Mills Faculty and Rova Perform the music of Lindsay Cooper

Zeena Parkins with the Mills Performing group

Zeena Parkins with the Mills Performing group

Lindsay Cooper, a modern composer and bassoonist for the 70s Rock in Opposition band Henry Cow left a legacy of amazing music before leaving this planet in 2013 after a long fight with MS. Two of her former band members joined a group of local musicians to perform a concert of some of her work at Mills College’s Littlefield Concert Hall. Fred Frith and Cooper were both members of the band Henry Cow, a band who invented new ways to combine rock and experimental music in the 70’s heyday of progressive rock.

Fred Frith with Kate McLoghlin and Jordan Glenn

Fred Frith with Kate McLoghlin and Jordan Glenn

Zena Parkins worked together with Cooper in the band News from Babel along with Dagmar Krause and Chris Cutler from Henry Cow. Parkins and Frith were also members of the groups Skeleton Crew with the amazing and unfortunately also departed Tom Cora. Perhaps to bring the unique collaboration together, Cora and Cooper collaborated as well, in a group called the Hat Shoes with Cora’s wife, Catherine Jauniaux, along with This Heat drummer Charles Hayward, Henry Cow saxophonist Tim Hodgkinson, Pere Ubu vocalist David Thomas and Chris Cochrane, a member of Parkins former band No Safety. The list of musicians above include some of the prolific musicians and composers of the past 40 plus years.

Rova Saxophone Quartet performing  'Faces In A Crowd'

Rova Saxophone Quartet performing ‘Faces In A Crowd’

Another heavyweight band performing the music of Cooper tonight was Rova Saxophone Quartet. Rova Saxophone Quartet have long revolutionized the abstract jazz field with their ability to invent textures of rhythm combined with circular breathing style saxophone reminiscent of jazz greats like Steve Lacy and John Coltrane.

Zeena Parkins and Fred Frith with McLoughlin and Jason Hoopes

Zeena Parkins and Fred Frith with McLoughlin, Evelyn Davis and Jason Hoopes

I first had the chance to see Frith and Parkins performing together at the Festival International Musique Actuelle in Victoriaville, Quebec in 1992. They performed in Frith’s piece Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire. At the same festival, I also saw Frith perform an improvised duet with Han Bennink, who was a member of Albert Ayler’s Dutch band. I took away some memories from Victo in 92. One was hanging in front of the old Grand Cafe without money for to buy a ticket to see Lars Holmer when two guys came out about 20 minutes into the set. One of them gave me their ticket and I went inside only to see Frith joining the Looping Home Orchestra as an unlisted guest. At the same festival Zeena Parkins also performed two great sets with Elliott Sharp’s Carbon and Orchestra Carbon.

McLoughlin and violnist Emily Packard

McLoughlin and violnist Emily Packard

Both Frith and Parkins continue to inspire by writing and recording great music when they aren’t doing their day jobs as professors in the music department for Mills College.

I also first saw Rova at FIMAV in 1997 with a larger Rova X8 band. This band is really always hard hitting improv that stands the test of time and has done so with their many hatArt/HatHut releases and the recently released title ZORN where the group plays the music of another improviser and collaborator with Frith and Parkins. Zorn and Frith were together in the band Naked City while Parkins and Zorn were together in the two releases Cobra and The Bribe.

Songlist from Lindsay Cooper tribute at Mills 12/5/2015

Songlist from Lindsay Cooper tribute at Mills 12/5/2015

More recently, Frith and Parkins have performed together in the band Cosa Brava, a band that also includes Carla Kihlstedt and Matthias Bossi from Sleepytime Gorrilla Museum.

Lineup of Lindsay Cooper tribute at Mills College

Lineup of Lindsay Cooper tribute at Mills College

I was fortunate to witness many great performances at VICTO with many collaborators Ms. Cooper. Towards the end of her career as a musician she wrote the piece Oh Moscow, which was released on Les Disques Victo in 1991 and was a member of the Feminist improvising group with film director and screenwriter Sally Potter.

It’s great to live close enough to Mills in order witness such a great tribute to Lindsay Cooper.
I never had the opportunity to see any Ms. Cooper performances in my life, but tonight, for a moment it made me feel as if I had.

They even had Rova tshirts

They even had Rova tshirts

 

 

 

Top 20 recordings of 2015

Thundercat The Beyond/Where Giants Roam

Thundercat The Beyond/Where Giants Roam

1. ThundercatThe Beyond/Where Giants RoamBrainfeeder Records
2. McPhee/Saft/Morris/DownsTiconderogaClean Feed
3. Uneven ElevenLive at Café OTOSub Rosa
4. Steve Coleman and the Council of BalanceSynovial JointsPi Recordings
5. Henry Threadgill’s ZooidIn for a penny, in for a pound– Pi Recordings
6. Kendrick LamarTo pimp a butterflyTop Dawg Entertainment
7. Cécile Mclorin SalvantFor one to loveMack Avenue Records
8. Raheem DeVaughnLove, Sex and PassionEntertainment One Music
9. Alan JenkinsThe Kettering Vampires perform The Velvet Underground and NicoCordelia Records
10. Ikue MoriLight in the shadowTzadic
11. Kamasi WashingtonThe EpicBrainfeeder
12. The ThingShakeThe Thing Records
13. Tim Berne’s SnakeoilYou’ve been watching meECM Records
14. The NecksVertigoRecommended Records
15. FiliaMotsaLike it isAagoo records
16. Dominique PifarelyTime Before and AfterECM
17. Ben NeillHorizonalAudiokult Records
18. Stephen Haynes QuintetPomegranateNew Atlantis Records
19. Prince BujuWe are in the warMakkum Records
20. The AndThe AndTractor Notown

My brush with fame

Sun Ra 1989 release Blue Delight on A&M Records

Sun Ra 1989 release Blue Delight on A&M Records

A few years ago I needed to clear out some of my cd collection and I started selling cds at the usual spots to sell music online. Some of the cds had been in my collection for 20 years and I thought it best to looking into replacing them on vinyl anyway. I sold a lot of great recordings by Fela Kuti, Ornette Coleman, and Last Poets to name a few. One day I looked in the account and noticed an order from Penn Jillette. It was for the Sun Ra title ‘Blue Delight‘.
I remember thinking how that made selling records online fun for a while. Thanks Penn and as I remember writing in a note with the sale- you have good taste in music.

The Upsetter: Lee “Scratch” Perry performs his dub masterpiece Super Ape at Moe’s Alley

Rainford Hugh Perry goes by many names such as The Upsetter, Pipecock Jackson, and Lee “King” Perry but most of those in the world of Dub know him as Lee “Scratch” Perry. Scratch, the living legend, has an illustrious history as both the creator of Dub as well as having been the famous producer who helped Bob Marley and the Wailers craft their authentic sound when Reggae emerged from the roots of Ska and Rocksteady from the 50’s and 60’s in Jamaica.

£ee $cratch Perry performing Super Ape at Moe's Alley 9/4/14

£ee $cratch Perry performing Super Ape at Moe’s Alley 9/4/14

Perry’s studio was the infamous Black Ark where some of the greatest names in Reggae and Dub performed such as Max Romeo, Junior Murvin, the Heptones and the Wailers. Scratch’s studio band was referred to as “The Upsetters” and were the session musicians for many of these legendary recordings.  It was in the Black Ark where Perry recorded what many consider the first Dub recording in 1976 on Perry’s own Upsetter record label, Super Ape. Super Ape was released internationally on Island records later in the same year. The use of reverb on percussion was key in creating the impression of a different plane in which the rhythm bounced and shook as if in some sort of vacuum.

£ee $cratch Perry performing at Moe's Alley

£ee $cratch Perry performing at Moe’s Alley

Perry also implemented a variety of sounds that were samples of recordings simulating exhaust, bubbling laboratory experiments and other mind expanding sound effects to give his music an otherworldly element.

Blessed also with an eccentric flair for the strange, Scratch has a wardrobe that gives him the aura of a mystic. On Friday, September 4th, the founder of Dub proved he had more energy than anyone in Santa Cruz including his collaborators, Subatomic Sound System, a band from Brooklyn who help pull of the performance of Super Ape in it’s entirety. The 79 year old icon performed for well over 2 hours endlessly streaming together his quirky rhyming lyrics that are characteristic of his signature sound.

The Upsetters at Moes Alley

Pipecock Jackson with Subatomic at Moe’ Alley in Santa Cruz

Perry’s legacy doesn’t stop as the creator of Dub. In the 80’s Scratch continued to develop his futuristic and Dub sound for the space age while working with On-U Sound producer Adrian Sherwood. The team worked together originally with The Dub Syndicate. In 1990 Perry teamed with The Dub Syndicate to record From the Secret LaboratoryThe collaborations between Perry and Sherwood have continued (though infrequent) and are another important component of The Upsetter’s amazing career. Perry and Co. performed the song Inspector Gadget from the aforementioned Secret Laboratory release in Friday’s performance.

Lee Scratch Perry with Subatomic on 9/4/2014

Lee Scratch Perry with Subatomic on 9/4/2014

After moving to Switzerland, Perry teamed up with 1/2 of the electronic group Yello on the 1997 release Technomajikal on Reachout Interntional Records (ROIR). Other notable collaborators includes a longstanding collaboration with Mad Professor as well as with Bill Lswell aon the 2011 release Rise AgainReleased on M.O.D. Technologies, the recording features Perry’s rhyming dub poetry over the musical stylings of a Reggae inspired grouping of Laswell’s group Material, with many recognizable associates from his Axiom and Celluloid record label days.

“Super Ape” performed at Moe’s Alley 9/4/15

“Three in one” from the album Super Ape performed at Moe’s Alley in Santa Cruz

SF Experimental rock legends Chrome perform at Catalyst Club

Helios Creed and members of Chrome @ Catslyst Club

Helios Creed and members of Chrome @ Catalyst Club

Helios Creed is one of the true pioneers of sound in the bay area. Along with Damon Edge who founded the band Chrome in 1975 Creed has propelled the group to a band that transcends generations. They released more than 30 recordings in various incarnations of the band. Creed also released a series of solo recordings during the late 80’s and mid 90’s through Subterranean, Amphetamine Reptile and Cleopatra Record labels. Chrome initially gained critical acclaim on their 1977 release Alien Soundtracks. The follow up Half Machine Lip Moves is highly regarded as the band’s strongest recording as their combination of Psychedelic and Punk influences were blended to what would be viewed as their signature sound. It contains the classic song ‘TV as Eyes‘. The classic band’s spin on these two genres take listeners to a rather dark realm of the other worlds where aliens send their rock through a distorted filter and the exhaust is the combustion of a fuel from  some abstract unknown planet.

Chrome @ Catalyst Nightclub 7/14/2015

Helios Creed and Keith Thompson of Chrome 7/14/15

 

Helios Creed of Chrome

Helios Creed of Chrome

Their recordings have long been regarded among the best of the undiscovered bands as their recordings have reissued a number of times over the decades. The most recent incarnation of the band and label interested in documenting their genius is King of Spades records who in 2013 releases a series of out takes from 79-80 on a Double LP/CD release entitled Half Machine from the SunChrome also released a Double LP/CD in 2014 on King of Spades records featuring all newly recorded material entitled Feel it like a Scientist.

Creed currently resides in Santa Cruz and their concert on Wednesday consisted of two local openers making it a show of  locals. They performed songs from Half Machine Lip Moves as well as their acclaimed Third from the SunThe 1982 release contains 3 songs performed on Wednesday, the song of the same title as well as ‘Armageddon‘ and ‘Firebomb‘.  Many fans regard this among the most essential of all of the Chrome releases.

Chrome performing the into to Third from the Sun at Catalyst Club on 7/14/15

Dusted Angel performing at Catalyst Clun in Santa Cruz 7/14/2015

Dusted Angel performing at Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz 7/14/2015

Dusted Angel ripped through their set as openers for Creed and Co. The quintet first emerged in 2008 as a side project for BL’AST front man Clifford Dinsmore. Their style ranks them along bands like St. Vitus, High on Fire and Corrosion of Conformity. To date the group has released a 3 song ep on Corruption Records as well as a full length recording entitled Earth Sick Mind on Mankind Records.

Dusted Angel will perform on Wednesday, July 22nd at the Ritz in San Jose opening for Fu Manchu

Mountain Tamer from Santa Cruz open for Dusted Angel and Chrome

Mountain Tamer from Santa Cruz open for Dusted Angel and Chrome

Mountain Tamer are a trio from Santa Cruz who formed in 2010. The band has a 70 Stoner/Psych rock groove and worth a visit on over at Reverb Nation to see who’s who in town from this sound. Their song ‘Levitating Lady‘ was released in 2013 and is one example of what the group has to offer.

Mountain Tamer will be performing next in Santa Cruz at the Crepe Place on July 31st with Dark Seas as openers. Admission is $6.

 

 

The Endless Tour featuring Magma @ Slim’s 4/8/15

Magma Slim's SF

Magma Slim’s SF

Fans of the 70’s period of music referred to as Zeuhl, Progressive Rock and Rock in Opposition had a rare opportunity to see Magma in San Francisco, Ca last Wednesday. Fans hold the band at a ranking atop of their field and many might proclaim them the best rock band in the world if not the longest lasting one. At the moment the tour was announced posts started appearing on the internet and the band certainly lived up to, if not exceeded their reputation as the founders of Zeuhl.
Magma emerged as one of the strongest bands during what Chris Cutler refers to as Rock in Opposition in his book “File Under Popular” on November and Autonomedia books. Over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to see some of the remaining contemporaries of this field including individual and session performances by Chris Cutler (Henry Cow, Art Bears, Cassiber), Fred Frith (Henry Cow, Art Bears, Skeleton Crew, Cosa Brava), Zeena Parkins (Skeleton Crew, News from Babel, Elliot Sharp’s Carbon, No Safety, Cosa Brava) and Dagmar Krause (Henry Cow, News from Babel Art Bears), Univers Zero, Plastic People of the Universe, Albert Marcoeur, Guigou Chenevier (Etron Fou Leloublan), Lars Holmer (Samlas Mammas Manna), Richard Teitelbaum (Musica Elettronica Viva) Pere Ubu, Bratko Bibič (Begnagrad/Nimal), Tom Cora (Nimal/Skeleton Crew) Heiner Goebbels (Cassiber) and other remarkable bands from this era.

Magma at Slim's 4/8/15

Magma at Slim’s 4/8/15

According to Cutler, Magma are highly influenced by Classical Composers such as Stravinsky and Orf. Other bands such as Cutler’s Henry Cow as well as Art Zoyd and Univers Zero were also heavily influenced 20th Century Classical composers. Perhaps in a much greater perspective, Magma are positioned alongside other progressive rock enigmas such as Can, Faust, Soft Machine, Captain Beefheart, Present, Heldon, Gong, Stormy Six, Keith Rowe/AMM, Henry Cow and  Quiet Sun/This Heat.

The Endless Tour featuring Magma performing at Slim's on 4/8/15

The Endless Tour featuring Magma performing at Slim’s on 4/8/15

Imagine my surprise to find they were to do a rare US tour that included the bay area! I bought tickets immediately because although I wasn’t sure if it would/could sell out or not, I knew I didn’t want to risk missing a show with this much promise and anticipation. During my formative years it wasn’t easy to find Magma recordings but Attahk will always remain atop my list of favorite recordings from my formative years. They always had such a deep catalog and every song title and description seemed to take us to an alternate universe filled with spacey and celestial themes. The term Zeuhl is from Vander’s visionary language he invented to express musical ideas. This language is called Kobaian.

Magma performed songs from Slag Tanz and songs from their catalog

Magma performed songs from Slag Tanz and songs from their catalog

Magma were formed in 1969 in Paris, France. Over the decades they’ve released over 30 recordings both studio and live and are touring to support their latest recording Šlaǧ Tanƶ (on 7th Records). Šlaǧ Tanƶ was released in January of 2015 and is an EP.

Magma aux Etats-Unis!

Magma aux Etats-Unis!

Christian Vander is a classically trained drummer who founded the band in 1969. There were many musicians who’ve been members of Magma over the years one of the higher profile profile alumni of the band is composer Yannik Top who started with the band in 1973 and played bass on a number of their recordings during the early to mid seventies. They’re recordings are influenced by Classical vocals featuring several several vocalists during their performances including Vander and his wife Stella Vander who first appeared with the band on the 1973 recording Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh.

Magma performent leur disque nouvelle Slag-Tanz

Magma performent la disque nouvelle Slag-Tanz

 

 

On Wednesday April 8th, 2015, when the Endless Tour featuring Magma earthed at Slim’s in San Francisco, Ca., the band was introduced by local Punk icon Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys. Jello recounted being on the east coast one day and learning they were going to be performing in Pennsylvania. He said ‘he took every back road he knew and broke every traffic violation in the book to get there. On the way when he noticed he was still running late he had told himself if he were able to arrive and see 1 minute of music by Magma it would be a success. He finished by saying when he finally did arrive an hour late he rushed in and witnessed what was the best hour and a half of music he’s ever seen… And now (he went on to add) they’re in our town!’

Magma performed a  rare US tour in the Spring of 2015

Magma performed a rare US tour in the Spring of 2015

the residents perform shadowland at the rio theater 3-12-15

I’ve long been what you might call a peripheral fan of the Residents. They’ve always fascinated me and I’ve certainly owned their recordings but I’ve yet to become as eager to see what their going to do next as now.

the residents @ the rio theater 3-12-2015

the residents @ the rio theater 3-12-2015

I guess instead ending up finally getting them, one feels as if they get you. They get our imagination at least.

the randy, chuck and bob trilogy

the randy, chuck and bob trilogy

The Residents have long been pioneers in the abstract music and theatrical realms taking us to some strange other world where we’re probably at least somewhat confused and not sure if were witnessing an alternate reality.

The Residents have called the SF bay home for 4 decades

The Residents have called the SF bay home for 4 decades

The Rio Theater is ideal for the Residents' performances

The Rio Theater is ideal for the Residents’ performances

A large ballon served as a screen for film clips to be viewd

A large ballon served as a screen for film clips to be viewd

The Residents embark on a European tour in May.

The Residents embark on a European tour in May.

The Residents @ The Rio Theater

The Residents @ The Rio Theater

 

Shadowland at the Rio Theater

Shadowland at the Rio Theater

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3rRnmrztZE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR6u3TPTQbM

 

Top 10 recordings from 2014

Georgia Anne Muldrow- Ms. One

1. Georgia Anne MuldrowMs. One (Some Otha Ship Connect)
2. Flying LotusYou’re Dead (Warp Records)
3. Seun Kuti and Egypt 80A Long Way To The Beginning (Knitting Factory)
4. Cold SpecksNeuroplasticity (Mute-Arts and Crafts)
5. Mary J. BligeThe London Sessions (Capitol)
6. Louis Maholo Quartet4 Blokes (Ogun)
7. Wadada Leo SmithThe Great Lakes Suites (Tum)
8. Ambrose AkinsmusireThe Imagined Savior Is Far Easier To Paint (Blue Note)
9. Benjamin BookerS/T (ATO)
10.Paolo Angeli Hamid DrakeĐëğhė (RER Megacorp)

Burger Boogaloo 2014 Mosswood Park. Oakland

Off! Performing at The Burger Boogaloo, Mosswood Park, Oakland, Ca. 7/5/2014

Off! Performing at The Burger Boogaloo, Mosswood Park, Oakland, Ca. 7/5/2014

Keith Morris’ new band Off! Played a high energy set before SF locals Thee Oh Sees hit a reset button to what may more typify the Burger garage band profile. Off! played a set of music that featured some songs from the new ‘The Wasted Years’ release on Vice records. The supergroup played “Void you out”, “Legion of Evil”, and “Red, White and Black” from the newest release. The group is a collaboration of Morrris (Black Flag & Circle Jerks) as well as Steven Shane McDonald (Redd Kross), Dimitri Coates (Burning Brides, Chris Cornell & Mark Lanegan) and Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes & the Black Heart Procession). Morris joked that ‘Burger has a good little shindig’ and added ‘the world needs new heros’ in reference to Thee Oh Sees frontman John Dwyer.

At first glance, Thee Oh Sees sound like a prolific counterpart to bay cohorts Ty Segall, The Lumerians and Wax Idols. Yet, they manage to incorporate influences of Can and perhaps some other Kraut rock vibes into their sound.

No Bunny performing at The Burger Boogaloo 7/5/2014
Other bands performing on Saturday included The Bananas, the Phantom Surfers, No Bunny, Reigning Sound and others.

The Phantom Surfers @ Mosswood Park performing at the Burger Boogaloo

The Phantom Surfers @ Mosswood Park performing at the Burger Boogaloo

The gathering is held every year coinciding with July 4th and boasts a tent where you can get your own t-shirt pressed with a Burger logo for just $5.

Map of Boogaloo

A Map of The Boogaloo

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 hold remedy to Mercury Retrograde

 

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 at the Catalyst

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 at the Catalyst

Seun Kuti, son of the late legendary Afrobeat founder Fela Anikulapo Kuti retuned to Santa Cruz last night with his father’s legendary Egypt 80 band. Seun’s star definitely continues to rise as his tour to support the newly released ‘A long way to a new beginning’ just released on Knitting Factory records

Seun Kuti playing saxophone at the Catalyst 6/2014

Seun Kuti playing saxophone at the Catalyst 6/2014


The tour stop supports the aforementioned 3rd full length release from the youngest son of Fela. His latest release follow the 2011 release ‘From Africa with fury:Rise also on Knitty Factory Works. To those unfamiliar with Seun’s afrobeat grooves, they prove as political and dancable as those of his father, the founder of Afrobeat music

Robert Glasper co-produced 'A long way to the beginning'

Robert Glasper co-produced ‘A long way to the beginning’


Noteworthy songs on the new recording include “Black woman”, “IMF”, the traditional ‘Ohun Aiye”, and ‘Kalakuta boy”, a reference to the the communal home his father established in Nigeria to practice and perform. The latest release was co-produced by grammy award winner Robert Glasper. Guests appearing on the imprssive new offering include M-1 of Dead Prez, Blitz the Ambassador and Nneka.
Seun Kuti with Egypt 80 at the Catalyst Santa Cruz, Ca. 6/2014

Seun Kuti with Egypt 80 at the Catalyst Santa Cruz, Ca. 6/2014


Members of Egypt 80 at the Catalyst

Members of Egypt 80 at the Catalyst