Jeff Gauthier’s unique perspective
July 25th, 2008by Tom Chandler
Violinist Jeff Gauthier has long established himself as an active member of the West Coast improvising music scene, but he truly came into his own when he decided to start his own record label. Wanting an outlet to release his music and that of his friends, Gauthier has built Cryptogramophone into a kind of ideal jazz record label: beautiful packaging, warmly recorded, a string of incredibly strong releases, including discs by Nels Cline, Jenny Scheinman, Bennie Maupin, Scott Amendola, Ben Goldberg, and Myra Melford as well as his own Jeff Gauthier Goatette. Despite his day job running the label and producing as well as playing orchestral sessions in Los Angeles (he claims to have played on most of the Star Trek soundtracks), when you listen to Gauthier play, it’s clear where his heart really lies. Read more…
Mudhoney Hits Twenty Years
July 25th, 2008Mark Arm chats about their new record, the woes of the record industry and…dancing with Charo
by Andrew Lau
“I’ve been driving all day, so I may be a little dazed.” Mudhoney front man/guitarist Mark Arm is somewhere within the Mountain Time zone. The band is driving back from a recent East Coast tour in support of their latest album, The Lucky Ones .
Here’s a band written off in some circles years ago, maybe as long ago as 1992 when they signed to a major label. Here’s a band that’s continued to make good music not in the face of adversity (because there really hasn’t been any) but because they can . Sure, they’ve hit a few snags and even lost original bassist Matt Lukin when he decided to retire from touring in 2000. His replacement however, former Monroe’s Fur/ Lubricated Goat bassist Guy Maddison, gave the group a new wind. Read more…
Unwed Sailor lightens up
July 25th, 2008
By Tom Chandler
With Little Wars , Jonathan Ford and his revolving cast of characters have created a gauzy dreamscape of an album. Backing off of the darkness of The White Ox , Ford has crafted the tenderest version of Unwed Sailor yet. With “Copper Islands,” a live staple from the last few years, as the cornerstone, Ford and his crew, including Matt Putman, Matt Depper, and Nic Tse, set about constructing the new songs from the ground up, working from rough demos Ford sent around and finding the right feel. The organic nature of the work paid off, with rich, chiming textures and upbeat lightness. Read more…
Painting pictures small yet profound: Marilyn Crispell and solo piano improvisation
June 13th, 2008
Interview by Tom Chandler
When Marilyn Crispell started recording for ECM in 1997, she moved somewhat into the mainstream, releasing a string of trio CDs (with either Gary Peacock or Mark Helias on bass, and Paul Motian on drums) that are uniformly brilliant, emphasizing space and deep listening and interplay. Her newest CD, however, bucks that trend slightly, because it’s completely solo. The dark spaciousness is still there however, both in her piano tone and in her musical conception. Read more…
Del the Funky Homosapien Interview and Set
May 7th, 2008David Torn re-emerges on ECM
September 28th, 2007
Twenty years ago, more or less, David Torn made his debut on ECM records with an ethereal yet muscular record called Cloud About Mercury , a disc that established him, with his experiments in looping and expanded sonic palette, as one of a few who were pushing the boundaries of the electric guitar. Time passes, and Torn has had quite a ride since then, with a controversial move to Windham Hill, becoming an in-demand film composer, producer and session guitarist. He played on a Madonna album, recorded two CDs and toured with David Bowie. Now, with the release of Prezens , again on ECM, he has his first disc under his own name in almost ten years (Splattercell came out in 1999). Read more…
Big Rich and Balance
August 15th, 2007So what u been doing since ur last album dropped?
Big Rich: Well I hit the road… I was booked from September 06 til March 07… when I wrapped up the shows I got back in the studio… I’ve recorded over 50 songs for various projects.
Balance: I just been working on pushing “Young & Restless” album. It’s been out for over a year but tha promotions never stop.
Where did tha idea of doin Tha Unda Dogg Kingz mix CD come about? Read more…
PAUL WALL IN BERKELEY
June 28th, 2007
THE PEOPLE´S CHAMP GET´S SET TO RECLAIM HIS CROWN
Words by Tica Jones
Since Houston exploded onto the main stage a couple of years ago, few Texan rappers have been able to maintain the type of attention that Paul Wall has. From his early introduction as the man with the grills to knockin´ out a series of club bangers with fellow Houstonite Mike Jones, Paul has demonstrated he has both versatility and verbal skills. Now with his new album on the way, Get Money, Stay True (out April 3rd) , he can prove that the success of 2005´s The People’s Champ was no fluke. Read more…