the thing on tour….

BAG IT!

BAG IT!

boots, vinyls, bbq and some music in between…

http://www3.timeoutny.com/newyork/thevolume/2009/04/the-thing-with-joe-mcphee-at-zebulon.

the new BAG IT! cd looks fantastic! fresh from the press…. release date june 9th….

but the Cd will accompany The Thing on our US / canada tour april / may!

And the BAG IT! – t-shirt and hoodies are ROCKIN! merch merch merch………………

Mens tshirt

Girlie cut

Hoodie

only for sale on live shows in the US and canada ( sorry about that…)

THE THING ON TOUR!!!

All pictures are taken by © Gunnar Holmberg
Click the picture to download a high rez version

Per-Åke Holmlander

Kjell Nordesson

Dieb 13 (Dieter Kovacic)

soon out on smalltown superjazz….

BAG IT!

the new studio recording of THE THING. recorded by Steve Albini in Chicago 2008…

the cds has just left the pressing plant… and the 2 LP vinyls will be coming soon…

BAG IT!

BAG IT!

BAG IT!

http://www.smalltownsupersound.com/v1/superjazzz/

VINYLLYCKAN ( publicerat i Nya Upplagan hösten 2008)

http://www.nyaupplagan.se/

Jag har uttryckt min fascination och begeistring över skivspelarens funktioner, estetiska yttre och mekaniska skönhet i förra numret av Nya Upplagan. Så, nu är det självfallet vinylskivans betingelser och egenheter som skall behandlas.
Skivor i vinylform har alltid tagit mig med storm… känslomässigt, objektmässigt och skönhetsmässigt!
Det är helt enkelt det ultimata mediet för musik, enligt undertecknad.
Vare sig det är i 7-, 10- eller i 12- tumsformat… det är en skivsida som gäller, till dess att annat beslutas om… och det är just det aktiva valet som gör mig så entusiastisk. Att du måste gå fram till skivspelaren och aktivt vända på skivan för att komma djupare i din upplevelse och förståelse av den nyss valda musiken… eller att alternativt stoppa processen med den just valda skivan och nu välja en ny, eller kanske till och med avsluta ( vilket ju också är ett aktivt val!).
Aktivt lyssnande, aktivt tänkande, aktivt beslutande/agerande (se där: en parafras på ett gammalt Situationistiskt sammanhang!) … allt detta som ju för oss framåt som människor och individer. Allt bottnar i lyssnandet av vinylskivor! (he-he)

Formatet på dessa plattor är ju fantastiskt bra också för att göra intressanta grafiska omslag och inkludera texter och reflektioner runt musiken. Det är plats nog för allt som behöver inkluderas, så att den konstnärliga helheten skall bli levande och… komplett!
Cd – skivans format och möjligheter vill jag i detta fall bara beröra med ett föraktfullt ”FNYS”!

Vinyl i alla färger och former… jag har en uppsjö av vinyler i zebra randigt, knallgult, med psykedeliska mönster, transparent, koboltblått, silkscreen tryckta konstverk… You name it! Fyrkantiga, trekantiga vinyler. Omslag i korrugerad plåt eller i rött läder! Jag har vinyler som skall spelas baklänges (The Haters klassiska ”Tractor”) och skivor med ”låsta” spår (så att du måste lyfta fram pick-upen för varje spår… och det är jobbigt om plattan innehåller 100 spår!). Men det är framförallt 7 tums formatet som har fängslat mig – singeln, ep´n -… ett än mer aktivt väljande och agerande! Bra för flåset! Bra för huvvet!
Jag har varit absolut FAST i detta 7- tumstänk, alltsedan jag som 15- åring köpte min första singel: Anders Ångests självbetitlade debutplatta. Umeå- punkens mest anarkistiska flaggskepp med den underbara vers/ refräng – linen: ” Jag tycker du är en fotomodell och ikväll får du tusen beundrare / a- aa, a- aa, a- aaaa / vad ska jag göra med dom?”.

Jag har under ett idogt internationellt turnerande som musiker de senaste 20 åren lyckats plocka upp singlar i alla världens skrymslen och vrån. De är lätta att bära med sig och de kostar sällan så mycket och detta gör att du gärna kan chansa på att köpa sådant du aldrig har hört talas om bara därför att omslaget råkar vara ytterst coolt ( saxofonisten Archie Shepps julskiva ”Black Christmas”), galet (såsom ett tyskt metalband vars namn ej går att utläsa, men med plattan ”pussyfied” medföljer en tysktillverkad kondom!) eller avskyvärt (Oral Noise plattan OxNx med ett extremt explicit omslag… inte kul att ha liggande framme när släkten kommer på besök!).
Det är ett svårslaget nöje att i t.ex. Tokyo hitta singlar med svensk jazz som du aldrig har hört talas om ( Lars Lystedts Sextett ” Krypto”) eller att bli erbjuden att köpa singlar med Sun Ra på gatan i väntan på taxi!

Lyckan av att finna John Coltranes jukebox version av ”Ascension”, komplett med  stickers! Lyckan av att på ebay hitta en hel samling med Gal Costa singlar!
Lyckan av att få ett av de endast två kända exen av Sun Ras första singel ”Super Blonde” på hans egna bolag Saturn Records ( ett av de första helt musikerägda bolagen, startat redan på 50-talet!) i gåva av en god vän!
Lyckan av att få ett färskpressat ex av ”The Sons of God Drive Chairs”!
Eller Lyckan av att hitta Lemmys (Motörhead) egna singel sjungandes Blue Suede Shoes! Omslaget där Lemmy intimt kramar en Elvisfigur i papp är en klassiker!

Lyckan!
Den vi söker… Den vi skall finna!
Lyckan!
Vi ser väl allihopa olika på vad ”Lycka” är… men en 7 tums vinylsingel är definitivt en viktig del av min definition av lycka!
Vad som sedan anses normalt är väl upp till var och en?

I kväll tänker jag i varje fall avnjuta en tysk singel med de inspelade ljuden av en skinkstek som fräser i ugnen ( mycket svängigt och komplext!) samt ljudpoesi av Henri Chopin på legendariska förlaget OU. Som en avslutning till dessa kanske lätt extrema konstnärliga uttrycken så lägger jag nog på någon av paret Misha Mengelberg / Han Benninks flexisinglar på ICP. AAAAARRGGHHHH – detta underbara format: flexisingeln!!! Denna fladdriga genomskinliga vinylskärva, som inte tål mer än kanske 5 genomlyssningar… perfekt för improviserad musik!

En singel om dagen håller doktorn borta, som jag brukar säga till mina barn.

Vad blir det på skivtallriken i morgon?

the best recordshop on the PLANET… is… of course:

ANDRA JAZZ in stockhom, Sweden.

the most amazing collection of jazz, free jazz, be bop , west coast and experimental jazz there is!!!

Smoke a cigarette, drink some brewed coffee and have a chat with owner Harald about anythin connected to jazz and vinyl. Let him spin some of his fav´s for you! Just ask for the music of Clifford Brown, Tony Fruscella, Fats, Bird, Bud, Gullin or Brötzmann, Munthe, Derek, Bert Wilson, Joe Daley and you will be well treated. Maybe even treated with a home made sandwich (!)

If you are looking for vinyl with great jazz shit of any kind. This is the place!

Hal´s in Tokyo for Free Jazz of course… that is quite a great shop for rare vinyl stuff as well…

but ANDRA JAZZ is the Mekka in Europe for all kinds of rare jazz!

ask also for the Harald produced Blue Tower records Productions!

I ll upgrade this page of recommendations soon… but ANDRA JAZZ is all you need…

call +46 8 31 07 07 for directions!

see also my and paal nilssen-love recomended shops in New York and tokyo at:

http://matsgus.com/archives/category/vinyl/shops

THE BEST COFFEE ON THE PLANET ?

the best single espresso I ever had…. EVER HAD!!!!!

is at:

ABRACO´s in New York City ( sorry italians… this is hard to beat… )

on 7th between 1st and 2nd Av.

http://www.abraconyc.com/

just CHECK IT OUT!!!!!! highest recomendations…

in new york for 6 days…

buying brazilian vinyl… ranned into a absolutley INSANE collection of tropicaliana ep´s and lps´s…. including cal costas 2 nd freak album and caetano veloso´s amazing LP singin in english!!! “I feel a little bit more blue then then”… CLASSIC!

tropicalia in furs…. a serious name for a serious shop!

and shitloads of eps…. cal costa, elis regina, maria bethania, veloso, tom ze and more…. all 1st pressings…. what are the odds ?

the collection just came in from brazil and I happened to be there. for once at the right place at the right time!

http://www.tropicaliainfurs.com/

one piece of vinyl per day keeps the doctor away!

meanwhile — check my trades out in the vinyl category and get in touch with me about tradeoffers!

mats@matsgus.com

I ll update this category as often as I possibly can.

BARRY GUY NEW ORCHESTRA

Barry Guy		bass, director (GB)
Agusti Fernandez		piano
Evan Parker		sax (GB)
Mats Gustafsson		sax, fluteophone (SE)
Hans Koch		sax, clarinets (CH)
Herb Robertson		trumpet (USA)
Johannes Bauer		trombone (DE)
Per Åke Holmlander		tuba (SE)
Paul Lytton		percussion (GB)
Raymond Strid		percussion (SE)

Barry Guy is one of the world’s leading bass soloists and improvisers, well known as director and founder of the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, also as a composer of new music for chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras has founded a new ensemble called the Barry Guy New Orchestra.

This all-star band brings together the biggest names in the world of contemporary Jazz and Improvisation from America, England, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany.

The world premiere of the new composition Inscape-Tableaux by Barry Guy was staged in Ireland for the “Mostly Modern Festival 2000″. During four days the musicians performed a unique set of trios, duos, solos and finally the new piece.

Open rehearsals and workshops provided an insight into the process of creating a new ensemble and into the intriguing combination of free improvisation and composed structures.

Evan Parker may be the most formidable saxophonist since John Coltrane. He plays Trane’s instruments, tenor and soprano, and lists Coltrane as one of his principal influences. Parker is emphatically not an “entertainer,” but a true artist who has developed an entirely new way to play the saxophone. He has developed the possibilities of unpremeditated music more deeply than almost anyone, creating a personal vocabulary that is simultaneously instantly recognisable and adaptable to the most varied of situations …”

Robert Spencer

His discography is so extensive that it has been published in book form and lists over 150 albums recorded over a period of more than three decades (Publisher Bandecc hi&Vivaldi by Francesco Martinelli) this will soon be updated since he has recorded a vast number of new CDs in the past few years.

Mats Gustafsson was born in Umeå, a town in the north of Sweden with a rich cultural life and an inspiring jazz scene. He is now one of the most significant new faces in improvised music. Combining great sensitivity and attention to detail with boundless energy. He has developed a close collaboration with an increasing number of top rank musicians, including bassist Barry Guy, violinist Philipp Wachsmann, cellist Günter Christmann, percussionist Michael Zerang, and more recently saxophonist Peter Brötzmann.

“Mats is the most modern of players where the genre tags of jazz, noise, experimental, avant-whatever are finally transcended to a new millennium – where compositional concepts are at once in check with open improvisation and a super-postmodernism becomes what we always wanted: rock & roll!”

Thurston Moore

Hans Koch worked first as a solo clarinettist in Winterthur and performed widely as a soloist and chamber musician. In the early Eighties he became involved in Jazz being influenced by musicians like John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker. In his first trio with Martin Schütz and Marco Käppeli he began to experiment more and more with a mixture of composition and improvisation.

Since then his career as a free improviser and composer has brought him together with Cecil Taylor with whom he played in the “European Big band”, Shelley Hirsch, Butch Morris, David Moss, Andrew Cyrille and many of the leading European improvisers. With Barry Guy he has played as a Duo partner and his collaboration with the Swiss musicians Werner Lüdi, Stephan Wittwer and Fredi Studer has lead to numerous albums on the Intakt label and others.

“A brilliantly virtuosic, independent saxophonist and bass clarinettist with a beautiful, clear and convincing tone, a first class improviser, differentiated, powerful, rich in ideas and many-facetted”

Christian Rentsch

Herb Robertson is internationally renowned as an innovative instrumentalist, composer, and arranger in traditional and avant-garde jazz and new music. He has performed and recorded with Tim Berne, Mark Helias, John Zorn, George Gruntz, Bobby Previte, London Jazz Composers Orchestra, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, and Bill Frisell. He has also recorded five albums under his leadership for JMT.

“Herb Robertson has a voracious appetite for the jazz past, with an eye toward the future … He forced runs of superhuman length, power and density from his horn, yet his tone was amazingly clear and crisp. He used a range of half-values, split tones and mutes to introduce a breadth of tonal colourations to his performance. ”

NY Times

Johannes Bauer is best known for his work with his brother Connie Bauer and the bands “Doppelmoppel” and “Slawterhaus”, he is one of the most dramatic and articulate trombone players in the German improvising music scene and has made a substantial contribution to free and new music since the Seventies as a soloist, composer for improvising musicians and in various ensembles. He is instantly recognisable by his amazing sound, rhetoric and the seamless blend of highly theatrical and lyrical playing.

Per Åke Holmlander is one of the leading exponents of the new generation of improvisers and new music performers in Sweden. He is known both in the new music and free improvising scene as a virtuoso on the tuba with an amazing range of colours and dynamics.

He is a member of Mats Gustafsson’s NU Ensemble and Barry Guy’s London Jazz Composers Orchestra amongst others, and is also well know for his contribution to music theatre.

Paul Lytton, one of the first members of the experimental British free-improvising avant-garde in London during the Sixties and early 1970s, was a founder member of the London Musicians Coop and the Aachen Musicians Cooperative.

He has been building own instruments since 1969 (Incus 14 features Evan Parker on the lyttonophone), and had an exhibition of the equipment in Wuppertal in 1980. Since 1975 has lived in Belgium. Founded Po Torch Records in 1976 with Paul Lovens, with whom he has recorded three duo albums.

Perhaps most well known in the UK and US as a member of the Parker/Guy/Lytton trio and, prior to that, for working in duo with Evan Parker. However, there are many recorded contributions to other groupings, most notably the London Jazz Composers Orchestra and King Ubu Orchestru, also recently ECM released a duo recording with Paul Lytton and Philipp Wachsmann called Some other Season.

Raymond Strid is one of the leading figures in the Swedish improvising scene. He regularly performs with Mats Gustafsson, Marilyn Crispell, Barry Guy in their respective trio and quartet formations. He is also in demand all over Europe and America to play in various larger ensembles.

“Raymond Strid is an explorer of sounds with an extremely sensitive ear, a percussionist who creates sonic rooms. ”

Jazz Review

Viska: Too Hands (1992)            solo piece for baritone sax
Viska: Hot Cheramic (1992)        solo piece for baritone sax
Viska: Flphm (1992)                solo piece for muted Fluteophone

Bevllohallat Hhu/Ö (1994)     solo piece for baritone sax and fluteophone

Old Bottles- No Wine (1997)    conducting piece for large ensemble
Commissioned by Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet

HIDROS 1 (1997)                            for large ensemble
Commissioned by Sveriges Radio P2

HIDROS 2 (1999)                            for 11 improvisers and metronomes
Commissioned by Swedish Concert Institute (Rikskonserter)

HIDROS 3 (2000)                          for 4 guitars, 2 electronics, 2 voices, 1 contrabass sax + live mixer
Commissioned by Ystads Konstmuseum

PLUGS (2000)                                for improvising musicians and earplugs

Ellington (2000)                            for large ensemble
Commissioned by Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet

HIDROS 4 (2001)                          for 10 improvisers
Commissioned by Swedish Concert Institute (Rikskonserter)

Bird Notes version 2 (2002/2003)    for large ensemble
Commissioned by Copenhagen Art Ensemble

HIDROS 5 (2003)                       for large ensemble and improvising Conductor
Commissioned by Copenhagen Art Ensemble

Rubaiyat (2004)                         hörspel for 3 live-electronics & voice
Commissioned by Sveriges Radio P1

Slide Perspectives (2005)      solo piece for slide sax

Memory of a Specific Silence – to Paul Auster (2005)    solo piece for baritone sax

Strayhorn (2006)                      piece for sax, double bass and percussion

Ice Hockey Hidros (2009)    piece for two ensembles and hockey rules
commissioned by Coastal Jazz and Blues Society
Kilroy is (Hidros) (2009)    piece for vocal ensemble, elecronics and conductor
commissioned by Trondheim Voices