SUSIE IBARRA — Flower After Flower (2000) FLAC (tracks), lossless

 Flower After Flower will be somewhat of a surprise if you've only heard Susie Ibarra's storming drumming with the David S. Ware and Matthew Shipp groups. This album, her first heading a larger group, is closer to the more delicate and spacious music of Ibarra's releases (such as Radiance) on her own Hopscotch label. Flower After Flower works best when listened to as a whole since the four short fractals (all solos) act as interludes between the four longer compositions.

The album sets a steady, somewhat restrained mood with the opening cut, "Illuminations," a septet piece including the other two members of her trio, pianist Cooper-Moore (who also plays flute) and violinist Charles Burnham, as well as bassist John Lindberg, the two clarinetists featured in the title track (see below), and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, to whom this composition is dedicated. The first solo interlude then follows, "Fractal 1," a multi-colored drum solo from Ibarra that focuses individually on cymbals, skins, sticks, and their combinations. This leads into "The Ancients," a piece that opens with a slow interaction between clarinetist Chris Speed and bass clarinetist Assif Tsahar. Soon the duo are joined by the brighter sounds of the kulintang (a multi-gong instrument of the Philippines) played by Ibarra and, eventually, the rest of the musicians (except for Pauline Oliveros) join in for a lovely piece of music that has a meditative motion, seemingly without beginning or end.

The title track is framed by two moving solos from Oliveros (on accordion) and Cooper-Moore (on piano), respectively, and opens with a playful, upbeat mood -- Burnham occasionally plucking his violin for a bent-banjo sound and Ibarra galloping along with her brushes -- contrasted sharply with a sparse setting of held-note and small sounds. In all, this first session for the Tzadik label from drummer and leader Susie Ibarra leaves the listener with impressions of patience, clarity, and quietude. Joslyn Layne
Tracklist :
1        Illumination    13:31
2        Fractal 1    2:14
3        The Ancients 9:20
Flute – Cooper-Moore
Gong [Kulintang] – Susie Ibarra
Percussion [Brushes] – Wadada Leo Smith
4        Fractal 2 3:19
Accordion – Pauline Oliveros
5        Flower After Flower    9:48
6        Fractal 3    4:22
7        Human Beginnings 12:07
Accordion – Pauline Oliveros
8        Fractal 4    2:40
Credits :
Bass – John Lindberg (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7)
Bass Clarinet – Assif Tsahar (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7)
Clarinet – Chris Speed (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7)
Drums, Percussion – Susie Ibarra (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8)
Executive-Producer – John Zorn
Percussion – Cooper-Moore (tracks: 6, 7)
Piano – Cooper-Moore (tracks: 1)
Producer, Composed By – Susie Ibarra
Recorded By – Jim Anderson
Trumpet – Wadada Leo Smith (tracks: 1, 7)
Violin – Charles Burnham (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7)

MYRA MELFORD'S FIRE AND WATER QUINTET — For the Love of Fire and Water (2022) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For the Love of Fire and Water marks the recorded debut of pianist/composer Myra Melford's 2021's quintet featuring guitarist Mary Halvorson, cellist Tomeka Reid, saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, and drummer Susie Ibarra. All are notable bandleaders. She put the group together to play a one-off during a 2019 residency; afterwards, she was asked to record and tour with the quartet. Melford composed for this group during 2020's COVID-19 quarantine, and it was recorded in 2021 at Firehouse 12's New Haven, Connecticut studio. Melford wrote from the developmental core of a multi-part work inspired by the drawings of artist Cy Twombly, and her work will be further developed and expanded upon while touring. This installment uses the visual artist's Gaeta Set (For the Love of Fire and Water) drawings as inspiration.

Rogue Art divides the continuous 44-minute work into ten numbered selections for listening convenience, but it's performed continuously. The intro section finds Melford laying percussively wrought chord clusters for a couple of minutes before Reid enters to dialogue with her. Ibarra joins halfway through, rolling, accenting, and filling the space between. Laubrock joins a minute later, adding blips, trilled lines, and interjections in direct conversation before Halvorson appears with multi-note runs and a solo supported by rumbling undercurrents from her bandmates. A syncopated four-chord piano pulse introduces a melody in "II" played by the saxophonist and guitarist, who weave solo interactions throughout post-bop and modal blues as the piano and drums pace them. Reid offers tonal fluidity and physical energy in the middle section, pushing the group toward free interplay. The delicately articulated and gorgeously restrained processional pace of "IV" gives way to "V"'s interlude-like splintered piano chord voicings and bleating sax in a mirror image of its preceding section. "VI" is rendered abstractly as Halvorson and Melford pluck and rub their strings and Laubrock airlessly fingers the holes in her horn with a fixed, pulse-like steadiness. Shard-like guitar chords emerge suddenly and disappear just as quickly as Ibarra taps brushes and sticks over the metal frames on her kit. Reid joins during the final third, playing arco in drone-like accompaniment before Ibarra adds resonance on detuned gongs. "VII" crisscrosses free jazz and blues as Halvorson bends strings while laying down rock chords over wonky rhythmic piano accompaniment. Laubrock joins the dialogue, then assumes the spotlight. "VIII" begins with syncopated handclaps before Reid and Ibarra deliver a kinetic dialogue rich in dynamics. The final section is a beautifully articulated ballad drawn from classical, Italian folk, and flamenco sources. As Halvorson, Reid, and Laubrock add poignant, gorgeously abstract, gently dissonant solo flourishes, Melford anchors the harmonic melody as her band jointly embellishes and complements her playing at will, with a gentle, yet dramatically poetic finish. Whether or not For the Love of Fire and Water is appended by additional thematically related works is immaterial. It stands alone as an entire universe in sound, musical virtuosity, and intimately balanced communication. For now, Melford makes use of all that her quintet has to offer.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    I    7:53
2    II    2:11
3    III    3:17
4    IV    5:21
5    V    2:40
6    VI    4:26
7    VII    6:25
8    VIII    2:56
9    IX    4:16
10    X    4:50
Credits :
Cello – Tomeka Reid
Drums, Percussion – Susie Ibarra
Guitar – Mary Halvorson
Piano, Melodica, Composed By [All Compositions By] – Myra Melford
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Ingrid Laubrock

JOHN ZORN : Voices In The Wilderness (2003) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As John Zorn’s most popular project reaches its tenth year, Tzadik celebrates the Masada songbook with a series of all-star tributes. Following Masada Guitars, Volume 2 is an eclectic and powerful collection of almost two dozen Masada classics artfully arranged by some of the downtown scene’s most creative performers. Zorn’s catchiest and most lyrical tunes performed by rock bands, klezmer groups, vocalists, jazz. TZADIK
Tracklist 1 :
1    Pharaoh's Daughter–    Karaim 4'19
Bass – Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz
Cello – Noah Heoffeld
Guitar – Ben Oir
Melodica, Recorder – Daphna Mor
Oud, Vocals – Basya Schechter
Percussion, Vocals, Producer – Daniel Freedman
Violin – Meg Okura
2    Ben Perowksy Trio–    Kisofim 6'45
Bass – Drew Gress
Drums, Arranged By – Ben Perowsky
Piano – Uri Caine
3    Cracow Klezmer Band–    Meholalot 4'57
Accordion, Arranged By – Jaroslaw Bester
Accordion, Clarinet, Percussion – Oleg Dyyak
Double Bass – Wojciech Front
Engineer – Jacek Mastykarz
Violin – Jaroslaw Tyrala
4    Rova Saxophone Quartet–    Lakom 4'07
Baritone Saxophone – Jon Raskin
Engineer – Myles Boisen
Sopranino Saxophone – Steve Adams
Soprano Saxophone – Bruce Ackley
Tenor Saxophone, Arranged By – Larry Ochs
5    Zony Mash–    Tekufah 6'23
Bass – Keith Lowe
Drums – Andy Roth
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Wayne Horvitz
Engineer – Mel Detmer
Engineer [Assistant] – Randall Dunn
Guitar – Timothy Young
6    Naftule's Dream–    Paran 5'10
Clarinet – Glenn Dickson
Drums – Eric Rosenthal
Guitar – Brandon Seabrook
Piano – Michael McLaughlin
Trumpet – Gary Bohan
Tuba – Jim Gray
7    Kramer–    Khebar 2'20
Voice, Arranged By, Instruments – Kramer
8    Satlah–    Nevalah 3'39
Bass – Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz
Drums – Kevin Zubek
Soprano Saxophone, Arranged By – Daniel Zamir
9    Jewlia Eisenberg–    Abidan 3'53
Engineer – Dan Rathburn
Percussion – Wesley Anderson
Voice, Arranged By – Jewlia Eisenberg
10    Pachora–    Tirzah 5'06
Bass, Guitar – Skúli Sverrisson
Clarinet – Chris Speed
Drums, Percussion – Jim Black
Organ, Engineer – Jamie Saft
Tambura, Baglama [Saz], Guitar – Brad Shepik
11    Lemon Juice Quartet–    Peliyot 5'49
Bass – Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz
Drums – Kevin Zubek
Engineer – Fabrice Dupont
Guitar – Eyal Maoz
Trumpet – Avishai E. Cohen
12    Steven Bernstein–    Shebuah 8'27
Clarinet – Doug Wieselman, Marty Erlich
Cornet, Arranged By – Steven Bernstein
Engineer – Sam Berkow, Steve Sockey
Shaker [Shakers] – Aaron Johnson
Vocals, Guitar – Doug Wamble
Tracklist 2 :
1    Medeski Martin & Wood–    Ziphim 7'16
Bass – Chris Wood
Engineer – David Baker, Michael Fossenkemper
Keyboards – John Medeski
Percussion – Billy Martin
2    Rashanim–    Avodah 5'32
Bass – Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz
Drums, Percussion – Mathias Künzli
Guitar – Jon Madof
3    Davka–    Rokhev 3'16
Bassoon – Paul Hanson
Cajón – Kevin Mummey
Cello – Moses Sedler
Engineer – Andre Moran
Violin – Daniel Hoffman
4    Tin Hat Trio–    Tannaim 3'29
Accordion, Bass Harmonica – Rob Burger
Guitar, Dobro, Banjo, Percussion – Mark Orton
Violin, Viola – Carla Kihlstedt
5    Peter Apfelbaum–    Acharei Mot 7'32
Bass – Patrice
Drums – Dafnis Prieto
Engineer – Aaron Johnston
Guitar – David Phelps
Organ – Hiawatha Lockport
Organ, Tenor Saxophone, Percussion, Arranged By – Peter Apfelbaum
Violin – Charles Burnham
6    Mephista–    Malkut 3'30
Computer [Laptop] – Ikue Mori
Drums – Susie Ibarra
Engineer – Jim Staley
Piano – Sylvie Courvoisier
7    Mike Patton–    Kochot 3'47
Percussion – William Winant
Voice, Instruments, Arranged By – Mike Patton
8    Ben Goldberg Trio–    Jair 5'22
Bass – Devin Hoff
Clarinet, Arranged By – Ben Goldberg
Drums – Ches Smith
9    The Wollesens–    Ne'eman 6'54
Alto Saxophone – Dave Binney
Bass – Jesse Murphy
Drums – Kenny Wollesen
Guitar – Steve Cardenas, Tony Scherr
Organ – Brian Mitchell
10    Professionales–    Tahah 3'45
Bass – Brad Jones
Drums – Roberto Rodriguez
Piano – Anthony Coleman
11    Jenny Scheinman–    Tiferet 5'02
Bass – Todd Sickafoose
Drums – Scott Amendola
Engineer – Jeff Cressman
Guitar – Nels Cline
Violin, Arranged By – Jenny Scheinman
12    Jamie & Vanessa Saft–    Kedem 7'29
Keyboards, Bass, Guitar, Programmed By, Engineer, Arranged By – Jamie Saft
Vocals – Vanessa Saft
Credits :
Composed, Producer – John Zorn
Painting [Cover Painting (Morocco. 2000)] – Karen Liebowitz

WADADA LEO SMITH | SUSIE IBARRA | JOHN ZORN - 50⁸, John Zorn 50th Birthday Celebration Volume Eight (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The pioneer creator of the rhythm unit, the master of the game piece and one of the most dynamic drummers in the downtown scene square off head to head in duo and trio improvisations. Two full sets of music are presented here, beginning with a brilliant set of duos by Ibarra and Zorn, who have been working together for many years. Both surprising and inevitable, the second set features the historic musical meeting of Wadada Leo Smith and John Zorn, and was one of the improvisational highlights from 2003's month of Zorn. Striking and radical sculptures of sound and silence from three generations of improvisational masters. TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Meridian    4:20
2    Rising Sign    7:01
3    Spirit Writing    6:10
4    By The Mark, Eight    7:06
5    Visitation    8:34
6    Ipsissimi    15:59
7    Ghost Writing    11:57
8    The Ascending Arc    8:03
9    Full Fathom Five    6:50
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Producer – John Zorn
Drums – Susie Ibarra
Music By – John Zorn, Susie Ibarra, Wadada Leo Smith
Trumpet – Wadada Leo Smith