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Sun Ra: Nothing Is...
by Rex Butters
ESP's welcome reactivation continues with this reissue of Sun Ra's Nothing Is. The 1966 live recording has been resequenced to the set list's playing order, and it includes newly discovered performances. The improved package offers a more intimate look at one of Ra's most attractive ESP sessions. A dramatic build deflates to cubist Harlem with Sun ...
Charles Gayle: Shout!
by Rex Butters
Charles Gayle's discography has grown steadily since his reemergence in the '80s. Spiritually motivated like so many of his '60s free jazz peers, Gayle presents a program of Gospel-influenced tunes, new takes on standards, and bracing trio improvisations that continually churn sparks. More lyrical and less strident than he sounds on older recordings, Gayle maintains a ...
The Vandermark 5: The Color of Memory
by Rex Butters
The Vandermark 5 The Color of Memory Atavistic 2005 Close on the heels of the wondrous twelve-CD Alchemia live set, the Vandermark 5 return with a collection of studio recordings vividly displaying the glorious results of a five-year working association. Whether a subtle exercise in abstract minimalism or ...
Sonny Simmons: The Traveller
by Rex Butters
Even at 72, the great Sonny Simmons still comes up with the unexpected. On The Traveller, the veteran musician nestles into beautiful compositions and arrangements by Vidar Johansen with a group augmented by an elite string quartet from the Oslo Philharmonic. Johansen surrounds Simmons in strong, open charts that create taut frameworks for improvisational weaving. The ...
Brad Dutz: Nine Gardeners Named Ned
by Rex Butters
Los Angeles percussionist Brad Dutz spends more time outside on Nine Gardeners Named Ned. With names like Kris Tiner, John Fumo, Sara Schoenbeck, and Ellen Burr joining the ensemble for a session of snails and adventure, the listener can expect some rare and exotic blooms. Throw William Roper's wry words into the mix, and they morph ...
Jim McAuley: Gongfarmer 18
by Rex Butters
For a musician whose formidable technique and imagination require denials of overdubbing, guitarist Jim McAuley has long maintained a low profile. Thanks to Vinny Golia, that's about to change with Nine Winds' release of Gongfarmer 18, an explosive calling card that vaporizes notions of what an acoustic guitar can do beautifully. McAuley accomplishes his transformations via ...
Ken Vandermark: That Was Now
by Rex Butters
For almost a decade, the Vandermark 5 has been the main outlet for the diabolically driven and creative Ken Vandermark. Spreading his involvement across at least ten active and demanding musical enterprises, Vandermark's main outlet still remains the V5. This year for the third time in its history the quintet loses a founding member, this time ...
Steve Coleman and Five Elements: Lucidarium
by Rex Butters
Steve Coleman's latest tablet from the mountain top finds him back with a large group performing even larger conceptual compositions, augmented by voices and rappers. Besides group improvisations, Coleman also abandons pitch in places and continues to work within signature structures and rhythms. Gathering a stellar group of musicians while obsessively pushing himself and everyone else ...
Freddie Redd's Movie and a Concert at Barnsdale Park
by Rex Butters
The Freddie Redd Septet threw a party for bebop at the plush Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, with a little help from the city and Rocco Somazzi. Choosing an enviable array of LA allstars, Redd and Co. played 12 classics from the bebop era with steam and enthusiasm. To sweeten the deal, early arrivals were treated to a ...
David Ornette Cherry: Organic Groove
by Rex Butters
Recorded in 2000, Organic Groove features a too brief taste of David Ornette Cherry's writing and playing with a Los Angeles dream band, including Bobby Bradford, Roberto Miranda, and Ralph Jones, to name a few. Cherry possesses a broad musical attention span, making a program of his work a musical travelogue. But no dilettante is he, ...
