Avant Music News

From All About Jazz:

Gilles Aubry, Andrea Ermke, Annette Krebs, Ignaz Schick
Berlin Electronics (Absinth)
Reviewed by John Eyles

13-Jan-09 Seymour Wright / Eddie Prevost
Gamut (Matchless Recordings And Publishing)
Reviewed by Nic Jones

12-Jan-09 Henry Cow
Henry Cow: The 40th Anniversary Henry Cow Box Set
Reviewed by John Kelman

12-Jan-09 Isotope
Golden Section (Cuneiform Records)
Reviewed by Nic Jones

10-Jan-09 Multiple Artists
Guitar Duets: Elliott Sharp/Scott Fields & Garrison Fewell/Eric Hofbauer
Reviewed by Karen Hogg

10-Jan-09 Roswell Rudd
Roswell Rudd: New York Art Quartet & New York Eye and Ear Control
Reviewed by Stuart Broomer

10-Jan-09 Mike Reed
Mike Reed: Proliferaiton & The Speed of Change
Reviewed by Jeff Stockton

From KFJC:

Cherry, Don – “Live At Cafe Montmartre 1966 ” – [Esp-Disk]

Recorded live in Denmark in 1966. Don Cherry on trumpet, Argentine Gato Barbieri on sax, German vibe player Karl Berger, Italian Aldo Romano on drums, and Danish bass Bo Stief give a new meaning to “world music”.

As Cherry says in track 5, “free improvisation, music now” – wild, sometimes cacophonous, sometimes melodic – very refreshing, upbeat, virtuoso and vibrant. Track

Reich, Steve – “Daniel Variations ” – [Nonesuch Records]

Daniel Variations: A tribute to Daniel Pearl, the American journalist who was kidnapped, murdered, and mutilated in Pakistan in 2002. Parts 1 and 3 quote the Book of Daniel, where Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (now Iraq) asks Daniel to interpret his dream of terror. Part 2 and 4 quote Daniel Pearl, “I Sure Hope Gabriel Likes My Music, When The Day Is Done” refers to a Stuff Smith album found in Pearl’s effects (see liner notes). Strong, emotional stuff features 4 pianos, string quartet, percussion, reeds and voices.

Variations for Vibes, Pianos & Strings: Four vibraphones, two pianos, and three string quartets play bright, energetic, gorgeous music characteristic of Reich.

Futterman, Joel/Alvin Fielder/Ike Levin Trio – “Traveling Thru Now ” – [Charles Lester Music]

Spontaneous composition by these free jazz virtuosos. Fast-paced, loud improvisational insanity shows occasional gentleness (try track 4, Life’s Whisper), short bluesy riffs (track 10), and fine solos (drum, track 8).

Frith, Fred & Zorn, John – “Art of Memory II, The ” – [Fred Records]

Homemade instruments, casio keyboards, duck calls, sax and others – also incomprehensible voices and some laughter. Squawks, screams, slurps, twangs, pounding and tapping.

Original, crazy-ass improvised shenanigans from these 2 experimenters that made me smile.

Dolphy, Eric – “Outward Bound ” – [Prestige/New Jazz]

Dolphy is terrific on alto sax, bass clarinet, and flute on his 1960 debut album, here remastered in 2006 by the original engineer, Rudy Van Gelder. Terrific performances all around, especially by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard who was 21 at the time.

Original liner notes are included and note Dolphy’s appreciation to his influences whose names appear in the track titles – G.W. is Gerald Wilson, Les is trombonist Lester Robinson. (245 was Dolphy’s Brooklyn street number.)