Nurse With Wound - Gyllensköld, Geijerstam And I At Rydberg's (1983)

Last Friday's selection from the NWW List reminded me that there's been no postings of Mr S himself for quite some time.  So here's some prime early emanations from the haunted house, which sit chronologically in the list below between Homotopy To Marie and Sylvie & Babs.  Stapleton had just met one of his lifelong friends and major collaborators in David Tibet, and this album (often regarded as a mini-album due to its notable brevity compared to most other NWW releases) marked their first time working together.

Stapleton puts Tibet's voice to good use straight away, mangling it into a ghostly hall of mirrors whilst his own clangs and drones from the Homotopy era continue to evolve.  Sped up bits of music, buzzing, creaking and much more fill out the ten minutes of Several Odd Moments Prior To Lunch.  Other, female phantoms are also present, and the whole thing showcases Stapleton's increasing skills in mixing, editing and contrasting dynamics.  Following Tibet's intonation about wild beasts, we're straight into the queasy horns, piano stabs and banjo loops of Phenomenon Of Aquarium And Bearded Lady for another five minutes of classic early NWW.

Taking up the whole of Side 2 on the original LP (for the shortlived Disques Du Crepuscle sub-label LAYLAH) is Dirty Fingernails.  Opening with some of the noisiest NWW outside of Stapleton's earliest collaborations, it only lets up occasionally for more playful or atmospheric sounds.  Eventually, a period of near silence gives way to more scraping and slurping, before an epic crashing and swirling finish.

Until 2007, vinyl was the only way to hear Gyllensköld in its entirety, as only remixed and shortened versions, known as Odd, Aquarium and the third track at least keeping its title intact, appeared on a couple of NWW compilations.  Odd was the most strikingly different, highlighting the more musical aspects of the track in under three minutes, Aquarium was the most similar with the rhythm more pronounced, and the reworked Dirty Fingernails managed to add in some more NWW scraps that also appeared on Stapleton's 1989 clearout exercise A Sucked Orange (must post that sometime).  All three are appended as bonus tracks to the original versions on this 2007 CD reissue.

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Previously posted at SGTG:
To The Quiet Men From A Tiny Girl
Merzbild Schwet
Insect And Individual Silenced
Homotopy To Marie
The Sylvie And Babs High-Thigh Companion
Spiral Insana
Lumb's Sister
Soliloquy For Lilith
Thunder Perfect Mind
Alice The Goon
A Missing Sense
Salt Marie Celeste
Angry Eelectric Finger: Spitch'cock One
Paranoia In Hi-Fi
The Surveillance Lounge 
Painting With Priests

Luciano Berio - Coro (1980)

Italian composer Luciano Berio (1925-2003) might have been particularly notable for his use of electronics, but here's something equally striking that's purely choral-orchestral.  Completed in 1977, Coro runs continuously for nearly an hour, packing in folk lyrics from around the world (sung by soloists) and poetry by Pablo Neruda (sung in chorus) into 31 sections.  The vast array of languages that the texts draw from were translated by Berio to just Italian, French, Spanish, English and German.

Berio took inspiration from the contemporary turmoil in Italy, and the work returns several times to the Neruda line "Come and see the blood in the streets".  In terms of the listening experience, Coro is dense and powerful, especially when the 40 voices and 40 instruments all come together, and took me a few listens to navigate.  It runs on its own internal logic, often reusing bits of text in different contexts, and the massed climaxes with the Neruda text maintain the dramatic momentum.  Hugely rewarding stuff for deep listening.

Original LP cover, 1980

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Also recommended at SGTG:
Luigi Nono: Como Una Ola De Fuerza Y Luz

Azimuth - s/t (1977)

Gave this a fresh spin whilst out on a walk last week, as soon as I felt the first autumnal breeze coming.  Then as the opening insistent piano sequence and Norma Winstone's wordless loveliness washed over me, remembered I still haven't given the album a posting here, to complete the original Azimuth 'trilogy'.  They'd eventually release a fourth and fifth album, but those came nowhere near to capturing the brilliance of the three in the links below.

The trio of the English power couple of jazz (Winstone & Taylor) and Canadian-born Wheeler first came together to record as Azimuth in March 1977.  The result was not only one of the most definitively ECM-sounding records ever, but also offered a jazz-ambient twist on the archetype with Taylor's use of synth.  After the aforementioned opener, and the piano-based O, the looped sequence underpinning the group's title track fades in for twelve minutes of sheer magic.  Winstone floats over the top in drones and gasps, performing an aerial ballet with Wheeler's trumpet smears.

Taylor next returns to piano, but quickly introduces another synth sequence as well, as Winstone begins the first real lyrics on the album then mostly lets Wheeler take the lead for the rest of The Tunnel, another high point.  Wheeler gets a brief solo track afterwards, to set the stage for the beautiful piano-based closer Jacob.  One of the absolutely indispensible crown jewels in the ECM catalogue.

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Previously posted at SGTG:
The Touchstone
Départ

Horde Catalytique Pour La Fin - Gestation Sonore (1971)

French free-improvisation at its finest, in the sole release from this quartet.  As per the group name, they envisaged themselves making music for the apocalypse, birthing an elemental new sound as per the album title/track titles. 

In practice, this means plenty of skronking, ill-sounding sax, slippery bass, bits of vibraphone tinkling around like animated skeletons, and atmospheric percussion.  At times the sax player switches to flute, either calming proceedings or enhancing the creepout according to the moment.  All of this comes together most effectively on the 19-minute closing track, the sustained atmosphere working best at length.  By the end of the decade, the sounds of this strange, great record had wafted across the Channel and onto a certain List - and deservedly so. You can definitely hear the influence on early Nurse With Wound.

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Joshua Rifkin - Piano Rags By Scott Joplin (1987 compi, rec. 1970-74)

Just some great piano music from 110-120 years ago - let it never be said I don't keep up with the hip and happening trends in modern music.  These recordings were made in the 1970s by pianist & musicologist Joshua Rifkin, and released in three volumes; this CD reissue contains all of Vol. 1 from 1970 (Nonesuch's first million-seller), plus highlights from the others (original releases '72 and '74).  Around this time, The Sting hit cinemas, and that plus a handful of other key ragtime recordings all fed into a fresh revival of an often maligned and misconstrued musical form.

Rifkin's performances of the piano rags by Scott Joplin (1868-1917) were hugely important in their reverential, serious treatment, presenting ragtime as something of equal worth to classical music.  In Joplin's case, it's well deserved - he honed the emerging syncopated piano style of the late 19th century to a fine art, full of harmonic life and great subtleties.  To make sure this wasn't overlooked, Joplin noted on many of his original scores "Do not play fast - It is never right to play ragtime fast", and Rifkin keeps both tempi and dynamics in check (unless the piece genuinely demands otherwise) to let this gorgeous music speak for itself.  I chanced across this CD a few weeks back and it's been in heavy rotation ever since - I'd only heard the evergreen opening pair of tunes before, but there's so much more to Joplin than that, and new joys emerge with every listen.

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György Ligeti - Clear Or Cloudy: Complete Recordings On Deutsche Grammophon (2006 compi, rec. 1968-96)

An epic, five-hour immersion in the music of one of the most extraordinary avant-garde composers of the 20th century - and one of the best known, thanks in no small part to Stanley Kubrick.  György Sándor Ligeti was born in Transylvania in 1923, and this box set was released to mark his death in 2006, and to collect all of the recordings of his music for the DG label.

Sequenced in roughly chronological order, the box first highlights some of Ligeti's least-known works from his time in Budapest in the early 1950s.  This chamber music barely hints at the otherwordliness to come, but still managed to fall foul of official censors, and wasn't performed in its entirety for some time afterwards - in fact, these are the most recent recordings in the set.  Disc 1 is rounded out by the 10 Pieces For Wind Quintet and Second String Quartet, both from 1968 when Ligeti had settled in Vienna and was about to unleash his most memorable music.

Disc 2, then, collects the familiar stuff from Ligeti at the height of his powers, and was re-released as a single-disc compilation in 2012.  The dense, slowly shifting microtonality of his orchestral works like Atmospheres, Lux Aeterna and Lontano is here, along with two stunning pieces for solo organ.  The only work Ligeti would produce that's more alien-sounding than this period would be his brief foray into electronic music under Stockhausen at WDR in the late 50s, but all that really survives of that is Artikulation, which never appeared on a DG record so is missing here - find it on this compilation.

Disc 3 takes us further into the 60s and early 70s, with the vocal works Aventures & Nouvelles Aventures (alternate recordings on Wergo in link at the bottom), plus more concertos.  Announced with a snippet of solo trumpet, Disc 4 covers late-period Ligeti, as his focus turned to rhythm and syncopation, with some piano pieces.  Then his last two great concertos, one for piano and one for violin, prove that Ligeti was still a unique voice into the 80s and 90s.  An absolutely stunning collection, taking in all the major bases of a unique genius.

Disc 1 link
Disc 2 link
Disc 3 link
Disc 4 link
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Previously posted at SGTG:
Requiem, plus Wergo versions of Aventures/Nouvelles Aventures

Arsenije Jovanović / Ivana Stefanović ‎- Concerto Grosso Balcanico / Lacrimosa (1993)

Shared release between two Serbian composers, who have previously been posted here in their own right - Jovanović with an untitled collection, and Stefanović with Inner Landscape. According to the liner notes, both were asked in the Spring of 1993 to produce a piece for Austrian radio, as they "were among the most renowned radio artists in Europe."  What they brought with them were immediate and raw first-hand experiences of Yugoslavia's turbulent last days; as Jovanović noted, "There is an inevitable link to the war still being waged as I write this."

Jovanović's 16-minute Concerto Grosso Balcanico sets out a peaceful, rural scene at first, with bells, birds and sheep, but very quickly introduces tenser elements of an ominous clatter and then an electronic layer that comes on like a distant helicopter.  Barking dogs introduce a rhythmic element as some sped-up tapes enter, and the piece becomes progressively more ominous until the unmistakable sound of gunfire dominates the final minutes.

Gunshots are also the first sound used in Stefanović's 25-minute Lacrimosa, which then unfolds as a much more musical piece, albeit heavily collaged.  Samples of Requiem music from Pergolesi, Mozart, Penderecki and Britten are mixed with documentary tapes from the streets of Sarajevo in May 1992.  As Stefanović remembered: "They were all together for the last time: Serbs, Muslims and Croats."  After a final social gathering, with a poignant exchange of Shaloms, the piece ends on a plaintive acapella song.  Both these pieces are deeply affecting in their material and background story, are superbly recorded and arranged, and will definitely stay with you after listening.  Highly recommended.

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Milton Nascimento - Courage (1969)

Milton Nascimento's international debut, with Deodato arrangements and slick production from Creed Taylor's nascent CTI imprint.  This makes it a bit of an outlier in his early catalogue, as do the two English-language songs, but it works beautifully on its own merits.  The album definitely made an impression on Stanley Turrentine, who would shortly base an album around two of the tracks here: Vera Cruz and Canção do Sal, aka Salt Song.  In a way, the lush, jazzy arrangements on this album anticipate Nascimento's later work with Wayne Shorter.  Even at this early stage, Nascimento's unique voice and heartfelt songwriting are the main draws that elevate Courage from just another gorgeous-sounding CTI record to something truly timeless.

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Previously posted at SGTG:
Clube Da Esquina
Milagre Dos Peixes
Native Dancer
Minas/Geraes
Clube Da Esquina 2

Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett - s/t (1971)

Another look at that period in Keith Jarrett's early career, previously visited on Expectations, where he was still figuring out his overall direction.  Sharing the limelight for this album was vibes maestro Gary Burton, who'd been recording for longer but was in a similar phase of experimenting with his modes of expression.  Both would end up at ECM within the year, and both had already recorded for Atlantic, the label for this self-titled and often under-rated LP.

The material is all Jarrett's except for Como En Vietnam written by Steve Swallow, the bassist for the album.  Jarrett takes a brief solo on soprano sax on that track, but otherwise sticks to piano.  Gary Burton sounds great throughout, with his cool, languid tone shining on the mid-tempo material, but equally capable on the upbeat, knottier moments.  The other supporting voice is session guitarist Sam Brown, who adds the same bluesy, funky touch that he brought to Expectations.  Think of this great little record as a distillation of some of the best bits of Expectations, with the huge added bonus of Gary Burton, and you can't go wrong.

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Marc Johnson - Sound Of Summer Running (1998)

Although this album was only the second released by Omaha-born jazz bassist Marc Johnson under his own name, he was well established by the 90s.  His sideman appearances went back to Bill Evans' last days, and subsequently saw several ECM appearances, particularly with John Abercrombie.  He'd also fronted the Bass Desires group on ECM, a quartet with Bill Frisell and John Scofield as duelling guitarists.

For this 1997 recording, Johnson went back to the dual guitar-bass-drums configuration of Bass Desires, this time pairing Frisell with none other than Pat Metheny.  This lineup was bound to produce something special, and it most certainly did.  Perhaps some expected fireworks - the AMG writeup registers disappointment on that score - but what emerged instead was a beautifully mellow, mostly mid-tempo album of quietly assured brilliance.

Frisell and Metheny blend perfectfully on every track here, yet still make their individual influences heard.  The album variously touches on country & western (Ghost Train, Porch Swing) and blues (Union Pacific), as well as Metheny's great Midwestern folk influences.  Dingy Dong Day even takes in surf and rockabilly, with nifty key changes, and then the partly acoustic stretch to the end of the album brought to mind my favourite ECM guitar trio album Travel Guide.  Essential summer enjoyment from start to finish.

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