[ aquarius records

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Showing results 201 through 250 of 1400.

Eugene Chadbourne (you know him, you love him?) teams up with two Berlin-based free jazzers for this tribute to the late great saxophonist Albert Ayler on the always interesting Grob label. Joe Williamson (Kletka Red) plays double bass, Uli Jennessen is on

RealAudio clip: Omega Is The Alpha
RealAudio clip: La Marseillaise
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SORRY. Eugene Chadbourne (no introduction needed, we hope) is joined for a free improv freakout by downtown NYC avant jazzers Mark Dresser (bass) and Susie Ibarra (drums) as well as normally-more restrained improv guitarist Joe Morris.

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SORRY. Circa-1980 recordings from this fun pair. On Derek Bailey's improv label.

Trio led by tenor saxophonist Chan, with Trevor Dunn (of Mr. Bungle we must note) and Elliot Humberto Kavee. Great jazz.

Bay Area-based jazz sextet, Charles Sharp 6 make their vinyl debut on local San Francisco label Empty Cellar which also released the avant-jazz Sword and Sandals lp Good and Plenty a year or two back. An uncommon combination of reeds (sax and clarinet), cello, accordion, double bass and drums, this group of improvisers seem to be channeling a late fifties /early sixties era jazz, but one that neither sounds classic or retro. In fact, as good as these musicians are, they almost sound like they came to jazz, through some other means, like punk, judging by the near-ramshackle bombast of the opening track. Yet, there is a laid-back angularity to their work that feels like it should be in a beat-era or eighties indie movie, evoking the same sort of vibe as Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, or even the Lounge Lizards with out so much of the eighties art attitude. Sometimes ferocious in their compositional approach, the C#6 are hardly as twee as their instrumentation might suggest, but they can also really intensify a mood with quiet focus, allowing the diversity of instruments to congeal and worry around subtle modal variations, expanding but not releasing the tension. One of the most interesting new jazz albums we've heard in a long while!

Hot on the heels of the totally mind blowing Orient reissue comes another Don Cherry gem that was originally released in 1971 only in Japan and that has been totally unavailable for years. Reissued on cd and gorgeous double lp, the line up for this record is the trio of Cherry, Johhny Dyani and Okay Tamiz. The first track, Blue Lake is one of the most gorgeous pieces of music I have ever heard. Mournful, solo flute, dark and Eastern tinged. With shakers and bells and hand drums that get more and more vigorous as the track progresses. Brief but really really poerful. Track two is a massive 30 minute epic, that's all over the map. Co-written by Tamiz and Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim) "Dollar And Okay's Tunes" sounds like a huge medley, and could well be judging from the title, from skittery free jazz to spastic fusion to tribal soundscapes to sinister filmic instrumentals to almost gospel like sections complete with chant-like vocalisations. The final track, East, also clocks in at about half an hour and is a wicked rhythmic workout. Drums and hand drums and other percussion, along with a throbbing thrumming bassline, lay the foundation for Cherry's chanting vocals. The song swings through different moods and methods, squealing free jazz skronk, dark and hyper minimal drones, Santana-ish fusion/rock, crazed drum freak outs, but always returns to the dark and tribal mood that started things off. Blue Lake is a classic as is the also reissued Orient. Buy them both.

RealAudio clip: Blue Lake
RealAudio clip: Dollar And Okay's Tunes

We don't believe this is a new reissue, but it's one of our favorite jazz records ever, a real classic, and this is the first time we've been able to get a bunch to list. Perhaps it's even our most favorite Don Cherry album, which is saying a lot since there are so many of his records we love (this is the third we've made a Record of the Week) and there's been much spirited discussion around here between this one and Orient, a former record of the week from, egad, eight years ago! But hell, they're both really amazing so if you dug Orient, or the collaboration with Latif Khan we made Record of the Week a year ago, you'll definitely want to get this, and if you have no Don Cherry in your collection, you might as well start right here. Why we've never been able to list this before is a huge mystery, but let's just make up for lost time and tell you why this is so great. Released in 1975 on the A&M label, Brown Rice is just 4 songs clocking at about 39 minutes. It's as focussed as Orient was sprawling, mining the same African, Indian, and Arabic influences, but in much tighter and dynamic, almost rock-oriented arrangements. Penetratingly deep on a spiritual level but also engaging and propulsive in its accessibility, Brown Rice is a record that gets right to the point the second the opening electric piano riff and female wordless singing of the title track begin. With wah'd out guitars and electric bongos building up into a groove, this is Cherry at his funkiest with ghostly trumpet shrieks off in the background, vocalised rhythm syncopations and Charlie Haden's underscoring bass swirling around Cherry's whispered chanting. "Malkauns", the longest track at 14 minutes lays down a lackadaisical vibe with tamboura and bass slowly unfolding a wide ground for Cherry's plaintive trumpet to eventually arrive and build up momentum with Billy Higgins' drumming pushing the proceedings upward and outward, eventually floating down back to earth. The third track "Chenrezig" begins deep and solemn with bass rumbles, chimes and Cherry's low and shaman-like vocals sometimes delving into Tuvan throat level buzz and whispering, augmented by high piano tones and lilting trumpet trills before the energy unleashes, not so much in a blind fury as it is a concentrated and feverish ritual extraction of sound. The final track, "Degi-Degi" brings us back to the driving rhythms and grooves of "Brown Rice", with Cherry's whispered chants and some of his brightest and most lyrical trumpet playing really feeling the space. We can't help but wonder how much of Cherry's soundtrack work for the film Holy Mountain had an influence on his direction for this record, as Brown Rice is that rare hybrid of jazz, rock and film score, one we could easily see visualized on film. In the same line as Bitches Brew, Herbie Hancock's Sextant, or the recent Love Cry Want reissue, but also with the same sort of deep spiritual core we treasure so much in records by Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Sun Ra. Essential!

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THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. From the Sonet recordings series.

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

The duo of Don Cherry (pocket trumpet, piano, indian flute, bamboo flute, voice, bells, percussion) and Ed Blackwell (drums, percussion, bells) doing some pretty incredible "pan-ethnic jazz outness" thing, two LPs all recorded in one day (August 22nd 1969) in Paris France. Thanks again to Charly for making these rare albums available again. Now available in a super fancy sleeve,

BACK IN STOCK! We thought these Charly BYG/Actuel reissue cds were gone forever, but lo! here they are again. Dunno what's up, but get 'em while you can. This disc features the duo of Don Cherry (pocket trumpet, piano, indian flute, bamboo flute, voice, bells, percussion) and Ed Blackwell (drums, percussion, bells) doing some pretty incredible "pan-ethnic jazz outness" thing, two LPs all recorded in one day (August 22nd 1969) in Paris France. We like this one a lot. Thanks again to Charly for making these rare albums available again (again).

I (Andee) had to push really hard for this to be record of the week back in June as we seldom make LPs records of the week, but now it's been RELEASED ON CD! So all of you turntable-less folks can now also enjoy what is easily one of the most amazing records I have ever heard. We knew about this record but had never actually -heard- it until the aforementioned vinyl reissue. And we were just blown away. We were convinced that this could be the jazz record to cure Jim of his I-Hate-Jazz attitude (we'll let you know what happened with that) (umm, nope. - Jim). Gorgeous cover art depicting a little ant on the yolk of a big fried egg! Quite striking. Recorded in 1971, 'Orient' features 2 separate live performances with Cherry in two different trios, one with Han Bennink (drums, percussion, accordian, vocals) and Mocqui (tamboura) and the other with Johnny Diani (bass) and Okay Tamiz (drums, percussion). The track 'Orient' which was a side and a half of the 2lp set is the real gem here (although all four tracks are spectacular). 'Orient' starts off with minor key piano and subtle percussion, with mumbled, chant-like vocals, slowly building, rumbling clattery percussion, not all that different from what No Neck Blues Band seems to be working towards. Ten minutes in, the track explodes into a hyper-rhythmic free-jazz frenzy with wailing trumpet and completely mad silverware-drawer-down-the-steps drumming from Bennink. The chanting vocals return, this time, much higher in the mix turning it into a musical tug of war between a somber spiritual and a crazed drum circle free-for-all. The drums prevail, beating out a tribal rhythm, with drum kit and tamboura weaving a rich rhythmic framework, that slowly winds down to dark and dreamy melancholy piano and huge gong swells, with occasional percussive clatter in the background. Suddenly the trio slips into a classic jazz groove that is perfect, but also perfectly out of place. No need to worry, as the groove quickly dissipates into a free jazz supernova of squealing horns and chaotic drumming. Track two, named for Cherry's son, starts with loping and meandering, deep dark beats, with owl-ish flutes and ghost-like horns. Some percussive clatter and an almost Roland Kirk-like breathing/singing whips up a frenzied fervor over throbbing bass, skittery percussion and wild piano (at this point it's necessary to point out the fact that Cherry is handling piano/trumpet/flute single handedly!). The trio soon click into an almost Santana-ish groove with Cherry's soaring vocals following the piano. The track winds down with Cherry going crazy on BOTH the trumpet AND the piano! Track three 'Togetherness' displays some truly breathtaking free-jazz interplay from Cherry and drummer Okay Tamiz. Cherry alternates between pocket trumpet and flute, playing complicated and unlikey melodies over the thick pulsing bass and frenzied percussion (drum kit, but also bells and shakers and gongs!) eventually finishing off with more of that Santana-ish groove and wild, free vocals! The final track, 'Si Ta Ra Ma' is the weirdest of the bunch, again reminding us sonically of No Neck and other of the more modern drone/clatter ensembles. Guttural vocalisations that vacillate from droning almost-throat singing to what sounds like speaking in tongues, with muted horn sputter, droning low-end trumpet buzz, clapping and sorrowful chanting vocals. Over the course of the last ten minutes, the vocals gradually fade into the mix as the percussion (steel drums?) build and build while Cherry solos dreamily and mournfully until the end of the track. Amazing and essential and totally timeless.

RealAudio clip: Orient
RealAudio clip: Orient (Part 2)
RealAudio clip: Si Ta Ra Ma
RealAudio clip: Togetherness

No one can debate that Don Cherry is a jazz legend. A total pioneer, playing with pretty much every important figure from the fifties until the mid nineties when he passed away. But beyond being an unbelievable player, an unbeatable sideman, and an amazing composer, he also became obsessed with folk music, and various musics from all over the world, incorporating those sounds into his compositions, turning his jazz into some wild avant world jazz, tribal and psychedelic, hypnotic and complex, ethereal and far out, Cherry's sound changed and mutated on a regular basis, as he discovered Indian ragas, Japanese temple music, Southeast Asian gamelan music, Buddhist chants, it all became a part of his music, and made him one of the most unique voices in jazz. We raved about Cherry's 1971 Orient record a while back, a totally fantastical and far out free jazz exploration that incorporated No Neck style tribal free rock, Santana-ish rock grooves, and bits of psychedelia, to make for a clattery, droney noisy free jazz classic. Tibet came about 10 years later, but manages to be just as far out. Not as urgent or chaotic or 'free', Tibet was much more of a world jazz record, with Cherry utilizing lots of Gamelan, African instrumentation and Eastern melody. The opener is all gamelan, flurries of percussion whipped into a dense dizzying swirl, a strange mix of gamelan, Eastern melodies, and some distinctly African sounds, as well as a bunch of clatter that would be right at home on a No Neck record. The following track is mostly tinkling piano, but over the top, a reed instrument wails and buzzes out a mesmerizing snake charmer melody, it sounds a bit like a zorna, the melody locked in step with the piano, the two instruments engaged in a gorgeously hypnotic dance. The next track is a killer, super dense and aggressive, a fiery and fierce piano workout, the low keys pounded and ringing out, a thick backdrop for the tinkling spray of high notes, all looped into an incredibly hypnotic groove, sounding a lot like a darker, more intense Lubomyr Melnyk. The flipside begins with more Eastern melodies, a framework of tribal percussion, over the top vocals and horns (that sounds like synthesizers) drone and buzz, the sound very raga like, wild and loose, spirited and free, sounds like something you'd hear on a Sublime Frequencies comp, which makes sense as these sounds are so indebted to musics both Asian and African. The following track is all tinkling percussion, chimes and bells, long drawn out tones on some sort of horn, all very meditative and spiritual, with monk like chants woven into the fluttering field of shimmer and tinkle. Finally the record finishes with what sounds like straight ahead gamelan, subtle and serene, a muted percussive coda to a seriously expansive sonic travelogue. There's a dearth of notes, no players, no instrumentation, but it hardly matters as the music more than speaks for itself.

Long, long awaited vinyl reissue of this legendary 1973 lp, featuring American jazz trumpeter/composer Don Cherry and Polish avant garde composer Krzyztof Penderecki. Awesome mix of wild free jazz and 20th century classical, with wildly shrieking saxes and trumpets, bizarre chanted/sung vocals, both male and female, cool catchy almost bop-ish breakdowns, bizarre vocalisations, breathing and wheezing and whistles, recorded live at the Donaueschingen Music Festival in Germany on October 17, 1971. 3 tracks, 2 by Cherry, one by Penderecki. We especially dig the second track wherein the audience was instructed to clap the rhythms to a droning sitar/vocal piece (with the crowd failing miserably in the beginning and laughing, embarrassed). The final track is the legendary "Actions for Free Jazz Orchestra" written & conducted by Penderecki and including such European free music faves of ours as Peter Brotzmann, Han Bennik and a bunch of others. The sound is dark and sparse, with bursts of straight up jazz rhythms punctuating the sinister soundscapes, as well as plenty of improvised noodling, especially some truly inspired freakout drumming and some beautifully haunting trumpet parts, which all coalesce into a completely riveting 16 minute masterpiece of 20th century-avant-free-classical-jazz. Or something like that.

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We rave about jazz legend Don Cherry as often as we can. Every reissue has us all in a tizzy. In the past we made his mind blowing Orient an aQ record Of The Week. And in retrospect, we probably should have made the Blue Lake reissue a ROTW as well. Cherry was continually pushing the boundaries of jazz, exploring and helping shape free jazz, and incorporating all manner of world music into his ever changing and expanding sound. This disc, recorded in 1978, found Cherry once again reimagining the sound of jazz, and challenging unadventurous jazz fans, by teaming up with legendary Indian percussionist Ustad Ahmed Latif Khan. Cherry had experimented with Indian music before on past recordings, but this was the first full on collaboration. Two sides, one featuring Cherry compositions, accompanied by Khan on tablas, the other side, Khan compositions, the tablas more of the driving force, the sound distinctly more Indian classical, with Cherry accompanying Khan. The untitled opener finds Cherry and Khan covering Ornette Coleman, Cherry's former band leader. It's a dark brooding shuffle, all warm keyboard grooves, and the tablas, how they change everything, the skittery rhythms, but also the strange rubbery low end, the song eventually morphs into a Cherry original, and gets a bit proggy with wild trumpets and thick organs, the tablas still driving the whole thing. It's the next track where it gets really interesting though. A sprawling rhythmscape, the tablas doing double time, the rhythm, and a pulsing sort-of-bass line, Cherry delivering abstract almost scat like falsetto vocals, dark and drone-y and spaced out and minimal, peppered with occasional bursts of wild horn skronk, but for the most part, a swirling tripped out stretch of throbbing subtly psychedelic jazz minimalism. The final Cherry composed track is another gem, all glistening chimes and high end tones, flurries of piano, distant horns, whooshing effects, and of course the skitter of the tablas, more melodic almost that rhythmic on this track. Cherry also introduces some flute, which gives the track a sort of freak folk vibe, really! Khan's side is distinctly less jazz. The tablas way up in the mix, his dexterous rhythms totally spellbinding, intricate, and again melodic, Cherry offering up strange bits of percussion, muted keyboards, very abstract and so cool. The final track, a sprawling 13 minute epic begins with just organ, drifting in space, until the tablas come in, and holy shit, even more intense and intricate, wreathed in a bit of reverb, and slipping from loping grooves to wild bursts of impossibly complex rhythmatism, the organ, a constant warm whir in the background, and the timbre of the keyboards, continues to infuse the track with a distinctly prog feel. Making this some sort of abstract classical Indian jazz prog? Whatever you want to call it, these are some gorgeously hypnotic and meditative sounds. So very recommended. Fans of the Necks might get into this too, similarly dark minimal vibe, especially the Khan tracks, and well worth checking out for the rest of you, even if jazz isn't normally your thing.

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Long awaited reissue of this legendary 1973 lp, featuring jazz trumpeter/composer Don Cherry and legendary composer Krzyztof Penderecki, remastered with complete liner notes including an interview with Penderecki. Awesome mix of wild free jazz and 20th

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"Some serious gas-baby free-flowing jazz action from long playing hepsters Chad Taylor and Rob Mazurek of ISOTOPE 217. Drums, vibes, cornet, piano, and bamboo flute are the tools to tap the influence of one force. Guest help from Jeff Parker (TORTOISE/ISOTOPE 217) on guitar. Nine songs, mixed and editied by Casey Rice."--description by El Bobo at Revolver Distribution

The Chicago Underground Quartet consists of Rob Mazurek, Chad Taylor (of previous Chicago Underground releases), Jeff Parker (of Tortoise, Isotope 217) and Noel Kupersmith (of Brokeback). Recorded by John McEntire. It's a nice jazz record with many moods. For Fans of Tortoise, of course.

Wonderful! Clarinet Thing is the collaborative project starring five formidable pillars of the SF jazz community -- Beth Custer, Ben Goldberg, Sheldon Brown, Peter Josheff and Ralph Carney. Yes, as you might've guessed, they all play a variety of clarinets masterfully, and their incredibly expressive performances are captured beautifully on these live recordings. So warm and crisp, you wouldn't know they were performing in a 'live' setting until the audience voices their appreciative applause at the end. The seventeen tracks on Agony Pipes And Misery Sticks document the group's fifteen years of reeded sister'n'brotherhood, and what a consistent delightful document it is!

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THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Gorgeous guitar improv jazz meets Sonic Youthian noise from Nels' talented trio. Vinyl boasts an extra track.

AQ-fave, LA-based guitarist Nels Cline returns with a "big band" effort. Not big band in the Benny Goodman or Count Basie sense, but in group larger than his usual trio or duo format, with up to five guitarists (including Nels) tangling strings, with his

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Nice, mellow new recording from AQ-fave avant-jazz guitarist Nels Cline. Featuring Mark Dresser on bass, Zeena Parkins on harp and electric harp and Billy Mintz on drums.

We are glad to report that Nels Cline hasn't let his high profile gig as guitarist for Wilco get in the way of his prolific output. Before he got the gig with Wilco, Cline was one of the most respected avant guitarists in the country. He continues to work within the improv, jazz and avant garde worlds demonstrating that for once that you in fact can have your cake and keep it true too. Draw Breath is classic Nels Cline showing both his introspective moody playing alongside his more charged and out-jazz leanings. His group on this outing is Scott Amendola on drums, percussion & electronics, Devin Hoff on contrabass and his Wilco cohort Glenn Kotche adds some percussion and glockenspiel on one track as well. Good stuff!

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Newest outing by the ultra talented "jazz" guitarist Nels Cline, who has played in many non-jazz acts like Evangelista and most famously Wilco. Two whole discs (one studio, one live) that go from the really subdued and pretty to totally skronkin' and rockin'. If you liked previous Nels Cline Singers outings you'll like this too - and by the way, for those new to 'em, no, there's no singing! Once again Cline is accompanied by drummer Scott Amendola and bassist Devin Hoff, and there's also plenty of guests including Greg Saunier, David Witham, Yuka Honda, and others. From mid '70s Miles-like fusion funk to Thurston Moore style noise guitar, these two discs would be good ones to "initiate" noobs into Cline's non-indie-rock stylings, as well as being satisfying for long time fans.

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No, there's no singing, and these ARE instrumentals...'The Nels Cline Singers' is just Mr. Cline's clever name for what's really the new version of his fantastic Trio. Nels on electric guitar (of course, for he is the master of that instrument), plus bassist

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Yay! Our pal Nels ("the world's most dangerous guitarist" sez the sticker on here, quoting Jazz Times) is back with another album from his current trio, The Nels Cline Singers, who besides guitar-danger-guy Nels, consist of bassist Devin Hoff and drummer Scott Amendola, who are also...umm...hazardous on their respective instruments. As far as avant-fusion out-guitar jazz rock whatever goes, these guys are pros. And, don't let the name fool you, this is all instrumental, the singing part is an ironic joke, eh? It's all about shut up and play your guitar (or bass, or drums, respectively). Yet all this firepower is put to the service of a greater good, or beauty we might say. Able to shift from happy bouncy jazz to flesh-ripping skronk without so much as a how d'you do, these eleven new tracks provide exactly what we expect (and love) from Cline and Co. Free jazz improv, Sonic Youthesque squall, post-rock dynamics, abstract textural experiments... And yes, it all comes together into something quite beautiful and exciting. It's been a while since I've seen 'em play (Nels seemingly always pops into the store to say hello AFTER he plays a show up here, instead of before, which means I've missed a few due to not being on the ball) and this new disc sure makes me eager to see 'em again!

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One of the great things about doing our list, is reviewing reissues of stuff we LOVE that we never got to list before. Old faves from the pre-list days. Of course, it's always tough too, when you want to explain just WHY something is so amazing and essential. When it's a record you've loved for years and years, there's a lot of pressure to do it justice. This list, for instance, you'll find our review of Oxbow's King Of The Jews, These Trails, and surely a few other old faves, this Nels Cline album most definitely among them, and its hard not to just say, in all caps, BUY THIS DAMMIT, YOU WON'T BE SORRY, IT'S THE BEST!!! That's our feeling about this for sure. The very first Nels Cline album we came across, and the first by his Trio, originally released on Enja in 1992, out of print for ages, now finally reissued in a spiffy new digipack. Nels Cline then was an underground jazz guitarist, who has since become an alt-rock guitar guy too, playing in Wilco, and with Thurston Moore, Mike Watt, Carla Bozulich, and others, amassing a diverse and impressive discography. Silencer is "jazz" all right, and jazz too, without the quotes. Ten tracks, epic and exquisite instrumentals, full of out-there skree and sublime beauty, performed by Nels on guitars, with Michael Prusser on drums and Mark London Sims on bass. This album eases the listener in, beginning with a take on Gil Evans' "Las Vegas Tango" (all the other tracks are Cline compositions), that's just lovely, Cline's guitar with soft edges on it... then as the album progresses, the "dangerous" side of his playing is revealed. The soft edges remain, but there's jagged ones too. But even when things get tangled and noisy, it's gorgeous, and still swings. The trio has great chemistry, it's not just all about Cline's guitar (though he's definitely the star). Some highlights: the bumptious "Broasted" (which gets heavy/distorted enough to almost pass for a Stinking Lizaveta track!), the spacious 14+ minute "Lapsing (Part 1&2)", the subtle skronk of "Silencer", and the moody hum/hush of "Exiled" (one we think Bohren fans would appreciate)... This came out not long after the late, great guitarist Sonny Sharrock's final, brilliant album Ask The Ages (which really needs to be reissued too!!), we'd probably just discovered him about the same time we got clued into Cline. If you like Sharrock, Cline is certainly one of his spiritual descendants, in the realm of "free" "jazz" "fusion". Maybe 'cause it was our first Nels disc, but also 'cause it's so good, this has always been our favorite, though you can't go wrong with anything the man has ever done as far as we're concerned. So very recommended, as if you couldn't tell already.

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SORRY. Nels is Mike Watt's new guitarist. Amazing rock-jazz, jazzrock.

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Nels (known to some as Geraldine Fibbers guitarist and Thurston Moore collaborator/pal, known to us as being just one of our favorite dang guitarists in the world, whether he's doing some smooth jazz number, spiky free improv noise, or beautiful dronescapes--all of which can be found on this new NCT recording, which is cause for much rejoicing round these parts) Cline rules!

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

We at first balked at getting this 1993 recording by the great Sun Ra disciple Phil Cohran, because (and this just may be our own particular bias) more often than not we find that great and vital jazz artists from the sixties and seventies rarely stay quite as vital as time goes on. Or perhaps it's not the artist, but the technology of instruments and recording production as well as the aging and general mellowing of the culture that seem to give the music a less fresh vibe in our minds. But we were surprisingly blown away by African Skies, a live performance at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago as a memorial tribute to Cohran's former mentor and friend who had just passed away. Ranking up there with the best of Cohran's recordings, African Skies is a beautiful cosmic jazz masterpiece utilizing mostly acoustic instruments such as harps, flutes, upright bass, francophone, bowed piccolo bass, and trumpet with some occasional ensemble and solo vocals. Looking at the back cover, this performance looks amazing too, with performers in traditional African garb playing these amazing large harps under a surrounding backdrop of projected galaxies. The pieces are minimally arranged with hypnotic rhythms and blithe flourishes. Occasionally a plaintive trumpet makes its presence known, or a woman vocalises soulfully, but it's really all about the fluidity of the sonic undertow that is vibrantly repetitive, and elusively graceful. Cohran doesn't try to mimic Sun Ra, but to emphasize the strongest qualities that he took away from the master: Beauty, Majesty and Reverence. Highest Recommendation!

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Now on vinyl! We love Philip Cohran, and while he doesn't get the same level of attention and widespread adoration as folks like Pharaoh Sanders, Rashan Roland Kirk, or Alice Coltrane, there is no doubt his music belongs in that special elite class of spiritual jazz geniuses, as his records are filled with such deep vibrations and such endless creativity. In the past we have gushed over the reissues of his albums On The Beach and The Malcolm X Memorial, two records that truly transcend stiff and narrow definitions of genre, as we've seen many jazz-shy folks get swept away by those amazing sounds! The Spanish Suite was never released before, so this is the first time most folks have gotten to hear it, a long form piece composed and created in the late '60s by Cohran and his collective of amazing Chicago musicians, many of whom have super impressive musical resumes, from Sun Ra to the great early incarnation of Earth Wind & Fire. The Spanish Suite demonstrates an effortless infusion of Latin elements into deep African grooves of forward thinking jazz, executed with total perfection. A little like Miles Davis' masterpiece Sketches Of Spain stretched out and taken to some outer dimension. Patience is a virtue with this piece as it starts out nice and somewhat traditional sounding for the first little while until it morphs into some contemplative and expansive spiritual jazz exploration, the sort of thing that Cohran has definitely mastered. Highly recommended!

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MPEG stream: The Spanish Suite (excerpt 2)
MPEG stream: The Spanish Suite (excerpt 3)

NOW ALSO ON VINYL, YAY!! We at first balked at getting this 1993 recording by the great Sun Ra disciple Phil Cohran, because (and this just may be our own particular bias) more often than not we find that great and vital jazz artists from the sixties and seventies rarely stay quite as vital as time goes on. Or perhaps it's not the artist, but the technology of instruments and recording production as well as the aging and general mellowing of the culture that seem to give the music a less fresh vibe in our minds. But we were surprisingly blown away by African Skies, a live performance at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago as a memorial tribute to Cohran's former mentor and friend who had just passed away. Ranking up there with the best of Cohran's recordings, African Skies is a beautiful cosmic jazz masterpiece utilizing mostly acoustic instruments such as harps, flutes, upright bass, francophone, bowed piccolo bass, and trumpet with some occasional ensemble and solo vocals. Looking at the back cover, this performance looks amazing too, with performers in traditional African garb playing these amazing large harps under a surrounding backdrop of projected galaxies. The pieces are minimally arranged with hypnotic rhythms and blithe flourishes. Occasionally a plaintive trumpet makes its presence known, or a woman vocalises soulfully, but it's really all about the fluidity of the sonic undertow that is vibrantly repetitive, and elusively graceful. Cohran doesn't try to mimic Sun Ra, but to emphasize the strongest qualities that he took away from the master: Beauty, Majesty and Reverence. Highest Recommendation!

MPEG stream: Theme
MPEG stream: White Nile
MPEG stream: Kilimanjaro

It's always a good day when we hear another new archival Phil Cohran and The Artistic Heritage Ensemble release. Not sure how much material is still out there to be released, but please keep it coming! Issued for the first time, this killer live recording from 1968 is one of his most intense, cosmic and out ensemble pieces to date, getting into some serious Sun Ra interstellar spiritual energy territory, as they delve into deep themes of the legacy of slavery, the atom bomb and the end of creation. Woah. The opener, "Motherless Child", sung by members of The Spencer Jackson Family, is slow and sorrowful, with just voice and a low rumbling of horns and drums that cascade around the singers instead of supporting them melodically, which leads into "The Creation of The Beast", an elephantine procession that revels in a sort of triumphant malevolence of marching brass and swirling leering horns. "The Window" is the most sedate of the five pieces, featuring a sparse but ominous frankophone riff that gradually interweaves with lilting horn motifs, while the longest and final track, "Armageddon" delves full throttle into the powers of the ensemble with battling and frenzied horns in a culminating fury of sound and vision that is as majestic as it is searing. Magnificent!

MPEG stream: The Warning
MPEG stream: The Window
MPEG stream: Armageddon

We love Philip Cohran, and while he doesn't get the same level of attention and widespread adoration as folks like Pharaoh Sanders, Rashan Roland Kirk, or Alice Coltrane, there is no doubt his music belongs in that special elite class of spiritual jazz geniuses, as his records are filled with such deep vibrations and such endless creativity. In the past we have gushed over the reissues of his albums On The Beach and The Malcolm X Memorial, two records that truly transcend stiff and narrow definitions of genre, as we've seen many jazz-shy folks get swept away by those amazing sounds! The Spanish Suite was never released before, so this is the first time most folks have gotten to hear it, a long form piece composed and created in the late '60s by Cohran and his collective of amazing Chicago musicians, many of whom have super impressive musical resumes, from Sun Ra to the great early incarnation of Earth Wind & Fire. The Spanish Suite demonstrates an effortless infusion of Latin elements into deep African grooves of forward thinking jazz, executed with total perfection. A little like Miles Davis' masterpiece Sketches Of Spain stretched out and taken to some outer dimension. Patience is a virtue with this piece as it starts out nice and somewhat traditional sounding for the first little while until it morphs into some contemplative and expansive spiritual jazz exploration, the sort of thing that Cohran has definitely mastered. Highly recommended!

MPEG stream: The Spanish Suite (excerpt 1)
MPEG stream: The Spanish Suite (excerpt 2)
MPEG stream: The Spanish Suite (excerpt 3)

Finally, this avant Afro-jazz classic has been repressed, repackaged and re-released on vinyl. On The Beach compiles tracks from the late '60s output of Philip Cohran, one of the founders of Chicago's AACM and an early member of Sun Ra's Arkestra. While Sun Ra looked toward outer space for inspiration, Phil Cohran (himself an astronomer and mathematician) and his ensemble found manifestations of cosmic spirituality here on earth. Mining different musical traditions such as jazz, rhythm & blues, European classical, "Eastern" music, but most specifically reaching into elements of African experience and heritage, the ensemble builds complex rhythms around melodic elements usually provided by Cohran's "frankiphone", a gorgeously buzzing bell-like electrified thumb piano of his own design. On "Unity," which appeared on the excellent Oulele comp a few years ago, the percussion-heavy groove is anchored by the steady droning of Cohran's violin uke. The results go beyond "jazz," even when adding modifiers like avant- or afro-. This is soul music on a higher plane. So beautiful and powerful, this work fits into a larger picture that includes the afro-centric work of John Coltrane, Art Ensemble of Chicago's free-funk explorations with Fontella Bass, and Fela Kuti's consciousness raising jams. Members of the Artistic Heritage Ensemble went on to play with the likes of Miles Davis and Earth, Wind & Fire. Incredible and Essential!

Philip Cohran is a true unsung hero in the history of cosmic jazz. He played with Sun Ra in the late '50s and '60s and was a cofounder of the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). In the late '60s he ran the Afro-Arts Theater in Chicago, which was the location of this mesmerizing concert that Cohran performed with the Artistic Heritage Ensemble as a tribute to the late Malcolm X. Originally released on LP on Cohran's Zulu label, the record has been out of print for ages and commanded big dollars from those lucky enough to track down a copy. Lucky for us this amazing performance is now available on cd for the first time. The first track starts a reeeal slow before the fire starts to burn hotter and hotter as the performance goes on. With an ensemble that included trumpet, trombone, tuba, conga, guitar, bass, percussion, sax, cornet and vocals from Sister Ella Pearl Jackson, this is some seriously forward thinking jazz, just dripping with soul and consciousness. Like the more melodic moments of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and early Sun Ra, this is totally essential and one of the best jazz reissues we've heard in quite a while!

MPEG stream: Malcolm X
MPEG stream: El Hajj Malik El Shabazz

This is a second pressing of "On The Beach," compiling tracks from the late '60s output of Philip Cohran, one of the founders of Chicago's AACM and early member of Sun Ra's Arkestra. While Sun Ra looked toward outer space for inspiration, Phil Cohran (himself an astronomer and mathematician) and his ensemble found manifestations of cosmic spirituality here on earth. Mining different musical traditions such as jazz, rhythm & blues, european classical, "eastern" music, but most specifically reaching into elements of african experience and heritage, the ensemble builds complex rhythms around melodic elements usually provided by Cohran's "frankiphone", a georgeously buzzing bell-like electrified thumb piano of his own design. On "Unity," which appeared on the excellent Oulele comp a couple years ago, the percussion-heavy groove is anchored by the steady droning of Cohran's violin uke (I presume another of Cohran's designs?). The results go beyond "jazz," even when adding modifiers like avant- or afro-. This is soul music on a higher plane. So beautiful and powerful, this work fits into a larger picture that includes the afro-centric work of John Coltrane, Art Ensemble of Chicago's free-funk explorations with Fontella Bass, and Fela Kuti's consciousness raising jams. Members of the Artistic Heritage Ensemble went on to play with the likes of Miles Davis and Earth, Wind & Fire. The cd is lovingly packaged in a hand letterpressed sleeve and contains two more tracks than the vinyl version.

RealAudio clip: Minstrel
RealAudio clip: Unity

NEW ON MISSISSIPPI RECORDS. Just thought we'd get that out of the way, since it seems like folks want anything and everything this tiny Portland label releases, and for good reason, they have amazing taste for one, their records look and sound fantastic, and probably most importantly, most of their releases have never been available on vinyl before. Originally released on Arhoolie in 1969 (and still available from them on cd!), this lp features the collected wildness, weirdness and wisdom of one George Coleman, also known as Bongo Joe, on vinyl for the first time in AGES (you may remember Bongo Joe was on the bonus 7"s that originally came with the first pressing of the Mississippi release Life Is A Problem!) George Coleman is not called Bongo Joe because he plays the bongos, it's because, well no one is sure exactly, but he does play the drums, or more specifically, the giant oil barrel. Modified of course. Coleman's instrument of choice is a 55 gallon oil drum, its sound customized by dents and bulges and tears created with a small axe. He beats this oil drum with hammer handles, the bottom of the barrel filled with sand and buckshot to create a sort of rattle. And while that might be amazing on its own, it's Coleman's singing, or rapping, or whatever it is, probably somewhere right in between that really seals the deal. When former aQ staffer Byram worked here this was his FAVORITE record and he played it incessantly, and we all eventually grew to love it, a totally wacked stripped down freaky funky sort-of-steel-drum rhythm and blues, Coleman calls it "fundamental beat music", as played by a crazy Texas street musician, who has plenty to say about pretty much everything, and does so quite eloquently, and a bit confusionally, a wild unhinged delivery that some folks around here have likened to Wesley Willis, but we think it's way more soulful, like James Brown crossed with Screamin' Jay Hawkins, imagine one of those guys jamming with Moondog, and voila! Bongo Joe played all over Texas, once with Dizzy Gillespie, for presidents, for Muhammad Ali, in front of the Alamo, he eventually ended up in San Antonio after a retirement community complained about the racket he was making outside. And at one point he shot a man who he thought was going to rob him while he was performing. Woah. But none of that matters as much as the music, and the music is amazing. Far out and funky, rhythmic and stripped down, wild and strange and beautiful and pretty much unlike anything else you'll ever hear. [Fair warning, Mississippi is a pretty DIY operation, so very often the lps are not in absolutely perfect condition, the records themselves are immaculate, but sometimes the sleeves have slightly bent corners or something similar, all very minor, but super vinyl collector nerds beware]

Reissued mid-'70s Ornette album, featuring an ensemble consisting of, among others, Bern Nix, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Ronald Shannon Jackson, and the Master Musicians of Jajouka! Important music from a jazz pioneer. Includes a previously unreleased bonus track (an alternate take of "Midnight Sunrise).

[ aquarius records — Jazz ]