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| HT019 - SHOT x SHOT x. . Let Nature Square | |||
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1. Scans 2. "Triple Double " 
3. Overlay 4. Oh No 5. Autobonsai All songs written by Shot × Shot |
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Let Nature Square is the first studio album from Philadelphia acoustic jazz group Shot × Shot. The quartet’s self-titled live album, was heralded as one 2006’s best debuts by a jazz band by the Village Voice, Chicago Reader, and other outlets. Critic Francis Davis said “It’s been ages since I’ve heard a debut recording this adventurous and assured”and the album received praised in the pages of Downbeat, The Wire, Signal to Noise, All About Jazz–NY, and other publications. Let Nature Square is a giant leap forward for the band. The album documents the evolution of young players growing into their own individually and stretching the boundaries of a collaborative relationship. The music of Shot × Shot has always been nuanced and innovative, but now it has earned the distinction of being truly extraordinary. "[Shot x Shot's] two-reed front line is elastic enough to wax both pissed and pastoral without seeming bipolar... [on] Let Nature Square the playing is individual enough and charged enough to squash any echoes.." -Jim Macnie, Village Voice "Let Nature Square ... captures a truly collective unit, much matured and obviously at ease with following one another's ideas to the furthest." - Shaun Brady, Philadelphia City Paper |
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| HT014 - HIS NAME IS ALIVE. ..Sweet Earth Flower: A Tribute to Marion Brown | |||
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1. "Sweet Earth Flying"
2. Juba Lee 3. Capricorn Moon (live) 4. November Cotton Flower 5. Bismillahi 'Rrahmani 'Rrahim 6. Geechee Recollections (I) 7. Geechee Recollections (II) 8. Sweet Earth Flying (live)
All songs written by Marion Brown (Nia Music, BMI) |
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Originally conceived only as a single concert at the University of Michigan Museum of Art in 2004, His Name is Alive began recording Sweet Earth Flower shortly after that very successful evening. Although the connection between His Name is Alive and Marion Brown may not be obvious to some of the younger students, this album is truly a very special release in either artist's varied catalog. His Name is Alive is probably best known for having been one of the few American bands signed to famed British label 4AD. HNIA’s sonic experiments in electro, folk, blues, r & b, pop, and indie, have left fans always guessing what direction the band will turn next. Their most popular recording was a song (recorded on a four-track cassette recorder) that was used on the soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire film, others may recognize the band from its collaborations with legendary animators, The Brothers Quay. HNIA has chosen to honor the music of Marion Brown (1935- ), saxophonist, composer and one of the great innovators of New Music. His body of work includes Geechee Recollections - a blending of childhood experiences in Georgia with traditional Gullah culture – to Bismallahi, a lyrical performance with composer Harold Budd, produced by Brian Eno. Although Brown appeared on John Coltrane's Ascension album, performed alongside Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, and Archie Shepp and recorded his albums for IMPULSE!, ECM, Black Lion, and ESP, he remains largely an unsung hero of improvised music and avant-garde jazz. On Sweet Earth Flower, His Name is Alive collaborates with members of Nomo and Antibalas; the album contains both studio and live recordings. Marion Brown has given the project his blessing. "I thought we should do it while he is alive. We've talked quite a bit about the project and he's supported us all the way. His encouragement and insight has been incredible," says His Name is Alive's mainman Warn Defever.
"It's beautiful. Thank you. You really understand me." -Marion Brown |
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| HT009 - SONIC LIBERATION FRONT. ..Change Over Time | |||
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1. The Next Thing that Happens Kevin Diehl – drums, Yoruba -Cuban percussion, electronica |
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Sonic Liberation Front is a band without peers. The amorphous Philadelphia unit has essentially created its own genre in its evolution as a band. Combining free jazz with Afro-Cuban percussion and modern electronics, Sonic Liberation Front has forged an incredible sound assemblage – one that has sailed to new levels on Change Over Time. While others simply talk of combining the ancient with the futuristic, SLF have done so. More than any other band on the scene today, SLF is continuing on the paths of Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, and Art Ensemble of Chicago – new dimensions of folk art forms for tomorrow. After previous collaborations with such luminary jazz artists as Sunny Murray, Andy Gonzales, and Badal Roy, SLF recruited veteran saxophonist Julian Pressley (sideman for Illinois Jacquet and Odean Pope) into the fold for Change Over Time. Pressley’s contributions to the musical direction of Kevin Diehl (a student of Murray) and Chuckie Joseph (a Yoruban cultural scholar) gives the new version of SLF an incredibly authentic center that the ensemble builds on throughout Change Over Time’s eight diverse compositions. |
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| HT008 - DAVE BURRELL. ..Momentum | |||
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1. Downfall 2. Broken Promise  3. Fade to Black 4. 4:30 to Atlanta 5. Cool Reception 6. Momentum 7. Coup d'Etat Dave Burrell – piano Recorded by Jon Rosenberg at Systems Two, Brooklyn (November 2005) Photography by Shawn Brackbill |
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Dave Burrell has long been recognized as an important pianist among the most astute jazz fans. Best known for his contributions to the music of Archie Shepp, David Murray, Pharaoh Sanders, and others, Burrell has finally positioned himself as one of the pre-eminent bandleaders in jazz. After a long hiatus from recording, Dave Burrell returned in 2004 with the album Expansion (High Two). His new trio recording, Momentum, is his best and most assured album to date. Fronting a new trio, featuring bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Guillermo E. Brown, Burrell shows a brave and complex new vision for jazz – one that respects precedents while forging a new path, all without falling into the traps of wandering improvisation. While Formanek and Brown lay the foundation, the pianist boldly roams in and out of the structure of his compositions, elegantly improvising on the songs’ motifs. Momentum is a lesson in both vigor and restraint – a captivating achievement that is certain to impress and attract. |
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| HT007 - SHOT x SHOT. ..Shot x Shot | |||
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1.
Bee Assassins (D. Capecchi) 11:43 Dan Capecchi – drums Mastered by Chris Flam at Mindswerve Studios, NYC. |
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Shot × Shot is an improvisational acoustic quartet performing original compositions steeped in jazz tradition, but with experimental sensibilities. Formed in 2003, while the members were students at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, has quickly established itself as one of the most groundbreaking bands in one of jazz’s most important cities. On its self-titled debut, the group showcases its compositional dynamism and transcendental vibrancy creating a unique balanced sound that is often missing in improvisational jazz. Fellow Philadelphian, jazz critic and author Francis Davis hears the band’s vitality. “Something fresh and exciting is unfolding in jazz, and these talented young Philadelphians are doing their part to speed it along,” writes Davis. “It’s been ages since I’ve heard a debut recording this adventurous and assured.” Usually in jazz, youth is seen as a liability, but for Shot × Shot the opposite is true. Having been exposed to and performed all sorts of eclectic music, Shot × Shot infuse their music with diverse modern influences and a daring spirit, creating an experimental mix of sounds and structures. Shot × Shot is reminiscent of Human Feel, the band that launched the careers of Chris Speed, Jim Black, Andrew d’Angelo, and Kurt Rosenwinkel when they were music students in Boston. Similarly, Shot × Shot unites unique voices who are poised to be important musicians individually and collectively. |
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| HT002 - SONIC LIBERATION FRONT ..Ashé A Go-Go | |||
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CD
$13 |
1. ashé
a go-go All compositions
by Kevin Diehl, except #1 by Kevin Diehl and traditional. #3 by Adam Jenkins.
#5 by Chuckie Joseph with traditional lyrics arranged by Chuckie Joseph.
Kevin Diehl
- itotele, electronics, drumkit, chekere, chawaro, clave, palitos Photography
by John Hubbard |
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Sonic Liberation Front is a band caught between worlds. Known for its iconoclastic combination of free-jazz passion and Afro-Cuban percussion excitement, the amorphous Philadelphia unit practically invents a new genre with each composition. Featuring a deeply talented pool of musicians trained in a variety of idioms gives the band the to ability incorporate so many genres while maintaining an authenticity. Led by percussionist Kevin Diehl, a protégé of free-jazz pioneer Sunny Murray, SLF connects his training in the post-bop tradition to his dedicated study of traditional Afro-Cuban Yoruba roots music that informs SLF’s colorful sound. Ambient electronics, innovative production techniques, and soulful vocals subtly embellish the compositions, carefully contextualizing the ancient traditional music into a new brilliant entity. While other musicians have incorporated bata drumming into jazz, none have done it with the vigor or passion of SLF. The band members are true students of the Lukumi tradition under the guidance of percussionist/omo aña Chuckie Joseph, a Yoruba cultural scholar. It has been said a million times that all music has its source in West Africa - by returning the focus to its origins, SLF achieves a natural eclectism that serves as a fountain of ingenuity. Ancient to the future indeed. |
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| HT001 - DAVE BURRELL FULL-BLOWN TRIO ..Expansion | |||
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CD
$13 |
1. Expansion
All compositions
by Dave Burrell, except #4 by Irving Berlin, arranged by Dave Burrell Dave Burrell
— piano
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"My greatest recorded work." - Dave Burrell Recorded during a one-day session in December 2003, Expansion captures the tectonic force realized by the trio on their just concluded Autumn 2003 tour, but also exposes the introspective sides of the musicians. Featuring a variety of pieces (the band locks into a tight 13/8 time as well as it goes free), Expansion highlights Burrell's iconoclastic composition style as well as his sensibility for the entire history of jazz.
Burrell penned six new pieces for the session that represent a broad approach
to jazz composition. His dynamic range has resulted in a multi-faceted
album that showcases his vast skill and style through its many moods and
motifs. The brilliance of the recording isn't just the variety, but how
his kinship with Parker and Cyrille creates a seamless piece of art across
the seven tracks. |
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