North Star Sounds 5.5.26
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Archie Shepp's Ju-Ju brings back memories of the last call at The Trestle. A correspondence with a Serbian jazz DJ and critic Nikola Marković shines a light on Serbian artists Jasna Joviċeviċ, Marina Džukljev and Szilárd Mezei. And, new releases from Caroline Davis, Rodrigo Amado, drummer Phil Haynes' trio and Chicago-based woodwind explorer Emily Rach Beisel, fresh from her concert in Buffalo.
Tuesday’s radio transmission is archived on Mixcloud here.
Caroline Davis’ latest has been on repeat in my car, headphones and the stereo near my stationary bike. It’s so fresh in a late-80’s cassette underground meets AACM in a retreat house kind of way. Dr. Davis is multitracking with just her alto and an Organelle, as well as a couple of speech samples and field recordings from her Ucross Foundation residency in Wyoming. These simple ingredients cohere brightly.
Hollow Ships by Emily Rach Beisel from her Sumptuous Branching album. WAYO DJ Pete Badore and I ran over to Buffalo to catch her at Hallwalls. She performed the album, using harmonizers and looping pedals to accompany herself, singing into her bass clarinet mouthpiece as well as one composition with piccolo in which she banged into her mouthpiece to create a looped rhythm track. Bill Sack opened the show with a solo guitar set exploring extended techniques with a looper and volume pedal and assorted metal tools.
After reading Nikola Marković’s Substack review of the Jazzahead festival in Bremen, Germany, I reached out to Marković for some recommendations of Serbian artists. He was gracious in recommending a few and I played three on this radio transmission, reeds player Jasna Joviċeviċ, pianist Marina Džukljev and viola player and composer Szilárd Mezei. Mezei is incredibly prolific and his compositions stir the waters at the confluence of jazz and contemporary composed music.
The Tiptons’ latest, a live recording following their tour of Europe. They bring joy and endorphins in a completely authentic and singular way. Amy Denio: alto sax, voice, Jessica Lurie: soprano, alto, tenor saxes, voice, Sue Orfield: tenor sax, voice, Tina Richerson: baritone sax, voice, Robert Kainar: drums, percussion
Tuesday’s nugget was James Blood Ulmer’s first solo album, Tales of Captain Black, released in 1979. Ulmer had played on Ornette Coleman’s Dancing in Your Head a couple of years previously, initiating Ornette’s electric band. Ornette, Denardo and Jamaaladeen Tacuma then joined Blood in the studio for his first album on Artists House and it is definitely a classic that I’ve been rediscovering these past few weeks. A little asterisk here. Blood had previously recorded a quartet date with George Adams, Cecil McBee and Doug Hammond but that recording languished in the vault until 1999.
A new trio date release from drummer Phil Haynes, guitarist Ben Monder and saxophonist Peyton Pleninger entitled Terra. I hadn’t heard from Pleninger before but his website tells us he studied with Milford Graves and has a club a little south of Woodstock. Haynes’ trio recorded Terra live at Bucknell University and the textures are deep and rich. It was the first time everybody played together.
Serbian pianist Džukljev’s left hand sets up a driving ostinato and Dyberg brings a determined and resolute dance to it.
This is the building and unfolding that you came for. A story. Delivered.
From Bloxham Tapes, a cassette only label, Mo’ong & Bilawa, an Indonesian duo drawing on a variety of traditions and traditional Indonesian acoustic instruments as well as electronics. OK, it isn’t “jazz” but you can wear a beret to it.
Portuguese tenor player Rodrigo Amado’s latest release, This Is Our Language Quartet. The album is Wailers (think Amiri Baraka - Wailers are we / We are Wailers). He is joined by Joe McPhee, Kent Kessler and Chris Corsano.
Last call. Who played triangle on this? Damn!