Tom Hull: Tom Hull - on the Web

Having delayed posting of last week's Music Week until Friday (Nov. 22), I was uncertain whether to try to rush this week's post back to its normal Monday/Tuesday time frame, or hold back until the end of November (Saturday, Nov. 30), or even just skip the week and resync next Monday. I figured it would depend on what I had to say when about the 2024 Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll.

My goals for the week there were to whip the website into shape, both as the eventual home of the ballots and totals, and as a useful resource for voters. For the latter, I've mostly focused on a long and detailed Voters Notes file. My other big project was to come up with a second round of invites to vote. The first round went out on Nov. 20 to 228 critics, most of whom have voted in recent polls. I'm looking to add another 40-60 names to the list, or possibly more. (Some early research uncovered over 150 new names, but they still need to be vetted and contacted, and that's slow work.)

To date, I'm fairly happy with the website work -- the Voter Notes file still doesn't have everything I wanted, but it's getting there, while the hypothetical FAQ has been nixxed, at least for now. But I've made damn little progress on the second round voter list -- so little that I've decided to run this without waiting for better news.

I've had to hack on the software to handle the expansion of the Vocal/Latin/Debut categories, but that wasn't too difficult, so I'm generating good ballot and totals pages. I've tabulated 19 ballots, which reference 130 New Albums, 38 Rara Avis, 25 Vocal Albums, 22 Latin Albums, and 15 Debut albums. Lists of albums so far receiving votes are available here (alphabetized by artist, so as not to reveal much about the standings). Still, these lists are good for prospecting. I haven't run numbers this year yet, but in the past I've found that a third or more of the albums receiving votes were not previously in my tracking file. Much of the new jazz this week was suggested by ballots.

Counting the ballots is the fun part of the job. The bane of my existence is the aggravation and especially the uncertainty of email. I sent a message to 202 people on my "jazzpoll" email list, but how many actually received it? I don't know, and don't know how to find out. I sent 228 ballot invites out from my own email address, using a very laborious process that I believe works better than the mass mailing list, but how much better I still don't know. (I do know that 8 of those messages bounced.) This uncertainty haunts me, with visions of imminent failure. On the other hand, the people who do respond are doing great work, and their data input is extremely valuable. In the end, they will make this worthwhile, but the meantime is rough.

We have zero plans for Thanksgiving tomorrow, so maybe I'll get some work done. Perhaps even more urgent than the Poll is wrapping up the wrecked bedroom project. A few months ago, a chunk of ceiling fell in. I got a contractor to come in and patch it, recover the whole ceiling with new drywall, and steam the ugly wallpaper that has covered the walls since we moved in in 1999. The closet had even uglier wallpaper, and even worse surfaces. (This is a 1920 house, so lath/plaster everywhere.) I had bought paneling some years ago for the closet, but never got into it, so that became my piece of the project. It's taken many weeks, during which all the stuff from the room got moved into other rooms, creating endless hassles for both of us. (I just posted a picture on Facebook.) Tomorrow I'll work on the closet, and we'll start to move back into the room. Most of the weight is in books, which will fill three bookcases. Also the futon, a desk, and a piece I made to fit under the east window, with a couple drawers and a surface Laura keeps plants on.

When I made my initial cut on Wednesday, I was thinking that, like, last week, I would post an early draft of this, then update it later in the week. So, expecting to add later reviews, in my last November Music Week, I didn't set up a December Streamnotes file. Unclear right now how I intend to handle this.

I might also note here that while I have no desire to open another Speaking of Which can of worms, I have added a couple more items to my final (post-election) column, pushing the word count up to 37102. The latest add was an Alfred Soto piece, which he promised to be his last word on the subject.

As I didn't get this posted on Wednesday, when I made my initial cut, it will go up on Thursday, a Thanksgiving I have no social plans for, and otherwise am pretty indifferent about. Maybe I'll cook a little something for just the two of us? (I just pulled a pound of beef liver out of the freeezer. I have onions, and for sides some cabbage and pasta. That shouldn't take too much time away from working on house, poll, and blog. And if it does, it's a holiday, right? One more day won't make much difference.)

By the way, here's a Thanksgiving meme for you, courtesy of Richard D. Wolff, where the text (reduced from all caps) reads: "Happy Thanksgiving/Celebrating the day Americans fed undocumented immigrants from Europe."

That's a good note to end on, and get this out of the way. Today's new records, including a low A- from Joe Fonda and a Reut Regev album that needs another spin, should wait for next week, when hopefully I'll have more to report.

Holman Álvarez: Hidden Objects (2023 [2024], Sunnyside): Pianist, from Colombia, based in New York, nothing much in Discogs but claims five albums (2011-22) from his days in Bogotá. Quartet here with Adam O'Farrill (a standout on trumpet), Drew Gress (bass), and Satoshi Takeishi (drums). B+(**) [cd]

Awon x Phoniks: Golden Era 2 (2024, Don't Sleep): Rapper Antwan Wiggins, goes back to 2013 with the producer "known for his vintage-90's boom bap production style and melodic jazz and soul samples." Flow reminds me of Digable Planets. A- [sp]

Peter Bernstein: Better Angels (2024, Smoke Sessions): Jazz guitarist, several dozen albums and tons of sidework since 1998, I figure he's part of the Wes Montgomery tradition but looking through his discography, the tributes I see are to Tal Farlow and Attila Zoller. Quartet here with piano (Brad Mehldau), bass (Vicente Archer), and drums (Al Foster). B+(*) [sp]

Betty Bryant: Lotta Livin' (2023 [2024], Bry-Mar Music): Jazz singer, 94, website claims 14 albums but Discogs only lists 3, plays piano, wrote 4 songs to go with 5 standards. Opens with a swinging "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," shifts into songs that are talkier (including a delightful take on "The Very Thought of You." Band swings, and the sax is lovely (Robert Kyle). A- [sp]

Scott Colley/Edward Simon/Brian Blade: Three Visitors (2024, GroundUP Music): Bass-piano-drums trio, all long- and well-established, impressive enough on their own, plus a few guest spots: another strong sax spot for Christ Potter, but the rest is less interesting: several vocals, some strings, and percussion (Rogério Boccato). B+(**) [sp]

Steve Davis: We See (2024, Smoke Sessions): Trombonist, started with Art Blakey in the late 1980s, 20+ albums since 1995. Live set at Smoke Jazz Club in New York with a sextet of peers: Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Ralph Moore (tenor sax), Renee Rosnes (piano), Essiet Essiet (bass), and Lewis Nash (drums), jumping right into "Milestones." B+(**) [sp]

Elucid: Revelator (2024, Fat Possum): Rapper, from Queens, mixtapes back to 2002, half-dozen albums but better known as half of Armand Hammer. Too dense to decipher easily, but worth the effort. A- [sp]

Everliven Sound & Slimline Mutha: Echo Chamber (2024, self-released): Duo of Cymar Simmons (Cymarshall Law) and Jaron Simmons (Skit Slam), have an album from 2008, a single back to 2000, working with a "jazzy hip-hop beatmaker" from UK. Has a nice bounce to it. B+(***) [sp]

Ruth Goller: Skyllumina (2024, International Anthem): Bassist-vocalist, born in Italy, based in UK, had a previous album called Skylla in 2021. This strikes me as slow and ponderous, which may be unfair, but that's all I have for now. B [sp]

Paul Heaton: The Mighty Several (2024, EMI): English singer-songwriter, best remembered from the Housemartins (1986-87) and the Beautiful South (1989-2006), followed by often catchy but less compelling solo and duo albums. After several duos with Jacqui Abbott, this one is nominally solo, but guest singers pop up here and there (Rianne Downey, Danny Muldoon). B+(**) [sp]

John Hollenbeck & NDR Bigband: Colouring Hockets (2023 [2024], Plexatonic): Drummer, founded Claudia Quintet in 2001, later expanded to working with big bands, like this group, conducted by JC Sanford. Once again, mallet instruments are featured, with Patricia Brennan joining Claudia's Matt Moran. B+(***) [cd]

Snorre Kirk: What a Day! (2024, Stunt): Danish drummer, sixth album since 2012, composed eight tunes here, band members listed below the title: Giacomo Smith (alto/soprano sax), Joe Webb (piano), Anders Fjeldsted (bass), with a guest guitarist (Alexander Honey Boulton) credited with three tracks on the back cover. Easy going, quite enjoyably mainstream. B+(***) [sp]

Lemadi Trio: Canonical Discourse (2024, A New Wave of Jazz Axis): José Lencastre (alto sax), Dirk Serries (guitar), and Martina Verhoeven (crumar piano), runs a bit slower than the other albums in this series. B+(**) [cd]

Peter Lenz: Breathe: Music for Large Ensembles (2023 [2024], GambsART): Austrian drummer, studied in Graz, Amsterdam, and New York, where he is now based. Has a couple previous albums, back to 2012. Two big band pieces (one called "Eleanor," as in Rigby), two with added strings, one stripped down to "chamber orchestra," with some vocals. B [cd]

David Maranha/Rodrigo Amado: Wrecks (2023 [2024], Nariz Entupido): Electric organ and saxophones duo -- credit uses plural, but tenor is Amado's standard. The organ is dense and ugly, so it takes a while for the saxophone, initially aligned, to rise out of and distinguish itself from the murk. B+(***) [cd]

Claire Martin: Almost in Your Arms (2024, Stunt): English jazz singer, 20+ albums since 1992, well-regarded in Penguin Guide, but I've only lightly sampled her work, with nothing since her 2001 Very Best Of (which now is most of her career). B+(*) [sp]

Nuse Tyrant: Juxtaposed Echoes (2024, M25): Rapper, from San Diego, working with producers Trust One and Clypto. B+(**) [sp]

Adonis Rose Trio + One: For All We Know (2022 [2024], Storyville): Drummer, from New Orleans, director of New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, has several albums, both with them and smaller groups. Trio here with Ryan Hanseler (piano) and Lex Warshawsky (drums), but also featuring singer Gabrielle Cavassa. [Note: Two album cover variations: One with "+ One" and four names; one without the singer. Label Bandcamp page makes no mention of singer, nor does the cover pic at Spotify, but it does have the vocal tracks. So it seems probable that both variants are actually the same album.] B+(**) [sp]

Sophie: Sophie (2024, Transgressive): English electronica producer, released a compilation of early tracks in 2015, a full album in 2018, and was close to finishing a second album when she fell to her death in 2021. This is that second album, with finishing touches by brother Benny Long. Runs long, but gets better toward the end. B+(**) [sp]

Spinifex: Undrilling the Hole (2024, TryTone): Amsterdam-based avant-fusion group, ninth album since 2011, all compositions by Tobias Klein (alto sax), with Bart Maris (trumpet), John Dikeman (tenor sax), Jasper Stadthouders (guitar), Gonçalo Almeida (bass guitar), and Philipp Moser (drums). B+(***) [cd]

Tonus: Analog Deviation (2023 [2024], A New Wave of Jazz Axis): Trio of Dirk Serries (guitar), Benedict Taylor (violin/broken fiddle), and Martina Verhoeven (piano), tends to scattered abstractions. B+(*) [cd]

Transition Unit: Fade Value (2023 [2024], A New Wave of Jazz Axis): Trio of Amsterdam-based Portuguese alto/tenor saxophonist José Lencastre, pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro, and guitarist Dirk Serries. Free jazz, close to the edge. B+(***) [cd]

Twin Talk: Live (2023 [2024], Shifting Paradigm): Trio of Dustin Laurenzi (tenor sax), Katie Ernst (bass/voice), and Andrew Green (drums), third album since 2015. B+(**) [sp]

Tyler, the Creator: Chromakopia (2024, Columbia): Rapper Tyler Okonma, from Los Angeles, the biggest success out of the Odd Future collective, eighth studio album since 2009, all gold except for his self-released debut. I didn't care for his early albums, but he's gotten more solid. B+(***) [sp]

Martina Verhoeven Quintet: Indicator Light (Live at Paradox 2023) (2023 [2024], A New Wave of Jazz Axis): Belgian pianist, Discogs credits her with 14 albums, most multi-artist collabs, most of those with her husband, guitarist Dirk Serries -- present here, along with Gonçalo Almeida (bass), Onno Govaert (drums), and Colin Webster (alto sax), who dominates with fire and fury, which the rest fill out remarkably. A- [cd]

Cole Williams: How We Care for Humanity (2024, Four Corner): Soul-jazz singer-songwriter, plays bass guitar and percussion, born in Brooklyn (mother Jamaican) but based in New Orleans, EP in 2007, fifth album since 2011. Title song is practically a manifesto. B+(**) [sp]

Emily Remler: Cookin' at the Queens: Live in Las Vegas 1984 & 1988 (1984-88 [2024], Resonance, 2CD): Jazz guitarist (1957-90), recorded six albums for Concord (including a duo led by Larry Coryell, plus one more) in her brief career, which in 1991 were reduced to two Retrospective volumes. This is the first new music that has appeared since her death, and is certain to rekindle interest in her post-Montgomery synthesis. A- [cd] [11-29]

McCoy Tyner/Joe Henderson: Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (1966 [2024]. Blue Note): Crackling live set, with Henry Grimes (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums), the pianist just out of John Coltrane's quartet, with the tenor saxophonist in the middle of a legendary series of Blue Note albums -- Tyner's first (and best) Blue Note, The Real McCoy, was still a year away. B+(***) [sp]

Elucid: I Told Bessie (2022, Backwoodz Studioz): Rapper Chaz Hall, works with Billy Woods in Armand Hammer and other more obscure groups, Discogs credits him with 12 of his own albums since 2007. Even denser and more inscrutable than the new one. B+(***) [sp]

Those links are still useful. I've added some things to the Jazz Poll website, and will update it again before long. I must have added something to that Speaking of Which, as it's now up to 35354 words, but I've definitely slowed down. (My latest add was a long comment on Robert Christgau's latest XgauSez.)

Since then, I revised the Poll invitation -- mostly to clarify changes to the category voting, but also to point out information online -- and ran the template through MailMerge to generate 230 email, which I then mailed out one at a time. While it should be possible to automate the mailing, my ISP threw up many roadblocks, so it wound up taking about five hours to get them all out. Then I was embarrassed to find that I had made an error in the Subject line, not deleting "Mid-Year" from the previous template, or adding "Francis Davis." Only one recipient has noted the problem so far.

More worrisome, I got seven bounce messages (Greg Bryant, Marcela Breton, Matt Marshall, Mike Greenblatt, Richard Brody, Simon Rentner, Stephen Graham), so I need to track them down. I have many more names in various files. I need to go through them, see who I can qualify, and send out another batch of invites. I welcome any suggestions you may have (including self-interests). Please include email address and whatever credentials seem appropriate.

I've set up an advisory discussion list (jpadmin), and have about ten people signed up for it. I've done very little with it so far, but expect to be sending out updates every 2-3 days, discussing a wide range of issues, like future promotion. Right now, the most important things are making sure the website has enough correct information to help voters, and to qualify any additional voter invitations. I've been totall jammed the last week with these isues.

I've also had to do some more programming, due to changes in the handling of category votes. This is tricky work, and has slowed down processing of ballots. I currently have 8 ballots counted, and at least 2 more in my inbox. Agenda for today is:

Just a couple notes on this week's albums. For the Attias album, I received a 2-CD set, and mostly played both discs back-to-back, so that made it hard to distinguish between them. However, once I gave the combined set an A-, I couldn't find a cover scan that matched my promo, but I did find that the album had been released in two separate chunks on Bandcamp, so I took artwork from there. (The 2-CD package puts the Vol. II artwork on the back cover, and adds the volume designations to the individual disc titles.) I wound up grading the separate pieces down a notch for various rather peculiar reasons, but for purposes here, I'm including both cover scans.

The old blues comp was one of Clifford Ocheltree's "on the balcony" specials (or maybe his was Vol. 1, and I just lightly favored Vol. 2). The other pictured album is Elucid's Revelator. More about it next week.

Assuming there is a next week. I'm too frazzled right now to even think about schedule. Could be I'll kick out something very short on Monday or Tuesday, or perhaps I'll wait until the end of the month, then try to resync in December. It may depend on how useful this forum is for disseminating info on the Poll.

Eric Alexander: Timing Is Everything (2023 [2024], Cellar Music): Mainstream tenor saxophonist, many albums since 1995, this a quartet with Rick Germanson (piano), Alexander Claffy (bass), and Jasson Tiemann (drums), plus occasional guests. B+(**) [sp]

Eric Alexander/Mike LeDonne: Together (2023 [2024], Cellar Music): Tenor sax and piano duets -- they've worked together before, and to my surprise more often with LeDonne on piano than on organ. Still, nothing this far out of their comfort zones, which is what makes this interesting. B+(**) [sp]

Michaël Attias: Quartet Music: Vol. I + II: LuMiSong + Kardamom Fall (2021-22 [2024], Out of Your Head, 2CD): Alto saxophonist, born in Israel, grew up in Paris and Minneapolis, returned to Paris, then to New York in 1994. I'm surprised he has no Wikipedia page, as he's recorded extensively since 1989 (Discogs lists 95 albums). This 2-CD combines two quartet sessions that are separately released as digital, so I've broken them out below. I'm not normally someone who rates a compilation above its component parts, but while I may be too short and/or II may meander a bit long, both are chock full of delights that build on the rest. A- [cd]

Michaël Attias: Quartet Music: Vol. I: LuMiSong (2021 [2024], Out of Your Head): With Santiago Leibson (piano), Matt Pavolka (bass), and Mark Ferber (drums): 4 tracks, 29:36. B+(***) [cd]

Michaël Attias: Quartet Music: Vol. II: Kardamom Fall (2022 [2024], Out of Your Head): With Santiago Leibson (piano), Sean Conly (bass), and Tom Railey (drums): 8 tracks, 62:05. B+(***) [cd]

George Cables: I Hear Echoes (2024, HighNote): Pianist, now 80, first album 1975, his early albums with Art Pepper are personal favorites, this one a trio with Essiet Essiet (bass) and Jerome Jennings (drums). B+(***) [sp]

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Wild God (2024, Bad Seed/Play It Again Sam): Australian singer-songwriter, started in the Birthday Party (1973-83), formed this band in 1984, his main vehicle ever since. This is their 18th studio album, co-produced by Warren Ellis. His popularity and/or critical following has long baffled me, but this seems exceptionally dull. Barbara Ehrenreich used "wild god" in her memoir, but whatever this is about, it isn't that. C+ [sp]

Confidence Man: 3AM (La La La) (2024, Chaos/Polydor): Australian electropop group, their 2018 debut Confident Music for Confident People was fun, back for their third album here, another snappy one. B+(***) [sp]

Day Dream: Duke & Strays Live: Works by Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn (2023 [2024], Corner Store Jazz, 2CD): Ellington tribute trio, with Steve Rudolph (piano), Drew Gress (bass), and Phil Haynes (drums). Same trio did an album under their names (Rudolph) called Day Dream, released in 2023 but recorded back in 2009. Ten songs, 77:09, so could have been squeezed onto a single CD. Slips by if you're not paying close attention. B+(**) [cd]

Hania Derej Quintet: Evacuation (2023 [2024], ZenneZ): Polish pianist, several albums since 2016, this group with tenor sax, trombone, bass, and drums. B+(***) [sp]

Elin Forkelid: Songs to Keep You Company on a Dark Night (2024, Sail Cabin): Swedish saxophonist, tenor mostly, née Larsson, has a previous Plays Trane, several group efforts, quartet here with Tobias Wiklund (cornet/trumpet), David Stackenäs (guitar), and Mats Dimming (bass). B+(**) [sp]

The Fugs: Dancing in the Universe (2023, Fuga): Tuli Kupferberg died in 2016, but he left four demo vocals from 2006 that survivor Ed Sanders and some friends -- they go back to a 1984 revival, and were on The Fugs Final CD (both of them, one from 2003, the other 2010 -- fashioned into a new album, 58 years after their The Fugs' First Album. They're older, well old, resigned never making the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, remembering Johnny Cash, Frank O'Hara, and Emma Goldman. I take some comfort in "Where Have All the Commies Gone?" (after noting such destinations as academia, drugs, and Hillary, "when will they ever learn, when will we ever learn"). But not so much from "We Are Living in End Times." B+(**) [bc]

Halsey: The Great Impersonator (2024, Columbia): Pop star, fifth album since 2016, all charted US 1-2, still not much glitz here, mostly mid-tempo introspection, some muscled up, with more than a few lyrics breaking through, like "I think I'm special because I cut myself wide open," "I'm not old but I am tired," "I still believe in heaven, if they'll never let me in," and "is it love or a panic attack?" A- [sp]

The Hard Quartet: The Hard Quartet (2024, Matador): Billed as a supergroup, but any group that lets Stephen Malkmus sing should be counted as his. Besides, who the hell are these guys? Matt Sweeney (guitarist for Skunk, Chavez, and Zwan), Jim White (drummer from Dirty Three), and Emmett Kelly (guitarist from Cairo Gang; he's the only one other than Malkmus with an album under his own name)? Not my idea of hard, perhaps even a bit thin for Malkmusian, but that much is identifiable. B+(*) [sp]

Alex Heitlinger Jazz Orchestra: Slush Pump Truck Stop (2019 [2024], SteepleChase): Trombonist, several albums since his 2004 debut, composed (7 of 8 pieces) and arranged this for conventional big band. B [sp]

Cassandra Jenkins: My Light, My Destroyer (2024, Dead Oceans): Singer-songwriter from New York, third album since 2017, has a nice flow that slips by pleasantly enough without much traction. B+(*) [sp]

The Jesus and Mary Chain: Glasgow Eyes (2024, Fuzz Club): Scottish group, principally brothers Jim and William Reid, debut album 1986, developed a distinctive sound between new wave and shoegaze, disbanded 1998, regrouped c. 2007 but didn't release a new album until 2017, followed up here. Sound remains distinct, but perhaps more as a medium for songwriting than as an end in itself. B+(**) [sp]

Samara Joy: Portrait (2024, Verve): Jazz singer, from New York, dropped last name McLendon, writes her own songs, got a lot of notice for her 2021 debut, back for third album here. Regina King described her as "a young woman who seems like Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald are both living in her body." I don't get much Ella from her, but her voice evokes Sarah without quite sealing the deal. (I've listened to enough Vaughan to understand why critics are so in awe of her, but I've never much liked her albums.) No doubt this album will be received as a big deal -- easy to see this topping the vocal category in our critics poll -- but I have little desire to hear it again. I will say that the "touring band" (no names I recognize) is terrific -- far better than the orchestras Vaughan was often saddled with. And she's conducting a master class in phrasing, poise, and precision, even when soaring and/or scatting. B+(*) [sp]

The Linda Lindas: No Obligation (2024, Epitaph): Punk girl band, from Los Angeles, had a viral breakout single in 2021, "Racist, Sexist Boy," followed that up with a debut album, and now this second album. B+(**) [sp]

Moby: Always Centered at Night (2024, Mute): Some album I've heard recently and already forgotten about reminded me that I hadn't heard this one, his 22nd since 1992, so I figured why not? Released in June, already available in two remixes, but I went to the original. Some nice stuff here, in line with his previous gospel sampling. B+(*) [sp]

Monolake: Studio (2024, Imbalance Computer Music): German electronic music group, first album 1997 as a duo of Robert Henke and Gerhard Behles (later Torsten Pröfrock), now just Henke. Sharp beats with Krautrock airs and extra klang. B+(***) [sp]

Thurston Moore: Flow Critical Lucidity (2024, Daydream Library Series): Sonic Youth guitarist-vocalist, did a solo album in 1995, plus a number of collaborations with jazz and avant/experimental figures, more after the band broke up. Curve fits the milder-with-age trajectory, maintaining his distinct sound post-group, even while attenuated. B+(**) [sp]

Meshell Ndegeocello: No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin (2024, Blue Note): Singer-songwriter, plays bass guitar, originally Michelle Johnson, had some success on the r&b charts 1993-2014, since then has landed on a jazz label, but the arc from Plantation Lullabies to Baldwin themes isn't really all that far. Possibly more here than what I can immediately grasp, but I'm not sure how hard I want to work for it. B+(**) [sp]

The Necks: Bleed (2024, Northern Spy): Australian jazz trio, with Chris Abrahama (piano), Lloyd Swanton (bass), and Tony Buck (drums), close to 30 albums since 1989. This is a single piece, 41:10, more ambient than anything else. B+(*) [sp]

The New Mastersounds: Old School (2024, One Note): British funk-fusion band, from Leeds, 20+ albums since 2001, quartet with organ/keyboards (Joe Tatton), guitar (Eddie Roberts), bass (Peter Shand), and drums (Simon Allen). B+(*) [sp]

Peter Perrett: The Cleansing (2024, Domino): English singer-songwriter, a memorable voice from the punk-era band the Only Ones (1978-80), released one more album (1996) as the One, then in 2017 released a solo album, with this his third. B+(**) [sp]

Arun Ramamurthy Trio: New Moon (2023 [2024], Greenleaf Music): Violinist, based in Brooklyn, improvises on a legacy of Carnatic classical music, was a founder of Brooklyn Raga Massive, first album under his own name, a trio with Damon Banks (bass) and Sameer Gupta (drums). B+(***) [sp]

Remedy [Thomas Heberer/Joe Fonda/Joe Hertenstein]: Live at Jazzkammer (2024, 420 CPW): German trumpet player, based in New York, with bass and drums, group named for their 2022 album title, followed by a Remedy II. B+(**) [bc]

Soccer Mommy: Evergreen (2024, Loma Vista): Singer-songwriter Sophie Allison, fourth studio album since 2016, settling in for the long haul. B+(*) [sp]

Tyshawn Sorey/Adam Rudolph: Archaisms II (2023 [2024], Meta): Two percussionists, Rudolph listed first on the previous volume, Sorey's credit for piano/drumset, with three more names in a second tier on the cover: Sae Hashimoto, Russell Greenberg, Levy Lorenzo, each credit "multiple percussion," with Lorenzo's adding "electronic percussion." B+(**) [sp]

Squarepusher: Dostrotime (2024, Warp): English electronics producer Tom Jenkinson, debut (Feed Me Weird Things 1996), I've only heard one previous album, but this popped up as Bleep's best record pick this year. It does have its moments. B+(***) [sp]

Peter Van Huffel/Meinrad Kneer/Yorgos Dimitriadis: Synomilies (2022 [2024], Evil Rabbit): Free jazz trio of alto/baritone sax, bass, and drums. B+(**) [bc]

Friso van Wijck: Friso van Wijck's Candy Container (2024, TryTone): Dutch drummer, has side credits going back to 1992, but unclear whether this is his first as leader. Two saxophonists, two guitarists, one bassist, geared for conflict, and sometimes resolution, B+(***) [cd]

Andy Wheelock/Whee 3 Trio: In the Wheelhouse (2024, OA2): Drummer, seems to be his first album (Discogs shows one side credit), trio includes Walter Gorra (piano) and Gonzalo Teppa (bass), but the record is really dominated by the guitar of "special guest" Gilad Hekselman. B+(**) [cd]

Roy Hargrove's Crisol: Grande-Terre (1998 [2024], Verve): Trumpet player (1969-2018), one of the leading lights of the big 1990's hard bop revival, took a shot at Latin jazz in 1997 with his Grammy-winning Habana, takes his concept on the road here, to Guadeloupe, where he found saxophonist André Schwarz-Bart (only Hargrove, trombonist Frank Lacy, and the two percussionists continue from the album). B+(***) [sp]

Andrew Hill Sextet Plus Ten: A Beautiful Day Revisited (2002 [2024], Palmetto, 2CD): Pianist (1931-2007), recorded a series of now-classic Blue Note albums starting with 1963's Black Fire up through 1970, after which, like so many, his discography wanders around Europe -- Shades, on Soul Note in 1986, is a fine example -- but he got more attention on the rare occasions when he resurfaced on American labels: Blue Note in 1989 and 2006, and Palmetto in 2000 (Dusk) and 2002 (A Beautiful Day). I liked the Blue Notes (especially Awakening), but at the time was less happy with the Palmettos, especially the live big band album reissued here, resequenced and expanded (82 minutes), and somewhat better for it. Note credit for Ron Horton: "arranged by, conductor, music director, liner notes," with Matt Balitsaris as producer and engineer. B+(**) [cd]

Charlie Parker: Bird in Kansas City (1941-51 [2024], Verve): They scraped the bottom of Parker's barrel so long ago that at this point that one no longer knows whether to laugh or cry at the news of previously unheard Bird. These 13 tracks are united by being recorded on Parker's home turf, and by sounding just like you expect Parker to sound. First half was recorded at the home of Phil Baxter in 1951, with bass and drums (no names). The second half has a 1944 studio session with guitar (Efferge Ware) and drums (Edward Phillips), and two songs from 1941 with Jay McShann's Orchestra (with vocal). The informality of the first half is most appealing, but far from momentous. Sound is so-so, but I've heard far worse on records that have been praised ridiculously (like Bird at St. Nick's). B+(**) [sp]

Bernie Senensky: Moment to Moment (2001-20 [2024], Cellar Music): Canadian pianist, has a couple albums from 1976 and 1981, picking up the pace in the 1990s, skipping a decade, adding a few more since 2011. Cover gives "featuring" credit to Eric Alexander (tenor sax), Kieran Overs (bass), and Joe Farnsworth (drums) for the 2001 set (six tracks), slipping in two more tracks from 2020 with different bass-drums. B+(***) [sp]

Eric Alexander: Man With a Horn (1997, Milestone): Mainstream tenor saxophonist, recorded his first albums in 1992, so this one, which Penguin Guide rates his best, counts as his eighth. Mostly quartet with Cedar Walton (piano), Dwayne Burno (bass), and Joe Farnsworth (drums), with added brass on three tracks (Jim Rotondi trumpet, Steve Davis trombone). B+(***) [yt]

Blue Muse ([2019], Blues Maker Foundation): Various artists sampler, no recording dates but presumably recent, as the Foundation/label has been cultivating local talent, but it's salted with a few names most recognize. B+(***) [bc]

Andrew Hill: But Not Farewell (1990 [1991], Blue Note): The pianist's much-heralded return to Blue Note in 1989 (Eternal Spirit) was short-lived, with this set of scraps released only in Japan, so it was "farewell," at least until 2006's Time Lines. Four quintet tracks, with Greg Osby (alto/soprano sax), Robin Eubanks (trombone), bass, and drums. The fifth track is a duo with Osby, and the last two are solo. The quintet pieces are typical of his avant-postbop, and the solos are nice and thoughtful. B+(**) [sp]

Ruckus Juice & Chittlins: The Great Jug Bands Vol. 1 (1927-35 [1998], Yazoo): Nice sampler of vintage jug bands, easily identified by "Jug" in the group name (most famously, Memphis Jug Band, Cannon's Jug Stompers). B+(***) [sp]

Ruckus Juice & Chittlins: The Great Jug Bands Vol. 2 (1927-35 [1998], Yazoo): A second helping. I haven't checked many of the dates, but the cover says "1920's and 30's," and I found this same range quickly enough. No drop-off here: I recognize more songs, and most of the ones I don't have an extra step to them. A- [sp]

Trout Fishing in America: Safe House (2022, Trout): Duo from Houston, Keith Gromwood and Ezra Idlet, two dozen albums since 1979. B+(*) [sp]

After last Tuesday's election, I took a couple days out, basically hiding from the news, as anyone would do when faced with traumatic stress. I had written a full-throated endorsement of Harris, which was driven far less by what I saw as her virtues than with my understanding of the full horror that four more years of Trump as president would bring. Perhaps now I should edit that to say "will," as Trump won, Harris lost, and ultimately we'll be the ones paying for this very bad decision.

By the time I was ready to look at the news, I had decided that the week's Speaking of Which would be my last. My reasoning is in the wrap-up section, so no need to reiterate it here. But the decision helped free me to navigate the morass of punditry (and sometimes news). The result is the longest such column ever, weighing in at 265 links, 26798 words, even before I added a few scattered items today.

I can't swear that I'll never write political commentary again. I'm likely to respond to questions. In general, I tend to be better at responding to requests than at making my own plans. (Indeed, my entire career as a rock and jazz critic only happened because Robert Christgau asked me to write something for him. And when I decided, with my wife's blessing, to try to return to writing around 2001, I had little interest in focusing on music, but Christgau again came through with the requests I wound up spending so much time on. If someone asks me, especially if they have a reputable outlet with the promise of an audience, competent editing, and possible collaboration, I'd give any such offer some consideration. But I've concluded that spending so much time and effort self-publishing huge pieces that get virtually no feedback is no way to live.

This also means that I'm unlikely to renew the domain for the underutilized Notes on Everyday Life. I published the Harris endorsement there in hopes of getting a few comments. All I got was one disagreement (from my wife), and a couple pieces of spam.

More importantly, the long considered, often mentioned big political book is now officially dead. I briefly had the idea of rummaging through the campaign Speaking of Which posts and trying to compile a What I Learned from the 2024 Election book, but that's pretty dead, too. It's not so much that I've lost interest in the key issues of political philosophy, but my idea that we need to find a modus vivendi to work within the Democratic Party has been pretty severely shaken. It's not so much that I've changed my mind there, but I'd rather write about ideas that could actually make a difference, as opposed to pandering to people who seem unserious about either winning or solving any problems.

I'm unlikely to sort out my future writing focus until end of year/early 2025. That's because my immediate shift will be to the Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll. We usually send out ballot invites mid-November, which is this week. Although I was thinking about this a couple months ago, I've had very little time to do anything through today (or maybe tomorrow, when the contractor returns to fix up some problems in our bedroom/closet project). I need to set up the website, and kick off a letter -- at least a notice that formal invites will be sent in another week or so. That means dealing with the usual email problems, not that they're really solvable (i.e., workarounds rather than fixes).

I'm thinking about setting up a discussion list for people who want to help out with the poll. If you want to help, let me know, and we'll see what's possible. One thing that always needs help is vetting possible new voters. Again, any ideas, let me know. The Arts Fuse will publish the results, again. I'm thinking I'll go with a mid-December deadline, publishing on or shortly after January 1.

I may write more on music in the coming period, or maybe not. One thing I will do is work on the end-of-year files for jazz (which I've been maintaining since the mid-year poll) and non-jazz (doesn't exist yet, but will before long). Also, the tracking file (currently 1919 records listed, 952 that I have heard or at least have in my queue), and the two files for tracking metacritic grades and EOY list mentions: (new music and (old/reissued music.

I'll let this week's music speak for themselves. Good new albums by Steve Coleman and Rebecca Kilgore led me to look up some of their old albums. Two Kilgore albums I wanted to check out but couldn't find were the eponymous 1998 one on Jump (a Penguin Guide 4-star), and a Marilyn Monroe tribute from 2012.

My two recent books read on Israel are good and short. Ta-Nehisi Coates (The Message) took a while to get interesting, but paid off in the end. Ilan Pappe's A Very Short History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict seemed like stuff I already knew, but I did pick up some finer points, and appreciate the organization.

I had Gideon Levy's The Killing of Gaza: Reports on a Catastrophe on deck, but picked up Marshall Berman's All That Is Solid Melts Into Air for some emergency reading material, and was immediately struck by several things. I wanted to drop a big quote (also one from Coates) into Speaking of Which, but didn't manage. I stopped reading critical theory in the mid-1970s (when I got a job, left college, and got into rock criticism), but I did pick up a copy of Berman's 1983 book (my cover is different from the one pictured left, but this is the best I could do). I'm not sure if I'll stick with it, but it seems like an important book.

Note that at least three important musicians died in recent days: Roy Haynes, Lou Donaldson, and Ella Jenkins. See Speaking of Which for obituary notices.

I've mostly ignored new stories on likely Trump appointments, but most since I wrote the second intro -- where I raised the possibility that Trump might pull some of his campaign punches to maintain popularity -- have been truly abhorent, especially Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, Kristi Noem for Secretary of DHS (meaning immigration) and (seems to be more of a rumor) Ken Paxton for Attorney General. The odds that the Trump administration will be even worse than expected seem to be growing.

Ashtyn Barbaree: Sent Through the Ceiling (2024, Artists 3 60): Country singer-songwriter, from Arkansas, has a 2018 EP and and a 2022 debut album which I checked a couple months ago, when I got this promo, and found "nice enough." This second album is nicer still, with some solid songwriting, good voice, and serious fiddle. B+(***) [cd]

Big Bambi: Compositions for Bass Guitar & Bassoon, Vol. I (2022 [2024], Greene Avenue Music): Duo of Maribel Alonso (bassoon) and Jochem van Dijk (bass guitar/electronics), as advertised, interesting as far as it goes. B+(**) [cd]

Steve Coleman and Five Elements: PolyTropos/Of Many Turns (2024, Pi, 2CD): Alto saxophonist, started back in the mid-1980s developing a strain of funk-fusion, especially in his M-Base Collective. I should probably revisit those albums, which I wasn't much into (excepting 1993's The Tao of Mad Phat/Fringe Zones). But his later postbop, from 2013's Functional Arrhythmias on, has been very engaging, especially this live double, with sets from Paris and Voiron. The group is a quartet, with Jonathan Finlayson interweaving on trumpet, backed by Rich Brown on bass, and Sean Rickman on drums. A- [cd]

Caleb Wheeler Curtis: The True Story of Bears and the Invention of the Battery (2024, Imani, 2CD): Leader is mostly a saxophonist (tenor, sopranino, stritch), but also plays trumpet. Title is from the first disc, with the second titled Raise Four: Monk the Minimalist. Both are trios with bass and drums -- Sean Conly and Michael Sarin up front, Eric Revis and Justin Faulkner on the bonus. Both impress. A- [cd]

Andy Haas: For the Time, Being (2023 [2024], Resonant Music): Saxophonist, originally from Toronto, where he started in the new wave Martha and the Muffins, based in New York, also worked in groups God Is My Co-Pilot and Radio I-Ching. Mixed bag of experimental releases under his own name, but I much liked 2023's Accidentals (lead credit Don Fiorino). This one is solo, his credits: "saxophone, strap-on tremolo, mm w/hazaral, vinyl LP manipulation" -- so mostly sounds like electronics, or scattered sound effects. B+(*) [cd]

Laird Jackson: Life (2024, self-released): Jazz singer-songwriter, has previous albums from 1994 and 2002, most songs here originals co-written by Jeff Haynes (percussion, bass on one track, vocals on two). This is an ambitious work, a bit slow and ponderous for my attention span, but the "Wild Is the Wind" cover is striking, and there may well be more to it. B+(*) [cd]

Ariel Kalma/Jeremiah Chiu/Marta Sofia Honer: The Closest Thing to Silence (2022-23 [2024], International Anthem): French ambient composer, many albums since 1975, collaborators here did a 2022 album I liked, Recordings From the Åland Islands. Notes on wrapper: "Ephemeral, eylsian electro-acoustic collusion birthing a realized humanized multi-generational poly-technological expression." Another of those Hassel-like "fourth world" vibes. B+(**) [sp]

Pandelis Karayorgis/George Kokkinaris: Out From Athens (2023 [2024], Driff): Piano and bass duets (one solo each), the former born in Athens but long-based in Boston, with many albums since 1989. B+(**) [bc]

Rebecca Kilgore: A Little Taste: A Tribute to Dave Frishberg (2023 [2024], Cherry Pie Music): Standards singer, b. 1949, one of her first albums (1994) had her only backed by Frishberg on piano, a formula they repeated several times since. Discogs says she "retired from performing in 2024 after being diagnosed with dementia with Lewy Bodies," so this looks like it could be her last. In between, she mostly recorded with retro swing and trad jazz artists, especially for Arbors, where she always seemed right at home. I should check out what I've missed. She gets more backing here, including some strings, and limits herself to 11 songs (38:22), but she sounds fine, and the late pianist's songs are as witty as ever, even without his sly drawl. B+(***) [cd]

Lady Gaga: Harlequin (2024, Interscope): Tie-in to the Todd Phillips movie, Joker: Folie à Deux, which she co-stars in (as Harleen "Lee" Quinzel) and wrote the soundtrack for. I don't know how much of this features in the film: one of two originals is "The Joker," but the rest are standards (some with added Stefani Germanotta credits), which suggests continuity from her Tony Bennett duet albums. They are splashy, but not especially interesting. B+(*) [sp]

Brian Lynch: 7X7BY7 (2021 [2024], Holistic MusicWorks): Trumpet player, started mainstream but moved quickly into Latin jazz, especially once he joined Eddie Palmieri. Septet here is a good example of that, with Craig Handy (tenor sax), Alex Wintz (guitar), Luis Perdomo (piano), bass, drums, and percussion. B+(***) [cd]

Lyrics Born: Goodbye, Sticky Rice (2024, Mobile Home): Rapper Tom Shimura, originally from Tokyo but grew up in Salt Lake City and Berkeley, started as half of Latyrx, has a superb string of albums going, with an exuberant beat and extra vocals that appeal to me the same way Parliament did in the 1970s. He's billed this as his "final album." At 52, he may feel he's "cooked," but even if this feels offhanded, he's still got a lot going on. A- [sp]

JD McPherson: Nite Owls (2024, New West): Singer-songwriter, guitarist from Oklahoma, country roots, favors rockabilly, fifth album since 2012, includes a Duane Eddy nod. B+(**) [sp]

Willie Nelson: Last Leaf on the Tree (2024, Legacy): Ninety now, second album this year, 76th "solo studio album" (per Wikipedia), son Micah Nelson produced and co-wrote the one new original (a cover of an older Nelson song is a hidden track). Title from one of two Tom Waits covers. Production is spare and laid back, which suits him fine (not that all the songs hold up). B+(**) [sp]

Outer Spaceways Incorporated: Kronos Quartet & Friends Meet Sun Ra (2024, Red Hot +): Discogs files under Kronos Quartet, but they don't seem to play on all of the tracks, while numerous "friends" come and go. The label has been producing various artists specials going back to their initial 1990 AIDS benefit (Red Hot + Blue), including a couple tied to the music of Sun Ra. Some interesting stuff here, including Laurie Anderson and Jlin, but it can get pretty scattered. B+(**) [sp]

Cene Resnik/Samo Salamon/Samuel Ber: The Thinkers (2023 [2024], Samo): Tenor sax/guitar/drums trio, the former from the group Siddharta (1999-2007), like Salomon from Slovenia. B+(***) [bc]

Kevin Sun: Quartets (2022-23 [2024], Endectomorph Music, 2CD): Tenor saxophonist, debut a Trio in 2018, has chops plus a deep understanding of sax lore. Two sets here, both with bassist Walter Stinson, one with Dana Saul (piano) and Matt Honor (drums), the other with Christian Li (piano) and Kayvon Gordon (drums). He's impressive here, but stretched a bit thin. B+(***) [cd]

Western Jazz Collective: The Music of Andrew Rathbun (2021 [2024], Origin): Rathbun is a tenor/soprano saxophonist who's been kicking around since his 2000 debut, and he's part of this septet (plus guest), the "Western" hailing from Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). B+(**) [cd]

Tucker Zimmerman: Dance of Love (2024, 4AD): Singer-songwriter, b. 1941 in Sonoma County, California, debut album Ten Songs in 1969, more through 1983, with a couple revivals since. I'd never heard of him, but evidently David Bowie was a fan, as is Adrienne Lenker, whose Big Thief backs him here, with perfectly unobtrusive music he can talk or sing over, with Lenker and Marie Claire backing. A- [sp]

Black Artist Group: For Peace and Liberty: In Paris, Dec 1972 (1972 [2024], WeWantSounds): Avant-jazz group from St. Louis, 1968-72, aka BAG, just one live album before this tape surfaced. Quintet with three members who later became well-known: Oliver Lake (alto sax), Baikida Carroll (trumpet), Joseph Bowie (trombone), Ron LeFlore (trumpet), Charles Shaw (percussion). B+(***) [sp]

Steve Coleman Group: Motherland Pulse (1985, JMT): Alto saxophonist, originally from Chicago, moved to New York in 1978, worked in big bands (Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Sam Rivers) and joined Dave Holland's Quintet, with this his first album as leader, an adventurous slab of postbop maneuvers. With Geri Allen (piano), Lonnie Plaxico (bass), and Marvin Smith (drums), plus Graham Haynes (trumpet) on two tracks, and a Cassandra Wilson vocal (possibly the album's high point). B+(***) [yt]

Steve Coleman and Five Elements: The Sonic Language of Myth: Believing, Learning, Knowing (1999, RCA Victor): "Five Elements" has been Coleman's most common group name since 1986, with 23 albums to date, but the lineups have varied -- it would be nice to have one of those Wikipedia-style timelines to plot it all out. Aside from the alto sax, the core group here is Anthony Tidd (electric bass), Sean Rickman (drums), and Miguel "Anga" Diaz (percussion), although only Coleman plays on all tracks, and many others join in on various tracks, including tenor sax (Ravi Coltrane and Craig Handy), trumpet (Ralph Alessi and Shane Endsley), piano (Vijay Iyer and Jason Moran), strings, and vocals. B+(***) [yt]

Steve Coleman and Five Elements: Drop Kick (1992, RCA/Novus): Mostly riffing over funk beats, mostly from Reggie Washington (electric bass) and Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums), some with James Weidman (piano/keyboards) and/or Michael Wimberly (percussion), and an alternate bass/drums combo on three. Guest spots include Lance Bryant (tenor sax), Grgeg Osby (alto sax), Don Byron (clarinet/bass clarinet), and Cassandra Wilson (vocals). B+(*) [sp]

Steve Coleman and the Mystic Rhythm Society: Myths, Modes and Means (1995, Groovetown/RCA/BMG France): The first of three CDs with the same cover logo: "Recorded Live at the Hot Brass, 24-29 March, 1995." With Ralph Alessi (trumpet) for a second horn, two name keyboard players (Vijay Iyer and Andy Milne), funk rhythm and a few exotic instruments (like Miya Masaoka's koto) and dancers. B+(**) [sp]

Steve Coleman and Metrics: The Way of the Cipher (1995, Groovetown/RCA/BMG France): Same cover sticker: "Recorded Live at the Hot Brass, 24-29 March, 1995." Band is pretty much the same (just Andy Milne on keyboards), but this time features rappers (Black Indian, Kokayi, Sub Zero). B+(**) [sp]

Steve Coleman: Invisible Paths: First Scattering (2007, Tzadik): Alto saxophonist, solo album, pretty long at 71 minutes (16 pieces). B+(*) [sp]

Rebecca Kilgore and Dave Frishberg: Not a Care in the World (1995, Arbors): Standards singer, her second album with the pianist backing, this one adding Dan Faehnle on guitar for 10 (of 17) tracks (none by Frishberg, but you get "South American Way" and a Jobim), ending with a delightful version of "The Glow-Worm." B+(**) [sp]

Rebecca Kilgore & Dave Frishberg: The Starlit Hour (1997 [2001], Arbors): Just voice and piano, some applause, I'm not seeing song credits but they're pretty standard. B+(***) [r]

Rebecca Kilgore: Moments Like This (1998-99 [2001], HeavyWood Music): Standards singer, backed by Randy Porter (piano), Scott Steed (bass), and Neil Masson (drums). B+(**) [sp]

Rebecca Kilgore and the Bobby Gordon Trio: Make Someone Happy: A Further Remembrance of Maxine Sullivan, Volume Two (2004 [2005], Audiophile): Follows her 2001 album, Harlem Butterfly: A Remembrance of Maxine Sullivan, also recorded with Gordon (clarinet), Chris Dawson (piano), and Hal Smith (drums). Sullivan (1911-87) was a delightful singer, but I've only sampled her lightly, and have no sense of her repertoire, and tend to focus on the standards everybody's done. Kilgore does a superb job with them, and I really enjoy the clarinet. A- [sp]

Rebecca Kilgore: Rebecca Kilgore's Lovefest at the Pizzarelli Party (2010, Arbors): With guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, his sone John (guitar) and Martin (bass), and some others: Larry Fuller (piano), Aaron Weinstein (violin), Harry Allen (tenor sax), and Tony Tedesco (drums). B+(**) [r]

Rebecca Kilgore: With Hal Smith's Rhythmakers (2015, Audiophile): Smith is a trad jazz drummer, from Arkansas, side credits from 1972 with many notable bands, leader of his own since 1984, with at least two previous albums featuring singer Kilgore. B+(*) [r]

Rebecca Kilgore With Hal Smith's Rhythmakers: Sings the Music of Fats Waller (2016, Audiophile): The drummer's group is well suited for a Waller program, with Chris Dawson (piano) and Clint Baker (banjo) for rhythm, and all the right horns: clarinet (Bobby Gordon), cornet (Marc Caparone), trombone (Alan Adams), and alto sax (John Otto). B+(***) [sp]

We got to the polls later than I expected, so I had some time early today to fiddle with, and I used it to add more links to yesterday's Speaking of Which (up to 159, from 135). Vox emailed me a couple election anxiety/guide articles, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to cite them. I sometimes imagine going back through the blog for notes to write a journal-type book, so it's nice to have a fairly competent record, even if much of it is of passing interest. My latest concept for such a book would be subtitled What I Learned During the 2024 Election. Most of what I've learned is how irrational people can be in weighing matters of politics. Main downside to developing that idea is that most of my notes are from people who are well-informed and exceptionally rational. Explaining the 40-60% of Americans who are supposed to be voting for Trump today is going to take more research, and it's not likely to be pretty.

I'm a bit surprised that the rated count this week is only 19, but we're a couple days short of a week, and in a bit of a down cycle. I am finally nearing the end of my bedroom/closet project. I did some more caulking today, around the trim (which already has one coat, but in various places needs another). I'll sand and paint tomorrow. It'll probably take another day to touch up spots where I colored outside the lines. I'm a pretty lousy painter, so that happens more often than it should. That leaves the problem with the ceiling (masking tape pulled down strips and splotches of paint), but I'm going to kick that back to the guy who plastered and painted the ceiling in the first place, and it shouldn't take him long.

I got all the paneling up in the closet, including new boards for the ceiling. I put the lights back up this afternoon. Next thing there is to cut some trim boards and screw them in place. The boards are prepped, and most of that should go pretty quickly. I don't have a plan for finishing it yet, but we don't have to do that part before moving back into the bedroom (actually, more of an office, but it has a futon, which works for a spare bed). What we will still need to do is cleaning, sorting, and reorganizing, but that's an ongoing process everywhere.

My next big project should be the Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll. I'll try to set up the website next week, and get invites out the week after. Biggest uncertainty there is communications, as my email list last year (and mid-year) proved pretty unreliable. That probably means paying for a commercial list provider, as it's almost impossible to avoid spam blacklisting on your own -- presumably, that is doable if that's your business, otherwise you wouldn't have a business. We also need to vet new critics. I'm thinking of setting up an advisory board to help on things like that, as well as to sanity-check my own thinking and coding. If you're interested in helping, or just know of a critic we should be polling, please get in touch.

As for my own writing, the next two months should be a good time to re-evaluate what, if anything, I still might try to work on.

I've resisted checking the news all evening, which should hold out until I get this (and the Speaking of Which) updates up, around 11 PM CDT.

T.K. Blue: Planet Bluu (2022 [2024], Jaja): Saxophonist, mostly alto, b. 1953 in New York as Eugene Rhynie, parents Jamaican and Trinidadian, recorded several albums as Talib Kibwe (1987-96), side credits including Randy Weston and Sam Rivers, made his debut as T.K. Blue in 1999. Very spirited mainstream group here. B+(**) [cd]

John Cale: POPtical Illusion (2024, Domino): Originally from Wales, made his mark in New York as a co-founder of the Velvet Underground, playing electric violin on first two albums. Now 82, with his 18th studio album, not counting various collaborations (including notable ones with Terry Riley, Lou Reed, and Brian Eno) and many soundtracks. This reminds me much of his early 1970s albums, his baroque phase, not that he hasn't picked up a few tricks since then. B+(***) [sp]

Avishai Cohen: Ashes to Gold (2023 [2024], ECM): Israeli trumpet player (not the bassist), albums since 2002. Quartet with piano (Yonathan Avishai), bass (Barak Mori), and drums (Ziv Ravitz). This is quite nice. B+(**) [sp]

The Cure: Songs of a Lost World (2024, Fiction): English art rock band, principally Robert Smith, debut 1979, one of those 1980s bands other people seemed to like but I never developed any attachment to. Hit their commercial peak with Wish in 1992 (UK: 1, US: 2), dropped back to a record every four years after that, until 2008, then a 16-year gap until this one, which I was surprised to find well reviewed (91/29 at AOTY). I recall very little of that, but there are impressive patches here, and some not so. B+(*) [sp]

The Dare: What's Wrong With New York? (2024, Republic): New rave singer-songwriter Harrison Smith, from Los Angeles, previously known as Turtlenecked, had a 2022 single that got him noticed by Charli XCX, giving him a bit role on Brat. First album (as The Dare, anyway), 10 songs, 27:24, makes an impression. B+(*) [sp]

Joe Fahey: Andrea's Exile (2024, Rough Fish): Folkie singer-songwriter, another nice album. B+(**) [sp]

Nubya Garcia: Odyssey (2024, Concord Jazz): British tenor saxophonist, parents from Guyana and Trinidad, debut EP in 2017, various lineups here, including vocal features for Esperanza Spalding and Georgia Anne Muldrow plus her own spoken word. I'm not wild about that turn, but I'm more bothered by the soundtrack texturing. B [sp]

Rich Halley 4: Dusk and Dawn (2023 [2024], Pine Eagle): Tenor saxophonist, from Portland, has run up a string of superb albums ever since I first noticed him in 2005, about the time when he retired from his day job (as I recall, but he's 77 now, and had a couple earlier albums I still haven't heard). His last two albums were elevated by pianist Matthew Shipp. Here he's back with his old quartet: Michael Vlatkovich (trombone), Clyde Reed (bass), and Carson Halley (drums, his son). Little if any drop here, the trombone a definite plus. A- [cd]

Jazzmeia Horn: Messages (2024, Empress Legacy): Jazz singer, from Dallas, fourth album since 2017, impressive range, some scat, I'm unclear on credits. B+(**) [sp]

Randy Ingram: Aries Dance (2024, Sounderscore): Pianist, originally from Alaska, studied at USC and NEC, has a half-dozen albums since 2009, this a nice mainstream trio with Drew Gress (bass) and Billy Hart (drums), playing six originals and three standards. B+(**) [cd]

Ryan Keberle & Catharsis: Music Is Connection (2023-24 [2024], Alternate Side): Trombone player, albums since 2006, adopted the group name in 2012, has increasingly used vocals, sings some himself but mostly Camila Meza here (also on guitar). With Jorge Roeder (bass) and Eric Doob (drums), plus a spot for saxophonist Scott Robinson. I like the trombone more than the vocals, but the latter grew on me. B+(***) [cd]

Jason Keiser: Kind of Kenny (2024, OA2): Guitarist (acoustic, steel string & nylon string), from San Francisco, second album, also features John Stowell (electric guitar & baritone fretless guitar), with a tribute to Kenny Wheeler, with Erik Jekabson (trumpet/flugelhorn), Michael Zilber (tenor/soprano sax), and Danielle Wertz (vocals). B+(**) [cd]

Laura Marling: Patterns in Repeat (2024, Chrysalis/Partisan): English singer-songwriter, seventh studio album since 2008, a quiet affair of voice and acoustic guitar, against a background of dubbed-in strings. B+(**) [sp]

Thollem McDonas: Infinite-Sum Game (2023 [2024], ESP-Disk): Pianist, originally from Bay Area, many albums since 2004, often just goes as Thollem. Solo set, recorded in Dublin, pretty engaging as these things go. B+(***) [cd]

Nacka Forum: Peaceful Piano (2024, Moserobie): Swedish quartet, founded 1999, not sure whether they qualify as "all-stars," but all players you should know on their own: Goran Kajfes (trumpet), Jonas Kullhammar (reeds), Johan Berthling (bass), Kresten Osgood (drums), with a couple guest spots for Lars-Göran Ulander (alto sax, "known from the legendary '60s recordings"). No piano. None needed. A- [cd]

NLE Choppa: Slut Szn (2024, Warner, EP): Memphis rapper Bryson Potts, first singles/mixtape 2018, two albums, this is 8-song, 21:56 set is counted as his eighth mixtape. Very jumpy, but runs down fast. B+(*) [sp]

Pony Boy All-Star Big Band: This Is Now: Live at Boxley's (2024, Pony Boy): Seattle-based big band, led by drummer/arranger Greg Williamson, also exists as a 7-piece "mini big band." Seems to be their first album, the group taking its name from an independent jazz label that has several dozen other albums, but few names I'm familiar with. My promo came with a bonus CD (two tracks, 15:58, from an earlier date). B+(**) [cd]

Brandon Seabrook: Object of Unknown Function (2023 [2024], Pyroclastic): Plays banjo and guitar, solo here, supplemented by electronics/tapes. I'm impressed, but without much pleasure. B+(*) [cd]

Luke Winslow-King: Flash-a-Magic (2024, Bloodshot): Singer-songwriter, originally from Michigan, at least eight albums since 2008. B+(*) [sp]

Terry Gibbs Dream Band: Vol. 7: The Lost Tapes, 1959 (1959 [2024], Whaling City Sound): Vibraphonist, still ticking at 100 -- his first album was Good Vibes in 1951, his "last" the quite good 92 Years Young from 2017, or perhaps 2022's The Terry Gibbs Songbook, credited to Terry Gibbs Legacy Band, which he played some on, and he's still listed as producer here. He led a big band in 1959, with Mel Lewis on drums, Bill Holman on tenor sax (and arranging), and other cool jazz notables, with Marty Paich, Med Flory, Manny Albam, and Al Cohn among the arrangers. They produced four albums through 1961, starting with Launching a New Band, and since 1986's Dream Band various of their concert tapes have been released, through 2006's superb Vol. 6. This latecomer is one of the best, ferocious swing and crackling power extended over 71 minutes. A- [cd]

This post has been pushed back two or three days this week, mostly for reasons explained in yesterday's Speaking of Which (somewhat augmented today), which in turn was delayed by my Tuesday posting of my Top 10 Reasons to Vote for Harris vs. Trump (also posted at Notes on Everyday Life, which is currently open for comments -- although beware that all but mine are held for moderation, and I don't seem to be getting notification of pending comments, so I have to think to look for them).

I sent early links out to a dozen old friends, off the top of my head, to which I only got one reply (plus one comment, at the site, both feeling that I was overly generous to Harris, one insisting on voting for Stein, neither sowing any doubts in my mind). Maybe it's all too blindingly obvious, or just too tired, to elicit interest? At this point, what more do you need to know than this Seth Meyers A Closer Look?

As noted, I took a chunk of time out last week for my birthday dinner. More details on it in the notebook. I'll probably do a second round next week: the leftovers are pretty much gone -- I reheated the rice tonight, to go with red cooked pork cubes, but that's about all that's left. The dinner came out of the two Burmese cookbooks in the "Recent Reading" log, but I've yet to really crack' open Cradle of Flavor -- maybe next year (or maybe sooner) I'll finally see what I can do with Indonesian/Malaysian.

I have nothing much to say about this week's music. I did want to get to the NoBusiness batch, which got me looking for unheard Arthur Blythe albums, which led to some more finds on YouTube. I don't recall what got me looking at the Soul Jazz back catalog, but the label was a favorite back when I was writing Recycled Goods, so I'm inclined to check out anything I find. I also got some good tips from the latest Riotriot.

Plan now is to open a new Speaking of Which draft file tomorrow, and post whatever I can before election day, so Monday, November 4, with Music Week on Tuesday. That'll make for a short week, which will be even more limited by a combination of burnout and feeling helpless. I may just focus more on the bedroom/closet project. I had a setback yesterday when I peeled my masking tape off the ceiling and found it ripped off large patches of paint. I'm not even sure how to fix that, but it's pretty much guaranteed to be painful.

I opened up a draft file for November Streamnotes, but didn't do the indexing for October. I may be farther behind than that. I got my first 2025 release promos, so had to open up files for them. Again, I cut a few corners. Unlikely I will play any 2025 releases until after New Year's Day. Still a lot of 2024 to catch up on.

Also need to start focusing on Jazz Critics Poll. Voting for that should start mid-November. Most pressing things are to get the website prepped, and to line up a new mailing list vendor -- my own DIY efforts have proven to be inadequate, but I can see several reasons to pay for something if it would work flexibly enough.

Amyl and the Sniffers: Cartoon Darkness (2024, B2B/Virgin): Australian pub/punk rock band, third album since 2019, Amy Taylor the singer-songwriter. I'm not deciphering (or perhaps I mean remembering?) many words, but after multiple plays this is sounding great -- even the unnecessary change of pace. A- [sp]

Jason Anick/Jason Yeager: Sanctuary (2023 [2024], Sunnyside): Violin and piano, couple albums each since 2011, with Yeager on Annick's 2013 album. Nice postbop group with two trumpets (Jason Palmer and Billy Buss), tenor sax (Edmar Colón), cello, bass, and drums. B+(***) [cd]

The Attic & Eve Risser: La Grande Crue (2023 [2024], NoBusiness): Portuguese tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado's trio (Gonçalo Almeida on bass and Onno Govaert on drums), with several superb albums so far, joined here by the French pianist, for another one. A- [cd]

David Bailis: Tree of Life (2024, Create or Destroy): Guitarist, side credits back to 2007 but this seems to be his first album under his own name, a short one (27:34), four originals and one cover, with Chris Speed (tenor sax), Eric Lane (piano/synth bass), and Jason Nazary (drums), nicely done. B+(**) [cd]

Dharma Down: Owl Dreams (2023 [2024], Dharma Down): Quartet from Portland, ME, quartet of Duncan Hardy (alto sax/qanun -- an Assyrian string instrument, for a bit of Middle Eastern spice), Mike Effenberger (piano), Scott Kiefner (bass), John Meltam (drums). B+(*) [cd]

Etran De L'Aïr: 100% Saharan Guitar (2024, Sahel Sounds): "The longest running wedding band in Agadez, capital of Tuareg guitar," promises more of the same, and delivers, as usual, on what I count to be their third album, but who knows how far back they go? B+(***) [sp]

Joel Futterman: Innervoice (2024, NoBusiness): Free jazz pianist, born (1946) in Chicago, affiliated with AACM before moving to Virginia in 1972, has many records since then. This one is solo, more measured than most, but very engaging. B+(***) [cd]

Hinds: Viva Hinds (2024, Lucky Number): Spanish indie pop band, started as a duo of Carlotta Cosials and Ana Garcia Perrotte as Deers, expanded to a quartet for their 2016-20 albums, back to a duo (with touring support) now. Includes a couple songs in Spanish, which surprise me as high points. A- [sp]

Shawneci Icecold/Vernon Reid/Matthew Garrison & Grant Calvin Weston: Future Prime (2024, Underground45): Pianist, synths here, has straddled hip-hop and avant-jazz since 2021, splits the difference here with a fusion (guitar/bass/drums) quartet. Five songs (32:51), starting with "A Night in Tunisia" and "Zawinul" before blasting off into space. B+(***) [cd]

J.U.S X Squadda B: 3rd Shift (2024, Bruiser Brigade): Detroit rapper, two previous albums since 2021, with an Oakland-based producer, nothing else by him on Discogs. B+(***) [sp]

Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets: Indoor Safari (2024, Yep Roc): Singer-songwriter, started way back in pub rock, invented power pop, faded after 1979 but never went away, with Party of One (1990) his only later album to hit A- in my book. Faint echoes here, but I can hear some. B+(*) [sp]

Michael McNeill: Barcode Poetry (2022 [2024], Infrasonic Press): Pianist, from Buffalo, impressed me totally out of the blue with his 2012 debut (Passageways), returns here with a real chamber jazz quartet, with Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar), Dave Ballou (trumpet), and Shelly Purdy (vibes, percussion). Sounded a bit weepy at first, and I do have trouble focusing when the going gets slow, but I found myself checking and rechecking, and the music gradually won me over. B+(***) [cd]

Yuka Mito: How Deep Is the Ocean (2024, Nana Notes): Standards singer, originally from Japan, now based in New York, has a previous album, backed here by piano, bass, and drums, offers seven very obvious songs (29:46), including two Jobims, two from Bacharach-David, a Porter, a Berlin, and "How High the Moon." All nicely, if unremarkably, done. B [cd]

Mavis Pan: Rising (2023 [2024], self-released): Pianist, sings some (just one song here), born in Taiwan, moved to New Jersey when she was 17, first album 2010, has a Master of Music degree, but also a M.A. from Westminster Theological Seminary. Original compositions, co-produced by Ted Nash, who plays tenor sax, flute, and clarinet. Also with Greg Burke (alto/soprano sax, alto flute, clarinet), bass, and drums. B+(*) [cd]

William Parker/Hugo Costa/Philipp Ernsting: Pulsar (2023 [2024], NoBusiness): Recorded in Amstmerdam, an all-improv set of bass, alto sax, and drums, with Costa getting the lead in the credits short, but Parker on the cover, presumably because you've heard of him. Parker seems to pick up a couple records like this every time he wanders off to Europe. My favorite is one called And William Danced, with Anders Gahnold, but they're all pretty good. Costa has several albums, including a duo and a group called Albatre with Ernsting. This is pretty inspired avant-thrash. A- [cd]

Pest Control: Year of the Pest (2024, Quality Control HQ, EP): Dan Weiss pegged them as "my ideal metal band," which I took as both warning and challenge, but figured I could handle 4 songs, 10:27, of anything. I wound up giving them a second spin. Note that Bandcamp page doesn't tag this as metal: their proferred terms include "uk thrash," "hardcore punk," and (first on the list) "nwobhc" (whatever that stands for; at least I can guess "ukhc"). B+(***) [sp]

Tyshawn Sorey Trio: The Suspectible Now (2024, Pi): Drummer-led trio with Aaron Diehl (piano) and Harish Raghavan (bass), "following on the heels of his masterful release Continuing, which was voted #4 release of 2023 by the Francis Davis Poll of over 150 jazz critics." Most likely another top-five contender, although I'd be hard-pressed to distinguish it from the Vijay Iyer trio that won the mid-year poll, and remains the early favorite. Sorey's arrangements of four long pieces written by others, not really standards but interesting source material. B+(***) [cd]

Ben Waltzer: The Point (2023 [2024], Calligram): Pianist, debut was a trio from 1996, only a couple records since, plus a few scattered side credits. Quartet here where Geof Bradfield (tenor sax/bass clarinet) and Clark Sommers (bass) also contribute originals, plus Dana Hall (drums), and a closing, rather delicate cover of "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing." B+(**) [cd]

Immanuel Wilkins: Blues Blood (2024, Blue Note): Alto saxophonist, third album since 2020, all on Blue Note, first two overcame my initial caution, a couple side appearances also blew me away. Sax is also impressive here, but toned down a bit, making way for several guest vocals, which I could do without. Wilkins has polled very well since winning our debut award, and I expect this will also -- I've already seen one review touting it as the record of the year, but I'll pass. B+(**) [sp]

Arthur Blythe Quartet: Live From Studio Rivbea: July 6, 1976 (1976 [2024], NoBusiness): Alto saxophonist (1940-2017), from Los Angeles, recorded two masterpieces for Columbia in 1978, In the Tradition and Lenox Avenue Breakdown, after after a couple minor label releases in 1977. This live set, the second volume in the label's "Studio Rivbea" series, is just a bit earlier, a quartet with Juni Booth (bass), Steve Reid (drums), and Muhammad Abdullah (conga). B+(***) [cd]

Electro Throwdown: Sci-Fi Inter-Planetary Electro Attack on Planet Earth 1982-89 (1982-89 [2024], Soul Jazz): No hits here, the only artist name I recall is Jonzun Crew, but the echoes of "Planet Rock" and "Trans-Europe Express" (both mentioned in the notes) are easy to pick up, and pretty satisfying in and of themselves. B+(**) [r]

In the Beginning There Was Rhythm (1978-84 [2024, Soul Jazz): Reissue of the label's founding compilation from 2001, this captures the evolutionary moment when British punks embraced hard dance beats. Great idea for a compilation, and it starts off promisingly, but runs a little thin, just about when yoy start to wonder where New Order is. B+(***) [sp]

George Adams-Don Pullen Quartet: Jazzbühne Berlin '88 (1988 [1991], Repertoire): Leaders play tenor sax and piano, came together under Charles Mingus circa Changes, and produced some outstanding albums over the next decade, with Cameron Brown (bass) in place of Mingus, and Lewis Nash (drums) replacing Dannie Richmond here. Three long pieces, originals (with a nod to Monk). Pullen is an absolutely unique pianist, who shines early on. Adams is hardly the only real powerhouse saxophonist, but when he hits his stride, he's undeniable. A- [yt]

Ray Anderson: Harrisburg Half Life (1980 [1981], Moers Music): Trombonist, early album recorded in Germany, with Allan Jaffe (guitar), Mark Dresser (bass), and Gerry Hemingway (drums). Good start toward the later (from 1989 on) BassDrumBone trios, where Mark Helias replaced Dresser. B+(***) [yt]

Black Arthur Blythe: Bush Baby (1977 [1978], Adelphi): The alto saxophonist's first studio album -- two earlier live sets appeared on India Navigation, one before and the other after this release -- a trio with Bob Stewart on tuba and Ahkmed Abdullah on congas. B+(***) [yt]

Boombox 3: Early Independent Hip Hop, Electro and Disco Rap 1979-83 (1979-83 [2018], Soul Jazz, 2CD): Third volume in a series that started in 2016, the previous volumes rated A- and B+(***) here, with a couple later releases breaking from the naming convention. More obscure, but sounding very typical of the early Sugarhill-dominated period. B+(***) [r]

Deutsche Elektronische Musik: Experimental German Rock and Electronic Musik 1972-83 (1972-83 [2010], Soul Jazz): Starts with Can, and hits many major groups (but no Kraftwerk). Still, not much really grabs me. Three more volumes were added later, including 3, which I previously graded B+(*). B+(*) [r]

Deutsche Elektronische Musik 2: Experimental German Rock and Electronic Musik 1971-83 (1971-83 [2013], Soul Jazz): Digital has 14 tracks, which is more than the 2-LP's 12 but way less than the 2-CD's 27 (or the later 25-track 4-LP release). B+(*) [r]

Lloyd McNeill: Elegia (1979 [2019], Soul Jazz): Perhaps better known as a painter (1935-2021), played flute and recorded several albums 1968-79, one more in 1997, this the fifth reissued by the label. B+(*) [r]

Punk 45: I'm a Mess! D-I-Y or Die! Art, Trash & Neon: Punk 45s in the UK 1977-78 (1977-78 [2022], Soul Jazz): Extending what was previously a six-CD series -- all good, the Cleveland volume (Extermination Nights in the Sixth City an A-), more obscurities: I don't recall ever hearing of these groups, much less their singles (16 on the digital, other formats vary). B+(**) [r]

Space Funk 2: Afro Futurist Electro Funk in Space 1976-84 (1976-84 [2023], Soul Jazz): More crate digging, following their previous (2019) volume, leaning into early hip-hop (choice cut: "Smurf Trek," by Chapter Three). B+(**) [r]

Wiener Art Orchester: Tango From Obango (1979 [1980], Art): Group founded 1977 by Mathias Rüegg, aka Vienna Art Ochestra, ran through 2010 wtih a couple vocal albums as Vienna Art Choir. They were especially notable for their eclectic borrowings from classical music, as well as from Americans like Gershwin, Ellington, Mingus, and Dolphy. Cover notes: "This music is dedicated to the people and the Sea of Obango," but I'm not finding any other references to that location. But the opening tango is delightful, and after that it's anyone's guess. B+(***) [yt]

Published another abbreviated Speaking of Which yesterday. Came to 212 links, 12063 words, but I added some more stuff this morning, and may add even more before this is posted. My computer time (listening and writing) was limited last week, mostly by a home repair project that drags on and on, with little hope of winding up soon. Well, maybe a little hope: the collapsed ceiling is repaired, old wallpaper removed, walls patched up, the bedroom walls primed, half of the closet paneling put up, and we just got back from buying finish paint. If I can muster the time, the paint and paneling should be doable in 2-3 days, but I haven't been able to get many good working shifts in, and I've repeatedly been snagged by Murphy's law.

Plus, I have another project this week, which is being pushed ahead by a deadline, plus the thought that it might be a lot more fun to do. That's my annual birthday dinner, scheduled for Friday, with at present nothing more than a concept: my first ever stab at making Burmese cuisine. I've often picked out exotic locales for past birthday dinners, and in my peak years managed to make twenty-some dishes.

But I've never picked one I had so little experience with and knew so little about. My experience is one take-out meal in New York at least 12 years ago. The reason I can date it is because I bought a Burmese cookbook shortly after, but it didn't have the dish that most delighted me from the restaurant, and nothing else really caught my eye, so I've never cooked anything from it. The concept came from seeing that cookbook on the shelf, and thinking maybe I should finally do something with it.

I may have made a dish or two from broader area cookbooks -- Charmaine Solomon's The Complete Asian Cookbook introduced me to all hot spots from India through Indonesia and China to Japan -- and I've gone deep on Indian (although not necessarily Bengali), Thai, and Chinese, which border old Burma (now Myanmar), so I expect to be working within those parameters. But as of Tuesday afternoon, I still don't have a menu, much less any shopping or prep done. My only move so far has been to buy a second Burmese cookbook, plus one that's more generically southeast Asian. (I haven't generally been listing cookbooks in my "recent reading" roll, but added my old Burma: Rivers of Flavor last week, so I figured I might as well spotlight the new books as well.) Generic southeast Asian may well be what I wind up with -- especially given that the local grocers are mostly Vietnamese, plus a couple Indian.

I'm torn between working on the room and on the menu next, but either option seems more enticing that diddling further on this post. Should be enough here for any decent week.

Nick Adema: Urban Chaos (2023 [2024], ZenneZ): Trombonist from Canada, based in Amsterdam, has a previous 2022 album as Adema Manouikas Octet but effectively his debut, mostly a quartet with piano/electric bass/drums, but includes a patch of string quartet, some guest guitar and horns, most prominently Noah Preminger (tenor sax) on 7 (of 12) tracks, and one vocal -- a surplus of ideas, held together with some fine trombone. B+(***) [cd]

JD Allen: The Dark, the Light, the Grey and the Colorful (2024, Savant): Tenor saxophonist, many impressive albums since 1998, mostly trios with bass (here Gregg August and/or Ian Kenselaar) and drums (Nic Cacioppo). Seems rather restrained. B+(**) [sp]

Andy Baker: From Here, From There (2018 [2024], Calligram): Trombonist, originally from London but based in Chicago, has side credits going back to National Youth Jazz Orchestra in 1996 but this seems to be his first album as leader. With Russ Johnson (trumpet), Clark Sommers (bass), and Dana Hall (drums). B+(**) [cd]

Basic: This Is Basic (2024, No Quarter): Trio of Chris Forsyth (guitar), Nick Millevoi (baritone guitar & drum machine), and Mikel Patrick Avery (percussion & electronics). Forsyth has albums going back to 1998, seems to be more rooted in rock than in jazz (where I have a previous album filed), cites Manzanera, Fripp, and Frith in his notes, as well as Robert Quine, who's 1984 duo album with Fred Maher is taken as the name of this group. No vocals, all jagged rhythms too insistent to decay into drone. B+(***) [sp]

Big Freedia With the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra: Live at the Orpheum Theater (2023 [2024], Queen Diva): New Orleans rapper Freddie Ross Jr., influenced by drag queens, released a single in 1999 and a mixtape in 2003, counts two studio albums, gets full orchestra backing for this live party. B+(***) [sp]

Anne Burnell & Mark Burnell: This Could Be the Start of Something Big (2024, Spectrum Music): Both sing, Mark plays piano, some originals mixed in with the standards, backed by bass and drums, plus sax (Pat Mallinger) on six tracks, guitar (Fareed Haque) on five (four others). B [cd]

Chris Corsano/Joe Baiza/Mike Watt: Corsano Baiza Watt Trio (2023 [2024], Yucca Alta): Drums, guitar, bass, only the group name on the cover. Discogs credits the drummer with 81 albums since 2002, mostly shared headlines, plus at least as many side-credits (going back to 1996). The others came out of rock groups: Baiza from Saccharine Trust, Watt (much more famously) from Minutemen. B+(*) [bc]

Doug Ferony With His Swingin Big Band: Alright Okay You Win (2024, Ferony Enterprizes Music): Singer, handful of albums going back to 1994, leads a big band (as advertised) through fourteen standards, all done better in the past, most by Frank Sinatra. B [cd]

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/(Exit) Knarr: Breezy (2024, Sonic Transmissions): Norwegian bassist, very active since 1994 -- Discogs credits him on 260 albums, second album with this group, which includes trumpet, two saxophonists, piano, and drums, with spots of guitar or synth. B+(**) [sp]

Floating Points: Cascade (2024, Ninja Tune): British electronica producer Sam Shepherd, fifth album since 2015, threw everyone a curve last time when he mixed in Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra. I'd say this is a return to form, but it's much better than that: a relentless stream of dance beats that keeps you moving through thick and thin. A- [sp]

Darius Jones: Legend of e'Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) (2024, AUM Fidelity): Alto saxophonist, burst onto the scene with a 2009 album called Man'ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing), to which this is at least nominally a "Chapter VII" (of a planned nine). This is a trio, with Chris Lightcap (bass) and Gerald Cleaver (drums), bristling with energy, but paced with well-measured spots of reflective calm. A- [cd]

Doug MacDonald and the Coachella Valley Trio: Live at the Rancho Mirage Library (2024, DMAC Music): Jazz guitarist, many albums, finds a nice groove in a set backed by bass and drums, with special guest Big Black on djembe. B+(**) [cd]

Mark Masters Ensemble: Sui Generis (2023 [2024], Capri): Big band arranger, has a regular stream of albums since 1984, dubs this "a jazz concerto for chamber orchestra," featuring trumpet player Tim Hagans. B+(**) [cd]

Gurf Morlix: In Love at Zero Degrees (2024, Rootball): Alt-country singer-songwriter, originally from Buffalo, moved to Texas in 1975, best known for his associations with Blaze Foley and Lucinda Williams, and maybe as a producer, but has a steady series of own albums since 2000. This one is toned down, but steady and solid. B+(**) [sp]

Eric Person: Rhythm Edge (2024, Distinction): Saxophonist (soprano, alto, tenor, flute), ten or so albums since 1993, notable side credits with Ronald Shannon Jackson, Chico Hamilton and Dave Holland, and a fling with World Saxophone Quartet. He's joined here by Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), and a fusion-oriented rhythm section that includes organ, piano/keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums, and offers no edge that I can discern, although when uncluttered he remains a very respectable saxophonist. B [cd]

Jason Robinson: Ancestral Numbers II (2023 [2024], Playscape): Might as well recycle my review of the previous album, released back in May: Saxophonist (tenor/soprano here, also alto flute), albums since 1998, composed everything here, thinking about his ancestors. Quintet with Michael Dessen (trombone), Joshua White (piano), Drew Gress (bass), and Ches Smith (drums). Interesting throughout, and this time connected even quicker. A- [cd]

Snotty Nose Rez Kids: Red Future (2024, Savage Mob): First Nations rappers from Canada, sixth album since 2017. B+(***) [sp]

Moses Sumney: Sophcore (2024, Tuntum, EP): Born in California, "grew up on a goat farm in Accra [Ghana]," moved to Los Angeles after high school, has two albums, several EPs -- this one six songs, 20:37. B+(*) [sp]

Ohad Talmor/Chris Tordini/Eric McPherson: Back to the Land (2023 [2024], Intakt, 2CD): French tenor saxophonist, mostly associated with Lee Konitz, also plays bass clarinet and some electronics here, second credit tier line plays bass and drums, but there are seven more names in smaller print, most pretty notable ones at that, and then at the bottom of the cover you see "Ornette Coleman" -- the new pieces are mostly variations on old Coleman pieces, with some mention of Dewey Redman. B+(***) [sp]

Fred Thomas: Window in the Rhythm (2024, Polyvinyl): Indie rock singer-songwriter from Michigan, started in 1994 math rock band Chore, then joined His Name Is Alive, before his solo debut in 2002, with a dozen more up to this one. Sometimes hits an interesting vibe, but I can't quite peg it, or maybe just can't be bothered. B+(*) [sp]

Tropical Fuck Storm: Tropical Fuck Storm's Inflatable Graveyard (2024, Three Lobed): Australian art-punk band, formed by two members of the Drones (Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin), two others, with three studio albums since 2018, back here with a live double. Seems a bit much. B+(*) [sp]

Jack Wood & Nichaud Fitzgibbon: Movie Magic: Great Songs From the Movies (2024, Jazz Hang): Wood was billed as "a classic crooner," based in southern California, released a "best of" (with no recording dates) early in the year which proved surprisingly engaging, and featured the Australian Fitzgibbon as a guest. She's definitely his better half, which helps on this collection of classic movie schmaltz, backed tastefully by a long list of musician credits, from a half-dozen studios, also undated. B+(**) [cd]

Jamie xx: In Waves (2024, Young): British electropop producer James Smith, name from his group (The xx) with Oliver Sim and Romy Madley (three albums 2009-17), second solo album after a 2015 side-project. Dance beats illuminate the world. A- [sp]

Dann Zinn: Two Roads (2024, Ridgeway): Tenor saxophonist, based in Bay Area, sixth album, postbop quintet with Rachel Z (piano), Jeff Denson (bass), Omar Hakim (drums), and Brian Rice (percussion). B+(**) [cd]

William Basinski: September 23rd (1982 [2024], Temporary Residence): Classically-trained electronic composer, many albums since 2001 but reaches back into his early archives for this 40:11 ambient-meets-drone piece. B+(*) [bc]

Adema Manoukas Octet: New Roots (2021 [2022], self-released): Canadian group, met at University of Toronto, led by composer/arrangers Nick Adema (trombone) and Alex Manoukas (baritone sax), with trumpet, two more saxophones, and unidentified rhythm. B+(***) [bc]

Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Swinging Gospel Queen 1939-1947 (1937-47 [1998], Blues Collection): Gospel singer (1915-73), at least due to her subject matter, but she strums a mean guitar, and with half the voice and no backup singers she could pass for a folksinger, and a rocking one at that. I was surprised to find no graded albums in my database (despite seven albums, including a 4-CD Properbox, on the "shopping" list) -- "Up Above My Head I Hear Music in the Air" is one of my most persistent earworms -- so when I noticed a new Acrobat collection (The Singles Collection As & Bs 1939-1950), I was first tempted to buy it, then considered the Christgau-recommended The Absolutely Essential 3CD Collection, but came to my senses and checked out what I could stream. This one may be out of print, but comes from their generally reliable "Historic Recordings" series, with twenty songs, including my earworm and many more contenders (like "Everybody's Gonna Have a Wonderful Time Up Here"). Also named on the cover: Lucky Millinder, Sammy Price, Marie Knight. A- [sp]

Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Live in 1960 (1960 [1991], ORG Music): A solo set, so just her voice and guitar with the voice worked extra hard, a dozen songs, mostly standards but not necessarily hers ("Precious Lord," "Down by the Riverside," "Peace in the Valley"). B+(**) [sp]

Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Sister on Tour (1961, Verve): Another live set, from New York, with a hard-swinging band, identified only as "arranged and conducted by Teacho Wiltshire." B+(***) [sp]

Company departed, and left me feeling exhausted. I've been making very slow progress on the upstairs bedroom/closet project, but have very little to show for it, other than a gargantuan mess. I have a lot of sanding to do -- hopefully tomorrow will be good enough, after which I move on to primer and (still undecided) paint. The paneling for the closet is cut, and so far seems to fit. After an initial misstep -- one of way too many to count -- I think I bought the right glue today, and also some screws (which are more likely to work than the prescribed process of nailing around the edges). I can imagine someone who knows what they're doing wrapping this up in two days (plus breaks to let paint dry), but it's probably going to take me another week. And the soreness just adds to the frustration.

Somehow, in my spare time I knocked out a rather substantial Speaking of Which yesterday. I added a couple small bits today, as I don't have a file open for next week, and without searching found a few items worth noting (e.g., an obituary for rapper Ka, whose recent records are noted below, and a record review by Allen Lowe).

More records this week than last. Probably more next week than this, although it's hard to imagine ever getting back to normal.

Jessica Ackerley: All of the Colours Are Singing (2022 [2024], AKP): Canadian guitarist, based in New York, has several previous albums since 2019, this one backed with bass and drums, plus viola/violin (Concetta Abatte) on four (of seven) tracks). B+(*) [sp]

Adekunle Gold: Tequila Ever After (2023, Def Jam): Nigerian Afrobeats singer-songwriter, Adekunle Kosoko, went through a Silver phase before he turned Gold. Has an interesting beat I can't quite match up elsewhere. B+(**) [sp]

Bad Moves: Wearing Out the Refrain (2024, Don Giovanni): DC-based power pop quartet, third album after a 2016 EP, doesn't seem like much as first, but grows on you, especially with earworms like "I can't get the part where you fucked up out of my head." B+(***) [sp]

John Chin/Jeong Lim Yang/Jon Gruk Kim: Journey of Han (2024, Jinsy Music): Piano/bass/drums trio, some electric keyboards, six originals by Chin, one each by the others, plus a few standards. B+(*) [cd]

Guy Davis: The Legend of Sugarbelly (2024, M.C.): Blues singer-songwriter, son of actors Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, first album 1978, has been remarkably consistent since his third album in 1993. B+(***) [sp]

The Kris Davis Trio: Run the Gauntlet (2024, Pyroclastic): Pianist, from Canada, a major figure since 2004, with Robert Hurst (bass) and Johnathan Blake (drums). This is very good, rewards patient listening, but never quite grabs me. B+(***) [cd]

Wendy Eisenberg: Viewfinder (2022-23 [2024], American Dreams): Jazz guitarist, more than a dozen albums since 2017, singer-songwriter here, the songs focusing on seeing, occasioned by eye surgery. But the shift to instrumentals, chopped and skewed, gets more interesting. B+(**) [sp]

Frode Gjerstad Trio: Unknown Purposes (2023 [2024], Circulasione Totale): Norwegian saxophonist, started in Detail in the early 1980s, many albums since 1996, Discogs lists 22 just for his Trio, here with Jon Rune Strøm (bass) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums). B+(***) [bc]

Frode Gjerstad/Margaux Oswald/Ivar Myrset Asheim: Another Step (2024, Circulasione Totale): Relatively short live set (2 pieces, 30:41), the leader on alto sax and clarinet, backed with piano and drums. B+(*) [bc]

Joel and the Neverending Sextet: Marbled (2023 [2024], Motvind): Norwegian cellist Joel Ring, second group album, with Karl Hjalmar Nyberg on tenor sax/clarinet, backed with piano, tuba, bass, and two drummers. B+(***) [sp]

Ka: The Thief Next to Jesus (2024, Iron Works): Rapper Kaseem Ryan, just got news of his death at 52 and recalled that he had a recent album that I had trouble finding. B+(**) [sp]

Omer Leshem: Play Space (2024, Ubuntu Music): Tenor saxophonist, from Israel, based in New York, third album since 2017, Bandcamp shows two releases (2008, 2016) from what seems to be a different Omer Leshem (plays guitar, in Israel), Discogs is no help here (one co-credit with Naama Gheber for an arrangement that could go either way). Original pieces, backed with guitar, piano, bass, and drums, nicely done postbop. B+(**) [cd]

Terence McManus: Music for Chamber Trio (2024, Rowhouse Music): Guitarist, albums start around 2010 with several duos, including ones with Ellery Eskelin (tenor sax) and Gerry Hemingway (drums), who return to fill out this trio. "Chamber" seems to mean soft and slow, which over 71 minutes can add up to plodding, but it's always nice to hear Eskelin. B+(***) [cd]

Kate Pierson: Radios & Rainbows (2024, Lazy Meadow Music): B-52s singer-songwriter from 1976 on, released a solo album in 2015, and now this second one. The herky-jerk one seems to have been Fred Schneider, but occasionally you get a whiff of that here. Notable lyric: "If you give your heart to science, I will give you mine." B+(**) [sp]

Dafnis Prieto Sí o Sï Quartet: 3 Sides of the Coin (2024, Dafnison Music): Cuban drummer, moved to New York in 1999, debut album in 2004 was widely acclaimed, won a MacArthur in 2011, never any doubt about his chops but I've been slow to warm to his records, at least until this utter delight, with Ricky Rodriguez on electric bass, and star turns by Martin Bejerano on piano and Peter Apfelbaum on soprano sax, tenor sax, and flute. A- [cd]

Dave Rempis/Jason Adasiewicz/Joshua Abrams/Tyler Damon: Propulsion (2023 [2024], Aerophonic): Saxophonist (alto, tenor, baritone) from Chicago, first appeared replacing Mars Williams in Vandermark 5 and immediately established himself as one of the world's greats. He's been releasing 3-5 new albums per year, some a bit rough for my taste, but most are so brilliant even that can be an advantage. Not much to differentiate his many releases, but key value added here comes from the vibraphonist. A- [cd]

Dred Scott/Moses Patrou/Tom Beckham/Matt Pavolka: Cali Mambo (2023 [2024], Ropeadope): Piano, vibes, bass, percussion. One original, the rest standards, with "Manteca" especially fine as a closer. B+(**) [cd]

M Slago/Homeboy Sandman: And We Are Here (2024, Fly 7 Music): Hip-hop producer Chris Jones, originally from Nashville but based in Dallas, has a previous (2021) solo album, Sandman is presumably the rapper ("feat." on all tracks, but joined on a couple, one with Aesop Rock). B+(***) [sp]

Walter Smith III: Three of Us Are From Houston and Reuben Is Not (2024, Blue Note): Tenor saxophonist, from Houston, debut 2006 -- with bassist Reuben Rogers, who returns here (he's from the Virgin Islands), along with two other Houston natives who have made names for themselves: Jason Moran (piano) and Eric Harland (drums). Exemplary postbop, nicely balanced, ever-shifting, sketchy but pointed. A- [sp]

Sulida: Utos (2023 [2024], Clean Feed): Norwegian trio of Marthe Lea (tenor sax/flute), Jon Rune Strøm (bass), and Dag Erik Knedal Andersen (drums), first group album (but all three have albums under their own names), all songs joint credits. Very solid effort. B+(***) [sp]

Kampire Presents: A Dancefloor in Ndola ([2024], Strut): "Up-and-coming" DJ Kampire spins fourteen East African grooves, some dating back to the 1970s, others "present day," details hard to come by, although influences include Congo and Zambia -- home to Ndola, where the Kenya-born DJ grew up before landing in Uganda, where his parents started. A- [sp]

Miami Sound: Rare Funk & Soul From Miami, Florida 1967-1974 (1967-74 [2023], Soul Jazz): Pretty rare, with George and Gwen McRae the most recognizable names, but funk, for sure. [Rhapsody version is truncated from 17 to 9 tracks.] B+(**) [r]

Miami Sound: More Funk and Soul From Miami, Florida 1967-1974 (1967-75 [2024], Soul Jazz): More adds up to 20 songs, a few more artists I'm familiar with (Betty Wright, Latimore). B+(**) [r]

Ka: Languish Arts (2022, Iron Works): One of a pair of short albums released same day, at least digitally (vinyl and CD came out in 2023). Ten songs, 28:23. B+(**) [sp]

Ka: Woeful Studied (2022, Iron Works): Same day release, ten more songs (26:27), not sure this is any better but his calm narration over modest squiggles of sound may be growing on me. B+(***) [sp]

Don Walser: Rolling Stone From Texas (1994, Watermelon): Country/western swing singer-songwriter (1934-2006), best known for his yodeling, started a group called the Panhandle Playboys in 1950, later led the Texas Plainsmen, but spent most of his adult years as a mechanic and auditor in the National Guard, before "retiring" in 1994 and recording this career-defining album. Wikipedia notes that "his extraordinary vocal abilities earned him the nickname 'the Pavarotti of the Plains," which definitely overlooks Roy Orbison -- a comparison that occurred to me as soon as the opening sea of yodel parted, although it took a couple of covers -- "Shotgun Boogie" and "That's Why I'm Walking" -- to clarify into something uniquely his own. Per John Morthland: "perhaps the last of God's great pure country singers." A- [sp]

Don Walser: Texas Top Hand (1996, Watermelon): Second album, opens with a yodel on the title song, drifts through various covers from "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" to "Weary Blues From Waiting" to "Divorce Me C.O.D." to "Danny Boy." B+(**) [sp]

As I explained in my "PS" last week, I didn't expect to blog much this week. I did catch a break yesterday, and posted a fairly respectable Speaking of Which (131 links, 7251 words), but that was the first day I managed to listen to much new music, which is why this Music Week has anything at all, but as you can see, not much -- nothing A-listed, some solid high B+ (which next week will include Terrence McManus: Music for Chamber Trio), as I've been working through my rather stuffed promo queue in release date order.

I left Speaking of Which so abruptly when I posted last night that it would have been easy to add more stuff today. But I decided the more sensible approach is to open a new draft file right away, and start putting anything new and notable there. I have a trick devised to suppress display of unfinished draft posts, but for now I'll let this one go up in normal blog order, its incomplete nature implicit in its date (October 14) and the "(draft)" in the title. I usually only update the website when I have new posts, but if I do, you can observe whatever progress I've made.

Next week should be a bit better, for blogging that is, but there are still lots of distractions, and a lot of other work to do. The project of sorting out 75 years of accumulated life from my childhood home isn't really finished, but we made a lot of progress, and can take a break before going back to it. I have several boxes of stuff here, and will probably pick up some more later in the week. I did manage to find one day to rustle up some dinner before my brother and his wife headed back to Washington. My niece is still here for a couple more days.

My upstairs bedroom/closet project has languished, but I need to return to it, making it top priority after I post this. (But then I blew all afternoon, so I may get nothing done on it today. I did go buy a tool belt -- something I've never felt the need for before, but I need to be able to stand on a stool in a very confined space with at least five tools handy, including power drill and screwdriver.) Still mostly doing wall repair at this point, with painting after that. At least we got the paneling cut, which among other things means I don't have to get the walls very good. Once I finally get going, I figure I have about three days of work to go, plus whatever it takes to move back into the room. So I should wrap that up within the week, but it will take a lot of time away from here.

Seems like I've been plagued with a lot of minor tech problems lately: nothing insurmountable, but every little thing chews up a lot more time than seems right, and adds to my sense of ever increasing decrepitude.

El Khat: Mute (2024, Glitterbeat): "Home-made junkyard band" from Tel Aviv, a quartet led by multi-instrumentalist Eyal El Wahab, whose roots are in Yemen. Third album. Arab groove with extra angst. B+(*) [sp]

Forq: Big Party (2024, GroundUP): Jazz fusion group, led by Henry Hey (keyboards), one 1999 album and several since 2014, a fairly long list of players here. Seems to have some intersection with Snarky Puppy. B+(*) [cd]

Satoko Fujii Quartet: Dog Days of Summer (2024, Libra): Japanese pianist, has run many groups for many albums since the mid-1990s, bills this particular one as her "jazz-rock fusion quartet," a revival "after an 18-year pause" -- Bacchus was recorded in 2006 and released in 2007, also with Hayakawa Takeharu (bass), Tatsuya Yoshida (drums), and Natsuki Tamura (trumpet), after four previous 2001-05 albums -- I've heard three, liked Zephyros (2003) a lot, but I didn't care for Bacchus at all. b>B+(***) [cd]

Alden Hellmuth: Good Intentions (2023 [2024], Fresh Sound New Talent): Alto saxophonist, based in New York, first album, shifty postbop quintet plus guest trumpet/keyboards on several tracks. B+(***) [cd]

Keefe Jackson/Raoul van der Weide/Frank Rosaly: Live at de Tanker (2022 [2024], Kettle Hole): Tenor saxophone/bass clarinet player, from Chicago, live set in Amsterdam with a local bassist and another Chicagoan on drums. B+(***) [cd]

Simon Moullier: Elements of Light (2023-24 [2024], Candid): Vibraphonist, several albums since 2020, this mostly quartet with piano-bass-drums, plus a guest spot each for Gerald Clayton (piano) and Marquis Hill (trumpet). B+(*) [cd]

Patrick Shiroishi: Glass House (2023-24 [2024], Otherly Love): Alto saxophonist, from Los Angeles, prolific since 2014, no musician credits given here although there is a lot of piano/synths in the mix. B+(*) [sp]

Raphael Roginski: Plays John Coltrane and Langston Hughes (2024, Unsound): Polish guitarist, albums since 2008, this reissue first appeared in 2015. eight Coltrane tunes plus two originals, solo guitar, adding voice (Natalia Przybysz) on two pieces built around Hughes texts. Reissue adds four bonus tracks on a second CD. B+(**) [sp]

Too many distractions this past week to spend any serious time listening to new music. I wouldn't be surprised if I come up with even less next week, although things should settle down shortly thereafter.

Again I took an extra day for Speaking of Which, mostly because that's how I set the file up. I expected it to be similarly abbreviated, but I wound up with 171 links, 10275 words -- nowhere near record length, but pretty substantial, with lots of interesting stuff.

Then I rushed this out on the same day, to keep it within September. I may update this (and/or Speaking of Which) on Tuesday, but really need to be working on something else.

PS [10-01]: I rushed this post out late last night, to squeeze it into September, which mostly mattered because I didn't want to take the extra time to dig out this week's paltry offering and replant it in the now extant but empty October Streamnotes file. In the clear light of morning -- something I prefer to sleep through, but once again failed today -- I can add a few more words. It takes me a while to get going these days, so this is prime time for collecting my thoughts.

When I do get moving, my main task today will be to work on the small (12x12) second bedroom upstairs, and its adjacent L-shaped closet. The house was built in 1920, which means the walls and ceilings were plaster on lathe. When we bought the house, in 1999, the room had ugly wallpaper and the ceiling was painted with a glittery popcorn finish. The closet was also wallpapered, with a pattern simulating wood. We hated all those things, but lived with them. I built a bookcase that covered the entire west wall, except for the closet door. I built another bookcase I situated on the east wall, just north of the big window. The other side of the window had a standalone bookcase, as did the north wall next to the east corner. The rest of the north wall, underneath its own big window, was occupied by a futon, usable as a spare bed, on a crude platform I had built. Laura's desk was up against the south wall.

A few years after we arrived, I noticed a crack in the ceiling, near the southwest corner, extending from the entry door out about three feet. I watched that crack grow over twenty-some years. A few months ago, some of the plaster had detached and lowered an inch or two, making its collapse inevitable. I started thinking about ways to push it back up and/or patch it over, but did nothing before it did collapse. I started looking for help to repair it, and finally found some.

Finding more cracks in the same ceiling, we decided to recover the whole ceiling with a new layer of 3/8-inch plaster board. We -- meaning our money and their labor, but I wasn't exctly a passive bystander -- did that last week. To prep, we had to move everything out of the room. For good measure, I also had them steam off the wallpaper, so I could paint the walls, and I cleared out the closet. Some years ago, I figured the walls weren't worth the trouble of repairing, so could be covered up with paneling. I bought several sheets, stored in the garage wood pile for an opportune time, such as now.

Riverside Handyman did the ceiling, including a quick paint, and took down the room wallpaper. I used his steamer to work on the closet, where the walls proved to be as bad as anticipated. That leaves me with the task of finishing the painting, fixing up the closet, and moving everything back so we can reduce the upstairs clutter to normal levels. Big push today (and probably tomorrow, and possibly longer) will be to sand and prep the bedroom walls, caulk the window frames, and mask them off for painting. But also I need to finish prepping the walls and ceiling in the closet -- the latter has a big hole, which used to provide attic access, to fill in and level. The walls mostly need a rough mud job, filling in cracks, corners, and some large missing chunks, but it won't need much sanding, as it will all be covered with paneling.

Aside from impatience, I have another deadline, which is that my brother, his wife, and their daughter are coming for a visit, arriving late Wednesday. They won't be needing the bedroom, and chances are I can put them to work on various projects -- not just this one, as I have more lined up -- but one point of the trip is a separate project, which is to finally sort through the stuffed attic of our ancestral family home on South Main Street.

My parents bought that small house in 1950, a few months before I was born, and lived their until they died, in a three-month span of 2000. They both grew up on farms -- my mother in the Arkansas Ozarks, my father in the Kansas Dust Bowl -- and through the Great Depression, moving to Wichita in the 1940s for war work. They were resourceful and self-sufficient, which among much more meant that they kept a lot of stuff. My father's "super-power" was his knack for packing things to maximize use of space -- I'm pretty good at that myself, but not nearly as good as he was at remembering what he had and where it was.

After they died, we cleared out some obvious stuff, but left most of it for my brother, who moved into the house, and added his own stash. When his work took him to Washington, my sister -- who had inherited the deed -- moved in with her grown son (and her own stash), who still lives there, after she died in 2018. While the attic has been plundered several times over the years -- that "wall of books" in the bedroom I'm working on mostly date from my purchases from before I left home in 1972 (or 1975) -- one harbors the suspicion that there are still precious memories (probably just junk to others, as antique treasures aren't very likely) buried in deep nooks and crannies.

So the plan is to gather some younger folk willing and able to do the spelunking to drag everything out, so we can sort it all out into the obvious categories (trash, recycle, desired by one of us, or deferred/repacked). They're figuring two days, which strikes me as optimistic, but not inconceivable. I think part of the operation should be to catalog everything (except the rankest trash) into a spreadsheet for future reference -- especially everything that gets deferred. I could use some sort of database of my own stuff, especially as I feel increasing need to unburden.

I'm not sure of the schedule for all of this. My niece is just budgeting enough time for the housecleaning, but my brother may be able to stay a bit longer. However long that is, I will mostly be occupied with them, while letting my usual grind slide. Plenty to do later, as we wrap up the year with another Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll. Obvious point from below is that the unheard demo queue has grown considerably. And that doesn't count the download offers waiting in a mail directory, if indeed I ever get to them. (I did download the new Thumbscrew, but most just get shunted aside.)

This week's King Sunny Adé albums were a side-effect of Brad Luen's Ten favorite African albums of 1974. I didn't manage to get to the Adé albums on his list, because I started looking for gaps in my own list, especially as the 1974 albums Luen cites are late entries in multi-volume series.

Having just finished Timothy Egan's Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis, I felt it was time to dust off my copy of Ned Blackhawk's much broader Native/American history, The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History. I've long had non-expert but somewhat more than passing knowledge of the subject -- I'm guessing I've read ten or so more/less focused books, starting c. 1970 with Peter Farb, Alvin Josephy, and especially Vine Deloria Jr.'s Custer Died for Your Sins -- and I've often of late found myself thinking back on that history, especially for insights into possible evolution of settler-colonial societies.

Breaking news today: Iran launches about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. Scroll down and the previous headline reads: "Israel's recent airstrikes destroyed half of Hezbollah's arsenal, U.S. and Israeli officials say." As I've noted, Hezbollah's arsenal was always intended not to attack Israel but to deter Israeli attack. Obviously, it was never sufficient to do so, and even less so as Israel is amassing tanks on the Lebanon border. I've never bought the argument -- so often and readily repeated by American media -- that Hezbollah is some kind of Iranian proxy, its strings pulled from Tehran, or that Hezbollah has any aggressive intent against Israel beyond what it sees as self-defense, or that Iran has any designs against Israel beyond the self-defense of its co-religionists in the region. But Israel's latest attacks on Lebanon are, as was undoubtedly their intent, forcing Iran to fight back.

I am saddened by this, and do not approve, but it's time to reiterate a point that I just made just yesterday:

One thing that follows from this is that every violence from any side is properly viewed as a consequence of Netanyahu's incitement and perpetuation of this genocidal war.

I didn't write this up yesterday, but I did entertain the idea of offering an extreme example: suppose Hezbollah has a nuclear bomb, and could deliver it deep inside Israel, and explode it, killing a hundred thousand or more Israelis (including quite a few Palestinians), would that still be Netanyahu's fault. Yes, it would. (It would also lead to a "why didn't you tell us?" scene, like in Dr. Strangelove. And while it was a pretty safe bet that Hezbollah had no nuclear capability, perhaps Israel should have a think before "counterattacking" Iran in the same way it went after Lebanon.)

One way you know that this is all Netanyahu's fault is because he is the single person who could, even if just acting on a whim, put an end to the entire war. He has that power. He should be held responsible for it.

Manu Chao: Viva Tu (2024, Because Music): French-born Spanish singer-songwriter, sings in both, English, and several other languages; started group Mano Negra (1984-95), six solo albums 1998-2008 (a couple personal favorites there), returns after a 16 year break (although he's released several singles). First couple songs had me wondering, before he found his old groove, and delighted to the end. A- [sp]

Colin James: Chasing the Sun (2024, Stony Plain): Canadian blues-rocker, eponymous debut 1988, early albums had a retro-swing aspect -- especially those with his Little Big Band. B [sp]

Lizz Wright: Shadow (2024, Blues & Greens): Jazz singer, from Atlanta, started in a gospel group, eighth album since 2003. Impressive voice, but limited appeal. B+(*) [sp]

Sunny Ade & His Green Spot Band: The Master Guitarist Vol. 1 (1970 [1983], African Songs): Nigerian singer-guitarist, has produced many albums from 1967 on, came to world attention in 1982 when Mango released his Juju Music, some of his earlier work later issued by Shanchie (The Best of the Classic Years and Gems From the Classic Years (1967-1974). I still recommend those (the former I have at A+, as does Christgau), but streaming offers other spots for toe-dipping, like this 6-or-10-song, 34:16 former LP (first "side" has five song titles mixed into one track). Date info is spotty. I'm not sure I'll be able to make fine distinctions among many similar albums, but this one is superb. A- [sp]

King Sunny Ade and His African Beats: The Message (1981, Sunny Alade): Robert Christgau, in his dive into Adé's early Nigerian albums (such as he could find), singled this one out as the pick of the litter (while alluding to another one with orange cover -- later identified as Eje Nlogba. Hard for me to be sure, but this is certainly a contender. A- [yt]

King Sunny Ade and His African Beats: Check 'E' (1981, Sunny Alade): Another nice Nigerian album, feels a bit slighter. B+(***) [sp]

King Suny Ade & His African Beats: Juju Music of the 80's (1981, Sunny Alade): More seductive grooves. B+(***) [sp]

King Suny Adé & His African Beats: Ajoo (1983, Sunny Alade): Cover just shows the man with electric guitar, which may be the focus, but the beats are complex, the groove sinuous, and the vocals neatly woven in, whatever they mean. Not sure I've heard it all -- first side for sure, and at least half of the second, but I'm satisfied. [Reissued in US by Makossa.] A- [yt]

King Sunny Ade & His African Beats: Bobby (1983, Sunny Alade): With Juju Music released internationally on Island, he continued releasing albums in Nigeria, with this one of several (five?) before his second Island-released album, 1984's Synchro System. This one is relatively subdued, although seductively so. B+(***) [sp]

King Sunny Ade: E Dide/Get Up (1992 [1995], Mesa): Island dropped him after Aura (1984), as best I recall due to the expense of touring with his big band. He kept up recording, with this one of the few albums to get much notice outside Africa. B+(***) [sp]

Batsumi: Batsumi (1974 [2011], Matsuli Music): South African jazz-fusion group founded in Soweto, South Africa in 1972. Some typical township jive riffs, attractive as ever, with other things, including vocals, that don't have quite the same appeal. B+(*) [sp]

Moldy Goldies: Colonel Jubilation B. Johnston and His Mystic Knights Band and Street Singers Attack the Hits (1966, Columbia): One-shot album by Bob Johnston (1932-2015), started c. 1956 as a songwriter (as were his grandmother and mother), recorded a couple rockabilly singles, but made his mark as a producer, scoring a hit for Timi Yuro in 1962, working for Kapp and Dot, and moving on to Columbia in 1965, which assigned him to produce Bob Dylan (through New Morning), Simon & Garfunkel, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Flatt & Scruggs, Burl Ives, and Leonard Cohen, before going independent c. 1970 ("most successfully with Lindisfarne on Fog on the Tyne" -- so not so famous, but probably beat his Columbia salary). This, as I said, was a one-shot project, artist name folded into the subtitle (and compressed above), the credited musicians aliased (although most appear to have been obscure studio musicians). The eleven songs were all big hits from the previous year, things I still remember well from AM radio at the time, although if you're even a few years younger you may have missed more than a few. They were "goldies" by RIAA calculation, rendered instantly moldy by mock-skiffle arrangements and brass band, but 58 years later they've aged into postmodern classics. Compares well to Peter Stampfel's 20th Century in 100 Songs, except focused on a year that really holds up to the treatment. Of course, some people won't get the joke (although probably fewer now than then). Nadir is "Secret Agent Man" followed by "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration." If you're down with them, you'll love the rest. A- [sp]

After an abbreviated Speaking of Which yesterday, this is an even shorter Music Week. For most of last week, I've been prepping the house for arrival of a contractor, to fix the collapsed ceiling in a small upstairs bedroom. Main thing there was moving 25 years of accumulated living out to somewhere else. Some things got thrown away, but most -- including three bookcases of books -- just had to find temporary storage elsewhere. Contractor arrived today, and should have another couple days of work, after which I intend to refinish (mostly paint) everything, including a closet that long been the most wretched corner of a 100-year-old house.

So I haven't had much time to listen to music, or to write. Expect no more (and probably less) for next week, and probably the week after -- hopefully the bedroom will be done by then, but I expect project repercussions to spread far and wide. I'm looking forward to these weeks, figuring they'll produce more tangible accomplishments than I've felt from writing all year. Indeed, I'm rushing this out now, so I can go back to my closet and get a couple more hours of work in. Downside is that it can be physically wearing.

One minor accomplishment last week was when I fixed one of my "inventory reduction" dinners on Saturday: I turned shrimp and vegetables from the freezer, the end of a bag of dried pasta, and some aging items in the refrigerator into a small dinner of: shrimp with feta cheese, penne puttanesca, pisto manchego, and a lemon-caper sauce with green beans, artichoke hearts, and prosciutto; followed by a chocolate cake with black walnut frosting (one of my mother's standards).

I have nothing much to say about this week's music, other than that the Ahmad Jamal records were suggested by a question. I thought "why bother?" at first, then "why not?"

Benjamin Boone: Confluence: The Ireland Sessions (2023 [2024], Origin): Alto saxophonist, has some good records, especially the pair backing poet Philip Levine. Trio with bass and drums plus scattered guests, including singer JoYne on three songs. They're nice enough, but the saxophone is better. B+(***) [cd]

Michael Dease: Found in Space: The Music of Gregg Hill (2022 [2024], Origin): Trombonist, also baritone sax, has more than one album per year since 2010. Hill is a Michigan-based composer with no records of his own, but several of his students have released tributes to him recently, and this is Dease's second. Large group, eleven pieces, and probably the best yet. B+(***) [cd]

Delia Fischer: Beyond Bossa (2024, Origin): Brazilian singer-songwriter, plays piano/keyboards, recorded two albums 1988-90 as part of Duo Fênix, solo albums after that. As the title implies, the atmosphere here is familiarly Brazilian, but there is much more going on, including interaction of many dramatic voices, which suggest opera (or at least concept album). Not something I feel up to figuring out, but seems exceptional. B+(***) [cd]

Heems: Veena (2024, Veena Sounds): New York rapper Himanshu Suri, formerly of Das Racist, named his album (like his label) after his mother. His earlier 2024 album, Lafandar, tops my non-jazz list. This one is iffier, and not just because they redo the old phone message thing. B+(***) [sp]

Jason Kao Hwang: Soliloquies: Unaccompanied Pizzicato Violin Improvisations (2024, True Sound): Exactly what the title promises, which sets an upper bound on how enjoyable this can be, but he comes remarkably close to hitting the mark. Hwang became our greatest living jazz violinist when Billy Bang passed, and is a safe bet to maintain that claim until he, too, is gone. A- [cd]

Miranda Lambert: Postcards From Texas (2024, Republic Nashville): Country singer-songwriter, debut 2005, probably the most consistent one since, even if you count her Pistol Annies side project. Another batch of good songs. A- [sp]

Matt Panayides Trio: With Eyes Closed (2023 [2024], Pacific Coast Jazz): Guitarist, based in New York, fourth album since 2010, a trio with Dave LaSpina (bass) and Anthony Pinciotti (drums). B+(**) [cd]

Anne Sajdera: It's Here (2024, Bijuri): Pianist, some solo (two tracks), some trio (two more), some with various horns (four). B+(*) [cd]

Jason Stein: Anchors (2022 [2024], Tao Forms): Bass clarinet player, based in Chicago, leads a trio with Joshua Abrams (bass) and Gerald Cleaver (drums). Billed as his "most personal album to date," impressive when he hits his stride, but seems to back off a bit much. B+(***) [cd]

Nilüfer Yanya: My Method Actor (2024, Ninja Tune): British pop singer-songwriter, father is Turkish, third album. Didn't grab me right away, like the first two, but snuck up. B+(***) [sp]

Charles Bell and the Contemporary Jazz Quartet: Another Dimension (1963, Atlantic): Pianist (1933-2012), only released two albums, one called The Charles Bell Contemporary Jazz Quartet in 1961, this this one a couple years later. Four originals, covers of "Django," "Oleo," and "My Favorite Things," with guitar (Bill Smith), bass (Ron Carter), and drums (Allen Blairman). B+(***) [sp]

Ahmad Jamal: Poinciana (1958 [1963], Argo): Early compilation LP, took the title song from Live at the Pershing, then tacked on seven songs from his September sets at the Spotlite (released in 1959 as Portfolio of Ahmad Jamal; Ahmad's Blues also comes from the Spotlite stand, but only two songs there are dupes from here). So this seems like a sampler for more definitive editions. B+(**) [r]

The Ahmad Jamal Trio: The Awakening (1970, Impulse!): With Jamil Nasser (bass) and Frank Grant (drums). B+(**) [r]

Ahmad Jamal: Live in Paris 1992 (1992 [1993], Birdology): French label, founded 1992 and ran up to 2005, associated with Disques Dreyfus. Mostly trio with James Cammack (bass guitar) and David Bowler (drums), with alternates on one track. B+(*) [sp]

Ahmad Jamal: I Remember Duke, Hoagy & Strayhorn (1994 [1995], Telarc): Covers as noted, plus a couple originals along those lines. With Ephriam Wolfolk (bass) and Arti Dixson (drums), but they don't add much. B+(*) [sp]

Ahmad Jamal: The Essence, Part 1 (1994-95 [1995], Birdology): The first of three volumes the label collected, this from live sets in Paris -- six quartet tracks with piano, bass (James Cammack), drums (Idris Muhammad), and percussion (Manolo Badrena), plus two tracks from New York with a different bassist (Jamil Nasser) and George Coleman (tenor sax). I wish we had more of the latter -- his bits are really terrific -- but without him I'm still reminded of how bright Jamal's piano is. A- [sp]

Ahmad Jamal: Big Byrd: The Essence, Part 2 (1994-95 [1996], Birdology): More quartet tracks from the same dates in Paris and New York, with guests Joe Kennedy Jr. (violin) on one track, Donald Byrd (trumpet) on the other (the 15:13 title track). B+(***) [sp]

Ahmad Jamal: Nature: The Essence, Part 3 (1997 [1998], Birdology): A later studio session from Paris, with the same quartet -- James Cammack (bass), Idris Muhammad (drums), Manolo Badrena (percussion) -- joined by Othello Molineaux on steel drum. Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax) drops in for one track, and is terrific. B+(**) [sp]

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