New Garrison Fewell And Ayn Inserto CDs Out

Improvised Communications discusses the two latest releases from Boston’s Creative Nation Music, guitarist/composer Garrison Fewell’s Variable Density Sound Orchestra (CNM 014) and The Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra’s Muse (CNM 015).

Fewell’s second release for the label, following 2008’s The Lady of Khartoum (CNM 010), Variable Density Sound Orchestra is the self-titled debut of his newest working ensemble. The group features Eric Hofbauer (guitars and percussion), Roy Campbell (trumpet, flugelhorn, flute and percussion), Achille Succi (bass clarinet and alto saxophone), John Voight (bass), Miki Matsuki (drums) and Alex Fewell (percussion).

Muse, the follow-up to The Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra’s self-released 2006 debut, Clairvoyance, is built around the theme of celebrating those who inspired her. It features arrangements of three pieces by special guest George Garzone and original compositions honoring Bob Brookmeyer, Frank Foster and Steve Lacy among others.

Both releases are part of the label’s ongoing fifth anniversary celebration in 2009, which also includes a package tour of New England and the forthcoming launch of a new series of rare, never-before-released and reissued music called The Hub Collection.

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Free Jazz Blog Reviews

From Free Jazz:

Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Nels Cline – Coward (Crypogramophone, 2009) ****½

Monday, February 16, 2009
Brad Shepik – Human Activity Suite (Songlines, 2009) ****

Sunday, February 15, 2009
Collective 4tet – Transition (Leo Records, 2009) *****

Saturday, February 14, 2009
Bob Gluck Trio – Sideways (FMR, 2008) ****½

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Bagatellen Reviews

From Bagatellen:

Frank Gratkowski/Chris Brown/William Winant – Wake (Red Toucan)

Sometimes what makes for vivid, exciting free improvisation is not necessarily the foregrounding of a “new” technique, the spontaneous elaboration of an impressive form, or even – perhaps especially – a race to the boiling point, the big rock solo moment in free improv. No, it’s often the case that the documents worth returning to [...]

Francisco López Michael Gendreau – TDDM (Sonoris)

Since 2006, many worthy labels have either fallen into depression or ceased production altogether. Franck Laplaine’s Sonoris continues to push out releases at a snail’s pace (roughly a disc per year) from a very personalized operation. A look back through the Sonoris catalog shows quite the range, and the envelope has widened even [...]

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Instal Fest 2009 in Glasgow

This year’s Instal Festival takes place March 21-23 in Glasgow and features the following artists:

circular singing – JOAN LA BARBARA
setting the stars to music – HERMANN NITSCH
concrete poetry – STEVE MCCAFFERY
radios as theremins – TETSUO KOGAWA
sound as political activism – ULTRA-RED
a no-input mixing desk – TOSHI NAKAMURA
long stretches of almost nothing – RADU MALFATTI
the complete works for cello – NIKOS VELIOTIS
ash vibrated on speakers – ROLF JULIUS

Also featured is Phil Minton.

All About Jazz Reviews

Bill Frisell - live at Jazz Alley, Seattle - 2...
Image via Wikipedia

From All About Jazz:

18-Feb-09 Bill Frisell
The Best of Bill Frisell: Vol. 1 – Folk Songs (Nonesuch Records)
Reviewed by Chris May

18-Feb-09 James Beaudreau
Fresh Twigs (Workbench)
Reviewed by Florence Wetzel

18-Feb-09 Garrison Fewell
Variable Density Sound Orchestra (Creative Nation Music)
Reviewed by John Sharpe

17-Feb-09 The Alon Farber Hagiga Sextet
Optimistic View (Fresh Sound New Talent)
Reviewed by Jay Deshpande

17-Feb-09 Veryan Weston
Allusions (Emanem)
Reviewed by John Eyles

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Cosmologic in Washington DC

From Sonic Circuits:

As part of Cuneiform Records 25th Anniversary Celebrations, Cuneiform Records and Sonic Circuits Present For the first time in the Washington Area…

C o s m o l o g i c
Jazz/Improv Quartet from San Diego, CA

Friday February 20, 2009
@
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center
8230 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD
see www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org for directions
15$/10$ for students w/ ID, children under 12 free
doors 7:30 pm
show 8:00 pm sharp
enter through side door on Ripley St
access via Red Line Metro (Silver Spring Station)
Limited parking in lot in front of building or metered parking on
Georgia Ave

Cosmologic is:
Jason Robinson – Tenor Saxophone
Michael Dessen – Trombone
Scott Walton – Bass
Nathan Hubbard – Drums
www.cosmologic.org
www.myspace.com/cosmologic

Cosmologic in their ten years together spanning three albums, traverses the broad terrain of creative jazz and improvised music, integrating high-energy playing, intense introspection, rich grooves, open textures, and collective alchemy. Central to the group’s sound is a commitment to developing challenging and original compositions. While profoundly dedicated to improvisation, Cosmologic also performs complex pieces that are composed by an individual member and then transformed through extensive group work. This process often leads the quartet into complex musical landscapes, while drawing on the individual strengths of each member. With nearly a decade of experience together, Cosmologic continues to extend their repertoire of original music, in an ongoing search for new ideas. Cosmologic has just released a new record on Silver Spring’s Cuneiform Records that has been acclaimed in press worldwide, receiving reviews in Jazz Times, Cadence, Signal to Noise, Rockarilla (Italy), and MusicaJazz (Italy).

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AMN Podcast: Bertram Turetzky, Damon Smith – Thoughtbeetle