Posts Tagged ‘Hamid Drake’

Apologies for the tardy post! Busy time of year for me. Let’s keep this going!

Albums

1)  Boredoms – Super Roots 3

– Crystal clear, concise, to the point. Yes, it’s ½ hour of hardcore riffing. Again…crystal clear, concise, to the point.

2)  Kyuss – Welcome To Sky Valley

– Like taking a hit off an exhaust pipe. Opens with this “suite” for god’s sake…Gardenia, Asteroid, Supa Scoopa And Mighty Scoop.

3)  Melvins – Stoner Witch

– The first 3 minutes of Magic Pig Detective changed how I listen to music. No Kidding. No Hyperbole. No B.S. A transformative moment. I remember the location, room, chair I was sitting in, who I was with, the time of day, the volume, and my jaw dropping. Also Revolve, Sweet Willy Rollbar.

4)  Frank Black – Teenager of the Year

– I recall hearing Kim Deal disparage this at the time. She was/is wrong. Speedy Marie, Freedom Rock.

5)  Die Like A Dog Quartet – Fragments Of Music, Life and Death of Albert Ayler

– I may have “heard” Brotzmann prior to this…but I’m pretty sure I never “HEARD” him till this.

6)  Altered States (Feat Otomo Yoshihide) – Lithuania & Estonia Live

– Improvised Rock is no light task. Otomo Yoshihide and company knock it down here. They were doing this in 1994. Visionary. Chain Reaction.

7) Bill Dixon with Barry Guy, Tony Oxley, William Parker – Vade Mecum

– Astounding. Spaces.

8)  Paul Haines – Darn It!

– Poet Haines assembled some of my favorite artists to create this beautiful tapestry.  Check out the credits – HERE

9)  Jeff Buckley – Grace

– Pretty sure one those things we all can agree is pretty fantastic.

10)  Ween – Chocolate & Cheese

– I don’t think things get any catchier than this.  Stylistically all over the map, coherent at the same time. Freedom of ’76, What Deaner Was Talking About, Mister Would You Please Help My Pony.

Songs

1)  Kew.Rhone – John Greaves – Songs

– Robert Wyatt does great justice lending vocals this remake of the ‘77 Greaves/Blegvad/Herman tune.

2)  Over the River Club/Grief – Henry Threadgill – Song Of My Trees

– Myra Melford plays some beautiful piano here. Threadgill compositions can be somewhat “cold”. Not so here.

3)  A Hundred Years – Mule – If I Don’t Six

– Something sets PW Long and company apart from contemporaries like Shellac, JSBE, or Jesus Lizard. Soul.

4)  Shit Soup – Sebahoh – Bakesale

– Bakesale is one of those Lp’s in my collection I feel I should appreciate more than I do, could become a favorite with the right listen. This track always lays me out though.

5)  Work from Smoke – Gastr Del Sol – Crookt, Crackt, or Fly

– O’Rourke & Grubbs were working alongside Red Krayola at this time and it shows here.  Who knew what these two would accomplish over the next decades?

6)  Hot Freaks – Guided By Voices – Bee Thousand

– Like most of my favorite GBV tracks this comes off as more of an idea for a song, a whisper of something greater. More perfect kept in its adolescent form.

7)  Vroom/Thrak – King Crimson – Vroom

– Only Crimson return from a ten year hiatus this fit, muscular, retooled.

8)  Become One/The Born One – Keiji Haino – A Challenge To Fate

– Soft/Loud….no not the “pixies” sense.

9)  Blasters (feat Eddie Hazel) – Booty’s New Rubber Band – Blasters of the Universe

– Built up around an old Eddie Hazel guitar track. This is the sort of thing that never works. Except here.

10)  Superbird – Fu Manchu – No One Rides For Free

– SOLID! Love a good shitkicker!

15 for 2015

1)  Coin Coin Chapter Three: River Run Thee – Matana Roberts

2)  For Ed Blackwell – Hamid Drake/Michael Zerang

3)  Site Specific – Ken Vandermark

4)  This Is Not Art – Double Basse (The Craftsman Part 1)

5)  Divers – Joanna Newsom

6)  You Can Be Mine- Fred Lonberg-Holm & Paal Nilssen-Love (The Pleasure Principle)

7)  A Magnetic Center – Jon Mueller

8)  Experiments With A Leaf – John Butcher & Andy Moor (Joy Is the Headlight)

9)  Warsaw Improvisers Orchestra (Split Cassette) – WIO (This…That…And The Other)

10) Alone Together – Joe McPhee

11)  Double Arc – The Resonance Ensemble (Arc Two, Section A/Arc Two Section D)

12)  Full Bleed – Thurston Moore / John Moloney Caught On Tape

13)  The Bridge – Hervé Perez & André Darius (Couleurs Primaires)

14)  Pool Blunt – Marriage (Church Of The Horny Goat)

15)  Show Us The Fire – Zelienople (Uptown/Blue Sands)

Off the top of my head a few other things that while not released in 2015 helped make my year and made me smile:  DKV’s blistering Milwaukee 2013 set on the Motion In Sound box set (2014), the positively gorgeous Ville Vesten from Moskus (2006), Neil Hagerty’s syrupy pop classic Out Of Reach (2003), The Swell Maps’ deliciously hectic Big Maz In The Desert, and last but not least John Carter & Booby Bradford…and Fred Anderson.

I’m not looking at this as a “best of” list, but more of a list of drummers I really
enjoy. I limited my list, but there are so many more that could have been mentioned.

Drummer:

Hamid Drake (Jazz, various artist): When thinking about the top drummers in the
world past or present, Hamid is the first one that comes to mind. I’ve witnessed
Hamid play over a dozen times and his drumming abilities never cease to amaze me.
His style is effortless and something that really needs to be experienced first
hand. (photo below)

hamid

Paal Nilssen-Love (Jazz, various artists): Paal should be considered the Ironman of
drummers, he hits very hard but in contrast creates the most suitable melodies to
compliment the performers he’s playing with.

Dale Crover (Melvins, various side projects): Pure ability, pure power is the only
way to sum up Dale Crover. Sometimes he’s completely on key, sometimes timed off,
he is amazing.

Keith Moon (The Who): I can not kid myself to believe I was never in complete awe
of Keith Moon as a drummer and a rock and roll personality, but we’ll only need to
focus on drumming. The slap-happy, sloppy presence of Keith Moon was an element of
the Who that really made them that something special. The sound of his licks added
a complexity that made their sound completely unique. Just listen to the last
portion of Happy Jack.

Max Roach (Jazz): My first exposure to Max Roach was through my disc Rick vs.
Roach. With Rich coming through one channel and Max coming through the other, over
a little bit of time is was clearly distinctive who was who. Yes, Buddy Rich was
fast and accurate, but Max had soul. He hit the groove. Max Roach was one of the
greatest.

Earl Hudson – Bad Brains. Punk rock/reggae drummer with style. Earl cements the
songs together. He sounded like a free jazz drummer in many ways.

Han Bennink (Jazz): I was fortunate to see Han play live, although he played only a
snare that night. Han was an amazing contributor to the European Free Jazz movement
that changed the world of Jazz everywhere. His drumming was outside the box, and
within the box, and around the box and the box… etc. A true legend. (photo below)

han-bennink

Coady Willis (Melvins, Big Business): When Coady first started playing with the
Melvins alongside Dale Crover, my first thought as well as I’m sure everyone who
never heard of the guy) was WHYY??? would they need to add an additional drummer??
HOW??? can anyone play next to Dale Crover? Is this going to be a disaster? Not at
all. The combination of Coady and Dale playing the duel drumming kit creating what
I like to call the abyss… was a perfect combination of the drumming. Drumming
being recognized as a key element to every track and song. The Melvins were even
more complete. (photo below)

untitled

Joey Baron (Masada, John Zorn, additional projects) Joey’s drummer always came to
the forefront for me, his drumming stands out. He’s quick, he’s accurate, it makes a
statement. Solid.

Tony Williams (Jazz): Love his style and vibe as well as his music as a band leader. (photo below)

Tony Williams

Jim Black! I absolutely adore the work he did with Tim Berne!

Oh, and the Incredible: Charlie Watts, the leader of the popular band, The Rolling Stones!

charlie1

charliewattsisking

Honorable mentions:
Elvin Jones, Frank Rosaly, Chris Corsano, Tim Daisy, Guy Lombardo, Neil Peart, Jeff Nelson, Buddy Rich, Michael Zerang, Ginger Baker, Ronald Shannon Jackson, John Bonham, Neal Smith, the list could go on and on and on…. and I’m sure I’m missing a lot!

I attempted the impossible here, which is to compile a fav’s list mixing all genres of music. Why not? It is what it is, but in the end squeezed out a lot of potential picks.

1. Ken Vandermark’s TOPOLOGY Nonet featuring Joe McPhee- Impressions of PO Music.
(Joe McPhee: tenor saxophone / Jason Adasiewicz: vibraphone / Josh Berman: cornet /
Jeb Bishop: trombone / Tim Daisy: drums / Kent Kessler: bass / Fred Lonberg-Holm:
cello and electronics / Dave Rempis: saxophones / Ken Vandermark: clarinets and
tenor saxophone)
2. I.P.A. – Bubble (Atle Nymo / Magnus Broo / Mattias Stahl / Ingebrigt Haker
Flaten / Hakon Mjaset Johansen)
3. DKV + Gustafsson / Pupillo / Nilssen-Love – SCHL8HOF (Hamid Drake / Kent Kessler
/ Ken Vandermark / Mats Gustafsson / Paal Nilssen-Love / Massimo Pupillo)
4. The Spyrals – Out Of Sight (Mock Records)
5. Atomic – There’s a Hole in the Mountain (Fredrik Ljungkvist / Magnus Broo /
Havard Wilk / Ingebrigt Haker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love)
6. Califone – Stitches (Dead Oceans)
7. Tarbaby – Ballad Of Sam Langford (Orrin Evans / Eric Revis / Nasheet Waits)
8. Goat – Live Ballroom Ritual (Rocket Recordings)
9. Frank Rosaly – Cicada Music (James Falzone – clarinet / Jason Stein – bass
clarinet / Keefe Jackson – bass clarinet, contra bass clarinet, tenor / Jason
Adasiewicz – vibraphone / Jason Roebke – bass / Frank Rosaly – drums)
10. Made To Break – Lacerba (Ken Vandermark / Christof Kurzmann / Devin Hoff / Tim
Daisy)
11. Valerie June – Pushin’ Against A Stone (Sunday Best)