FREE JAZZ - recommendations & reviews

[holy ghost]

Massola : Neanderthal Jazz from Czech Republic
http://bandzone.cz/massola

Interestingly enough, this band did a collab with Sedem Minut Strachu that is crazy fucking nuts!! Pretty great pairing from what I've heard. I'm also a huge admirer of Dead Neanderthals and Burning Tree as well.

Classic stuff, free jazz is probably my most listened to genre (maybe? Maybe not?). I love Ayler, Rashied Ali, Borbetomagus, Cecil Taylor, Roscoe Mitchell.... Anthony Braxton would be done a disservice to call him free jazz, since he's got a lot of focus on compositional stuff, but he's easily my favourite jazz artist. John Coltrane's Interstellar Space is one of my most listened to albums.

Topography of the Lungs is probably the free album of all time.

I really do see an informal link between noise(core) and free jazz. Not so much noise in general but the dynamics and relationships between players when in a group setting has a lot in common.

[Duncan]

Trio of Rogier Smal, David Birchall and Colin Webster rolled through town last Friday and was an utter force. Easily some of the most energetic and inventive guitar playing I've ever seen from Birchall. He's become a total force of nature in the short time I've been aware of his work.

From what I understand they're off to record together soon so hopefully we'll see a record from that trio, but is certainly recommend checking out any of these players at the moment.

[Marko-V]

Just listened four albums by Musica Transonic, a lot of it sounded to me like free jazz driven through Asahito Nanjo's sound spectrum - anybody familiar with High Rise know what I am talking about.
Also Ground Zero's 'Last Concert' (especially the last track) sounded very free-jazzy noise to my ears.

One of my favorites is the collaboration album 'Coniunctio' by two Czech bands The Blue Effect (beat/rock/prog group) & Jazz Q Praha (jazz-rock). LP is a real jaw dropper, perfect mixture of noise rock and free jazz. Surprising to think that it has been released as early as 1970. Not too far from what Kevin Martin's God have made in their most chaotic moments.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x23i09h_blue-effect-jazz-q-praha-1970-coniunctio-full-album_music

[holy ghost]

One of my favorites is the collaboration album 'Coniunctio' by two Czech bands The Blue Effect (beat/rock/prog group) & Jazz Q Praha (jazz-rock). LP is a real jaw dropper, perfect mixture of noise rock and free jazz. Surprising to think that it has been released as early as 1970. Not too far from what Kevin Martin's God have made in their most chaotic moments.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x23i09h_blue-effect-jazz-q-praha-1970-coniunctio-full-album_music

Wow, this is great stuff. Not familiar with this band, thanks for the rec!!!

[manuelM]

Very interesting thread, thanks for sharing those recommendations

[holy ghost]

Imagine The Sound is an incredible documentary - Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Bill Dixon and Paul Bley. I'm only really familiar with Dixon and Taylor, but all give amazing performances, great interviews and it's extraordinarily well done. I got a great quality rip from cinemageddon, it's well worth watching for anyone with even a casual interest in experimental music.

I've also been listening to Frank Wright a lot too - I picked up a copy of Your Prayer on LP recently and hot damn what a record.

[Henrik III]

I've also been listening to Frank Wright a lot too - I picked up a copy of Your Prayer on LP recently and hot damn what a record.

Just right now listening to Wright's One for John which is also great record and another BYG gem but Your Prayer is among my free jazz favorites, catchy and really happening. All those records Frank did with Noah Howard (with shuffled leader names) are so good. A recent issue of Finnish Mutiny! fanzine has a really nice Wright history+discography article. I recall there is an unreleased album by the two in the vaults of BMG, ha!

And hails to Marko-V for recommending Coniunctio for me in a record fair sometime ago!

[HongKongGoolagong]

Back from seeing Han Bennink playing with Terrie Ex in duo form, smallest stage of a festival which was already full of good music of many genres - pure free jazz improv and what I think may have been one of the most breathtaking performances I've ever seen.

Han Bennink after a lifetime of playing percussion can transform atmosphere with a single gesture - there are a few standard clowning stunts he uses but then he subverts further and goes darker and stranger - the internal rhythms can make forgotten channels in the body open and careful listening is repaid in triple. The guitarist amazing too.

Highest possible recommendation for a live experience, Mijnheer Bennink looks in great shape but will not be around forever. For those here who prefer music made by Aryan looking guys, he looks very Aryan! Magic is the word rather than music.

Although maybe he will be around much longer if the example of Marshall Allen leading the Sun Ra Arkestra at the same event counts for anything - blowing as hard and fierce and angry as possible at age 90, the man who liberated Paris on his first European visit plus a full band transformed a tatty Welsh seaside ballroom into the Overlook Hotel with When You Wish Upon a Star from Pinocchio before a kabalistic trip round the signs and symbols of the galaxy and humanity ensued.

[Andrew McIntosh]

https://deadneanderthals.bandcamp.com/album/endless-voids

This stuff's great. "Heavy jazz", eh? Absolutely removed from anything like jazz right into dark ambient territory. A few guitar twangs and sax squalls to remind you of the actual instruments making it (some of them), but apart from that, jazz is dead.

[holy ghost]

https://deadneanderthals.bandcamp.com/album/endless-voids

This stuff's great. "Heavy jazz", eh? Absolutely removed from anything like jazz right into dark ambient territory. A few guitar twangs and sax squalls to remind you of the actual instruments making it (some of them), but apart from that, jazz is dead.

This is a wonderful album! One of my fav records from last year. It's a bit of a departure from their "jazz" sound where it's way more clattery/skronky. I really like Polaris, Prime, the "Random Acts of Nuclear Devastation" release (I only snagged the bandcamp download of this one) and the Worship The Sun CD as well.

As well you should check out Burning Tree, they did an LP on Utech that is fucking INSANE. Wow is it wild man.

Also DN did an LP with some others called Fantoon thats great as well.

Albert Ayler would have been 80 yesterday. I spent the whole day paying tribute to the wizard.

[david lloyd jones]

borbetomagus-'free' noise giants from NYC going since 80's
could song like Whitehouse with two saxophones and electric guitar
can't complain about any release really

[holy ghost]

Borbetomagus are so great. I love this picture of them.



I scored a NM copy of Zurich a few years back for next to nothing. That was my first exposure after hearing them name dropped for so long. There's also a documentary about them that's like, half done but you can find 20 min of it on vimeo. Looks wild man!!

If I had to pick an all time favorite record from this style it might be "Nipples" by the Brotzmann Sextet/Quartet. Just the perfect mix of players, attitude, tones, etc.

[cr]

If I had to pick an all time favorite record from this style it might be "Nipples" by the Brotzmann Sextet/Quartet. Just the perfect mix of players, attitude, tones, etc.

True, great record.

Anybody also knows Sprawl? It must be almost 15 years since I listened to it the last time, but I remember liking it a lot. Some kind of Free Jazz Supergroup: Peter Brötzmann, Alex Buess, Michael Wertmüller, Stephan Wittwer, William Parker.

[cr]

https://www.discogs.com/Sprawl-Sprawl/master/814330

[david lloyd jones]

has anyone mentioned Brotzman senior's  'machine gun' yet or his duo with Brotzman jr 'vodka king'?