Drummer and percussionist Joseph Benzola is amazing at his craft, but composer Dave Seidel adds to Joe’s playing by stretching the sounds without distorting their energy.
Tag: United States
William Ryan Fritch – Polarity
Welcome to 2023! We start the year by sharing a release due on January 13 by American composer William Ryan Fritch, who has been previously featured on the blog before. From his label, Lost Tribe Sound’s Bandcamp site: “‘Polarity’ is the first in a three album series reflecting on the many calamitous water crises affecting…
Denny Zeitlin with George Marsh & Mel Graves – The Name Of This Terrain
American pianist and psychiatrist Denny Zeitlin has a body of work that is second to none, including winning several jazz awards and scoring films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but this album was hidden away at Zeitlin’s insistence, which is a shame, as it blends avant-jazz, funk, rock and some works that would feel…
Cecil Taylor & Tony Oxley – Being Astral And All Registers – Power Of Two
I’m not sure if one can rightly call this a free-improv classic, but it’s hard to find two musicians who gel together as well as Cecil Taylor and Tony Oxley do. The piano playing is fierce and powerful, matched stroke-for-stroke by Oxley’s percussion and drumming. A fine live disc.
Thanatos – Christmas Moments
If you’re going to spend the winter holidays listening to Gothic Christmas music, you could do much worse than hearing Thanatos doings warm and rather respectable Christmas tunes. May you, my friends who are either Orthodox, Catholic or those who participate in one way or another in Advent, enjoy a pleasant time.
The Crossing – Carols after a Plague
I knew nothing about the band The Crossing, but after seeing that a composition by drummer Tyshawn Sorey was featured, I thought it prudent to listen to that track and then to the whole album. It is, unsurprisingly, a gorgeous, if dissonant, listening experience. From The Crossing’s Bandcamp site: “Throughout its history, the Philadelphia based…
Illusion of Safety & Z’ev – Illusion of Safety & Z’ev
This release, by No Part Of It Records, is a fine label putting out quality discs, and this archival album combines Dan Burke of Illusion of Safety and Z’ev, two of America’s foremost Industrial musicians. From the label’s Bandcamp site: “What we have here is a potent cocktail of scrap metal, processed field recordings, modular…
Methuzelah (Jeff Gburek & Pete Swinton) – First Album
Today is an auspicious day, as I’m proud to say that this is the 700th consecutive post this blog has produced since January 1, 2021. The release is one I held onto for such an occasion, as Jeff Gburek, heavily featured on my site for the astounding quality of his work, pairs with Pete Swinton,…
[Podcast] Eno & Pop – Brian Eno talks about Forever And… LP, Collaborations & More – Radio Broadcast 26/10/2022
Because of work-related issues, there won’t be any reviews today, but instead, I offer, thanks to my friend Jeffrey Kinart, a nice discussion between Iggy Pop and Brian Eno about Eno’s new album, having his daughter sing on it, and doo-wop, among other subjects.
Akudama – Lost on the Bryan Ferry EP {September 2009}
Brooklyn-based band Akudama don’t remind me of Bryan Ferry (or Roxy Music, for that matter), but they have a sound that does sterling work combining art-rock with shoegaze. This is an elegant single.