The Squid's Ear
Recently @ Squidco:

Rempis / Karayorgis / Heinemann / Harris:
Truss (Driff Records)

Three label leaders come together for this extraordinary 2023 concert at Elastic Arts in Chicago--Aerophonic's Dave Rempis on alto, tenor & baritone saxophones; Driff Records' Pandelis Karayorgis on piano; Amalgam Records' Bill Harris on drums--along with bassist Jakob Heinmann, this exceptional free jazz performance cementing the bond between Boston and Chicago with a hope for more! ... Click to View


Ensemble SuperMusique :
Musiques Emeraude (Ambiances Magnetiques)

An overview of Montreal's Ensemble Supermusique celebrating their 40th anniversary, drawing on works from founders Joane Hétu, Diane Labrosse, and Danielle Palardy Roger and their projects including Wondeur Brass, Les Poules, Justine, &c., realized by 40 instrumentalists in 8 groups of 3 to 8 players; masterful sophistication with a sense of humor and wonder — exceptionnelle! ... Click to View


Paul Paccione:
Distant Musics (Another Timbre)

Influenced by the New York School of composers (Cage, Feldman, &c.), composer Paul Paccione revisits and revises five of his compositions written 40 years prior, performed by a 10-piece configuration of London's Apartment House; beautifully contemplative pieces linked together through common threads, the momentum of individual moments absorbed by the presence of the larger work. ... Click to View


Birgit Ulher / Carol Genetti / Eric Leonardson:
Horizontal Shift (Amalgam)

An international electroacoustic improvising trio of German trumpet player Birgit Ulher, also on radio, speaker & objects, and two Chicago outside improvisers--Carol Genetti on voice & objects, and Eric Leonardson on his unique self-built instrument the springboard, objects & electronics-- heard in a live performance at Elastic Arts, in Chicago, Illinois in 2018. ... Click to View


Peter Evans Being & Becoming (Evans / Ross / Jozwiak / Ode):
Ars Memoria (More Is More)

The second album from New York trumpeter Peter Evan's band Being and Becoming stretches out his concepts in five extended works that dovetails superb contemporary jazz — integrating extended techniques and solid vibraphone work — with beautifully rich and explorative passages, masterfully performed with Joel Ross (vibes), Nick Jozwiak (bass) and Michael Shekwoaga (drums). ... Click to View


Peter Evans Being & Becoming (Evans / Ross / Jozwiak / Ode):
Ars Memoria [VINYL 180gm + DOWNLOAD] (More Is More)

The second album from New York trumpeter Peter Evan's band Being and Becoming stretches out his concepts in five extended works that dovetails superb contemporary jazz — integrating extended techniques and solid vibraphone work — with beautifully rich and explorative passages, masterfully performed with Joel Ross (vibes), Nick Jozwiak (bass) and Michael Shekwoaga (drums). ... Click to View


Ivo Perelman (Fowler / Workman / Cyrille):
Embracing the Unknown (Mahakala Music)

Recording with the legendary rhythm section of bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille, tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and stritch & saxello player Chad Fowler perfectly complement each other as they play off and complete each other's lines and phrases under the support of astute foundational support, an exemplary album of collective, cross-generational free improvisation. ... Click to View


Gregorio / Smith / Bryerton:
The Cold Arrow (Balance Point Acoustics)

The second trio release from clarinetist Guillermo Gregorio, double bassist Damon Smith and Jerome Bryerton on gongs, selected metal & cymbals (but no drums), in a sophisticated album of eight collective improvisations numbered as "The Planar Effect" and two Gregorio compositions, an absolutely impressive set that obscures the line between "spontaneous" and "composition". ... Click to View


Andre Duchesne:
Ch'val (Ambiances Magnetiques)

Montreal composer, guitarist and arranger Andre Duchesne developed the pieces on this solo album as a tribute to his sister Carole, "the one who dreamed of horses," who passed in 2010, his pieces incorporating elements of rock, improvisation and compositional forms, a sincere tribute developed by recording daily over a month as a virtual rock band of guitar, bass and drum programming. ... Click to View


Leap of Faith:
Resonance Energy (Evil Clown)

Joining the Boston duo Leap of Faith, the core duet of David Peck on reeds, percussion, the kitchen sink and everything in between, and Glynis Lomon on cello, aquasonic & voice, is bassist Scott Samenfeld from Turbulence Orchestra, drummer Jared Seabrook, and brass player John Fugarino, with Joel Simches capturing the recording and manipulating the stream in real time. ... Click to View


Neurodivergent:
Cosmic Collisions (Evil Clown)

A new ensemble emerging out of the Boston collective band Expanse with David Peck on reeds, percussion and innumerable instruments, Count Robot on voice & tapes, DNA Girl on guitars & mandolin, Tim Mungenast on guitar, and Michael Caglianone on reeds & winds, all adding percussion and electronics from the Evil Clown arsenal, exploring aspects of group improvisation. ... Click to View


Bill Harris:
MACRODOSE (Amalgam)

Combining acoustic drums, percussion and electronics, the third solo album from Chicago drummer Bill Harris delves deeper into the sonic aspects of his improvisations while providing them in discrete segments through eleven succinct recordings, a diverse set demonstrating unique approaches to rhythm and sound, enhanced on some pieces through studio techniques. ... Click to View


Dante Boon (Beuger / Boon / Elina / Holtkamp / Schuppe / Van der Ster):
Duos (Edition Wandelweiser Records)

A collection of works from pianist & composer Dante Boon in diverse duos and virtual duo compositions that reflect on John Cage's "inner clock" concept from "Two2", each of Boon's compositions directing the players through systems of notation and counting unique to each player, varying the rules of how the two players eventually synchronize their performances. ... Click to View


Joane Hetu / Ensemble SuperMusique:
Monnomest (Ambiances Jazz)

A fascinating work dedicated to improvising cellist Remy Belanger de Beauport written by Montreal composer Joane Hétu and performed by the large Ensemble SuperMusique with Jean Derome, Lori Freedman, Scott Thomson, Diane Labrosse, Danielle Palardy Roger, Pierre Tanguay, &c., commissioned and performed for the Ensemble's 40th anniversary and expanded for this studio edition. ... Click to View


Joelle Leandre / Pascal Contet:
Miniatures (Trost Records)

A collaboration that goes back 30 years, French improvising bassist Joëlle Léandre and avant accordionist Pascal Contet in their fifth album together, turning from their more typically extended conversations to a series of 10 "Miniatures", shorter and diverse dialogs recorded live in 2022 at the beautiful Arsenal Concert Hall in Metz, France. ... Click to View


Chad Fowler / Shanyse Strickland / Sana Nagano / Melanie Dyer / Ken Filiano / Anders Griffen:
Birdsong (Mahakala Music)

Highlighting the parallel to changes in birdsong in urban areas because of anthropogenic ambient noise, this diverse ensemble demonstrates the evolution of improv approaches through unique origins and backgrounds; with Chad Fowler (stritch, flute), Shanyse Strickland (French Horn), Sana Nagano (violin), Melanie Dyer (viola), Ken Filiano (bass) and Anders Griffen (drums). ... Click to View


Hal Russell NRG Ensemble:
The Hal Russell Story (ECM Records)

This 1996 recording of the Hal Russell NRG Ensemble of Mars Williams (reeds), Brian Sandstrom (bass, guitars, trumpets), Kent Kessler (bass, trombone) and Steve Hunt (drums & percussion) was recorded five week before Russell's passing, a wild parting gift of twenty succinct improvisations covering an incredible amount of territory with power, humor and amazing musical skill. ... Click to View


Ernesto Rodrigues / Dirk Serries / Joao Madeira / Jose Oliveira :
Dripping (Creative Sources)

One of the core Creative Sources trios of Ernesto Rodrigues on viola & crackle box, João Madeira on double bass and Jose Oliveira on percussion, is extended to a quartet with Netherland's New Wave of Jazz/Vidna Obmama archtop guitarist Dirk Serries, presenting the 9-part "Dripping" series of free chamber-oriented lowercase improvisation. ... Click to View


Friedl / Siewert:
Lichtung (KARLRECORDS)

Zeitkratzer director and pianist Reinhold Friedl meets with Martin Siewert (Radian, Fake the Facts, Dry Thrust) for three improvised explorations on piano, guitar and electronics, through the course of powerful transitions building from deep introspection into prickly, bellicose interaction, yielding to a brooding finale of subtle electronics and punctuation; profound. ... Click to View


Niels Lokkegaard Lyhne / Quatuor Bozzini:
Colliding Bubbles (Important Records)

Copenhagen composer Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard's long form work refers to units of compositional structure in systems of instruments, each a "bubble" that interacts and collides creating fluctuations, ruptures and tension release in an hypnotic sonic tapestry, performed by Montreal's Quatuor Bozzini on violins, viola, cellos and harmonica; mesmerizing. ... Click to View


Merzbow:
Cafe OTO [2 CDs] (Cold Spring Records)

A live and extended performance of brutal but shifting sonic assault performed before an appreciative audience at London's Cafe OTO in 2016, a solo performance from Japanese noise legend Masami Akita, AKA Merzbow, each of the 2 CDs in this set more than 50 minutes of tightly controlled electronic mayhem from the unremitting determination of one of the globe's masters of noise. ... Click to View


Charles Mingus:
Presents Charles Mingus To Pre Bird, Revisited (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Three sides of Charles Mingus in this remastered reissue set: the 1961 Candid album Mingus Presents Mingus with the classic quartet of Eric Dolphy, Ted Curson and Dannie Richmond; then the Mercury release Pre-Bird from the same year, in ensembles performing the music of or influenced by Duke Ellington, along with the ambitious and brilliant through-composed work, "Half Mast Inhibition". ... Click to View


Franz Koglmann:
Near Blue - A Taste of Melancholy (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Presented in two versions--a stereo mix and a binaural mix for headphones--flugelhorn improviser and composer Franz Koglmann leads his septet of exceptional players through 10 original Koglmann compositions, sophisticated works that show influences from Ellington to Franz Joseph Haydn or Johann Strauss, in pieces influenced by or tipping the hat to modern artists, musicians and writers. ... Click to View


Nikolaus Gerszewski :
3 Works For Strings, Giusto Chamber Orchestra (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Giusto Chamber Orchestra performs three works for twelve strings by German composer and visual artist Nikolaus Gerszewski, whose music of shifting pitches, vibrations and volumes--compared with experimental sound & noise work--is influenced by composers Radulescu and Dumitrescu's spectral music, James Tenney's "swell form" and Cornelius Cardew's graphic scores. ... Click to View


Void Patrol (Sharp / Stetson / Martin / MacDonald):
Live @ Victo (Victo)

A wild and adventurous concert and one of the highlights of the 39th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville from the electric improvising quartet of Elliott Sharp on electric guitar & electronics, Colin Stetson on bass, alto & tenor saxophones, Billy Martin on drums & percussion and Payton Macdonald on marimba, vibraphone & African xylophone. ... Click to View


Federico Ughi (w / Leo Genovese / Brandon Lopez):
Infinite Cosmos Calling You You You, Vol. 1 (577 Records)

The first album under 577 label leader and drummer Federico Ughi's name in five years brings together the incredible bass skills of Brandon Lopez and expansive Argentinean keyboard sonics of Leo Genovese, the first of two planned volumes recorded in the studio for a boundary-less album of acoustic and electric improv influenced by the music and philosophy of Sun Ra. ... Click to View


Federico Ughi (w / Leo Genovese / Brandon Lopez):
Infinite Cosmos Calling You You You, Vol. 1 [VINYL] (577 Records)

The first album under 577 label leader and drummer Federico Ughi's name in five years brings together the incredible bass skills of Brandon Lopez and expansive Argentinean keyboard sonics of Leo Genovese, the first of two planned volumes recorded in the studio for a boundary-less album of acoustic and electric improv influenced by the music and philosophy of Sun Ra. ... Click to View


Sven-Ake Johansson / Alexander Von Schlippenbach:
uber Ursache und Wirkung der Meinungsverschiedenheiten beim Turmbau zu Babel [VINYL 2 LPs & PAL DVD] (Trost Records)

Documenting the 1994 avant music drama composed by pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach and accordionist Sven-Ake Johansson, uber Ursache und Wirkung der Meinungsverschiedenheiten beim Turmbau zu Babel (on the cause and effect of the disagreements over the building of the Tower of Babel) through a double LP, DVD, libretto and 16-page booklet in a solid box set. ... Click to View


Musicworks:
#147 Winter 2024 [MAGAZINE + CD] (Musicworks)

Winter 2024 issue of Canada's premiere new music magazine, with Saxophonist Andrew MacKelvie on the cover; plus features on Indonesia's Music Subculture; Sonny-Ray Day Ride; Solidaridad Tango; A History of the Canadian Electronic Ensemble; plus album reviews, essays and a CD of tracks from artists covered in the magazine. ... Click to View


Witches & Devils (Williams / Vandermark / Lonberg-Holm):
At the Empty Bottle (Knitting Factory Works)

Before his ecstatic Xmas series, An Ayler Xmas, Chicago saxophonist Mars Williams led the Witches & Devils quintet of Mars Williams on reeds, Ken Vandermark on reeds, Jim Baker on keyboards, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and Kent Kessler on bass, an incredible and passionate free jazz group paying tribute to the music of Albert Ayler, heard live at The Empty Bottle in 1997. ... Click to View



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  12 Stories About John Zorn and One About A Fan  

Claudia Heuermann's Documentary Shows Musician and Filmmaker in Action


By Kurt Gottschalk 2003-09-03

Claudia Heuermann had found herself in a dilemma. The filmmaker was in the midst of making a self-funded documentary on John Zorn when her subject fell off the map. Calls were no longer returned and planned interviews weren't happening. She seemed to have nowhere to turn.

Nowhere to turn, that is, except to herself. During her onscreen interviews with the saxophonist, composer and avant entrepreneur, Zorn suggested that she put herself into the project, that she make the film her own. Halfway through production, he had left her with no other choice.

"Zorn suggested taking something that has to do with me, and I took that very literally," Heuermann said. In order to complete the project, she created a series of flashbacks that told the story of her own discovery of Zorn's music and of creating the film. "Somehow that put so many pieces in place. It took care of it all. That was quite a good tip I got from Zorn."

A Bookshelf On Top of the Sky: 12 Stories About John Zorn offers unique glimpses into the workings of one of the most prolific and influential musicians to come out of New York's downtown scene. Before he cut her off, Zorn granted Heuermann access to rehearsals and allowed her to film concerts. Scenes showing preparation for a performance of his complex game-piece Cobra especially offer a rare chance to see the enigmatic and often cloistered artist at work. She also managed to dig up some old Naked City live footage to include. But it's as much a film about a young German woman's arrival in New York, discovery of the overlapping Jewish and downtown improv scenes, and her move from listening to pure punk to punk-infused improvisational music. And despite the break in communications, Heuermann said Zorn had seen the movie and gave it a green light. "He was the first to get a copy," she said. "I asked him about edits, he said no changes have to be made."

Heuermann was a fan of classical music and hardcore punk and had studied violin when she moved to New York City in 1997. Her first exposure to Zorn's music was the brutal, extended Naked City piece Leng T'che (one of the scenes reenacted in the film). Although she was new to his work, the music felt "very, very, very familiar," she said. Despite the genre with which Zorn is most often associated, "jazz" wasn't a connection for her. "I do not listen really often to classic jazz," she said. "I'm not a jazz fan, which explains why there's not really an historical context in the film. I wasn't interested in that."

The film is also missing any voices other than her own and Zorn's; it's a very personal project, but limited by being so insular. Those wishing for the "definitive" documentary on Zorn's community and working methods will have to wait. But the 12 Stories does chart one person's musical explorations as guided by Zorn's work, a path many viewers will no doubt find familiar.

While speaking with frequent collaborators would have made for a more rounded documentary, Heuermann had already done that route. Her first film, Sabbath in Paradise was a broader project about Jewish music in New York City and included interviews with Roy Nathanson, Marc Ribot, Andy Statman, David Krakauer, Frank London and Michael Alpert. The film received the Prix du Long M?trage award at the Nyon documentary festival in 1997.

"When I made my first film, many people talked about Zorn, but it was what everybody knew already," she said. "I had the idea that I could not find out anything interesting by talking to them. Then I talked to Zorn and he also suggested I not talk to anyone else, so I thought I didn't need to talk anyone else because the music was there."

Prior to the New York premiere of 12 Stories in December 2002, the film received a dozen screenings in Europe, including showings in Switzerland, Munich, Portugal, Italy and three in Germany, and received the "Young Lion" award at the 2002 Munich Film Festival for best documentary. In 2003, the film has shown at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic and the Toronto International Documentary Festival. Showings at the Leeds International Film Festival in England and a screening in Quebec are also in the works and Tzadik is planning to release the film on DVD next year.

Heuermann, 37, studied Art and Design at the FH Trier in Germany from 1985-1989 and Media Art and Film at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne from 1990-1993. Her work in films also includes experimental video installations, several short films and documentaries and a self-produced video for Zorn's Leng T'che

She is currently developing plans for her next film, while continuing her work as an editor for German television, which is how she has funded her previous films. But next time, she said, she hopes to find some backing.

"I cannot do a project like that again, with all the self-financing," she said. "It's too difficult. My next film will not be a music film, and it will probably have to do with New York." She said she is considering a project about New Yorkers and their relationships with rats. "I'm curious about the meaning of rats in history. It's going to be a horror documentary."



The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

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Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Ensemble SuperMusique :
Musiques Emeraude
(Ambiances Magnetiques)



Rempis /
Karayorgis /
Heinemann /
Harris:
Truss
(Driff Records)



Paul Paccione:
Distant Musics
(Another Timbre)



Peter Evans
Being & Becoming (
Evans /
Ross /
Jozwiak /
Ode):
Ars Memoria
(More Is More)



Gregorio /
Smith /
Bryerton:
The Cold Arrow
(Balance Point Acoustics)



Michel Banabila /
Stijn Huwels /
Cok Van Vuuren :
One Moment
In Time
[CASSETTE]
(Tapu Records)



Chad Fowler /
Shanyse Strickland /
Sana Nagano /
Melanie Dyer /
Ken Filiano /
Anders Griffen:
Birdsong
(Mahakala Music)



Joane Hetu /
Ensemble SuperMusique:
Monnomest
(Ambiances Jazz)



Niels Lokkegaard Lyhne /
Quatuor Bozzini:
Colliding Bubbles
(Important Records)



Friedl /
Siewert:
Lichtung
(KARLRECORDS)



Joelle Leandre /
Pascal Contet:
Miniatures
(Trost Records)



Federico Ughi (
w /
Leo Genovese /
Brandon Lopez):
Infinite Cosmos Calling
You You You,
Vol. 1
(577 Records)



Sven-Ake Johansson /
Alexander Von Schlippenbach:
uber Ursache und
Wirkung der
Meinungsverschiedenheiten
beim Turmbau zu Babel
[VINYL 2 LPs & PAL DVD]
(Trost Records)



Charles Mingus:
Presents Charles Mingus
To
Pre Bird,
Revisited
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Franz Koglmann:
Near Blue -
A Taste of Melancholy
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Void Patrol (
Sharp /
Stetson /
Martin /
MacDonald):
Live @ Victo
(Victo)



Peter Brotzmann /
Paal Nilssen-Love:
Chicken Shit Bingo
(Trost Records)



Jean Derome:
La Chaleur De La Pensee
(Ambiances Magnetiques)



Giuseppe Doronzo /
Andy Moor /
Frank Rosaly:
Futuro Ancestrale
(Clean Feed)







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