Sonicphonics - Exploded Views

And now for something completely different....

This is just about the farthest reaches of jazz I can go. Not really free jazz, but a eclectic cross of jazz, electronica and no wave, as the label implies.

This disc is mesmerizing in places and damn near danceable in others. The fact that this was performed live only adds to my fascination.

It was Bang's presence that drew me to this record. His contributions are in no small part why I dig it. But truly his is but one facet of one of these recordings where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

C'mon, give it a try, I dare you!

Sonicphonics
Exploded Views

1. Off Land
2. Freight Connections
3. Thin Ice
4. Altered State Transmission
5. Cryptics
6. Exploded Views
7. Deranger
8. Data Change
9. Mesmerize

Geoff Serle - drums, programming, keyboards, congas
Jon Dobie - guitars, saxophones
Adrian Northover - saxophones, wind synthesizer, theremin
Billy Bang - violin
Colin McLean - dub effects

all compositions by Sonicphonics
produced by Geoff Serle & Sonicphonics
live sound mix by Gunter Seiser (Salzburg) & Colin McLean (Poitiers)
recorded live at Jazz im Theatre Festival, Salzburg, February 1999 & Confort Moderne, Poitiers, February 1997

This time it was taken from disc...NMCD10

Bill Dixon / Archie Shepp - Consequences

A record like this is often overlooked by folks who don't like "free" jazz. I used to be in that same category. I kept telling myself I didn't understand it but eventually I realized I don't understand any music, I just need to feel it. That said, there is still some jazz that is too free for my tastes yet, but this is not one.

This record comes from the now legendary pile that I digitized for a friend. Even when recording these records I wasn't sure I liked all of them but over a year later. they have become some of my most treasured recordings.

Here we have two seperate bands, each taking their own side to an lp. And two very different styles within the same genre. I know nothing of Bill Dixon and I know only a smattering of sidemen on both dates. In doing a little research for this post I see that some of the dates, etc., I found do not match up to the info I copied off the back of the lp, either through my own haste or just bad info supplied to the french label or posted online.

On the lp, the sprawling opening track, Winter Song 64 is actually divided into several small movements. I did not do this but kept it as all one consistent track (sorta). Perhaps I would do it differently now but I no longer have the lp to work from. Caveat emptor.

As such, here is Consequences BYG 529 001. from vinyl.
And the facts...
Side A...

1/2. Winter Song 1964

3. The 12th December

Bill Dixon - trumpet Ken McIntyre - alto, flute George Barrow - tenor

Howard Johnson - baritone, tuba David Izenon, Hal Dodson - basses

Howard McRea - percussion

recorded NYC Dec 1963
Side B...

4. Where Poppies Bloom

5. Like A Blessed Baby Lamb

6. Consequences*

Archie Shepp - tenor John Tchicci - alto Ted Cursor - trumpet

Don Cherry - trumpet* Ronnie Boykins - double bass Sunny Murray - percussion

recorded NYC Jan 1964

produced by Dixon/Shepp

Barre Phillips - For All It Is

For this outing I went for something completely different. This once again is mined from the collection that I burned for a friend.

Back about 1968, Barre Phillips recorded what was widely regarded as the 1st solo bass lp, Unaccompanied Barre. At this point Barre was already a veteran of several successful combos and an accomplished if unheralded bassist.
Feb. of 1971 brought about the 1st bassists duo lp with Dave Holland, cleverly titled Music For Two Basses.
Apparently Phillips' muse was running in high gear as just a month later saw the release of this posts gem, For All It Is. This record gathers together 4 bassists and a percussionist performing 7 original Barre compositions.

For All It Is taken from a vinyl copy of Japo Records 60003.

per the back cover - this is a stereo recording...

Left Channel, Right Channel

Barre Phillips, Barry Guy, Palle Danielson, J. F Jenny-Clarke

Stu Martin

percussion.

1. Just 8

2. Whoop

3. Few Too

4. La Palette

5. Y En A

6. Dribble

7. Y.M.

recorded in Hamburg, Germany, 3.12.71

Anthony Davis - Of Blues and Dreams

Another record from the bunch that my pal needed transfered. Such a great record. Wiki says very little about this fellow that I didn't already know. An experimental pianist with ties to AACM. This record from 1978 leaves me stunned.

Of Blues And Dreams

1. Of Blues and Dreams
2. Lethe (part 1)
3. Lethe (part 2)
4. Graef
5. Madame Xola
6. Estraven

Anthony Davis - piano

Leroy Jenkins - violin

Pheeroan Ak Laff - drums

Abdul Wadud - cello

produced by Bill Smith

recorded 7/30-31/78

Say It Loud - Lou Donaldson

I was reading recently where a guy was asking for advice. Lou Donaldson was making an appearence and should he bother to go. I guess since he's in his 80's, Lou doesn't blow as forcefully as he once did, but what a gem. I wouldn't pass up the chance to see an icon like this for nothing.

I was really happy when I scored this record for just a couple of bucks out of a dusty box.

Lou Donaldson - Say It Loud

Taken from a Blue Note 84299 vinyl

1. Say it Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud

2. Summertime

3. Caravan

4. Snake Bone

5. Brother Soul

Lou Donaldson - alto

Blue Mitchell - trumpet

Jimmy Ponder - guitar

Charles Earland - organ

Leo Morris - drums