongue-in-cheek, and adds some sax to the strong backbeat for a smattering of jazz.

Ironically, our copy of the CD is a bit damaged, and after about 90% of the song played, it jus ceased. "Can't Stop It?" I don't think so!

Recent reissue of a sprawling masterpiece by this "downtown New York" pioneer, who was doing cool experimental stuff there long before the John Zorn scene. (Zorn knows it; note that it's his label that's reissuing the music.) Ito uses a bevy of traditional Japanese instruments coupled with western ones (horns and drums primarily) and some sound effects, creating a large-scale piece packed with percussion and exploring a variety of sounds and moods. It's a one-man recording, and the fidelity betrays the 1964 technology he used, but the overall feel is quite polished. The final segment opens with a growing cacophony, a rush of sounds that's launched by a declarative single clack of wooden sticks.

* Splatter 3 + N -- "Nevada/In That Dark World" -- Clear the Club (Rastascan, 2007)

Previously noted here.

* David Byrne -- "Tree (Today Is an Important Occasion" -- The Knee Plays (Nonesuch, 2007; orig. released 1985)

Previously noted here.

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.