Bozo Mark's Hot Pix In The CD Player For 2001

Okay... At the beginning of 2001, I found I was not running across five new CDs every three or four months that I like enough to stick onto this page. So...what I did was turn this page into more of a revolving door than a new-list-every-couple-of-months posting. Here're the five that got posted in all of 2001...

1. Carla Bley & Steve Swallow	Go Together	Watt
	Are We There Yet?	Watt

Steve Swallow and Carla Bley have visited the duet on numerous occasions - this is at least their third and fourth recordings in the format. There is a consistent structure. The repertoire typically consists of one or two new compositions (usually from Steve), previously composed (and, in Carla's case, previously recorded) works, with an occasional jazz standard or two. The tempos are moderate to slow, and introspection seems to be the primary impetus behind the improvisations. In duet, Carla is revealed as having more than a few Monkish bones in her body, particularly in her comping, and Steve continues to craft a completely unique approach to soloing on the electric bass that seems to stem from neither the acoustic tradition he first continued or the more common guitaresque sound (especially when you consider that he utilizes a pick in his playing) - rather, he has found his own voice that treats the instrument as neither guitar or bass, but a true hybrid. It's very interesting to hear tunes of Carla's that have been recorded by her other bands - large and small - explored in this more intimate instrumentation; what strikes one is how durably crafted her music is, orchestration certainly adds charm but lack of same does not subtract. The interplay between the two of them attests to their long-standing relationship and is filled with empathy, good-humor, and intimacy. This is the musical equivalent of eavesdropping on the private discussions of loving friends. (Also, the liner pictures and notes are, as is often their wont, hilarious...)

2. Marc Ribot Y Los Cubanos Postizos	Eponymous	Atlantic
	Muy Divertido!	Atlantic

This is a very interesting set of CDs. Ribot is a downtown New York guitarist with more than his share of avant-garde tendencies who has played with folks as disparate as Elvis Costello, The Lounge Lizards, and Tom Waits, herein exploring music either composed or inspired by the Cuban Arsenio Rodriguez. But unlike the American-Third World hybrids of people like, say, Ry Cooder or Henry Kaiser, Ribot neither bends the music to fit his style nor the reverse, but rather comes up with something entirely different. He uses both New York and Cuban musicians, and the sound of the ensemble is fairly traditional, with the notable exception of his guitar, which through its use of distortion and a studied primitivism in the playing constantly evokes the downtown scene from which he comes. And as the guitar is the primary melodic instrument, that makes for quite an intriguing sonic trip. It isn't quite Cuban, it isn't exactly avant-garde, it straddles a whole bunch of contradictory corners which makes it very difficult to pin down. And a very enjoyable listen. Not one, necessarily, that grabs one completely on first or even third listen, but the more you invest in this music the richer the rewards to be found.

3.Thad Jones	The Complete Blue Note/UA/Roulette Recordings	Mosaic

I've always enjoyed Thad Jones, but until now I had only been aware of his work writing for and co-leading the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band. When I went to Berklee, most all the techniques we were taught in the composition/arranging department - voicings, line writing, instrumental combinations - were Thad's. But I saw this offering in the Mosaic catalog, and decided to take a chance. It's wonderful music! Personnel include Kenny Burrell, Tommy Flanagan, Oscar Pettiford, Billy Mitchell, Elvin Jones, Percy Heath, Max Roach, All Grey, Paul Chambers, Frank Wess - you get the picture. Most of the music is Thad's, including "Tiptoe", which he later arranged for the big band. Speaking of arrangements, Tommy Flanagan said, "(Thad) always had his music arranged, no matter the size of the group. There was always a chart, wso it wouldn't sound like a blowing session. There was always organization." And it pays off, as it doesn't matter whether it's one, two, three, or four horns - there's always a cohesiveness to the bands that makes this a great listen from the beginning of disc one to the end of disc three. All recording occurred between 1956 and 1960, with varying personnel, but Thad's vision is strong enough that it sounds like one big session. Lots of swing, great solos, wonderful tunes (that don't over-rely on the blues, although the old I-IV-V gets a workout now and again), and terrific playing from all involved. This is great post-bop swing that richly deserves to be checked out! Do yourself the favor and you'll be glad you did!

4.Carla Bley	4X4	Watt

Carla's return to the small band format! It's a slightly smaller instrumentation from the old days, with the eponymous instrumentation being four horns - trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax, trombone - and four rhythm - piano, organ, bass, drums. Wonderful, wonderful players: the horns - Lew Soloff, Wolfgang Puschnig, Andy Sheppard, and Gary Valente - are all vets of Carla's big bands, and Valente has been playing Ms. Bley's music since Roswell Rudd left after the first couple three albums. In the rhythm section, only Steve Swallow on bass is a vet, with funky Larry Goldings joining in on organ and Victor Lewis (who played in one of the big bands) on drums. Carla plays piano throughout.

The first track, "Blues in 12 Bars/Blues in 12 Other Bars," is a fabulous conception: a medley of (four? five? six?) original blues - some funky, some swinging, some gospel. It's great! "Sidewinders in Paradise" is a weirdly wonderful blend of Lee Morgan and Kismet. "Les Trois Lagons" is another medley, this one a heavily swinging three-part piece inspired by the art of Matisse. "Baseball" harks back to Carla's earlier conceptually humorous pieces like "The Piano Lesson," "A440," "The Lone Arranger," and "The Star Spangled Banner and Other Drinking Songs." The album concludes with a revisit to "Utviklingssang," which first appeared on Social Studies and is one of the most beautiful, haunting melodies any composer has put to paper. All of the playing is terrifically first rate, with especial high marks going to Larry Goldings, Lew Soloff, and Steve Swallow. (It's worth mentioning that both Lew and Steve make guest appearances on the new BOZO allegro album Relentlessly Cheerful, and it's fun to compare their work there and here.) Even if this were the only pick for winter (and it almost was), it would be a perfect choice for nonstop play during the next three or four months. Highly, highly recommended.

5. Pickin' On Pickers/Superpickers	Pickin' On The Beatles/Vols. 1&2	CMH

I went for a banjo lesson yesterday (I'm trying to learn to frail) at the Homestead Pickin' Parlor here in the Twin Cities, and while I was awaiting my teacher I asked the clerk, "Do you know of any Beatles' tribute albums besides the Charles River Valley Boys?" "Why yes," he replied, "I think I can find a couple," and he pulled these from the bottom of an overstuffed box. My oh my, what a pleasant, pleasant surprise! (Also see the Fab Four Tribute Album page)

They were recorded five years apart - in 1994 and 1999 - but with the same basic players and instrumentation - guitar, dobro, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, bass, and drums - and the same concept: instrumental bluegrass versions of Lennon and McCartney songs (sorry George, sorry Ringo...). The playing is topnotch and the approach is eclectic. Sometimes it's a Flatt & Scruggs style hoedown with banjo leading the charge, sometimes the fiddle or the dobro turn the tune into an Appalachian lament, and sometimes it's a close copy of the original with the bluegrass instrumentation coloring the song onto a whole 'nother palette.

And I have to mention two of my favorite moments: 1) at the end of a fairly straight ahead bluegrass take on "Hello Goodbye," the fiddle starts singing the "She Loves You" quote from the Beatles' version of "All You Need Is Love", and 2) two-thirds of the way through "Yellow Submarine," the band punches on the fuzz boxes (!) for a faithful, completely twisted quote of - ready? - "Smoke On The Water" (!!), albeit one with the banjo still pickin' madly away - ya gotta hear it to believe it! Made me laugh out loud... So, if you like the Beatles and/or bluegrass, it will be worth the work to find these CDs for a two-volume earful of fun.

p.s. Although these don't really count, I have been playing both BOZO allegro's Relentlessly Cheerful and BOZO adagio's Turn Off Your Mind, Relax And Float Downstream one whole heckuva lot - but you could probably figure that out for yourselves, couldn'tcha?