November 14, 2024:
The past two weeks have been incredibly busy here at Squidco. Leading up to our order manager Carl's planned vacation, we had a hectic week, followed by managing orders without him until Wednesday of this week. To prepare, we aimed to slow the pace of new releases during Carl's absence. This resulted in a rush of new albums before he left and a notably quiet week afterward. Despite the quieter release schedule, I kept up a brisk pace, overseeing orders and launching our highly successful Clean Feed/Shhpuma sale. A heartfelt thanks to all our customers who took advantage of the exceptional pricing-it was a win-win for both Trem Azul and Squidco as we gear up for the holiday season.
Staying busy these past two weeks was likely good for my mental health, especially after the challenging US election results. For those pleased with the outcome, I respect your views and trust the results. However, it was a grueling election marred by misinformation and tension, and I'm not entirely confident in the country's decision. Yet, this is democracy, and we will evolve from this experience, hopefully becoming stronger in the process. Hope remains, and that's what I intend to hold onto.
That having nothing to do with music, let's focus on the music! This week, I have some standout releases from the past couple of weeks to share with you.
First on my list is the collaboration between trumpeter Nate Wooley and saxophonist Ivo Perelman. Their first recorded work together, a 2017 trio album with pianist Matthew Shipp titled Philosopher's Stone on Leo Records, marked what felt like an inevitable meeting given their shared circles of like-minded improvisers. Their partnership has since expanded, with numerous albums on Leo Records and a notable sextet recording on the Listen! Foundation's Seven Skies Orchestra, a kind of super-group with Mat Maneri, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Joe Morris, and Matt Moran.
Most recently, we've expanded our collection with the Polarity series, featuring three volumes from Perelman and Wooley on the Burning Ambulance label. This intimate series showcases their magnificent, expressive, and passionate interplay, where ego and exhibition are set aside, allowing the music itself to lead their journey.
Perelman, Ivo / Nate Wooley: Polarity (Burning Ambulance Music)
Tight interaction in an incredible weaving of creative ideas and technical prowess from the duo of tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trumpeter Nate Wooley, the two New York-based improvisers recording in the studio in Brooklyn in 2020 for ten dialogs, a perfect distillation of their work together after four CDs in larger group efforts; captivating.
Perelman, Ivo / Nate Wooley: Polarity 2 (Burning Ambulance Music)
The second installment from New York saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trumpeter Nate Wooley demonstrates the strong affinity between the two players, highlighting their impressive mastery of their instruments with a creative drive and quick responsiveness that sparks unique dialogs, full of powerful and sometimes unconventional technique and expression; a truly gratifying and remarkable set of improvisations.
Perelman, Ivo / Nate Wooley: Polarity 3 (Burning Ambulance Music)
Ten improvisations in the 3rd release of New York trumpeter Nate Wooley and tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman's Polarity series, their dialogs an incredible weaving of creative ideas and technical prowess that started in 2020 after recording a series of larger group albums, their affinity and cooperative approach to instrumental dialog exceptional and exemplary.
Perelman, Ivo / Nate Wooley / Mat Moran / Matt Maneri / Fred Lonberg-Holm / Joe Morris: Seven Skies Orchestra [2 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
A rare setting for tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman in a larger ensemble: an exemplary sextet with trumpeter Nate Wooley and vibraphonist Matt Moran over a string section of Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, Joe Morris on bass and Mat Maneri on viola, recording a ten-part work sans drums or piano, allowing fascinating new orchestral possibilities performed with utmost creative mastery.
One of my most anticipated albums this month is the new release from Cosa Brava on the Austrian label Klanggalerie, Z Sides. Much like the aforementioned Seven Skies Orchestra, I consider Cosa Brava a West Coast supergroup, featuring some of my favorite improvisers and musicians who have profoundly influenced my own journey as a listener — Fred Frith, Zeena Parkins, Carla Kihlstedt, Shahzad Ismaily, and Matthias Bossi. Frith and Parkins share a rich history of collaboration, having worked together in projects such as Skeleton Crew, Keep the Dog, Maybe Monday, and Cosa Brava. The latter, dating back to 2010's Ragged Atlas on the Intakt label, is their most improvisational configuration.
Parkins and Frith are also members of the improvising ensemble Maybe Monday, which has connections to the Bay Area's Rova ensemble and includes Frith's Downtown NY collaborator Ikue Mori, known for her work in the Death Ambient project and collaborations with Rova. Kihlstedt, whose Two Foot Yard releases on Tzadik still find frequent play in my home and car, is another participant in Maybe Monday, and appears on Frith's albums Nowhere, Sideshow, Thin Air and Eye To Ear 3. Additionally, Kihlstedt and Frith can be heard together on Aaron Novik's Tzadik release Secrets of Secrets, and are found working together in Rova, and on projects from Moe! Staiano's Surplus 1980.
This new Cosa Brava album is unique in that it is drawn from their live concerts, but is presented as a set of compositions developed by another frequent collaborator, The Norman Conquest, a US experimental performer and studio manipulator. Cosa Brava was initiated by Frith and his nostalgia for rock improvisation, and his interest in blending elements of free improv, rock, jazz, chamber, folk, and experimental forms. Their live performances are always unique, and The Norman Conquest distills some of their finest moments into 12 "Z Sides," creating an imaginary stand-alone performance that reinterprets their studio recordings in a live context. It's an incredible album and a remarkable example of how an improvised concept can evolve through transformation and experimentation.
Cosa Brava (Frith / Parkins / Kihlstedt / Bossi / Ismaily): Z Sides (Klanggalerie)
Guitarist & vocalist Fred Frith leads the highly creative quintet of Zeena Parkins on keys & voice, Carla Kihlstedt on violin & voice, Mathias Bossi on drums and Shahzad Ismaily on bass, merging free improv, rock and experimental forms; drawn from live performances recorded by The Normal Conquest, this set of compositions captures the group's dynamic interplay and remarkable inventiveness.
Surplus 1980 + G.W. Sok: Kremlin Gremlin [VINYL 7''] (Surplus Industries)
Reminiscent of the packaging of early releases from The Ex, the vocalist from that band--G.W. Sok--provides the words for the first tracks on this 7" from Sleepytime Gorilla Museum drummer/composer Moe! Staiano's long-running band, a brutal wordplay stab at Russian president Putin for his invasion of Ukraine; plus a dub remix of a song on the upcoming full-length Surplus 1980 album.
Surplus 1980: Illusion of Consistency [VINYL + CD + DOWNLOAD] (Surplus Industries)
Composed using an "exquisite corpse" method during the pandemic, where each player provided a partially complete track with instructions to expand their concept, enlisting an incredible set of musicians across the US & Europe, directed by Moe! Staiano, including Jesse Quattro, Fred Frith, Carla Kihlstedt, GW Sok, Amy X Neuburg, Darren Johnston, &c &c.
Cutler, Chris: Compositions And Collaborations 1972-2022: In A Box [10 CD / DVD / BOOKLET BOX SET] (Recommended Records)
An amazing collection and reflection on the work of percussionist, composer and connector Chris Cutler of Henry Cow fame and founder of the highly influential Recommended Records label and distribution service, through 10 CDs, 1 DVD and two books of documentation, artwork, photographs, published and unpublished texts in a sturdy box, with over five hours of unreleased materials.
Frith, Fred: Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire (Graphic Scores 1986-96)(2CDs) (Angelica)
Fred Frith's 1999 box set, presenting a large, flexible ensemble project using marked photographs and rules as scores while Frith directs and conducts as well as performing; permanent members are Ikue Mori and Zeena Parkins, otherwise the balance of the 44 strong ensemble changes; recordings here are taken from 5 concerts, including the first in 1992 at AngelicA.
Another album on the experimental side that I'd like to highlight is Dougie Bowne's new release on Tzadik, The Stars Are Indispensable. I hadn't seen Bowne's name on a recent album, but his work has long impressed me, particularly from his days in the original '80s Downtown NY scene. As a member of the Lounge Lizards, Bowne was a pivotal figure in New York's downtown music during the 1980s and 1990s, collaborating extensively with boundary-pushing artists like John Cale, Iggy Pop, and Marianne Faithfull, and bringing a distinctive edge to their projects. Part of the approach to the Downtown scene that first drew me in, Bowne often blends punk, jazz, and avant-garde elements into his music, so I was eager to hear this new album — and it did not disappoint. The album offers twelve succinct works, including duets with tUnE-yArDs bassist Matt Nelson. If you're looking for a powerful and occasionally dark companion for the season, this is the album to explore!
Bowne, Dougie: The Stars Are Indispensable (Tzadik)
A formidable sonic duo of guitar, bass, electronics, prepared bass, and drums, featuring Downtown NY pioneer Dougie Bowne and Brooklyn-based experimental rock bassist Matt Nelson (tUnE-yArDs, Weasel Walter Large Ensemble), delivering twelve intense and startlingly inventive improvisations, using every inch of their instruments to create a heavy, captivating set of soundscapes.
Ordered & Upcoming:
We've been hard at work on our mid-fall purchase plans, which includes some of our most important labels. Below are the album that have already been ordered and are on their way to us. If you're eager for any of these albums, you can ask us to inform you via email of any upcoming release that you're interested in, with no obligation.
Anna Gadt / Marta Grzywacz / Natalia Kordiak / Gosia Zagajewska: VoiceAct (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Schindler, Udo / Paul Rogers feat. Eric Zwang: Ephemeral Locations [2 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Strycharski, Dominik: Ecstasy (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Michael Attias & Simon Nabatov: Dream Walks (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Marilyn Crispell & Harvey Sorgen: Forest (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Dominik Dolega: Everything Is True (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Charles Gayle & Szilard Mezei Quartet Bass: OILS (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Morris, Joe / Jeb Bishop / Nathan McBride : Tells Or Terrier (Not Two)
Gush (Gustafsson / Sandell / Strid) + Guests: 30 - Krakow 2018 [3 CD BOX SET] (Not Two)
Guy, Barry / Ken Vandermark: Occasional Poems [2 CDs] (Not Two)
Innovative Landscapes Laboratory: Spontaneous Dimensions (Sublime Retreat)
Alfredo Costa Monteiro: Transient Spaces as Impermanent Lines (Sublime Retreat)
Modelbau: Extricate (Sublime Retreat)
Falter Bramnk: Music for Luminous Background (Sublime Retreat)
Johnathan Deasy: Le Sacre (Sublime Retreat)
Colin Andrew Sheffield: Moments Lost (Sublime Retreat)
Gray / Alessi / Augustin: Melt the Guns II (Rataplan Records)
The Jazzmen with Joe McPhee: Nineteen Sixty-Six (Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Joe McPhee: In Straight Up, Without Wings [BOOK] (Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Moons (Berkson / Cetilia / Porter / Tavolacci): Moons (Editions Verde)
Linda Catlin Smith: ers of Emptiness (Another Timbre)
Adrian Democ: Zamat (Another Timbre)
Eden Lonsdale: Dawnings [2 CDs] (Another Timbre)
Elephant9 : Mythical River [VINYL] (Rune Grammofon)
Evans, Peter (Evans / Eldh / Black): Extra [VINYL] (We Jazz)
Mcdonas, Thollem: Infinite-Sum Game (ESP)
Baker, DucK: Breakdown Lane: Free Solos & Duos 1976-1998 (ESP)
Bennett, Ben / Michael Foster / Jacob Wick: Carne Vale (Relative Pitch)
Parkins, Zeena: Dam Against the Spring Tide (Relative Pitch)
Borca, Karen / Paul Murphy: Entwined (Relative Pitch)
Abdou / Gouband / Warelis: Hammer, Roll and Leaf (Relative Pitch)
Blacksberg, Dan: The PsychicBody Sound System (Relative Pitch)
Ono, Ryoko: THE DAYS (Relative Pitch)
Noulet, Ornella: Promise Of Faithfulness (Relative Pitch)
Seabrook, Brandon : Object of Unknown Function (Pyroclastic Records)
K. Curtis Lyle / Jaap Blonk / Alex Cunningham / Damon Smith / Kevin Cheli: A Radio Of The Body 7 Neutrino Broadcasts Searching For 8 (Balance Point Acoustics)
Ra Kalam Bob Moses / Jerome Bryerton: The Jugglerdrum (Balance Point Acoustics)
Squidco Publishing Roundup:
These are the updates to Squidco and The Squid's Ear over the last week. You can see our latest fully cataloged albums in our Recently Section.
You can see new albums as they enter our Just In Stock Section, meaning that we physically have an album and are able to ship it with an order, but that we're not satisfied that we've added all the information we can about that release.
You can also see recent restocks of previously listed items at our Recently Restocked page.
You can ask us to inform you via email of any upcoming release that you're interested in, with no obligation.
November 13, 2024: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: Han-earl Park / Yorgos Dimitriadis / Camila Nebbia - Gonggong 225088 (Waveform Alphabet) by Ken Waxman.
November 12, 2024: New @ Squidco:
Michael Attias (Attias/Leibson/Pavolka/Ferber/Hoffman) -Quartet Music Vol. I: LuMiSong [LP] (Out Of Your Head Records)
Spaces Unfolding + Pierre Alexandre Tremblay -Shadow Figures [CD] (Bead)
Samuel Blaser /Marc Ducret/Peter Bruun -Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground [VINYL 10-inch] (Blaser Music)
Chris Cundy -Of All The Common Flowers [CD] (Ear To The Ground)
Rodrigues/Torres/Hencleeday/Santos -Synopsis [CD] (Creative Sources)
Leap of Faith -Logical Consequences [CDR] (Evil Clown)
Expanse -Bailiwick [CDR] (Evil Clown)
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