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

* James Carney Group -- "Smog Cutter" -- Green-Wood (Songlines, 2007)

Previously noted here.

* Michael Blake Sextet -- "Temporary Constellation" -- Amor de Cosmos (Songlines, 2007)

Peppy inside-out jazz with a smiley disposition. Fun stuff, including this track, which opens with fast pointillistic piano in a pulse that's accessible, yet a bit off kilter.

A nice trio record led by Fielder on trombone. Perky, curly pieces with playing that I'd mistaken for trumpet at first, maybe because my ears are just that bad. Accessible stuff but with plenty of free-jazz edge; count it as a very modern and adventurous postbop.

Burton Greene Quartet -- "Cluster Quartet" -- Burton Greene Quartet (ESP-Disk, 1966)

With Marion Brown on alto sax, Dave Grant on drums, and Henry Grimes on bass,(Greene on piano, of course), although the cast of characters varies from track to track. This is an old vinyl copy -- probably not the original 1966 casting, since it's in quite good condition. Then again, there's a price of $5.98 listed on the back ...

The music is relatively sprawling free jazz, tracks 8 to 13 minutes. They include "Bloom in the Commune," which is a composition Greene came back to on more recent albums, and "Ballade II," a floating and more sparse improvisation. "Cluster Quartet" is a nice free jazz attack, although not as vicious as the closing track, "Taking It Out of the Ground." Great stuff.

Ringing, dancing marimba-like percussion with occasional swoops of electronics, a quickly pulsing piece with echoes of tribal ceremonies.

Previously noted here.

Psych guitar from Japan. Gee, there's a shock. The album has a couple of noisy, feedback-laden jams, but the bulk of the tracks are shorter and calmer, an ambient air. This is one of the latter.

* Virgil Moorefield -- "Arrival of the Crows" -- Things You Must Do To Get To Heaven (Innova, 2007)

Carla Kihlstedt -- "Gone" -- 2 Foot Yard (Tzadik, 2005)
Carla Kihlstedt -- "Flash Flood" -- 2 Foot Yard (Tzadik, 2005)

Previously noted here.

Punky energy pop from a local band. This is an EP that lasts 9 minutes total! I thought it made for a cool contrasted transition into the more icy vibraphone sounds of the Steve Lehman track.

Previously noted here.

Theatrical music mixing old jazz styles, stage melodrama, silent-movie soundtracks, and (instrumental) sea shanties. From the mind of trumpeter Ara Anderson. This band, along with Carla Kihlstedt's 2 Foot Yard, were slated to perform this weekend at Yerba Buena as part of a young-mavericks kind of series.

Previously noted here.

Calmly crazed noise/collage art, with lots of samples, tape manipulation, and possibly some original instrumentation and vocals. It's a touch more "musical" that other Gigante Sound projects like Vulcanus 68 (a '50s-era electronic-music tribute that I've regretfully not played on-air yet) but just as odd and trippy. Some of that musicality comes from samples of old songs, probably taken off of old loungy vinyl. Great local stuff -- and it made #1 on our airplay chart this particular week.

A fusion/funk electric band with a big, percussion-heavy sound. Quite straight in its approach, maybe with a touch of electric Miles jams, particularly on this track. Quite different from Ellis' Spontaneous Combustion Suite.

Previously noted here.

Tin Hat -- "Blind Paper Dragon" -- The Sad Machinery of Spring (Hannibal/Rykodisc, 2007)

Previously noted here.

A.k.a. Jake Rodriguez, f.k.a. The Bran (Another Plight of Medics) Pos. My first taste of The Bran was a solo noise set, with Jake screaming into a mic and echoing and feeding back and manipulating the tumult. It was brutal (and so very cool). I got to know Jake a bit better over the years and eventually did up a review of his duo Compomicro-Dexall. (noted here).

(Ishmael) Wadada Leo Smith -- "Double Thunderbolt" [excerpt] -- Tao-Njia (Tzadik, 1996)

Smith was in town this week for two performances of his works at the Other Minds festival. I decided to play a couple of examples of his work -- this, a more "classical" piece in the loosest sense, involving a fairly large ensemble of disparate instruments, and the more directly "jazz" sound of his Golden Quartet, which features Anthony Davis (piano), Jack DeJohnette (drums), and Malachi Favors Maghostut (bass).

(Ishmael) Wadada Leo Smith -- "The Zamzam Well, a Stream of Pure Light" -- The Year of the Elephant (Pi Recordings, 2002)

* Mahjongg -- "Pontiac" -- Kontpab (K, 2007)

Interesting rock band. A tough sound with funky elements in the rhythm, especially in the Afropop-influenced guitars. Add a drum machine and detached, cynical male vocals, and you've got a nearly dance/disco sound, particularly on tracks like "Kottbusser Torr" or "Tell the Police the Truth."

"Pontiac" is a bit of an exception: a drum-circle sound, almost an Afro-Cuban vibe, later getting into a funky, slinging bass riff and some simple, toneful chanting.

Mark Applebaum -- "The Blue Cloak" -- Asylum (Innova, 2006)

Previously noted here. This lengthy track features Applebaum soloing on the "mouseketier," a homemade sound sculpture piece with a mostly percussive sound, backed by a few regular chamber-music instruments.

"Avant" snob that I am, I have to admit to being disappointed that Rubalcaba's career has stayed so well ensconced in the mainstream, after the sparkling, take-no-prisoners declaration heard on his early recording of "Well You Needn't." Rather than gushing more of that fire, Rubalcaba has taken more of an inward path to growth, residing in what, in passing, could be considered comfortable club jazz. But I've seen him live, and he pushes boundaries and challenges the intellect with what he does. It's not as flashy as the bounding, noisy free jazz I favor, but it's rewarding on its own terms, and I respect Rubalcaba's passion for stretching the boundaries of the music he loves. It's a worthwhile cause.

* = 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.