HARLEY, RUFUS Re-Creation of the Gods (Ankh) lp 12.98
Now available on vinyl...
Reissue of a rare 1972 album. (All right, we're listening, tell us more...) Free jazz improv. (Ok, we're interested, except for Jim who's not into jazz.) Funky grooves. (Still sounds good... except you've lost Andee, he doesn't dig the funk.) BAGPIPES! (Whoa?! Really? Maybe Andee and Jim are back in the fold. Bagpipes?)
Yep, bagpipes. And a lot of groovy, jazzy funk laid down by organ, bass and drums. And, at one point, there's a baby crying. Ok, this IS still way too jazzy fusiony funky for Andee or Jim, but Allan's digging it. Just imagine a Scottish highlander trying to fit in with a jivey '70s urban nightclub jazz scene. It works. Rufus ain't blowin' the bagpipes continuously (he also grooves on electric soprano sax), but there are certainly way more BPs than you'd normally hear on a jazz/funk album! Understandable, then, the "legendary" status of this record.
And oh yeah, dude's playing AMERICAN FLAG bagpipes in the picture on the front cover.
MPEG Stream: "The Crack"
MPEG Stream: "Nobody Knows The Trouble Us People Done Seen"

HARRIOTT, JOE (DOUBLE QUINTET) Indo-Jazz (Atlantic) lp 12.98

HARRIS, DAVE & THE POWERHOUSE FIVE Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungry Cannibals (Basta) cd 21.00
Crazy and manic big band styles!

HARRISON, JOEL 3+3=7 (9 Winds) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Three guitarists and three percussionists, exploring Harrison's songs and their own extensive improvisational skills. Local. Featuring AQ fave guitarist Nels Cline!

HASKELL, JIMMY AND HIS ORCHESTRA Count Down! (EM Records) cd 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We listed this a while back, but then discovered that it's now been officially re-released in a much more deluxe version by one of our new favorite labels, Japanese reissue label EM records (who also did the Moolah and the Symphony Of The Birds discs we reviewed recently). This is an absolute all time space-age bachelor pad music kitschy classic for sure. Count Down! -- originally released in 1959 -- is a rock and roll visit to outerspace. Take your standard 1950's boogie woogie, throw a ton of echo, reverb, theremin and other strange sounds at it and you have Jimmie Haskell. Pre-dating Joe Meek's I Hear A New World by just one year, it's hard to believe the two didn't have a late night brainstorming session together. The two share a similar production aesthetic -- double speed vocals, extreme EQ-ing & compression -- and an off-kilter melodic sensibility. Wacky and wonderful!
As with all EM releases, very nicely done with lots of liner notes (unfortunately almost all in Japanese, though) as well as photos, the original artwork, repros of both the front and back covers and loads more!
MPEG Stream: "Weightless Blues"
MPEG Stream: "Rockin' In the Orbit"
MPEG Stream: "We Get Messages"

HEADHUNTERS Return of the Headhunters (Verve) 15.98
The legendary jazz-funk masters reunite -- featuring Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson, Mike Clark, and Bill Summers -- and with "special guests" Herbie Hancock, Billy Childs, and N'Dea Davenport. You will remember that Herbie Hancock made a string of fantastic kozmik groove records in the 1970s with this band, who then made a few on their own without him, and all are worth hearing. We've got a few of the Hancock 70s reissued LPs too, so ask us about those if you are interested.

HEADHUNTERS Survival Of The Fittest (Arista) lp 13.98

HEADHUNTERS, THE Survival Of The Fittest / Straight From The Gate (R2) 2cd 21.00
First time on cd domestically for these two long out of print releases from this hard-hitting space jazz-funk fusion outfit. Originally formed by Herbie Hancock for his classic 1973 Head Hunters breakthrough release (after he broke up his previous band, Sextant), the band didn't break out on their own until 1975's Hancock-produced Survival Of The Fittest with the jazz funk hit, "God Made Me Funky". But The Headhunters had more going for them than just the one funk hit. Comprised of seasoned jazz players: saxman/clarinetist Bennie Maupin (a holdover from the Sextant), bassist Paul Jackson, Jr., drummer Harvey Mason, and percussionist Bill Summers, The Headhunters strength was their atmospheric groove, heavy percussive rhythms and a willingness to take the songs to farout places. While Survival of The Fittest was their best and most well-known album, 1978's Straight From The Gate, their final album before a reunion 20+ years later, is perhaps their most obscure recording. Pushing the funk and fusion elements with an altered lineup there is more of a rushed heavier energy emphasized by guitars, flute, sax and electric piano. This is the kind of record that can easily scare those who bristle at the word "fusion", but there are some deep cuts that make it worth looking into. Either way, having Survival of The Fittest alone is worth the price of admission!
MPEG Stream: "God Made Me Funky"
MPEG Stream: "Music"
MPEG Stream: "Rima"
MPEG Stream: "Stright From The Gate"
MPEG Stream: "Mayonnaise"

HEASLEY, TOM On The Sensations Of Tone (Innova) cd 14.98
You know how much I love flutes, so it would only stand to reason that I would also love tubas. What!? Makes perfect sense to me. Two of the most maligned instruments, the instruments that even band geeks made fun of. Well not any more!!! Flutes have already proven themselves (check out Osanna and a million other kick ass prog bands), now it's the tuba's turn to shine. And shine it does, although not in nearly as ostentatious a manner as the flute. Partially because tonally, the tuba is more well designed to rumble and drone than freak out. So Tom Heasly, who, we sadly know little about, takes his tuba, mixes in some throat singing, loops and digital processing, and comes up with this dreamy, willowy record of gentle swells and warm drones. Bordering occasionally on new age, Heasly manages to just barely steer clear of Windham Hill, adding some grit to the gentle soundscapes, making notes ring endlessly, as other notes join in and gently pulse along side. Washes of gauzy major key hum whirl in lazy rings around rumbling swells. Kind of like Stars Of The Lid without the guitars, or Gas without the beats or a Coleclough record with lots of tuba!!
RealAudio clip: "Thonis"

HEBDEN, KIERAN / STEVE REID / MATS GUSTAFSSON Live At The South Bank (Smalltown Superjazzz) 2cd 29.00
Amazing live collaboration between Kieran Hebden of Four Tet, and (formerly) frequent collaborator, the late jazz drummer Steve Reid, who were joined by talented Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, the recording/performance taking place just a year before Reid's passing, in 2009 in the foyer of Queen Elizabeth Hall at London's Southbank Centre, as part of the Ornette Coleman curated Meltdown Festival.
As documented on this double disc set, the synergy between these three is something to behold, although the track that is worth the price of admission alone, features barely any Gustafsson (if any at all): that's the 17 minute opener "Morning Prayer", which sounds like a more kinetic propulsive Necks, dark and cyclical, droney and psychedelic, mesmerizingly textured, Hebden providing lush textures and dark melodies, over which Reid plays his heart out, subtle and minimal and abstract, yet forceful and intense, it's the sort of transcendental performance that happens rarely, and to actually capture it on tape, is incredible. And listening to it now, it's hard to imagine this being performed live. Totally hypnotic, the sort of sound you don't ever want to end, we've played this track about 20 times since this first came in, and we show no signs of stopping now. But in the interest of reviewing the record as a whole, we'll take a break from repeat listens.
The vibe throughout is pretty similar to that opener, with Hebden providing all the low end, as well as all manner of swirling effects, constantly shifting layers, melodies and strange electronic percussion, with Gustafsson adding his own powerful melodies, and we were actually expecting more skronk, but he really plays to his two collaborators, coaxing all sorts of buzzes and drones from his horn, a few of the tracks sound more traditionally jazz, but where these three really shine is where they weave a sort of droned out jazzy minimalism, mirroring that opening track, and letting Reid do his thing, and Reid's drumming here is just so amazing, you could literally strip away everything the other guys are doing and it would still be totally mesmerizing. But as a trio, these guys are powerful and emotional and dynamic and these are definitely some of the coolest jams we've heard, jazz or otherwise. A fantastic and moving swansong for Reid too, and a monument to his emotional innovative drumming and his legacy as a jazz icon. Totally recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Morning Prayer"
MPEG Stream: "Lyman Place"

HEBDEN, KIERAN AND STEVE REID Exchange Sessions Vol. 1 (Domino) cd 14.98
How cool is Steve Reid! While a lot of free jazz legends rest on their laurels or keep hashing out the same sounds that were once revolutionary but now just sort of sound stale, Reid is committed to staying current and pushing himself in new and different modes of expression, as evidenced here, where he is teamed up with Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) for a really nice collaboration of drums and electronics. A few lists ago you might remember we reviewed Reid's Spirit Walk in which Hebden lent some helping hands in a very minimal way. This release is much more of an equal pairing of their two worlds. Hebden creates tension and and color with his electronics as Reid so skillfully yet freely goes off on his drum kit. Their recent live show in SF was so totally captivating and full of all the right vibrations. Seeing the two of them on stage with a super sweet kind of father / son dynamic was a sight to see for sure. This seems to be the first in what we hope to be many exchange sessions between these two.
MPEG Stream: "Soul Oscillations"
MPEG Stream: "Morning Prayer"

HEBDEN, KIERAN AND STEVE REID NYC (Domino) cd 15.98
We've been big fans of the previous collaborative efforts between Kieren Hebden (Four Tet) and legendary free jazz drummer Steve Reid, but NYC demonstrates the two truly finding their own pulsating and exciting outer groove. This isn't fusion or jazz, instead it really sounds like two musical innovators reaching out into each other's orbits and succeeding in making something wholly new.
NYC was recorded right in the heart of New York City over just a couple days and both the city and the urgency shines through as these tracks play like some amazing version of Liquid Liquid performing live at the Village Vanguard. We almost want to send copies of this to some of our favorite rhythmic and percussion fueled bands like Tussle, Mi Ami, !!!, Lemonade and Trans Am, for a shot of fresh inspiration. Hot off the heels of Hebden's recent collaboration with Sunburned Hand Of The Man and a dazzling stripped down and drugged out Four Tet ep he's really sounding like he's on top of his game lately and Reid keeps proving that getting older has hardly dimmed his soul and passion as his percussive skills have never sounded more alive and full of fire. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Lyman Place"
MPEG Stream: "Arrival"
MPEG Stream: "Departure"

HEBDEN, KIERAN AND STEVE REID Tongues (Domino) cd 15.98
The third album in the exciting collaboration between electronic wizard Kieren Hebden (Four Tet, Fridge) and free jazz and beyond living legend drummer Steve Reid who over the years has manned the kit for everyone from Sun Ra, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Martha & The Vandellas and Fela Kuti. Their first two collaborations together (The Exchange Sessions) were marked with great extended pieces that perfectly blended electronics and free jazz into one seamless whole. Tongues offers a more song based album, with shorter tracks but just as much vibrancy and color, the two of them constantly bouncing sounds and ideas off of each other. These two gifted musicians from two different generations have tapped into something so exciting together. Sure to stand the test of time, Tongues is truly the work of two people dedicated to the endless search for new sounds and free expression. So good!
MPEG Stream: "The Sun Never Sets"
MPEG Stream: "Our Time"

HEDVIG MOLLESTAD TRIO Shoot! (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
We're liking this Nordic notion of 'jazz fusion', all right. The heavy duty debut from the Hedvig Mollestad Trio comes to us from Norway's Rune Grammofon label, who specialize in such things - the 'death jazz' of Supersilent, for instance, and also the likes of Scorch Trio, Ultralyd, and Bushman's Revenge - the latter of whom even covered Motorhead on their latest disc. Well, not to be outdone, the Hedvig Mollestad Trio cover the Melvins, here! That ought to give you an idea of where they're coming from, jazz-wise.
These guys - actually, two gals and one guy, on electric guitar, bass and drums, respectively - are a skronky power trio who rip it up instrumentally, their tunes twisty, turny, and full of distortion and feedback. In other words, they rock, rollercoaster style, reminding us of AQ instrumental faves Stinking Lizaveta at times, and eponymous guitarist Hedvig Mollestad has a dash of Nels Cline in her playing.
Though the band members are all jazz-trained musicians, their brand of fusion is heavy on the grungy rock side of the equation, though they tone it down for the moody meanders of "Doom's Lair" and "The Valley" amongst a few mellower moments. Not to be counted among those moments, of course, is that Melvins cover (the chunky, rockin' "Blood Witch" from A Senile Animal), the only song here to feature vocals.
All in all, this is catchy stuff, as far as noisy noodling jazzrock goes! Recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubs, capturing a lot of raw energy and jaunty glee indeed. Available as a digipack cd, or on lp w/ download code.
MPEG Stream: "Gun And The E-Kid"
MPEG Stream: "Ashes"
MPEG Stream: "For The Air"

HEDVIG MOLLESTAD TRIO Shoot! (Rune Grammofon) lp 24.00
We're liking this Nordic notion of 'jazz fusion', all right. The heavy duty debut from the Hedvig Mollestad Trio comes to us from Norway's Rune Grammofon label, who specialize in such things - the 'death jazz' of Supersilent, for instance, and also the likes of Scorch Trio, Ultralyd, and Bushman's Revenge - the latter of whom even covered Motorhead on their latest disc. Well, not to be outdone, the Hedvig Mollestad Trio cover the Melvins, here! That ought to give you an idea of where they're coming from, jazz-wise.
These guys - actually, two gals and one guy, on electric guitar, bass and drums, respectively - are a skronky power trio who rip it up instrumentally, their tunes twisty, turny, and full of distortion and feedback. In other words, they rock, rollercoaster style, reminding us of AQ instrumental faves Stinking Lizaveta at times, and eponymous guitarist Hedvig Mollestad has a dash of Nels Cline in her playing.
Though the band members are all jazz-trained musicians, their brand of fusion is heavy on the grungy rock side of the equation, though they tone it down for the moody meanders of "Doom's Lair" and "The Valley" amongst a few mellower moments. Not to be counted among those moments, of course, is that Melvins cover (the chunky, rockin' "Blood Witch" from A Senile Animal), the only song here to feature vocals.
All in all, this is catchy stuff, as far as noisy noodling jazzrock goes! Recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubs, capturing a lot of raw energy and jaunty glee indeed. Available as a digipack cd, or on lp w/ download code.
MPEG Stream: "Gun And The E-Kid"
MPEG Stream: "Ashes"
MPEG Stream: "For The Air"

HEMMINGSON, MERIT Queen Of Swedish Hammond Folk Groove (Amigo) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Wow! The wonderful, wonderful music of organist Merit Hemmingson combines a bunch of stuff we just simply LOVE but never heard quite like this before. The title of this "best of" collection boldly suggests as much to you too, right? Swedish Hammond Folk Groove, yeah!! We hadn't heard of her before we came across this, but now we know she made a handful of records in the '70s that brought together ancestral Swedish folk melodies, jazzy Hammond organ grooving, and some colorful psychedelic moves. Merit's Hammond is at the fore, playing her own swingin', riffin' take on these traditional tunes, but the arrangements also variously incorporate '70s funky wah-wah psych guitars, her lovely, wordless vocals, flutes and bongos and more... It's all so sunshiney and delightful, reminding us of everything from Hansson & Karlsson to Turid to The Free Design to a calmer, mellower version of Aavikko! And of course modern-day Swedish folk organ duo Sagor & Swing.
Merit's music is gentle, soulful, rhythmic -- so nice! It's total "grooving with trolls and flowers in the forest funk". Not your everyday organ jazz that's for sure, though Merit got her start in the '60s playing jazz -- she came over to the New York City to study, taking piano lessons from both Joe Zawinul and Lalo Schifrin and even getting to sit in with Miles Davis's band! But soon she went in a more pop/funk direction, and then became inspired by Scandinavia's rich history of olden folk music to create the sounds heard here.
The twenty tracks on this collection are all from albums originally released between 1971-1977 (Huvva, Trollskog, Bergtagen, Balsam, and Hoven Droven) except for a couple of recently-recorded tracks at the disc's end done in a similar style, featuring as sidemen members of currently happenin' Swedish retro-leaning rock bands (and big Merit fans) Dungen and The Ark! That's right, while obscure for years even in Sweden, she's undergone a bit of a hipster rediscovery lately and in fact this disc (the first time on cd for most of this music) is the prelude to a new album due out this year.
Queen Of Swedish Hammond Folk Groove is a nicely deluxe package, in a slipcovered jewelcase with a thick booklet full of photos, liner notes in both English and Swedish, and Merit's own track-by-track commentary. We had to go to a bit of trouble to import these from Sweden, but it was worth it!
MPEG Stream: "Mandom Mod Och Morske Man"
MPEG Stream: "Brudmarsch Efter Lisme Per"
MPEG Stream: "Setnmarks Slalompolska"

HEMOPHILIAC John Zorn's 50th Birthday Celebration Vol. 6 (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Good grief, it's become a running joke 'round these parts about John Zorn's never-ending 50th birthday sell-a-bration. I mean, of course he gets our best wishes and everything, but it seems like Tzadik's still gonna be releasing Zorn 50th Birthday cds when the man turns 60! Certainly it might take us that long to review all of 'em. But, that's no complaint, when we get to check out via compact disc shows we probably would have been stoked to see had we been in NYC during Zorn's month-long birthday concert happenins' in September 2003. Like this one, a rare recording from Hemophiliac, a trio made up of John Zorn (on sax), Mike Patton (voice) and Ikue Mori (laptop electronics). How's that for avant-cool? Crazed chaos ensues of course...squeals and squeeks and squalling squonk. Surely an endurance test for some, but sticking with it we're hearing some interestin' textures -- and even calm drones and beautiful sax lines -- alongside the exciting improv cartoon carnage dished out by these pros.
MPEG Stream: "@:<>:@"
MPEG Stream: "<<-^->>"

HENDERSON, JOE Power To The People (Universe / Milestone) cd 16.98
Italian reissue of this 1969 album by tenor sax man Joe Henderson, or shall we say Joe Henderson and heavy friends: Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette... Very "jazz" indeed.

HENRIKSEN, ARVE Cartography (ECM) cd 17.98
Ooooh. Muted jazz trumpet. Breathy and gentle. Improvising melodically o'er shimmering background ambience... Well that's certainly part of what Supersilent's Arve Henriksen brings to this new "solo" album for the legendary German new music label ECM. But he's not really solo here, rather the bandleader of a (virtual?) ensemble that includes percussion, sampling, strings, double-bass, guitar, synth, field recordings, etc. Many folks are credited with sampling, programming, and "treatments", with vocals contributed by Trio Medieval and David Sylvian (whose fans will most likely enjoy this record). The twelve tracks here include much in the way of mysterious, somnolent electronic textures, crackling Philip Jeck style loopings, layered and effected spoken word interludes, and of course the gorgeous, feathery caresses of Henriksen's trumpet. It's all very moody, and certainly soundtrack-ready, a Scandinavian chill-out album that's part Miles Davis, part Portishead, part Djivan Gasparyan... Imagine an "easy listening" edition of Supersilent, a lot of the same sorts of sounds and glitchery but all on the mellow side. Also this would be easy to imagine, if you've heard any of Henriksen's previous lovely soundscapey solo discs on Rune Grammofon (which featured several of the same collaborators). And we'd recommend this too, for those who dig stuff on the Type and Miasmah labels.
MPEG Stream: "Poverty And Its Opposite"
MPEG Stream: "Assembly"

HENRIKSEN, ARVE Chiaroscuro (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
On his own, trumpeter for Norwegian "death-jazz" geniuses Supersilent Arve Henriksen seems like a big softie, blowing and singing wordless soundscapes that are eerily pretty and entrancing. Arve's 2001 solo debut Sakuteiki merged his haunting horn with minimal abstract electronics. Now he's back with his 2nd solo for Rune Grammofon, Chiaroscuro, on which Arve's breathy playing and ever-so-slightly Bjorkish singing are joined by the live sampling of Jan Bang and the drums and percussion of Audun Kleive. The results, yet again, are gorgeous.
MPEG Stream: "Opening Image"
MPEG Stream: "Blue Silk"

HENRIKSEN, ARVE Sakuteiki (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
Henriksen is a member of AQ-faves Supersilent, the unclassifiable and brilliant Norwegian improvising outfit. On this, his debut solo album, he blends his gorgeous, haunting trumpet playing with the drone-ful production of electronicist Deathprod (aka Helge Sten, who is also a member of Supersilent) -- although the sleeve states that everything was recorded direct to 2-track with no effects added in post production. Wow. Seemingly inspired by a visit to a Japanese Zen garden (with track titles like "Beauty of Bamboos", "Peaceful -- Close To Cherry Trees", "Planting Trees Creating Beauty", and "Shrine"), Henrikson's album is austere, hushed, detailed, and beautiful. The far north meets the far east: keening shakuhachi-like horn calls, breathy melodies, some pulsing sub-sonics, rare electronic blips, and even on the track "White Gravel" what sounds like rubbing stones. It reminds us of the lovely, melancholic tones of Armenian duduk player Djivan Gasparyan, if he were performing in an environment created by an Arctic ambient-electronica artist like Biosphere. If you enjoyed the "glacial Miles Davis" moments (as we put it in our review) on the most recent Supersilent disc "5" -- the ambient-jazz stuff that might have had something to do with why ECM picked up Rune Grammofon for distribution -- then you'll love Henriksen's disc too. So nice.
RealAudio clip: "Procession Passing"
RealAudio clip: "White Gravel"
RealAudio clip: "Tsukubai - Washbasin"

HENRIKSEN, ARVE Strjon (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
Here's another set of moody abstract electro-acoustic soundscapes from Supersilent trumpeter Arve Henriksen, his third solo outing on the Rune Grammophon label, as lovely as the other two. In addition to his calm, melodic, breathy "glacial Miles Davis" horn playing, he also utilizes electronics and keyboards and wordless singing. Plus Supersilent bandmates Stale Storlokeen Helge "Deathprod" Sten (on production duties as well) contribute on keys and guitars respectively, adding to the overall mysterious drone-factor of this music, some of it very Supersilent-sounding (as you might expect with this lineup), some parts particularly reminiscent of the austere Arctic tranquility of Henriksen's solo debut on Rune G, Sakuteiki. Overall, there's an air of olden mystic ceremony, with tracks like "Glacier Descent" building to white-light shining bliss. Ominous relaxation... definitely for fans of Supersilent and Deathprod.
MPEG Stream: "Black Mountain"
MPEG Stream: "Leaf And Rock"

HERON, GIL-SCOTT / BRIAN JACKSON Winter in America (Get Back) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

HESSION, PAUL / ALAN WILKINSON / SIMON H. FELL Saint John's (Ecstatic Peace) cd 14.98

HEUERMANN, CLAUDIA A Bookshelf On Top Of The Sky (Tzadik) dvd 27.00

HEWITT, P.E. JAZZ ENSEMBLE Winter Winds: The Complete Works 1968-70 (Now-Again) 3cd 36.00
We first got an earful of P.E. Hewitt on that recent Spiritual Jazz comp, and we knew we had to hear more, we just didn't realize that it would end up being an massive triple cd / triple lp boxset collecting Hewitt's first three albums in their entirety. But we're definitely not complaining, this is some incredible stuff, especially considering that these three records were recorded when Hewitt was but a teenager, between the ages of 16 and 19, yet already an accomplished vibraphonist and composer. These albums, as good as they sound now, went mostly unheard then, the first, Jawbones, was released in an edition of 50 copies, his second and third, Since Washington, and Winter Winds in runs of 100. So until now, only 250 copies TOTAL of these three albums existed for the last 40+ years.
Listening to these now, it's hard to believe what could have happened had Hewitt's fortunes shifted just a bit, record deals, world tours, there's really no reason someone so accomplished as a teen shouldn't have gone on to sit aside other legends in the jazz pantheon, but as it turned out, until the eighties, Hewitt stopped playing music entirely.
There's loads more about Hewitt's life and music in the massive booklet, as well as a lengthy interview conducted right here in SF last year, not to mention original liner notes from the three records, tons of photos too, but it's still all about the music, and the sounds on all three records are some of the most amazing jazz you've never heard, not far out or free or freaky, not skronky or avant, instead, these records are classic, masterful, emotional and intimate and spiritual, the vibes warm and melodic, his equally young band tight and incredible, modal jazz that swings and grooves, rhythmic and soulful, piano, bass, drums, sax, trumpet, vibes and flugelhorn, occasionally vocals, not traditional jazz scat, but instead, Hewitt provided rhythmic words that functioned more as some sort of invented language, the result, again, mysterious and so soulful. So so recommended. Anyone who has been digging the recent spate of obscure jazz reissues from folks like Lloyd Miller, Nathan Davis and of course that Spiritual Jazz compilation will LOVE this, as will anyone into classic, timeless, lost genius jazz.
Both the 3cd and the 3lp come in super deluxe boxes, with each record housed in exact reproductions of the original artwork, and a huge booklet of liner notes, photos and interviews.
MPEG Stream: "Free"
MPEG Stream: "Ihadmyheadoverthechickensouppot"
MPEG Stream: "Alone And Watching"
MPEG Stream: "Sad Sunday"

HEWITT, P.E. JAZZ ENSEMBLE Winter Winds: The Complete Works 1968-70 (Now-Again) 3lp 59.00
We first got an earful of P.E. Hewitt on that recent Spiritual Jazz comp, and we knew we had to hear more, we just didn't realize that it would end up being an massive triple cd / triple lp boxset collecting Hewitt's first three albums in their entirety. But we're definitely not complaining, this is some incredible stuff, especially considering that these three records were recorded when Hewitt was but a teenager, between the ages of 16 and 19, yet already an accomplished vibraphonist and composer. These albums, as good as they sound now, went mostly unheard then, the first, Jawbones, was released in an edition of 50 copies, his second and third, Since Washington, and Winter Winds in runs of 100. So until now, only 250 copies TOTAL of these three albums existed for the last 40+ years.
Listening to these now, it's hard to believe what could have happened had Hewitt's fortunes shifted just a bit, record deals, world tours, there's really no reason someone so accomplished as a teen shouldn't have gone on to sit aside other legends in the jazz pantheon, but as it turned out, until the eighties, Hewitt stopped playing music entirely.
There's loads more about Hewitt's life and music in the massive booklet, as well as a lengthy interview conducted right here in SF last year, not to mention original liner notes from the three records, tons of photos too, but it's still all about the music, and the sounds on all three records are some of the most amazing jazz you've never heard, not far out or free or freaky, not skronky or avant, instead, these records are classic, masterful, emotional and intimate and spiritual, the vibes warm and melodic, his equally young band tight and incredible, modal jazz that swings and grooves, rhythmic and soulful, piano, bass, drums, sax, trumpet, vibes and flugelhorn, occasionally vocals, not traditional jazz scat, but instead, Hewitt provided rhythmic words that functioned more as some sort of invented language, the result, again, mysterious and so soulful. So so recommended. Anyone who has been digging the recent spate of obscure jazz reissues from folks like Lloyd Miller, Nathan Davis and of course that Spiritual Jazz compilation will LOVE this, as will anyone into classic, timeless, lost genius jazz.
Both the 3cd and the 3lp come in super deluxe boxes, with each record housed in exact reproductions of the original artwork, and a huge booklet of liner notes, photos and interviews.
MPEG Stream: "Free"
MPEG Stream: "Ihadmyheadoverthechickensouppot"
MPEG Stream: "Alone And Watching"
MPEG Stream: "Sad Sunday"

HINDS BROTHERS 420 Haight Street, San Francisco (Omni Sonic) cd 11.98
John and Peter Hinds (of Sun Ra Research 'zine fame) return with their second album of hybrid jazz/electronica grooves. The mix includes drum'n'bass beats, dub elements, spacy synth, faux-classical compositions, AND incoherent interviews with homeless people (nine field recorded interludes that crop up throughout the disc)! Exploitative maybe, but unusual.
RealAudio clip: "The Light Dub"
RealAudio clip: "Scene Eight"

HINDS BROTHERS Dubmixer: Mixed By John Hinds (Omni Sonic) cd 7.98
The Brothers Hinds return with another eclectic release. Don't let the title fool ya, this is a far cry from a typical dub mix collection. It's a super trippy meltdown of jazz, drum'n'bass, and yes, some dub too. As always, well executed and with a few unexpected twists thrown into the mix.

HINDS BROTHERS The Brilliant Sound (Omni Sonic) cd 12.98
The brothers responsible for the locally-produced, fab, & obsessive "Sun Ra Research" zine have released this very original and enjoyable electronica/jazz recording, kinda like a meeting of Muslimgauze and Bill Laswell. Organic grooves. Recommended.

HIS NAME IS ALIVE Sweet Earth Flower - A Tribute To Marion Brown (High Two Recording Co. ) cd 16.98
Without knowing why or how, the idea of the recently more soulful, perpetually Beach Boys obsessed pop group His Name Is Alive tackling a record of tracks by legendary jazz saxophonist Marion Brown, seems not just unlikely but maybe even ill advised.
So we were pretty surprised and thrilled when we finally wrapped our ears around this disc. A dark smoldering expansive ambient jazz sprawl, His Name Is Alive, seriously channeling the spirit of Marion Brown, in such a way that is at once totally faithful but also, quite modern and radical.
Most of the tracks are languorous and laid back, and sometimes sound like a jazzier No Neck Blues Band, a sort of fluttering free folk, the sounds drifting like smoke, the percussion sizzling and shuffling, the horns moaning softly, lots of tinkling chimes and little flurries of piano, gorgeously soft focus and hypnotic.
There are a few live tracks, which is where the band really cut loose, and embrace the noisier side of Brown's oeuvre, "Capricorn Moon" the first live track, is much boppier, the drums and bass locked into a sort of muted exotica, while the horns bleat wildly over the top, the sound very African, and dipping into some serious Ethiopiques territory here and there. The next few songs return to the blissy jazzy tranquility of the first few, until "Bismillahi 'Rrahmani 'Rrahim", which starts off all dreamlike, but by the end, is a squall of thick distorted guitars and skronky saxes, a serious free jazz duel.
The two part "Geechee Recollections" is another slow burning jam, all exotic percussion and thick rubbery basslines, wailing sax, shuffling skittery drum lines, moody meandering piano, the second half a super minimal late night jazzy sprawl, like a less repetitive Necks, but the same sort of mysterious murky swirl.
The record finishes off with a live version of the opening track, sticking close to that same smoky late night shimmer, but with the horns more active and up in the mix, the drums a bit more propulsive, some wah guitar, managing to sound just a bit more fierce, but without losing that blurry blissy sultriness...
This is so good. We used to love love love His Name Is Alive. They even played an instore here, which was a blast. They sort of lost us though lately with their ever intensifying soul leanings, but this record is absolutely gorgeous, and has definitely restored our faith in Warn Defever and company, plus anyone so into Marion Brown is aces in our book.
A portion of the proceeds of the sale of this cd goes to the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation, which is also quite cool...
MPEG Stream: "Sweet Earth Flying"
MPEG Stream: "Juba Lee Brown"
MPEG Stream: "Geechee Recollections I"

HOLLEY, LONNIE Just Before Music (Dust-To-Digital) cd 14.98
What a crazy release! Imagine a drug-addled Doug Blunt turning his outsider RnB synth grooves into something even more strange and rarefied, as if he somehow discovered a primitive synthesized folk-blues through ritual sculpture building and obsessive, constantly shifting meta-narratives about space and technology.
Lonnie Holley has quite the backstory. Born in 1950 in Alabama, the seventh of twenty-seven children (!) and the byproduct of the state's poorly regulated foster care system, Holley had a difficult childhood that he overcame through art and music which he developed on his own, his creative output manifesting itself through drawing, painting, sculpture and performance (examples of his artwork are included in the booklet that comes with this cd). Holley had never recorded his music previous to this release, which marks the first time that the Dust-To-Digital label has brought an artist into the studio and it's unlike anything we've heard on the label before. While Holley may look like a Sun Ra type eccentric, and this record was in fact recommended as being very 'Sun Ra-ish', there really isn't a whole lot of that kind of instrumentation or jazz sound, instead, the minimalistic music is mostly layered and woozy psychedelic synth washes and percussion. What's most noticeable and remarkable is Holley's vocals, which come across as a shamanistic Arthur Russell as he sings a primitive-futuristic brew of blues mantras that twist into strange abstracted vocalizations, evoking at first an old-world sound until he starts going off about cellphones and other modern technology. This is a pretty amazing release for folks with a penchant for bizarre outsider figures such as Ariel Pink, Doug Blunt and Jandek. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is definitely wholly original!
MPEG Stream: "Here I Stand Knocking On Your Door"
MPEG Stream: "The End of The Film Era"
MPEG Stream: "Earthly Things"

HONDA, YUKA Eucademix (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Eucademix is the second solo album from the more esoteric half of the sadly defunct, beloved US-based Japanese electronic pop duo Cibo Matto. Once again Ms Honda traverses a broad expanse of style and mood. However unlike her last solo experimental pop effort which was, for lack of a better word, more 'serious' (i.e, more experimental than pop) and on which there really wasn't a hint of her former band's sound (which some C.M. fans found to be somewhat alienating), on Eucademix she actually brings some of her playful, funky Cibo Matto side back into view. Just check out the first two engaging tracks "Humming Song" and "I Dream About You". From there she roams through cirrus and altocumulus cloudlike formations of atmosphere'n'rhythm-rich space jazz, groovy beats, psych guitars, pretty chamber strings, and more. Much lighter in mood and perhaps more palatable to a broader audience than her previous album Memories Are My Only Witness, Eucademix very well might be the most accessible release on Tzadik. Helping to keep her trippy flying carpet aloft are her pals Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas), Marc Ribot, Petra Haden (That Dog), Timo Ellis and... Miho Hatori her former C.M. partner! Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Humming Song (Alone Together)"
MPEG Stream: "When The Monkey Kills"

HOOKER, WILLIAM Mindfulness (Knitting Factory Works) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NYC energy drummer Hooker live in San Francisco with local powerhouse saxophonist Glenn Spearman and "illbient" DJ Olive (of the fab We). Surf over to Marc's web site for a look at the interview he did with Mr. Hooker right after this show!

HOPKINS, CLUTCHY Life Of Clutchy Hopkins (Mislead Children) cd 13.98
The rumors are flying. Well, at least on all the underground hip-hop blogs they are. Who is Clutchy Hopkins? Could he really be this Ted Kaczynski type hermit living in a cave somewhere out in the Mojave Desert but who perhaps sometime in the '80s recorded these recently discovered and amazing instrumental funk-jazz tracks? And then came out of hiding briefly to put a new record out on Ubiquity only to then disappear once more? Seems doubtful. Details are shady at best. No one has really seen him, except for some less than trustworthy sources. There are only some old photographs of him looking like some serious Moondog cave hippie, like if Gnarls Barkley was an actual person maybe. It's an interesting back story which adds an exciting twist to the origins of these killer tracks, but would they be less killer if the rumors going around were true that maybe this is in fact an alias band project for either Money Mark, Madlib, Cut Chemist, or DJ Shadow? (Our guess? Kid Loco. Seems like he's been in a cave for awhile.) It shouldn't matter, because this shit is good. And who wouldn't rather believe we live in a world where cave-dwelling hermits could make such awesome grooves. Originally released in 2005, it has 12 untitled tracks ranging from flute groovers, and spy chases to strange percussive interludes. We will review the Ubiquity release on a later list, as this one here we like a bit better and want to make it available to you before it, like Clutchy, disappears into the ether.
MPEG Stream: "3:02"
MPEG Stream: "2:07"
MPEG Stream: "3:24"

HOPKINS, CLUTCHY Life Of Clutchy Hopkins (Mislead Children) lp 14.98
The rumors are flying. Well, at least on all the underground hip-hop blogs they are. Who is Clutchy Hopkins? Could he really be this Ted Kaczynski type hermit living in a cave somewhere out in the Mojave Desert but who perhaps sometime in the '80s recorded these recently discovered and amazing instrumental funk-jazz tracks? And then came out of hiding briefly to put a new record out on Ubiquity only to then disappear once more? Seems doubtful. Details are shady at best. No one has really seen him, except for some less than trustworthy sources. There are only some old photographs of him looking like some serious Moondog cave hippie, like if Gnarls Barkley was an actual person maybe. It's an interesting back story which adds an exciting twist to the origins of these killer tracks, but would they be less killer if the rumors going around were true that maybe this is in fact an alias band project for either Money Mark, Madlib, Cut Chemist, or DJ Shadow? (Our guess? Kid Loco. Seems like he's been in a cave for awhile.) It shouldn't matter, because this shit is good. And who wouldn't rather believe we live in a world where cave-dwelling hermits could make such awesome grooves. Originally released in 2005, it has 12 untitled tracks ranging from flute groovers, and spy chases to strange percussive interludes. We will review the Ubiquity release on a later list, as this one here we like a bit better and want to make it available to you before it, like Clutchy, disappears into the ether.
MPEG Stream: "3:02"
MPEG Stream: "2:07"
MPEG Stream: "3:24"

HOPKINS, CLUTCHY Walking Sdrawkcab (Ubiquity) lp 22.00
Last list we featured a release by the mysterious Clutchy Hopkins, a hippie recluse who was the son of a Motown engineer, and who recorded these amazing instrumental jazz funk tracks sometime in the eighties or early nineties and then disappeared. Rumors have been circulating that this was actually an alias for DJ Shadow or Cut Chemist, as like Bigfoot, only a few people claim to have seen Clutchy Hopkins.
Well, Ubiquity, has released another batch of Clutchy tracks along with a dvd with clips from an unreleased documentary about this mysterious figure. Of course this does little to shed any light on whether this is fact or fiction or a little bit of both. According to the dvd, the tapes were found with a bunch of homemade and middle eastern instruments by a junk collector in Hawthorne, CA. The homemade instruments including a really cool flute wired up to a wah device, a modified electric kalimba, and a mini-electric organ were kept by the collector while the tapes were sold to a friend. Supposedly there were enough tapes to release ten albums, and they were shopped around to various places, and two full albums (including this one) were released. The rest of the tapes were allegedly stolen back and hidden by the junk collector who is now in prison somewhere in Southern California. Other testimonials come from a masked Mexican record collector who fought over the same record, a hippie lady in Venice Beach who lived with Clutchy for three months before he disappeared and a Seattle record store who has some grainy footage of someone believed to be Clutchy shopping. Meanwhile we learn from these testimonials that Clutchy was not only an amazing multi-instrumentalist, but an artist, visionary architect and spiritual philosopher as well. On paper, it sounds so absolutely far-fetched, yet most of the folks on the dvd actually seem quite genuine. So we're really confused. But like the last review, we're gonna stick with our gut and just wholeheartedly buy into this. Why, because the music is awesome for one, and this release also shines a light on another soul obscurity, Darondo, who guest vocals on a track. Whether Darondo recorded the song with Clutchy or was added in later is still a mystery, they didn't include him in the interviews. Recommended!
NB. the dvd portions of this review don't apply to the vinyl format...
MPEG Stream: "Sound Of The Ghost"
MPEG Stream: "Love Of A Woman (feat. Darondo)"
MPEG Stream: "Para Los Ninos"

HOPKINS, CLUTCHY Walking Sdrawkcab (Ubiquity) cd+dvd 16.98
Last list we featured a release by the mysterious Clutchy Hopkins, a hippie recluse who was the son of a Motown engineer, and who recorded these amazing instrumental jazz funk tracks sometime in the eighties or early nineties and then disappeared. Rumors have been circulating that this was actually an alias for DJ Shadow or Cut Chemist, as like Bigfoot, only a few people claim to have seen Clutchy Hopkins.
Well, Ubiquity, has released another batch of Clutchy tracks along with a dvd with clips from an unreleased documentary about this mysterious figure. Of course this does little to shed any light on whether this is fact or fiction or a little bit of both. According to the dvd, the tapes were found with a bunch of homemade and middle eastern instruments by a junk collector in Hawthorne, CA. The homemade instruments including a really cool flute wired up to a wah device, a modified electric kalimba, and a mini-electric organ were kept by the collector while the tapes were sold to a friend. Supposedly there were enough tapes to release ten albums, and they were shopped around to various places, and two full albums (including this one) were released. The rest of the tapes were allegedly stolen back and hidden by the junk collector who is now in prison somewhere in Southern California. Other testimonials come from a masked Mexican record collector who fought over the same record, a hippie lady in Venice Beach who lived with Clutchy for three months before he disappeared and a Seattle record store who has some grainy footage of someone believed to be Clutchy shopping. Meanwhile we learn from these testimonials that Clutchy was not only an amazing multi-instrumentalist, but an artist, visionary architect and spiritual philosopher as well. On paper, it sounds so absolutely far-fetched, yet most of the folks on the dvd actually seem quite genuine. So we're really confused. But like the last review, we're gonna stick with our gut and just wholeheartedly buy into this. Why, because the music is awesome for one, and this release also shines a light on another soul obscurity, Darondo, who guest vocals on a track. Whether Darondo recorded the song with Clutchy or was added in later is still a mystery, they didn't include him in the interviews. Recommended!
NB. the dvd portions of this review don't apply to the vinyl format...
MPEG Stream: "Sound Of The Ghost"
MPEG Stream: "Love Of A Woman (feat. Darondo)"
MPEG Stream: "Para Los Ninos"

HORVITZ, BILL BAND Dust Devil (Music & Arts) cd 15.98

HORVITZ, WAYNE & ZONY MASH Upper Egypt (Knitting Factory Records) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Avant-jazz keyboardist Horvitz (best known for his role in John Zorn's Naked City) and his Seattle-based band Zony Mash return with this new disc, dedicated in part to Pharoah Sanders, whose "Upper Egypt" is performed here, hence the title. Zony Mash is a tight and funky quartet, fitting for a band named after a Meters tune.

HOWARD, NOAH The Black Ark (Bo'Weavil) cd 19.98

MPEG Stream: "Domiabra"
MPEG Stream: "Ole Negro"

HOWARD, NOAH The Black Ark (Bo'Weavil) lp 25.00

MPEG Stream: "Domiabra"
MPEG Stream: "Ole Negro"

HOWARD, NOAH QUARTET Live at the Unity Temple (Ayler) cd 15.98
From his dixieland roots in New Orleans in the 60's and continuing through to today, saxophonist Noah Howard has done the rounds of free music heavies, playing with Sun Ra, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, and tons more. Like so many jazz musicians, he seems to be way better known in Europe than in the U.S. This recording, on Swedish label Ayler Records, finds Howard playing alto and tenor in Chicago with the help of Bobby Few on Piano, Wilber Morris on bass, and Calyer Duncan on drums. Helpfully translated from Swedish on the Ayler site: "He opens with a simple, kind of to the gallery melody on the alto saxophone. The other musicians back up. Tests his ideas and peels of the ephemeral of the music, its superficial beauty. In order to drill deeper, down towards one reflection of the music and its absolute being. Then everything closes to a new, beautiful syntheses."
RealAudio clip: "Lightning Rod Part 2"
RealAudio clip: "Transition"

HOWARD, NORMAN & JOE PHILLIPS Burn Baby Burn (ESP-disk) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "The Sound From There"
MPEG Stream: "Bug Out"

HOWE, CATHERINE What A Beautiful Place (Numero Group) cd 16.98
The Numero Group label starts 2007 on the softer side of things with this obscure British gem from singer Catherine Howe. For those of you who enjoyed the Wayfaring Strangers: Ladies Of The Canyon compilation, that the Numero Group released last year, then this might just be up your alley. Mellow and melancholic, Howe has a soulful voice that's similar to Dusty Springfield or Bobbie Gentry, underscored by soft orchestral jazz arrangements (courtesy of Bobby Scott) that remind us of early A&M records or John Cameron soundtracks like Kes. In fact this seems more like the kind of soft British album Trunk records would have re-issued, but that goes to show what an unpredictable label Numero Group really is. Recorded for Reflection Records in 1971, What A Beautiful Place sank into obscurity when the label folded shortly thereafter. While we have never heard of her before this, Howe recorded two more albums after this one and has recently started recording again. This is a perfect record for a rainy day or Sunday morning with a nice hot cup of tea.
MPEG Stream: "Up North"
MPEG Stream: "What A Beautiful Place"

HOWE, CATHERINE What A Beautiful Place (Numero) lp 17.98
NOW AVAILABLE ON LP!!!
The Numero Group label starts 2007 on the softer side of things with this obscure British gem from singer Catherine Howe. For those of you who enjoyed the Wayfaring Strangers: Ladies Of The Canyon compilation, that the Numero Group released last year, then this might just be up your alley. Mellow and melancholic, Howe has a soulful voice that's similar to Dusty Springfield or Bobbie Gentry, underscored by soft orchestral jazz arrangements (courtesy of Bobby Scott) that remind us of early A&M records or John Cameron soundtracks like Kes. In fact this seems more like the kind of soft British album Trunk records would have re-issued, but that goes to show what an unpredictable label Numero Group really is. Recorded for Reflection Records in 1971, What A Beautiful Place sank into obscurity when the label folded shortly thereafter. While we have never heard of her before this, Howe recorded two more albums after this one and has recently started recording again. This is a perfect record for a rainy day or Sunday morning with a nice hot cup of tea.
MPEG Stream: "Up North"
MPEG Stream: "What A Beautiful Place"

HUMCRUSH Hornswoggle (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
The duo of drummer Thomas Stronen (Food) and keyboardist Stale Storlokken (Supersilent) are back with a second album of playful, percolating improvisation on the ever-reliable Rune Grammofon label. Now these Norwegians are calling themselves Humcrush, which was the title of their album from last year, issued under their own names. Whatever they call it, the music they make is pretty neat. It's a restless blend of live instruments and electronics that somehow sounds catchy and composed, even though this is live-in-the-studio improv. Maybe it's too obscure of a reference, but Humcrush could perhaps be likened to a collision between the Shaking Ray Levis and Autechre. Inventive, very much rhythmically alive and full of glitchy abstraction, some of Hornswoogle would make groovy music for a jungle-themed lounge populated by dancing robots. Other parts feature cinematic atmospheres, or bleepy bloopy computer jingles, or sitar-y keyboards, or what sound a bit like fractured calypso beats... all very exotic and inventive and (importantly) quite listenable, considering it's just Stronen and Storlokken shaking out their respective bags of tricks, on the go. And then the final track, "Cyborg I" takes a turn for the uneasy. It's like the part of a horror film where the doll comes to life and kills everybody (sez Pam).
MPEG Stream: "Hornswoogle"
MPEG Stream: "Seersucker"

HUMCRUSH Rest At Worlds End (Rune Grammofon) cd 17.98

HUNTER, CHARLIE TRIO Bing, Bing, Bing (Blue Note/Capitol) cd 15.98

HURLEY, DAVID Outer Nebula, Inner Nebula (Porter) cd 14.98
Now these are the sounds we've been waiting for! From reading our lists it may appear that we aren't big -modern- jazz enthusiasts as there usually aren't tons of newer jazz titles on our lists, but the truth is just not much of the newer sounds coming from the jazz underground really excite us, or maybe we're not hearing 'em. Of course there are some exceptions here and there and this album by Dave Hurley is a refreshing reminder of how alive, soulful and transcendent modern freeform jazz can be.
Channeling the sounds and spirit (and you'll note, the album cover look) of '70s cosmic and out jazz luminaries like Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Elvin Jones, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Steve Reid, Khan Jamal, etc., and with an understanding of how to craft a lush musical journey armed with a full palette of sounds that brilliantly touch on different areas with such a dynamic sonic scope. From majestic moments to full on freak outs and so much in between this is by far one of the most exciting and well crafted out-jazz records we've heard in such a long time. Hurley is a major player in the San Diego music scene and has appeared on records by folks like The Shining Path and Habitat Sound System (who also tapped into a warm and vintage '70s reggae sound on their debut). He's also one of the drummers in free-jazz legend Byard Lancaster's new ensemble. What makes this record so cool is that as well as the psychedelic jazz influences, there are some really intense and freakish moments that could be at home on some improv jam by Japanese psych bands like the Ruins, Boredoms, or Acid Mothers Temple. Hurley knows that it's not just about how loud you can skronk, but instead how much impact each sound has and what you draw from those sounds, and what those sounds can eventually evoke and illuminate. Too many in the modern free jazz scene rely on a one-trick pony philosophy of brute force that just doesn't have the soul and spirit to make it anything but noise. Thankfully, Hurley and his crack band understand how to to bring such fullness of sound and richness of delivery in creating music that is truly transcendent. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Deep Giant Squid"
MPEG Stream: "Shake The Noise Maker"
MPEG Stream: "The Anti Venom"