05 Feb
Undersound II by Dominic Duval John Heward Joe McPhee
Wednesday, 05 February 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Leo Records has released Undersound II, a recording of Dominic Duval’s Trio, which includes Duval on bass, John Heward on drums, Joe McPhee on both tenor and soprano sax an…
05 Feb
Apostolic Polyphony by Apostolic Polyphony
Wednesday, 05 February 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
From the opening of part-one invention, the music here swirls in waves of sound. These three strong voices push things forward with a dynamic energy. Waters’ clarine…
31 Jan
Aercine by Aercine
Friday, 31 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
As we head away from a very proud avant garde jazz and towards a neutered entity called improvisational music, it is refreshing to hear an album of freely improvised music …
28 Jan
Live At The Vision Festival by Jemeel Moondoc Tentet
Tuesday, 28 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Alto sax guy Jemeel Moondoc is out of the same NYC "loft jazz" scene as Roy Campbell and William Parker, musicians embracing/expanding the "free" aesthetic of the 60s and 7…
28 Jan
Apostolic Polyphony by Andrew Barker Matthew Shipp and Charles Waters
Tuesday, 28 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Drimala Records has reached the length of a strong furlong to a finishing line with its release, APOSTOLIC POLYPHONY, performed by Andrew Barker, drums, Matthew Shipp, pian…
25 Jan
Ends Meet by Design Flaw
Saturday, 25 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Design Flaw is a youthful trio whose members have been making the rounds in Chicago’s underground/indie jazz scenes (w/ the Four Charms, Jeb Bishop, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Ken …
23 Jan
Swept Away by Mary Ann McSweeney
Thursday, 23 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Following up on her well-received earlier CD, Thoughts Of You, which brought attention to her skills as a bassist and composer, Mary Ann McSweeney has incorporated a…
17 Jan
Jazz On Sale by Christian Howes
Friday, 17 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Considering the paucity of jazz violinists on the horizon, Regina Carter being the only leading exception, one would expect any violinist to create an impact in the …
15 Jan
Antipop Consortium vs. Matthew Shipp by Antipop Consortium and Matthew Shipp
Wednesday, 15 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
The latest release from the Thirsty Ear Blue Series is entitledANTIPOP CONSORTIUM vs. MATTHEW SHIPP. This recording is not about "vs.", abattle of the bands. The recording …
14 Jan
Luminescence by Daniel Carter and Reuben Radding
Tuesday, 14 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Aum fidelity's new release, Luminescence, is a studio recording featuring a well-blended duo. The two players are saxophonist Daniel Carter and bassist Reuben Radding. The …
11 Jan
Back Porch Hillbilly Blues - Volume 1 by Henry Flynt
Saturday, 11 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Henry Flynt is a riddle inside a puzzle inside an enigma - we may never figure him out but it’s nonetheless fun to try. A violinist and composer, Flynt is a shadowy figure …
09 Jan
Aercine by Michael Jefry Stevens Trio
Thursday, 09 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Mark Jefry Stevens is in the enviable position of having almost thirty recording sessions behind him. Drimala Records feel that Aercine is the pianist's stron…
03 Jan
Equilibrium by Matthew Shipp
Friday, 03 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
In the wake of the celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday, it is fitting that the new release of the Blue Series from Thirsty Ear is entitled EQUILIBRIUM. The very de…
03 Jan
Trio by Tatsu Aoki Robbie Lynn Hunsinger and Joseph Jarman
Friday, 03 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Trio is a wonderful recording from Chicago-based bassist Tatsu Aoki, reed player and oboist Robbie Lynn Hunsinger, and multi reed player and percussionist Joseph Jar…
02 Jan
Chicago Tenor Duets by Evan Parker & Joe McPhee
Thursday, 02 January 2003
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
A new 2003 release on Okkadisk features two extraordinary reedsmen, Evan Parker and Joe McPhee. The recording is titled Chicago Tenor Duets.Putting this CD into the play…
31 Dec
1961 by Jimmy Giuffre 3
Tuesday, 31 December 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Composer and multi-reed and flute player Jimmy Giuffre remains a somewhat marginal figure in the jazz continuum, which is odd/a darn shame considering his talent as well as…
04 Oct
Still Bills Culinary Engineering by William Roper
Friday, 04 October 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
This is number 46 in a series of free improvisation live from the decks of the ARTSHIP in Oakland, CA.I first heard William Roper perform on hammer percussionist …
03 Oct
Contra Diction by Allen Savedoff
Thursday, 03 October 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
This could be a novelty album if it weren’t for the following facts. First the music is impeccably played by a group of outstanding musicians. Second, the arrangement of…
12 Sep
Furuhashi by Furuhashi Tsuyoshi
Thursday, 12 September 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Furuhashi Tsuyoshi is a joy to listen to. He takes musical chances and plays with melodic invention in settings pastoral, chaotic and everywhere in between. His tenor is br…
12 Sep
Live at the Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco by Joel Futterman / Ike Levin Trio with Kash Killion
Thursday, 12 September 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Like a tender bird’s morning waking, the flute and cello dialogue that opens the first untitled track on this tantalizing disc, serves as the waking to the possibilities in…
11 Sep
Tranes Groove by Carla Marciano
Wednesday, 11 September 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Saxist Carla Marciano evokes the spirit of John Coltrane in Trane’s Groove. Playing within the quartet setting, Marciano sets a tone that is both graceful and origin…
08 Sep
Guerrilla Mosaics by Butcher / Masaoka / Robair
Sunday, 08 September 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
John Butcher, Miya Masaoka, and Gino Robair’s new release, Guerilla Mosaics claims itself, self-evidently, as a free-jazz album. I have had the opportunity to listen…
03 Sep
Saxophone by Philip Glass
Tuesday, 03 September 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
It is dangerous to speculate on a person’s intentions in a creative act, but I think it’s a fairly safe bet that Adolph Sax didn’t foresee the genesis of jazz while he was …
02 Sep
Any Road by Tomato Box
Monday, 02 September 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
The quartet, Tomato Box, explores their brand of percussion-driven experimental jazz on Any Road. All of the songs, with the exception of three, were composed by Mic…
The CK5 is a Boston based group led by Either/Orchestra sax man Charlie Kohlhase, the veteran player leading and mentoring a talented crew of younger musicians. This set is…
31 Aug
First Storybook by Indigo Invention Group
Saturday, 31 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
This is nothing if not an interesting and sometimes fascinating project. Interspersing stories with the inventiveness of a full spectrum 12-piece jazz orchestra, Indigo Inv…
31 Aug
Mask by Jeff Gauthier Goatette
Saturday, 31 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Jazz from the West Coast, USA has traditionally received a bum rap when compared to the more edgy music coming from the East Coast. Thankfully, the LA-based Cryptogramophon…
27 Aug
The Truth & Reconciliation Show by Hank Roberts
Tuesday, 27 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Hank Roberts, Wiggy Dog Boy, in "The Truth and Reconciliation Show" is a mishmash of sounds and textures. Once I pushed past the first couple of songs, I did…
25 Aug
The Circle of Willis by The Circle of Willis
Sunday, 25 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
It's not unheard of for some trios not to use any type of drums or percussion instruments. So, is the case here with The Circle of Willis' self-titled album. With th…
25 Aug
Live At Glenn Miller Cafe by Exploding Customer
Sunday, 25 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Exploding Customer is a group of creative musicians not afraid to push the boundaries of improvised music. With intensity, force and determination, this quartet from Sweden…
24 Aug
Wazahugy by Philipp Wachsmann - Hug - Grydeland - Zach
Saturday, 24 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
This set recorded for the Norway based, "Sofa" record label features a multi-national cast of highly respected improvisers. It’s an electro-acoustic brew consisting of elec…
21 Aug
At Les Instants Chavires by Evan Parker / Barry Guy / Paul Lytton
Wednesday, 21 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
This is a 1997 recording at the French venue known as "Les Instants Chavires," by one of Britain’s fabled free-jazz style trios. On this outing, Evan Parker performs on bot…
20 Aug
Feel the Sunshine by Hugh Ragin
Tuesday, 20 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Hugh Ragin, dedicated music educator and inimitable trumpet stylist, has shown by the evidence of Feel the Sunshine that his tastes are wide-ranging and that the res…
20 Aug
Guitar Solos by Fred Frith
Tuesday, 20 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
This is the reissue of guitarist Fred Frith’s classic 1974 solo outing. And for those who might not be in the loop, the artist has been re-releasing a good portion of his b…
19 Aug
Solo Piano by David Arner
Monday, 19 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Although David Arner’s SOLO PIANO, on Dogstar Records, has been released for awhile, it has recently come to my attention. Arner is a member of the audience at many of the …
18 Aug
Minerva by Satoko Fujii Quartet
Sunday, 18 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Satoko Fujii is a fine percussive-yet-lyrical pianist out of the McCoy Tyner/Marilyn Crispell/Don Pullen mode, and she has a terrific acoustic "American" trio w/ Mark Dress…
16 Aug
Poets of the Now by Ursel Schlict-Steve Swell 4tet
Friday, 16 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Pianist Ursel Schlict and trombonist Steve Swell have joined to form a quartet that includes Tom Abbs on string bass and tuba and Geoff Mann on cornet and drums for a new C…
14 Aug
ByProduct by ByProduct
Wednesday, 14 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
One wonders why they call themselves ByProduct. If someone called me a ‘by-product’, I’d probably look them straight in the eye and say, oh yeah? By-product is by definitio…
12 Aug
Prophet Moon by Whit Dickey / Trio AHXOLOXHA
Monday, 12 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Trio AHXOLOXHA would come to anyone’s attention given the name itself. Whit Dickey leads the group of three. Dickey plays drums, Joe Morris, guitar, Rob Brown, alto sax. Th…
08 Aug
Minerva by Satoko Fujii Quartet
Thursday, 08 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
MINERVA is a true surreal delight, an adventure in free jazz that will capture the listening audience with its colorful, intimate, and imaginative musings. This is an incre…
07 Aug
Hearsay by Brett Sroka
Wednesday, 07 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Gary Sisco, who writes the liner notes for Brett Sroka’s first CD, Hearsay, makes two good points: (1) that the 1990’s and the new millenium are fertile times for th…
06 Aug
Youth Oriented by Happy Apple
Tuesday, 06 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Happy Apple are a trio of young Twin Cities jazzheads who perform in a style somewhere between the freebop of the Swiss Day & Taxi and Brooklyn’s Brad Shepik and Chris Spee…
06 Aug
Final Answer by Conference Call
Tuesday, 06 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Conference Call is an inspired group. Period.Gebhard Ullmann is one the most accomplished reed players on the scene today. Having made over twenty recordings, Ulmman con…
04 Aug
Minerva by Satoko Fujii
Sunday, 04 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Satoko Fujii is one of the most exciting and intriguing pianists on the scene today. Whether on her own or with husband Natsuki Tamura, Fujii creates a web of musical explo…
03 Aug
Agua by M. Rissi - G. Mazzola - H. Geisser
Saturday, 03 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
For those who enjoy free jazz/avante garde jazz, AGUA will have great appeal and interest. These are orginial compositions. Guerino Mazzola does an exceptional performa…
03 Aug
Round the Bend by Rob Brown Trio
Saturday, 03 August 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
A recording released in Europe by Blue Regard called ROUND THE BEND features the Rob Brown Trio. Rob Brown plays alto sax, William Parker plays bass and Warren Smith plays …
28 Jul
Signature: Live At The Egg Farm by Joelle Leandre
Sunday, 28 July 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Signature: Live at the Egg Farm is a two CD set that documents two live sets of music improvised by French bassist Joelle Leandre and Japanese pianists Masahiko Sato…
27 Jul
Eloping with the Sun by William Parker Joe Morris Hamid Drake
Saturday, 27 July 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
A new release on the Riti Records Label is ELOPING WITH THE SUN, a singularly poignant recording, featuring William Parker on zintir, Joe Morris on banjo and banjouke and H…
22 Jul
One Eyed Jack by Joseph Scianni
Monday, 22 July 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
ONE EYED JACK will appeal to different jazz fans for different reasons, given the complex nature of the jazz motifs expressed in this 9 selection CD that is contemporary ja…
09 Jul
Speaks the Riddle of Undisputed Truth by Sphinx
Tuesday, 09 July 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Sphinx is a Norwegian band that demands attention. The photos on their album, "The Riddle of Undisputed Truth," are alarming. It shows the faces of the band members are sli…