For German readers: some thoughts and notes and quotes on the music I'm listening - to be found
on my new blog:
ubus-notizen.blogspot.com

Also check out the great new, independent magazine get happy!?, reporting on music, movies and more:
gethappymag.de

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Steve Swell/Gebhard Ullmann Quartet - Zurich 2006

This is my own audience recording, and one that turned out quite exceptionally good, I dare say... it was a great concert, but alas, an audience of a mere thirteen, including half a dozen that was there from the organising venue and bar... pretty sad, but the Swell/Ullmann Quartet with Hilliard Greene and the great Barry Altschul played one great set for the lucky few.

Now here's your chance to catch up with what you missed back then!

Also check out their nice disc Desert Song and Other Landscapes (CIMP).



Swell-Ullmann Quartet
Zürich (CH), Rote Fabrik, Clubraum
October 29, 2006


Steve Swell - trombone
Gebhard Ullmann - tenor sax, bass clarinet
Hilliard Greene - bass
Barry Altschul - drums

1. Stage Introduction by Fredi Bosshard (2:16)
2. Improvisation > Seven 9-8 (Ullmann) 24:52
3. Announcement by GU (1:09)
4. Soron (?) (Swell) 22:44
5. Flutist With Hat and Shoe (Ullmann) 9:46
[description of a painting yet to be painted]
6. Announcement by GU (1:19)
7. Box Set (Swell) 11:49

TT: 73:58

Sound: A-
Source: audience recording, front row, middle
Lineage: crappy sony mic > minidisc > analogue to HD > GoldWave > FLAC (8,asb,verify)
Taped & transferred by ubu
First shared on dimeadozen in March 2009

*** productions ubu roi ***
***** never for sale! *****


Notes:

I sat slightly in the middle, more or less in front of Ullmann & Greene, Altschul & Swell being on the left.

The audience consisted of 13 people (including this humble king), of them most likely not even half paid any entrance fee... Irene Schweizer was there, too, and the concert was da shit, I thought, after having needed 10 or so minutes to dig deeply into the music. Pretty sad the crowd still prefers your olde mainstream type stuff or drab electronic and straight beat experiments and stuffe! This is the real deal here, intelligent music that provides listeners with tons of fun!

Oh, and that's not me gasping in... ahem.. arrousal, he he... at the beginning of #5, rather it's them musicians doing their circular breathing thing... up-close recording, ain't it!?

Monday, May 25, 2009

Tower of Power - San Francisco 1975

Some Oakland funk... Tower of Power is certainly one of the most exciting funk bands around, and yes, around they've been! Here's a short recording from the mid seventies, a homecoming gig in San Francisco's

All props go to the person who was kind enough to share this on dime - I'm merely spreading the message here!



Tower Of Power
S.N.A.C.K Benefit
San Francisco, CA (USA), Kezar Stadium
March 23, 1975


Lenny Pickett - tenor sax, flute, clarinet
Emilio Castillo - tenor sax, vocals
Stephen "Doc" Kupka - baritone sax, vocals
Greg Adams - trumpet, flugelhorn
Mic Gillette - trumpet, trombone
Chester Thompson - keyboards
Bruce Conte - guitar, vocals
Francis Rocco Prestia - bass
David Garabaldi - drums
Hubert Tubbs - lead vocals

1. Bill Graham Intro > Oakland Stroke > What Is Hip? (8:55)
2. Down to the Nightclub (Bump City) (4:41)
3. Sparkling in the Sand (9:31)
4. You're the Most (To Say the Least) (4:05)
5. You're Still a Young Man (6:18)

TT: 33:33

Sound: A-/B+
Lineage: FM.master.(PayLess)cassette>CDR>EAC>WAV>Trader'sLittleHelper>FLAC


Notes: A friend told me he had recorded the Tower of Power's S.N.A.C.K Benefit set on cassette as it was broadcast more than 34 years ago. He lent me the cassette (which needed some repairing) and here are the results. I'm sure there is higher quality of this show out there, but kinda cool to hear it as it was recorded live from the radio.
This was the opening set of the S.N.A.C.K. Benefit (Students Need Athletics, Culture and Kicks) and captures Tower of Power at the time of their most popular album's release, 1975's Urban Renewal. The intense rhythms, powerful horn section and tight vocal arrangements are all here...Tower of Power at their funkiest.
Following Bill Graham's introduction of the band, they launch into a hot jam on "Oakland Stroke" that rips directly into an incendiary "What Is Hip?" to open the set.
Following some tuning and commentary on how much they enjoy being home, they introduce their new vocalist, Hubert Tubbs, before kicking off into Bump City's "Down To The Nightclub." They next slow things down and venture into soul territory with "Walking In The Sand," featuring prominent contributions by Lenny Pickett on flute, and it's back to the funk for "You're The Most (To Say The Least)."
They end the set with one of the first songs Kupka and Castillo wrote together, the highly Motown influenced "You're Still a Young Man," which would eventually become one of Tower of Power's signature songs and their biggest hit. Enjoy!

Janis Joplin - Summertime (video)



Having just changed the colours a bit, here's a bit of a change of style, for one short minute... One Hot Minute... ha, the days I still listened to stuff like the Red Hot Chili Peppers... but Janis Joplin, she stood up there all the time. I still love playing here stuff now and then, and have found some nice live recordings, too.

This one here, though, this is da shit, as they say - Janis singing "Summertime", with the Kozmic Blues band... dig!



Janis Joplin
Stockholm (Sweden), Gröna Lund
1969


Summertime


from: http://www.officialjanis.com/dates_1969.html

April 1, 1969 - Kozmic Blues - taping of television show in Stockholm


band from the album (I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama)

Sam Andrew, guitar
Richard Kermode, organ
Gabriel Mekler, organ
Brad Campbell, bass
Maury Baker, drums
Lonnie Castille, drums
Cornelius "Snooky" Flowers, baritone sax
Terry Clements, tenor Sax
Luis Gasca, trumpet
Sam and Snooky, background vocals



AVI from Swedish TV


Specifications:

W: 400 pixels
H: 308 pixels

80Kbps MPEG Layer-3

25fps frame rate
166kbps data rate

It was originally posted as an AVI, this is an unmodified file. Many thanks to the original poster!!
Received from another tracker.

Enjoy!

A DoinkerTape


Monday, May 18, 2009

Steve Swallow - Zurich 2001

Damaged in Transit - what a great name for a band!
I've seen Steve Swallow live three times, I think, and all three occasions were very memorable. First was a concert in trio with Lee Konitz and Adam Nussbaum ("Three Guys" on Enja is the official album from that tour), then I saw him play in a great concert by Bobby Previte's "Bump the Renaissance", and finally, there was this trio of his own, again with Nussbaum and a highly energetic Chris Potter. This is the only recorded bit of all three concerts, alas...



Steve Swallow - Damaged in Transit
Zürich (Switzerland), Moods
December 5, 2001


Chris Potter - tenor sax
Steve Swallow - electric bass
Adam Nussbaum - drums

1. Item #1 - D.I.T. in Zurich (5:14) >
2. Item #2 - D.I.T. in Zurich (8:44) >
3. Item #3 - D.I.T. in Zurich (11:01)
4. Item #4 - D.I.T. in Zurich (5:11) >
5. Item #5 - D.I.T. in Zurich (10:44) >
6. Item #6 - D.I.T. in Zurich > Announcement by Steve Swallow (6:47)
7. Item #7 - The Love Theme from "Damaged in Transit" (4:47)
8. Item #8 - D.I.T. in Zurich (7:13) [encore]

TT: 59:44 - complete 2nd set

Sound: A-/B+
Source: audience recording (front/center)
Lineage: crappy Sony mic > minidisc > analogue to HD (not done by me) > CDR
Additional (2009): EAC (secure) > Cool Edit Pro (fixed some marks, boosted bass) > FLAC (8,asb,verify)

Taped & shared by ubu (transferred by a non-dime friend)

***king ubu productions***

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Claude Chalhoub - Duisburg 2003

Claude Chalhoub was born in Beirut in 1974 and is succesful both as a classical violin player as well as with his blend of Arabian and Western music. Of course what I'm featuring here is an example of the later - a stunning show I got from dime, edited a bit, and also re-seeded there afterwards. I'm happy to offer it here!

Here's someone else to add to the list of Rabih Abou-Khalil, Anouar Brahem, Dhafer Youssef and the other already well-known Arabian artists that have entered the fields of world music and improvisation.
And of course it's always a pleasure to hear Trilok Gurtu and Gilad Atzmon, too!

“Really, it is very difficult to categorize my music. I have a strong feeling toward global interaction in culture and arts, so you can hear classical, ethnic, and ambient sounds in my compositions. Hopefully, what I compose will be help others to understand my beliefs. I do not think that the Americans understand the Lebanese people but they probably have not had the opportunity to meet them or learn their culture.”

read on here




Claude Chalhoub - Ensemble
Traumzelt-Festival 2003
Duisburg (DE), Landschaftspark Nord
July 6, 2003


Chalhoub Ensemble
Gilad Atzmon - clarinet
Claude Chalhoub - violin, viola
Johannes Bahlmann - keyboards
Gros Ngolle-Pokossi - bass
David Paulicke - drums
Trilok Gurtu - percussion, tabla

Indigo String Octet
Heike Haushalter, Gudrun Edelkötter,
Petra Stalz, Gunda Gottschalk, Monika Malek,
Thomas Beimel, Gesa Hagen, Ludmilla Witzel

1. It Might (5:05)
2. Indian Weddings (7:13)
3. Diva (5:32)
4. May Overture (10:28)
5. Overture 2 (4:51)
6. Caravan In Style (4:59)
7. Longa (4:03)
8. Drops (7:11)
9. Chalhoug/ Gurtu Duo (8:09)
10. Overture 2 (5:16) [encore]

TT: 62:51

Sound: A
Source: FM Broadcast
Lineage: cdr in trade--eac--flac level 6--dime.
Additional: FLAC > WAV > Cool Edit Pro > FLAC (8,asb,verify)

:: ubu's edits ::
- deleted fm intro at beginning of #1, added fade-in
- fixed marks (1/2,
- deleted fm outro at end of #10

Monday, May 11, 2009

Brötzmann-Mangelsdorff-Bennink - Berlin 1985

Here's another one I posted on dime a few months ago. I got it from there and brought it back into circulation as a little Brötz-flood was going on. This features longstanding musical partners Brötzmann and Han Bennink along with the great Albert Mangelsdorff.

Brötzmann can also be heard on first and on the third of seven shows so far posted here by the various formations of the Radio Jazz Group Stuttgart (more to come!). Both shows incorporate the classic Brötzmann/Van Hove/Bennink trio into larger settings under the leadership of Wolfgang Dauner.
In addition to that, I also posted one of my own recordings by the power trio of Brötzmann/Pliakas/Wertmüller.

Albert Mangelsdorff was featured in several posts here, though of course they still fail to give you a complete picture of this great musician:
Albert Mangelsdorff Quintett - Tuttlingen 1961
(an early edition with Bent Jaedig and Hartwig Bartz in place of Heinz Sauer and Ralf Hübner)
Albert Mangelsdorff & Lee Konitz - Hannover 1982
(an NDR Jazz Workshop just in duo!)
Albert Mangelsdorff & Jean-Rémy Guedon - Saarbrücken 1997
(another duo setting with tenor sax this time)
He can also be heard on a portion of my Bud Shank homage, and finally he's also on the first of those Radio Jazz Group Stuttgart shows!

The presence of Bennink of course is always a plus! He can be heard with the ICP Orchestra on this 2001 show, and he also makes the list of great drummers to be heard here (that link will show to the way to the two Radio Jazz Group Stuttgart shows with Bennink - it's of course the same two as those with Brötzmann). And finally, Bennink was on one of the first posts that actually contained music, a Sonny Rollins trio concert from 1967 (shared in MP3 format).


Photo by Susan O'Connor


Peter Brotzmann / Albert Mangelsdorff / Han Bennink
Berlin (Germany), Quasimodo
January 14, 1985


Peter Brotzmann - tenor & baritone sax, clarinet, tarogato
Albert Mangelsdorff - trombone
Han Bennink - drums, percussion

CD1/45:19
1. (26:36)
2. (4:18)
3. (14:22)

CD2/44:58
1. (22:43)
2. (22:13)

TT: 90:17

Sound: A
Lineage: sbd > cassette? > cdr(n) > eac (re-appended all files) > cdwav > flac frontend > flac

:: ubu note ::
this is an exact re-seed exact for the new info-file and md5-checksums
the flacs were left as they came (no tags)

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Elliott Sharp - SyndaKit - Zurich 2003


Here's another one from those dime-party shows, this time be Elliott Sharp and a very interesting mix of musicians (I'll not be so ignorant like the guy on BBC's "Jazz on 3" and just talk of "some fine Swiss musicians" when they broadcast last year's Willisau set by John Zorn, Bruno Amstad, Koch-Schütz-Studer & guests).
Koch-Schütz-Studer happen to have been incorporated into Sharp's band here. They're a great trio on their own, check out some of their or Koch's own releases on Intakt!
Then, there's Hans Hassler, who usually plays folksier sounds (though by no means in a conservative or retrospective/nostalgic manner). He has a recent disc out on Intakt as well (bagatellen review).
Then there's another local on piano, Claudia Ulla Binder, and Charlotte Hug is on viola - she also appears in duo settings with Sharp.
Trumpet player Thomas Heberer and saxophonist Tobias Delius have both been playing with the ICP Orchestra (Misha Mengelberg, Han Bennink and others). Trombone player Curtis Fowlkes is a member of the Jazz Passengers, a group he co-founded with fellow ex-Lounge Lizard Roy Nathanson. Fowlkes has also appeared with Bill Frisell, John Zorn, Marc Ribot, and many others (including Sheryl Crow).
Bassist Dave Hofstra and drummer Sim Caine are from the US. About Caine (or is it Cain?) I don't know much, Hofstra I've first heard on a great disc by Philip Johnston. Here's an interview with Cain (as it's spelled there).

The music that's subject of this post comes from a concert from the great Taktlos festival. I didn't attend it, alas, but the radio broadcast included, as far as I know, some of the first part - a loose series of improvisations in variyng line-ups - and all of the second part, the actual piece of work "Syndakit" (I'm not sure the band is called "Syndakit", too, but this is how I have it in my files).
This is some challenging though highly enjoyable music!



Here are Elliott Sharp's notes on this concert (read more here):

May 10 - Taktlos Festival: Rotefabrik - Zurich
I've performed many times at the Rotefabrik over the years and it feels quite comfortable especially with many old friends in attendance. We're asked to make the evening more lengthy than Basel - a questionable strategy. In addition to the musician-chosen small-groups, I also conduct unisons. This set does not feel as taut with energy as Basel though there are some beautiful things - it's unfortunate to have an external time frame on improvisation. We're free of this for the second set of SyndaKit and the group takes off, performing a rocking version with exciting textural changes, layers, and unisons. The audience is wildly enthusiastic as are we! A fine end to the performance aspect of this tour.
In the morning I return to Firenze for a recording project with the percussionist-composer Alessio Riccio and return to NYC on the 13th. While always happy to come home, I dread facing the stifling and depressing atmosphere of the US under Bush. Because of the war and fears of anti-Americanism, we found there to be many less Americans in Europe, with sizeable numbers to be found only in Firenze. It's embarrassing to be seen as a representative of the heinous policies of the junta - it's fortunate that as performers, we have the possibility of explaining that there is resistance in the US, albeit well-hidden.




Elliott Sharp "SyndaKit"
Taktlos 2003
Rote Fabrik, Zürich (CH)
May 10, 2003


Elliott Sharp - guitar, electronics
Hans Koch - saxophones, bass clarinet
Tobias Delius - saxophones
Curtis Fowlkes - trombone
Thomas Heberer - trumpet
Claudia Ulla Binder - piano
Hans Hassler - accordion
Charlotte Hug - viola
Martin Schütz - violoncello
David Hofstra - bass, electric bass, tuba
Sim Caine - drums
Fredy Studer - drums

1. Syndakit (Sharp) > band intros ES (51:28)
2. Improvisation (27:01) [inc]
3. FM Talk (1:06)

TT: 79:39

Sound: A
Source: DRS 2 broadcast ("Neue Musik im Konzert") / 2003
Lineage: FM > minidisc > analogue to HD > GoldWave > FLAC (8)(asb)
Additional (2009): EAC (secure) > Cool Edit Pro (centred files) > FLAC (8,asb,verify)

Notes:
#1 was performed as part 2 of the concert.
#2 is only a part of the first, 80+ minute half of the concert, performed without interruptions, musicians walking on and off stage and combining in various line-ups.
#3 was #2 originally, I moved it not to disturb the flow of the music.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Count Basie & More

As a bit of shameless self-promotion, let me mention please that I have finally managed to add several contributions by Kent to my Basie Corner - finally!

To find them, check the News section on the left or go straight to the Music post and find all of these compilations at the bottom!

Tadd Dameron's Big Ten - Dial "D & T" for "Dameron & Trumpets" - 1949/1953

This is a terrific contribution compiled and shared by Kent - thanks a lot!
This deserves being exposed on the main blog!

I'm a big fan of Tadd Dameron's and have his official releases (the Navarro/Dameron Blue Note 2CD set and all the OJCs), as well as three of those Boris Rose LPs. But I'm no good as far as digitizing vinyl goes, so this is very, very much appreciated!

Some further reading:
AAJ's biography
Part 30 of "Jazzed in Cleveland" by Joe Mosbrook
"I Remember Tadd" by George Ziskind



Tadd Dameron's Big Ten - Dial "D & T" for "Dameron & Trumpets" - 1949/1953


The Fats-Navarro-Sides (1949):
01 Sid's Delight aka Tadd's Delight (studio) 2:53
02 Casbah (Rae Pearl-voc, studio) 2:59

With Miles Davis - Broadcasts from the "Royal Roost":
03 Focus (live) 3:57
04 April In Paris 2:57
05 Good Bait (Take 23) 3:30
06 Webb's Delight aka Tadd's or Sid's Delight 3:44
07 Milé or Miles aka Milano) 3:40
08 Casbah (live) 3:42

With Miles Davis - Studio Date:
09 John's Delight 2:56
10 What's New? (Kay Penton-voc) 2:59
11 Heaven's Doors Are Open Wide (Kay Penton-voc) 3:16
12 Focus (studio) 2:57

Dial "B" For Brownie (1953):
13 Philly J. J. 5:08
14 Choose Now (#1) 4:52
15 Choose Now (#2) 3:25
16 Dial 'B' For Beauty 4:33
17 Theme Of No Repeat 5:19

Credits:

#1-#2: Fats Navarro (tp) Kai Winding (tb) Sahib Shihab (as) Dexter Gordon (ts) Cecil Payne (bars) Tadd Dameron (p) Curly Russell (b) Kenny Clarke (d) Vidal Balado (cga) Diego Iborra (bgo) Rae Pearl (voc) - NYC, January 18, 1949;

#3-#6: Miles Davis (tp) Kai Winding (tb) Sahib Shihab (as) Benjamin Lundy (ts) Cecil Payne (bars) Tadd Dameron (p) John Collins (g) Curly Russell (b) Kenny Clarke (d) Carlos Vidal (cga), radio broadcast, "Royal Roost" - NYC, February 19, 1949;

#7-#8: Same personnel, radio broadcast, "Royal Roost" - NYC, February 26, 1949;

#9-#12: Miles Davis (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Sahib Shihab (as) Benjamin Lundy (ts) Cecil Payne (bars) Tadd Dameron (p, arr) John Collins (g) Curly Russell (b) Kenny Clarke (d) Kay Penton (voc #10 & #11) - NYC, April 19, 1949;

#13-#17: Clifford Brown, Idrees Sulieman (tp) Herb Mullins (tb) Gigi Gryce (as) Benny Golson (ts) Oscar Estell (bars) Tadd Dameron (p, arr) Percy Heath (b) Philly Joe Jones (d) - NYC, June 11, 1953