NIK BÄRTSCH — Hishiryō Piano Solo (2002) Serie Ritual Groove Music – 3 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Among the earliest extant albums by Swiss musician and philosopher Nik Bärtsch, Hishiryo is described by the artist as an ongoing project for prepared piano and percussion that first manifested itself in 2001 and was recorded for release on the Tonus label in January 2002. Like much of his oeuvre, each of its eight episodes is titled with the word "Modul," which is German for "Module." This is the artist's preferred designation for his steadily increasing body of works. Whether conceiving for soloist or ensemble, Bärtsch's way of putting musical ideas together tends toward what he describes as "architecturally organized space...governed by the principles of repetition and reduction as well as by interlocking rhythms." Some of the modules visited on this album are ruminative, while others are bracingly propulsive, with Bärtsch employing a technique that brings to mind the breathtaking intensities employed by the Algerian pianist/drummer/bandleader Raphaël Schecroun (1926-1998), who made most of his records under the name Errol Parker. "Hishiryo" is a Zen Buddhist term definable as the state in which one transcends thought so as to merge with the absolute. Its usage here confirms Bärtsch's profound alignment with the philosophy of John Cage (who was the originator of the prepared piano as an art form), and also indicates a deeply rooted organic solidarity with intuitive musicians such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton, Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, and Pauline Oliveros. Further parallels can and should be drawn with Harry Partch, Ornette Coleman, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and self-described "transboundary sound and visual artist" Yoshio Machida. This marvelous set of rituals for prepared piano and percussion is the ideal prologue to Bärtsch's subsequent ensemble realizations. It is highly recommended for window washing, floor scrubbing, white sage smudging, and any other methodology used to straighten out the vibe in one's living space. For less active listening, try it after adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil to your bathwater. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1    Modul 8_9    6:13
2    Modul 13    7:15
3    Modul 14    3:30
4    Modul 4    5:48
5    Modul TM (Based On Lennie Tristanos «Turkish Mambo»)    2:27
6    Modul 5    6:55
7    Modul 6    4:04
8    Modul 11    5:46
Credits :
Piano [Prepared], Percussion, Composed By, Arranged By, Producer – Nik Bärtsch

KEITH TIPPETT'S ARK ‎— Frames (Music for an Imaginary Film) (1978-1996) RM | 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A tour-de-force project with Ark Big Band, strings, horns, and vocals. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist :
1-1    Frames Part 1    20:07
1-2    Frames Part 2    19:06
2-1    Frames Part 3    23:52
2-2    Frames Part 4    20:37
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Saxello – Elton Dean
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Trevor Watts
Bass – Harry Miller
Bass, Tuba – Peter Kowald
Cello – Alexandra Robinson, Tim Kramer
Drums – Louis Moholo
Lyrics By – Julie Tippetts
Percussion – Frank Perry
Piano – Stan Tracey
Piano, Harmonium, Composed By, Arranged By, Directed By – Keith Tippett
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute – Brian Smith
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Larry Stabbins
Trombone – Dave Amis, Nick Evans
Trumpet – Henry Lowther
Trumpet, Trumpet [Small Trumpet], Tenor Horn, Thumb Piano [Kenyan Thumb Piano] – Marc Charig
Violin – Geoffry Wharton, Rod Skeaping, Steve Levine
Violin, Electric Violin – Phil Wachsmann
Voice – Julie Tippetts, Maggie Nicols

THE ROSCOE MITCHELL ART ENSEMBLE — Congliptious (1968-2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Congliptious is a landmark recording of modern jazz, an extraordinarily strong and creative album and one that, among other things, perfectly encapsulates the ideals of the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). One of the graduation requirements of students in the AACM was to be able to pull off a solo recital on whatever their instrument happened to be. In the late '60s, the idea of an evening-length solo performance on saxophone or drums, for example, was unheard of. The first three cuts on Congliptious are solos for bass, alto saxophone, and trumpet that not only stand on their own as powerful statements, but also mark out several of the conceptual territories near and dear to this organization's heart. In "Tutankhamen," bassist Malachi Favors pays homage to the deep past, his rich arco delving into a theme older than the blues, but always keeping the blues in mind. Roscoe Mitchell's "Tkhke" remains, more than three decades later, incredibly alive and corrosive, reaching the furthest limits of his instrument, harrowing yet tightly controlled. Only when it resolves into a placid near lullaby does the listener dare exhale. Humor was another constant element in the work of these Chicagoans, rarely better expressed than by the late Lester Bowie in his historic soliloquy, "Jazz Death?" Posing as both unctuous interviewer and sly interviewee, Bowie wends his way through virtually the entire history of jazz trumpet with affection, soulful beauty, and a sardonic glance or two. The side-long "Congliptious/Old" is a masterpiece in breadth of conception and execution, an exemplar of the newly drawn lines distinguishing chaos from order. The trio is joined by drummer Robert Crowder, who leads things off in march tempo before dissembling into a maelstrom of percussion and the "little instruments" beloved by these musicians. The piece ebbs and flows, traveling from thunderous explosions to childlike songs to abstract vocal exhortations (including the timely phrase, "Sock it to me!"), but always retaining a sense of the blues. That aura comes into sublime fruition in the closing section, "Old," where Mitchell has written a theme as timeless as its title, an utterly gorgeous tune with roots in New Orleans dirges and beyond, which the quartet takes out with gusto, aplomb, and -- again -- a devilish humor. As of 2002, Congliptious was only available on disc as part of a limited-edition five-CD box set on Nessa (The Art Ensemble 1967/68). However the listener gets hold of it, it is one of the single most vital recordings of the jazz avant-garde, and an album of unique beauty. Brian Olewnick
Tracklist :
1    Tutankhamen 6:38
Bass [Solo] – Malachi Favors
Composed By – Favors
2    TKHKE 7:32
Alto Saxophone [Solo] – Roscoe Mitchell
Composed By – Mitchell
3    Jazz Death? 7:20
Composed By – Bowie
Trumpet [Solo] – Lester Bowie
4    Carefree-Take 3 2:35
Composed By – Roscoe Mitchell
5    Tatas-Matoes 2:17
Composed By – Bowie
6    Congliptious / Old 19:30
Composed By – Mitchell
7    Carefree-Take 1    3:05
8    Carefree-Take 2    3:05
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Flute, Recorder, Gong, Performer [Little Instruments] – Roscoe Mitchell (tracks: 2, 4 to 8)
Bass, Electric Bass, Electric Guitar, Zither, Gong, Performer [Little Instruments] – Malachi Favors (tracks: 1, 4 to 8)
Drums, Gong – Robert Crowder (tracks: 4 to 8)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Horns [Steer Horn], Whistle [Bass Whistle], Bass Drum, Siren, Gong, Performer [Little Instruments] – Lester Bowie (tracks: 3 to 8)

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO — People in Sorrow (1969-1988) Serie The Finest Jazz On CD - The Golden Hits From EMI | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1969, the Art Ensemble of Chicago (which had recorded just one official record, Congliptious, as a group at that point in time), moved to Paris for two years and recorded eight albums during their first year overseas alone. This particular LP has the innovative band (which was then a quartet consisting of trumpeter Lester Bowie, bassist Malachi Favors, and both Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman on multiple reeds) performing the 40-minute group original "People in Sorrow." The still-startling music, which uses space, dynamics, and a wide range of emotions expertly, is not for everyone's taste (the high-energy tenors of the mid-'60s are actually easier to get into), but worth the struggle. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    People In Sorrow (Part 1)    17:07
2    People In Sorrow (Part 2)    23:05
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bassoon, Percussion, Written-By – Joseph Jarman
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Written-By – Roscoe Mitchell
Bass, Strings, Percussion, Written-By – Malachi Favors
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion, Written-By – Lester Bowie

MARC RIBOT — Exercises in Futility (2008) Composer Series | Two Version | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Heretical new music for solo guitar composed and performed by the radical maverick Marc Ribot, who has worked with everyone from Elvis Costello, Maryanne Faithful and Tom Waits to Bill Frisell and Sun Ra. Conceived as impossible etudes and exercises on a variety of finger busting guitar techniques, this astonishing suite will forever change your concept of what the guitar is capable (or not capable) of. Also included are a variety of compositions for solo guitar, making this the definitive collection of Ribot’s expressive and virtuosic solo music. Twisted, mangled and tortured, this instrumental tour-de-force is musical sacrilege at its best. TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Etude #1 Five Gestures    5:42 

2    Etude #2 Morton 1    4:56
3    Etude #3 Elvis    4:01
4    Etude #4 Bombasto    2:52
5    Etude #5 Lame    3:46
6    Etude #6 Cowboy    1:43
7    Etude #7 Ballad    2:50
8    Etude #8 Groove?    3:11
9    Etude #9 Morton 2    3:19
10    Etude #10 Min    1:22
11    Etude #11 Ascending    2:02
12    Etude # 12 Mirror    4:20
13    Etude #13 Wank    4:19
14    Etude #14 Event On The 10th Avenue    1:16
15    The Joy Of Repetition    9:49
Credits :
Guitar, Composed By, Producer, Edited By – Marc Ribot