2 Foot Yard -- Borrowed Arms (Yard Work, 2008)

Source: 2FootYard.com

There's a lingering sadness to 2 Foot Yard's songs, a tinge of Eastern European heritage -- or, maybe I'm projecting Carla Kihlstedt's own musical heritage. For years, she's been turning out fine work in some of the most intriguing local bands, like Charming Hostess and Tin Hat, not to mention countless improv projects. The similarities are there, in the rich stew of classical, folk, jazz, and artsy European film soundtracks, coupled with Kihlstedt's heartfelt vocals (Marika Hughes', too) and poetic lyrics.

2 Foot Yard was the name of Kihlstedt's first solo album of violin-and-vocals songs, with Tzadik, performed with Hughes on cello and Shahzad Ismaily on drums. It picked up deservedly good reviews for its challenging mix of classical, rock, Gypsy jazz, oddball folk, and, as one writeup put it, twisted Fellini soundtracks. In reconvening the band for a second go, Kihlstedt decided it had become a band now, with all three members

Source: CDBaby.com

"Octopus" kicks off the album with a melancholy, poetic tone about having three hearts -- one "yours," one "mine," and one a condemned space "piled high with things I've stolen." It's a sad little song -- but then it gets into a louder, sharper-edged break with guitar.

That's the band, and the album, in a microcosm. Simpler, quieter songs abound -- the title track is a pretty tune, with airy vocals and a catchy chorus that's easy on the ears -- but things get loud when they have to. "Crisis" bitterly rocks out, much like the rougher tracks on Kihlstedt's first album. "Whistle Past the Graveyard" is a darkly folky tune with a sinister air that gets big and dramatic at points; "One Day in May," a breathy, sad song, bursts into a fierce, terrible energy at the end, like Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (another Kihlstedt band) with classical overtones. So, 2 Foot Yard is full of lingering drama and latent heartache, but it's not just a frail folksinger on the corner; it's edgy and explosive, with the power to conjure up an orchestral storm.

To that end, the local Magik*Magik Orchestra put together a program consisting of 2 Foot Yard songs, presented at the Swedish American Music Hall (the upstairs side of Cafe Du Nord). As part of the same show, they apparently played some modern classical pieces (Ives/Stravinsky kinds of fare) with 2 Foot Yard members sitting in. Ah, if only I'd been able to go.

Three people make plenty of sound for this band, particularly with the variety of noises Kihlstedt and Hughes conjure up, but there's some welcome variety from the stacked deck of special guests, including Tin Hat bandmates Ben Goldberg, Mark Orton, and Rob Burger; saxman Colin Stetson; and, separately, guitarists Jim Campilongo and Myles Boisen.

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

Source: NelsCline.com

* Jean Martin and Evan Shaw -- "Sweeter Than a Plastic Bag" -- Piano Music (Barnyard, 2007)

Previously noted here.

Dedicated to the blues, this is a slowly noisy and abrasive track that does get into some nice blues licks -- another slice of the mind of Nels Cline. He's combining the Singers trio with the ROVA Saxophone Quartet for a show at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley on Nov. 20; based on their Yoshi's appearance earlier this year, it should be good stuff.

"Orchestrova" is the name given to ROVA's would-be annual gathering of the saxophone quartet plus outside guests, preferably lots of them. In this case, they packed the orchestra with electronics (plus violins, guitars, and some usual jazzy elements) to produce an electrified version of John Coltrane's Ascension. To my knowledge, this piece has been recorded just three times -- once by 'Trane, and twice by ROVA.

This year, in lieu of a full Orchestrova, we got the abovementioned ROVA/Nels Cline Celestial Septet, which is plenty exciting on its own.

There's a strong and independently minded fringe of free jazz out there, populated by younger players who seem to relate to the indie rock crowd, and it's exciting stuff. (The Chicago scene comes to mind, particularly bands like Triage.) I'd put Blink in that category, and while I'm not fully sold on them yet, I'm hoping they'll stick at it.

The music has a foundation of jazz/funk, particularly in the bassline, but a track like "Secret Weapon, Part 1" uses that to skeleton to build something alien, using the groove to back some wild guitar fuzziness and occasional off-the-rails phrases from the otherwise lock-step sax. "Glass" goes into more experimental territory, with clockwork percussion (literally, the sound of a clock ticking) behind placid, quiet sax and some trouble-brewing guitar patter. "Glass" is a good nine-minute journey -- by which I mean, yes, it's in multiple phases, but what matters is that the track feels like a journey, a progression that's taken you through some interesting places.

The problem is that some of the weirdness seems forced, or at least doesn't tickle my ear the right way. For instance, "I Am" should be a solid, cold-burning piece that slowly builds, but the sax solo creates an ending that just clanks. The band's hard-digging effort and free-jazz nuttiness can really shine. They don't seem quite there yet, though.

Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble -- "Smell of Fear" -- Xenogenesis Suite (Firehouse 12, 2008)

Previously noted here.

A 21st century rock album, I suppose. It's easy to listen to, but difficult to categorize -- even though I suspect there's a wealth of similar music out there.

Subercaseaux mixes Euro-tinged singer/songwriter fare with droplets of chill electronica synths. Sometimes it touches on new age, with pleasant AOR-type melodies, but there's also one nearly straight rock track, in "Pensado Que," and a vocodor-laden '80s tribute in "The Illiest." The instrumentals are pleasant and minimal, great interlude material. Subtract the few raucous parts, and this could be the soundtrack for your next posh cocktail party, to go with the sophisticated chatter around the glass coffee table.

Sax, organ, and drums, in a bright and funky space that's quite accessible. But in most of the songs, you get the feeling that each theme, and certainly each sax solo, is just a bit off (in a good way). You get some great moments of straightahead jazz from Lake, and then he'll toss you an inside-outed phrase or some gruff grumbling just so you don't get too comfortable. "Gano" is a great example in just 90 seconds. The title track has a neat outside-sounding start (subtly so) and gives the organ and drums their showcases. And then there's "Move Groove," a deceptively friendly groove that has Lake just about to go off the rails at almost every moment; he just rides that edge for the whole four minutes.

Tao (Yasuhiko Tachibana, Carlo Actis Dato, Keisuke Ohta) -- "Orange" -- Tomorrow Night Gig (Leo Records, 2002)

I don't play enough of Carlo Actis Dato, whose burly free-jazz sax gets dosed with catchy rhythms, European folk motifs, and plain old humor, to create an irresistable mix. Maybe he doesn't go all punk like Lucien Dubuis, but he still rocks out. This interesting album pairs him with two Japanese musicians for some great results, particularly on this track. The opening instants are very Japanese sounding, with stern and still percussion, but it gets almost funky with Actis Dato's hopping sax sound, and Tachibana starts just going nuts on the violin.

Cline does some deep-searching, thoughtful tracks with the Singers, but for this show, I went for loud rock. This one's got a nice jumbly time signature to make prog fans' hearts race.

Previously noted here.

Previously noted here. This track is a 21-minute duet of saxophone and sitar. Sometimes the two blend well; often they don't. It's true that Indian music and jazz have been prolific bandmates, but it takes a lighter touch than this to make them meld well.

* Neil Welch -- "Raga Kirwani" [cont'd] -- Narmada (Belle, 2007)

* Carla Bley Big Band -- "Awful Coffee" -- Appearning Nightly (ECM, 2008)

I guess Carla Bley's weirdness never really struck me as being all that weird. Put it this way: When I first sought out her music, it turned out not to be the kind of listening challenge I was looking for. The sleepy-eyed tunes on Sextet, the first album of hers I ever bought, quickly ended my Carla Bley experiment.

With clearer ears now, I can listen to Bley's work and admit that yeah, it's got a lot of quirky and creative touches that separate it from most club jazz. It's in the writing, and it's in the overall attitude. I can see where the reputation comes from -- and the fandom, too. A tune like "Awful Coffee" is a lot of fun, with Zappa-like hairpin turns, and lines that suddenly break from the expected rhythm like a cartoon car that swerves off the road and back on again.

But the adventurous touches are wrapped in a conservative jazz base. In other words, Carla Bley puts a lot of intelligent, wry twists into jazz -- but she's starting from a kind of jazz I'm not so interested in right now. The results, for me, are intellectually pleasing but not the cat's meow. It's good to know, though, that this sort of music has been able to find a steady audience.

Previously noted here.

Previously noted here.

* Wadada Leo Smith -- "DeJohnette" -- Tabligh (Cuneiform, 2008)

Previously noted here.

Jack DeJohnette -- "Picture 1" -- Pictures (ECM, 1977)

It's mostly a solo drum album, but DeJohnette also adds some solo piano, and embellishes two of the drum tracks with John Abercrombie on guitar. Then you've got "Picture 1," which opens the album with an upbeat, snapping drumkit solo and an overdubbed organ, crooning one tense chord at a time. At first, I figured this was a synthesizer triggered by DeJohnette on the drums, but no -- the album sleeve lists no such instrument. It's an edgy touch but also presages some of the cheesier '80s synth/synclavier experiments that jazzsters would try out (I'm thinking of DeJohnette's tech-heavy and smooth-jazzy Parallel Realities, with Pat Metheny and Herbie Hancock). "Picture 2" is just drums, IIRC, in a slower and expansive space, quite nice.

* Kris Davis -- "Black Tunnel" -- Rye Eclipse (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2008)

Previously noted here.

Like the title says, these are Hungarian folk songs, crooned by Zenekar in a weary, earnest voice. Other tracks lean on violin fireworks, but this one's got just Django-style acoustic guitar and vocals, simple and sad.

Previously noted here.

See above.

Another take on the ROVA+guests idea, this time with pianist Satoko Fujii and trumpeter husband Natsuki Tamura, and quite a few others for a nice, noisy combo. This track gets off to a quick start and doesn't let up. It's just 6 minutes, making for some nice, explosive radio.

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.