‘Wall to Wall Behind the Wall’ at Symphony Space

May 17, 2010 — Mike

From NYTimes.com:

Conceived and assembled by Laura Kaminsky, a composer and the associate artistic director of Symphony Space, the event touched on universally recognized figures like Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Penderecki and Ligeti as well as major creators who came to international renown as the cold war waned, like Alfred Schnittke, Sofia Gubaidulina, Henryk Gorecki and Arvo Pärt.

But many of the composers represented, like Sergei Slonimsky, nephew of the composer and lexicographer Nicolas Slonimsky, and Josef Bardanashvili, a Georgian active in Israel, remain largely unknown in the West. Segments devoted to Soviet propaganda songs, poignant Jewish songs from World War II and modern jazz from Russia and Romania added variety and context.

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Three New Dave Douglas Releases on the Way

May 17, 2010 — Mike

Greenleaf Music will release three new recordings from Dave Douglas.

Greenleaf Music will release three albums by composer and trumpeter Dave Douglas this year. All were inspired by Douglas’s recent collaboration with experimental filmmaker Bill Morrison on the new multi-media project Spark of Being, and were written by Douglas for his electric sextet Keystone. The first release, the soundtrack to the aforementioned film, will be available exclusively through Greenleaf Music on June 22. Two additional releases, Expand and Burst, will follow later this year and feature jazz performances by Douglas and Keystone, exploring and interpreting the themes of the film.

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All About Jazz Reviews

May 17, 2010 — Mike
Mats Gustafsson at "Sonore" concert,...
Image via Wikipedia

From AllAboutJazz.com:

Odean Pope
Odean Pope: Odean’s List
Reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

Christmann / Gustafsson / Lovens
Tr!o (FMP Records)
Reviewed by Mark Corroto

The Engines
Wire and Brass (Okka Disc)
Reviewed by Mark Corroto

Michael Jefry Stevens
Michael Jefry Stevens: What About…?; Memphis; A Scent in Motion; Remembering the Future
Reviewed by Clifford Allen

Weasel Walter
Weasel Walter: Mysteries Beneath The Planet & Invasion
Reviewed by Martin Longley

Ivo Perelman
Ivo Perelman & Dominic Duval: Nowhere To Hide and Mind Games
Reviewed by John Sharpe

Alex Machacek
24 Tales (Abstract Logix)
Reviewed by John Kelman

John King
10 Mysteries (Tzadik)
Reviewed by Wilbur MacKenzie

Irene Schweizer / Dewan Motihar / Barney Wilen / Manfred Schoof
Jazz Meets India (Promising Music/MPS)
Reviewed by John Kelman

Wadada Leo Smith
Wadada Leo Smith: Spirit Catcher (Nessa Records)
Reviewed by Clifford Allen

The Claudia Quintet with Gary Versace
Royal Toast (Cuneiform Records)
Reviewed by Troy Collins

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Newsbits

May 17, 2010 — Mike

Soda Can is Stephen Chopek, who makes experimental beat-heavy music. His site allows free streaming and download of his releases.

Obsil is a project by Giulio Aldinucci, and some of its recordings are available for streaming.

Not that it sould be taken too seriously, but there’s an online music personality test that’s a hoot.

A piece called Slaughtering Sacred Cows tries to remind us that no one is perfect…

Finally, an old favorite from my teen years, Ronnie James Dio, has passed on.

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Karen Cooper Complex / Windpipe Moods for Free Download

May 17, 2010 — Mike

Free Albums Galore has dug up a couple of interesting pieces:

Karen Cooper Complex – Shinjuku Birdwalk
Group member Bill Altice described The Karen Cooper Complex as “a band that played loosely structured, improvisational rock that was more Bitches Brew than Grateful Dead”. The album Shinjiku Birdwalk was released in 1981 but has made its way unto the Free Music Archive as a legal creative commons licensed download. This is a rare look at a very creative band that I doubt any of my readers have ever heard of. At least I have never heard of them until now. Yet Shinujiku Birdwalk reveals a group of musicians that were ahead of their time. The tracks show traces of Zappa, The Residents and Furious Pig in a cross between 60s Beat generation poetry and 80s No-Wave. Karen Cooper practically chants over jazz and rock riffs.. The music is eerily magnetic and should appeal to those who like to stray off the safe path. This is a must-download.

Various Artists – Windpipe Moods
Every so often I like to feature an album that is “not for everyone”; Something that will appeal to a small population of listeners. The anthology Windpipe Moods fits into that area. This is a collection of sound poetry. All tracks uses the human voice, often electronically altered or looped. Some are wordless while others use words but are chopped up or “pasted”into a montage. Others, as in Ambrosia Rasputin’s “Chutz”, are presented as nonsense lyrics. Irene Moon & Sara O’Keefe’s “Flightless For Candy” is a clever vocal montage. Penn Kemp & Anne Anglin’s “Re Solution” is a cute piece of altered voice that made me smile. These seventeen tracks range from interesting to delightful and are recommended to those who like their musical excursion to be on the path less traveled.

Download

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