Anthony Braxton on sopranino, soprano and alto saxophone, Carl Testa on bass and bass clarinet, Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet, flugelhorn, and trumpbone, Mary Halvorson on guitar, Aaron Siegel on percussion and vibes, Jay Rozen on tuba, and Jessica Pavone on viola and violin. (Jazz, Out Sound)CD
(Ex-library copy, but a nice one. Cover has minimal wear, there's a small sticker on the inside booklet, and hub labels on each disc.)
A real oddity from George Harrison – a record of abstract electronics, cut right around the same time as his bigger mainstream solo hits! The record is a highly experimental one – a session that has Harrison working with Bernie Krause, and exploring territory that's much more in the late 60s Limelight Records mode than it is that of Apple – which is quite possibly why the label is listed as "Zapple", not "Apple"! Each tune takes up a full side of the album – and builds slowly out of soundshapes and textures, very much in the manner of some of the best work from the academic electronic music centers in the US at the time. And while the album may be a bit loose and unfocused overall, it's actually got a really appealing quality that we love a lot – a sense of free and naive exploration that's pretty great. Titles include "Under The Mersey Wall" and "No Time Or Space". (Rock, Out Sound)LP, Vinyl record album
Really beautiful work from the great Terry Riley – and a set that continues some of the surprising and wonderful shift towards jazz improvisation he's brought to his career in more recent years! If you know Riley, you'll know that the record's not really a jazz album – and instead, it features him improvising and stretching out in his own minimal ways on both standards, and some original tunes – all recorded in a very intimate studio setting in Japan, with Riley playing both acoustic piano and keyboards, often overdubbed. The set includes really surprising takes on "Blue Room", "The Best Thing For You", "Round Midnight", and "Yesterdays" – then also includes original tunes "Pasha Rag", and "Gotcha Wakatcha" – the last of which has Riley singing along with Sara Miyamoto. Features a bonus 7" single – with the song "Ballade For Sara & Tadashi" in both piano and keyboard versions! LP, Vinyl record album