Just Arrived

New arrival on my doorstep today. 'Call On the Old Wise' by Nitai Hershkovits. 

From 2023 on ECM Records.

Solo piano. Highly improvisational jazz.

I tried something radical with the first official spin on the turntable .... I played side two first. As it's playing, outside the rain started to fall and the wind kicked up. Then, just as suddenly, the rain and wind stopped, the clouds parted and the sun came out. Seemed oddly appropriate.  

Jazz Playlist

A jazz playlist. What you might hear if I had my own late night, radio program. 

For this rainy evening session, a heavy emphasis on contemporary jazz or new jazz directions. 

• Ambrose Akinmusire - Piano Sketch (Beyond Enclosure)
• Wolfgang Muthspiel - Triad Song
• Thomas Stronen - Time Is a Blind Guide
• Christian Scott - The Eraser
• Makaya McCraven - The Fifth Monk / Universal Beings
• Eri Yamamoto Trio - Wonder Land
• Matthew Halsall - Music for a Dancing Mind / Song for Charlie ..... Trumpet player from England. He's become my favorite. He's the reason that I've been engaged lately in a trumpet obsession. He started it.
• Colin Vallon - Cendre

I do not pretend to know much about any of this music. I do though, find my senses and emotions responding in ways I can't describe, to these sounds. And I've felt for quite a few years that jazz has the most interesting song titles, inviting a closer listen.

• Jacob Young - Minor Peace
• Gabor Szabo - Fire Dance ..... An oldie but goodie. From 1968.
• John Abercrombie - Excuse My Shoes
• Lisa Hilton - Adventures and Alibis
• Danny Green Trio - Katabasis ..... My first thought was: "The basketball player?" 😉

Several of these choices are recordings from the ECM Records label. 

Today's Vinyl Finds

Hit the road again, ending up in Albany Oregon and within thirty seconds of walking in the door of the record shop, found another Gordon Bok album on vinyl to go with the other that I found two or three months ago in Corvallis. 

Titled; 'Peter Kagan and the Wind' from 1971. I had never seen these records in over half a century of record collecting. It feels like finding hidden treasure.

A few minutes later, I came across, 'Wade In the Water' by Ramsey Lewis from 1966, on Cadet Records. 

I've said this before, but I love the cover photos and design of records from the 1960's. I might have to create a section on my shelves specifically for these. 

From the All Music Guide review: .... "this record evokes its era indelibly."

And then, 'Dance' by the Paul Motian Trio. From 1978. On ECM Records ..... I love finding these ECM recordings from the 1970's and 80's. Perhaps I'm nearing completist status. 

Fact: I had a longtime question answered recently. Does ECM stand for anything? Turns out it stands for, Edition of Contemporary Music.

I walked away feeling pretty good about my record shopping haul. These three records, two Mary Lou Lord compact discs and a Pink Floyd pin, the cover image from The Division Bell album, for $21. Afterwards, stopping at a seafood place for a delicious bowl of clam chowder, all making it an enjoyable vacation day taken from work. (Even if I had to have blood drawn in the morning.) All days should be like this.

Time For Some Trumpet

Markus Stockhausen - 'Cosi Lontano ... Quasi Dentro.'

On vinyl, from 1989 and on the ECM Records label. Contemporary jazz. 

Markus Stockhausen is a trumpet player. The sounds are improvisational, avante-garde and often minimalist. Also playing on the record is bassist, Gary Peacock, who can be heard on many of ECM's jazz offerings and was a part of Keith Jarret's trio.

This record was found in the used bins of the record store, but the vinyl is in pristine shape. Like it has never been played in the thirty-three years since it was released.

Opening

'Opening' by the Tord Gustavsen Trio. On compact disc and just released this year.

Piano Jazz on the ECM Records label. One of my favorites.

New directions in Jazz. Slow tempo, introspective and quiet explorations around the edges of modern-creative Jazz. 

Definitely a late Saturday night, with the lights turned out recording.

Mathias Eick

'Skala' from Mathias Eick. On ECM Records from 2011.

ECM's motto, 'The most beautiful sound next to silence.' ..... I've probably mentioned that here a time or two previously.

Trumpet player.

My continuing search for new sounds and directions in Jazz has led to the discovery of Mathias Eick.

And a bonus with beautiful cover art!! Which has become a general necessity these days to be added to my collection.  

AND it's on vinyl!!! 

There's two additional recordings currently in the mail. It appears that I'm officially hooked. 

Night

"Night" by Misha Alperin.

On the ECM label who's motto is "The most beautiful sound next to silence." Released in 2002.

Recorded in concert. It's listed as Jazz but it's a loose association. I see it as closer to Modern Classical Minimalism. Primarily piano and violincello with some percussion and marimba mixed in. Beautiful ..... Majestic and soaring in spots.

Misha Alperin on piano with Anja Lechner on violincello.

Abercrombie and Friends

ECM Records kind of Jazz. Melding electric guitar, violin, double-bass and drums. Beautiful compositions!!

I'm not especially good at descriptions so I try to find words and phrases to use. Words that come to mind as I listen .... Soaring violin lines!! Quiet yet piercing guitar!!

The conflicted wind fades to a gentle evening breeze!! Footsteps in the dark! Improvised abstract poetry! Spiritual discovery and possibilities? .... All thoughts that came to mind at different points of the journey.

Flashbacks To Home Taping Days

In my younger days, I used to record cassette tapes from radio programming. Here's one of my first efforts from 38 years ago. Taken from Portland's KINK-fm radio, "Lights Out" program, which would broadcast after 11pm on weeknights. Mostly material here from ECM Record Label recordings. Music to wind down to at the end of the day. Music for contemplation.

They used to produce regular Rain and Ocean sets as well ..... Music put to the background sounds of ocean waves or falling rain.

This was the result of turning on my tape recorder and letting it record. I would also record specific programming onto a Pioneer reel-to-reel tape recorder then go through the tape and transfer the keepers onto cassette. I still have these theme specific tapes tucked away in shoeboxes in a closet .... Celtic, Folk, Rock, Contemporary Jazz, Oldies, etc ...  I also have dozens of Mix Tapes stored away. Primarily material from the 1970's and early 1980's. It's difficult to part with these tapes. Even if I never find time to listen to most again. There's tremendous sentimental value and memories with each.

Tonights Listen

First heard fourty years ago on late night FM radio. Captivated by the opening piano notes. Amazed both then and now that it's all improvisation. Exploring ideas. A different direction from what I knew as Jazz. In fact, my proper introduction to Jazz and the sounds of ECM Records, their motto being: "The Most Beautiful Sound Next to Silence."