It’s wonderful to start my work ‘weekend’ on a happy note. Tony Buck, Chris Abrahams and Lloyd Swanton return with another improvisational one-track masterpiece.
Avant-Garde
[Music] Jerzy Milian - Muzyka Baletowa I Filmowa (FULL ALBUM, big band avant-garde jazz, Poland/DDR, 1973)
Forgve these long delays. Lets just say that the Internet in China is an adventure. Thanks to Funked Up East for this little diamond.
[Music] Tomas Stańko – Twet
Polish trumpeter Tomas Stańko passed away today at the age of 76. We say farewell by sharing his 1975 masterpiece, Twet.
[Music] Frode Gjerstad Trio – Steam in the Casa
Frode Gjerstad is the elder statesman of Norwegian free jazz. This particular release pairs him with drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love and bassist Jon Rune Strøm, and it comes from a session recorded in 2015. He’s still got it.
[Music] The Cuong Vu Trio – Vina’s Lullaby
Cuong Vu is a Vietnamese-American trumpeter who first shot to fame playing in guitarist Pat Metheny’s Group. Here he is leading his own trio.
[Music] Santiago Fradejas – Electric Guitar Vol. II: Yeshua
Our friend Santiago Fradejas has returned with his most powerful album to date. From what I understand, these soundscapes were all done with an electric guitar. He makes the most out of his weapon of choice, convincingly straddling the terrains of instrumental amplified guitar music, post-Industrial, and a very eerie take on contemporary classical/avant-garde music.
[Music] Manja Ristić – The Nightfall
Manja Ristić is a Serbo-Croatian violinist and experimental music composer whose works have left me captivated. This latest release, The Nightfall, collects for compositions inspired by the seasons. From her Bandcamp site:
In haiku poetry, “Kigo” is a seasonal reference, a word or group of words which locates the poem in a season of the year, the seasonal association helping the reader imagine the atmosphere and settings of the poem more vividly. Kigo evokes memories and feelings which vary depending on the readers themselves: their active role is crucial in haiku poetry as different cultural and historical backgrounds may lead to a different interpretation of the poem.
The release was made available by London-based label Naviar Records yesterday.
[Music] Rauppwar & Sir Edgar Carpenter – Reptilian Abnormalities
Though this is nowhere near easy listening, this collaboration between Brazil’s Rauppwar and Mexico’s Sir Edward Carpenter don’t make mere noise – they add a rather cosmic, psychedelic element to it.
Not for the faint of heart, but rewarding in its own way. It was released by Cian Orbe, out of Santiago, Chile.
[Music] Chihei Hatakeyama – Journey To The End Of August
It is very good to welcome Chihei Hatakeyama back to this blog. His new offering, Journey To The End Of August, will be released on April 16 by Ukrainian record label Hidden Vibes.
[Music] Jeff Gburek – FLOOPS
FLOOPS marks the sixth appearance of American expatriate composer Jeff Gburek to this blog.
His latest release is a collection of loop-oriented pieces played on a prepared guitar. Though Bandcamp is horrible for this sort of work, I recommend buying the album, putting the tracks into “shuffle” mode, and letting the sounds wash over you. You may hear the same pieces over and over again, but the context will feel different.
FLOOPS ends up becoming several hours’ worth of intensive listening, reminding me somewhat of Brian Eno’s generative music or Adrian Belew’s recent flux experiments.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 