The Davis S. Ware "Threads" Thread

just bought it but havent put it on yet. i will be back in 24 hours or less ;-)

sorry if that was unhelpful but i am jst doing my part to ensure that this thread doesnt die until someone comes and says something substative.

what was i on last night?

i have given it a few listens now, and all i know is that i need to hear it a few more times. there are moments when Ware's own sax seems to not really fit, especially on the first track, which seems at times to be the soundtrack from an 80s neo-noir film. I guess I am still getting used to that throaty sax sound over electronic pads. My favorite track is "threads" itself. "sufic passages" reminds me of music from a hong kong-era john woo film, but dont ask why. the compositions overall are really good, but there seems to be something off to me about the sounds in use. i should add that this is my first "electronic" release from the crew so...

I love it when ILM goes through a jazz phase.

I haven't heard this yet, but I'm more interested in the Sorcerer Sessions record, which seems like Shipp's equivalent project (probably just because I've heard far more Shipp than Ware). I've finally become very interested in Mat Maneri though after hearing him on this Gerald Cleaver record...are the strings improvising much on this or mostly playing parts?

If you like Mat Maneri, check out his other Thirsty Ear album, with Joe McPhee. Brilliant, very droney and beautiful.

I didn't like the Sorcerer Sessions disc as much as the GoodandEvil Sessions one, recently released, which reminded me of Herbie Hancock's albums with Mwandishi.

Also, look out for the El-P album on Thirsty Ear next year. I've only heard one cut, but it's great.

a fair balance of both, actually... i think the strings are the best aspect of the record.

maneri ia amazing. his father is even better. i saw them play live, but i cant remember who else was with them... i'll try and dig it up...

Yeah, I really want to hear that Maneri album actually. I posted about that Gerald Cleaver record in the recent jazz releases thread.

I'm pretty mixed about the Blue Series stuff...I love the idea of them(and the covers!), but many of them seem not quite fully realized. I love about half of Equilibrium and Nu-Bop, with the other halves being kind of 'meh'. I think the Anti-pop one came off the best, actually. It'll be fascinating to see how that El-P album ends up sounding, I've never thought of him as someone who would be too interested in jazz.

i like "pastoral compsure" a lot, even if i have heard some deride it as being too easy or whatever. you might want to check out shipp's string trio release called "expansion, power, release" on hat (hut/art). maneri plays very well. he is a really nice guy too. i spent time talking to him between sets when we both went out for a cigarette at the same time.

I thought the el-p 12" with Shipp and his cohorts was pretty dull. I loved the huge drum sound on the hip-hop tracks from "Nu Bop," but I think the new one is stronger in meditative mode, especially the opener and closer. The vampy, programmed stuff sometimes seems aimless as jazz and ersatz as dance or whatever.

still mulling over the synth sounds on this record. i think what is getting me is that the synth sounds sound like late 80s fusion sounds. for all of the money he paid for the korg triton pro x or whatever, he probably could have gotten a korg m1 or roland d-50 for 1/4 of the price with the same sounds.

Are you talking about Equilibrium, Dylan? I can totally see your point, but my favorite track is that one early one where they bring in the big live drums on top of the programming and it's basically Shipp playing huge, dark chordal riffs for the tune. It feels more like a rock track than anything else.

Yes, talking about Equilibrium. That track is cool, Jordon. I guess I'm thinking of "Vamp to Vibe," and another one (the title of which escapes me) that features some dorky-sounding scratching.

Listening right now to that Billy Bang/William Parker/Hamid Drake album. Very good so far.