March 07, 2006
Tompkins Square's blowin' up
My buddy Josh over at Tompkins Square put out three records today all of which are jaw dropping. Check them out!
Ran Blake - All That Is Tied
iTunes
Amazon
This record is gorgeous. Ran's extensive discography. This record feautres 12 solo piano tracks that mesh minimalism and impresisonism. Not that I know for a fact that Mr. Blake is trying to paint a picture, but the music somehow describes... er... something. I think its different for each listener. Here's a little snippet from the allmusic bio. Oh yeah and if you don't believe me, Wire called this record a "Masterpiece." And as an added plus, the packaging, artwork, and liner notes are AWESOME.
| Third stream pianist and music educator Ran Blake has recorded a number of unique, often solo, jazz albums since the early '60s that showcase his dramatic contrasts of silence and "outbursts" and fresh reinventions of older standards. [...] He recorded even less during the 1990s, but did create, among others: a tribute to Sarah Vaughan, Unmarked Van (Soul Note, 1995), and a revisiting of film noir material and other tunes in a duo with flügelhorn player and trumpeter Enrico Rava, entitled Duo en Noir (2000), recorded for composer Franz Koglmann's new label, Between the Lines. Other labels that have released Blake albums over the decades include the Owl, Horo, Crest, RCA, and Arista labels. In addition to his previously mentioned collaborators, Blake has also worked with Oscar Peterson, Jaki Byard, Mary Lou Williams, Mal Waldron, Houston Person, William Russo, Gunther Schuller, Kate Wolf, and Ricky Ford. |
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Charles Gayle - Time Zones
iTunes
Amazon
Like Blake, Gayle's album is a solo piano record, which is interesting considering he's known for his sax abilities. However, unlike Blake, this record is brooding, spastic, and downright evil. I saw Gayle play at the Stone over on Ave C + 3rd and I can safely say i'd never heard a piano sound that way. It's a mish mash of melodic and percussive bashing that moves so perfectly you'll wonder how anyone could imagine this stuff in their head. Check it out, the photos in the liner notes is worth it alone. Great packaging. It's only $6.99 on iTunes!
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Christian Kiefer & Sharron Kraus - The Black Dove
iTunes
Amazon
Holy folk explosion batman. This is roots folk with an art house twist. There's no "O' Brother Where Art Thou" here. Tracks range from the Sufjan-esque "Cold Blue Room" to the chugging head nodding of "On The Chase" where Kraus croons over a rolling banjo line. If jazz isn't cup of tea, check this out, fans of all types of artists will love this record. At least listen to the iTunes samples if you're THAT cheap. For fans of: Joseph Arthur, Joanna Newsome, Sufjan Stevens, Red House Painters, and too many others to name. Catchy, haunting, etheral, and FOLK!
Posted by Carter at 06:19 PM | Comments (0)