Pierre Henry was the composer who introduced me to the world of musique concrète. The fact that he and his contemporary and partner, Pierre Schaeffer, were able to do some of their early works without the use of magnetic tape, still astounds me.
Jazz
[Music] Christian Wolff – Exercise 15
Franco-American experimental composer Christian Wolff was among the elite of the American avant-garde which included John Cage, Morton Feldman and David Tudor. He’s become somewhat forgotten today, but this composition shows him near the quiet peak of his powers.
You can find this interpretation courtesy of Edition Wandelweiser Records.
[Music Sample] Cuneiform Turns 30: The Albums of 2014
Washington D.C.-based Cuneiform Records has been publishing influential avant-prog rock music for three decades now. Steve Feigenbaum, the label’s owner, should be commended for bringing such groups like Univers Zero, Daniel Denis, Richard Pinhas and Happy Family to American consumers.
This compilation covers 30 years of great releases, and is available as a ‘name-your-price’ download, courtesy of Bandcamp.
[Music] Shankar (with Jan Garbarek, Zakir Hussain & Trilok Gurtu) – Song For Everyone
[Music] Milcho Leviev – Dave Holland – Cavatina
Bulgarian pianist Milcho Leviev came to my attention about 20 years ago via the Los Angeles record label MA Recordings, a high-end label. I was floored by the quality of his playing, and wondered why he didn’t receive more attention in the US than he has. Bassist Dave Holland needs little introduction, as he has a flood of crucial records on labels like ECM Records.
[Music] Grupa Marina Škrgatića – Čežnja
Grupa Marina Škrgatića are one of a score of magnificent groups which came out of the former Yugoslavia who produced music of ridiculously high quality. As usual, there’s little information in English about the band, so it’s best to use Chrome or Firefox and see if you can translate this.
[Music] Tal Gamlieli (featuring Avishai Cohen) – Dania (Live at the Lily Pad)
I’m utterly impressed with the quality of Jerusalem’s jazz scene. With performers like trumpeter Tal Gamlieli, they’re becoming a world-class scene.
[Music] The Montgomery Brothers – Snowfall
Mellow. Of course, everyone who loves jazz guitar will be familiar with the work of Wes Montgomery. What came as a surprise to me is that he had brothers who were remarkable instrumentalists in their own right.
The lineup for this recording:
Buddy Montgomery – Vibraphone
Wes Montgomery – Guitar
Monk Montgomery – Bass
Paul Humphrey – Drums
[Music] Yusef Lateef Quartet – Yesterdays
Yusef Lateef was a multi-instrumentalist and one of the most unique voices jazz ever produced.
[Music] Boomerang – Mirage (Kazakhstan/USSR, 1986)
Another Soviet ethno-jazz project of high quality. Boomerang hailed from Kazakhstan, and this particular album is considered their rarest.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 