Looks a bit like Alan Silva, actually..
To get Fred Jung et al off my back early, here's the Best Of 2007 for you (in no particular order)
1) Weasel Walter Quartet Plays Les Baxter. EZ listenin' classics with that groovy Oakland bachelor pad vibe! (ugEXPLODE)
2) Moses 'n' Aaron (revised libretto by Phil Freeman and dodecaphonic headbanging riffs by Arnie "Burzum" Schoenberg, comes with 576 page Schoenberg Family Scrapbook edited by Walter "A Survivor from Leo" Horn
3) Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (Mattin), continues the Basque laptopper's "versioning" of great rrrrock classics. Features special guest appearance from Ringo "I'm the greatest drummer in the world" Starr, the only musician on the planet so far not to have performed with Mattin
4) Miles Davis CBS years The Complete Alternate Takes Including Even The Bits Of Mag Tape Teo Threw In The Bin (CBS Sony 132 disc box set, a snip at $5600)
5) Derek Taylor's Steeplechase Selection (Steeplechase, 132 disc box set, a snip at $5600)
That's enough albums Ed

don't forget "Everything Ever Recorded By Anyone", the 100,000 disc Creative Sources box. volume 2 is due soon after...

Haha, I was going to include that one but it wouldn't fit in my mailbox..

The only thing I'm looking forward to right now is Immortal's reunion show in NYC in July.

I'd love to hear Keith Rowe playing acoustic. Seriously. With or without the kitchen sink.

Actually, I'd like to hear him play the kitchen sink, electric or acoustic, whichever he prefers.

OK, as long as I finally get to hear that elusive "a" in eai.

there's plenty of "a" in eai, but you're not going to get that from Keith, what an odd request. his new solo record "The Room" should hopefully be out in the first half of next year sometime. it's not recorded yet, but chances are fairly good it'll be plugged in. sorry, Graham.

Look forward to hearing it Jon, so don't apologise for anything! As you well know, I leap at any Keith Rowe recording. But it just strikes me as odd that, although there's plenty of "a" in eai, there is simply no Rowe "a" in eai (that I know of). I'd just love to hear what it might sound like.

Everybody's a comedian!

That Silva similarity rings true, though I think he's got Wazoo beat in any sort of haberdashery contest. William Parker picked up the headwear mantle year's back and stands as Silva's closest-competing protégé .

I’m hoping that ’07 marks the year that James Finn returns to recording with something of his former prolificacy. I'm also looking forward to new work by Stephen Gauci and Seth Meicht as well as the upcoming launch of the new CIMP Live label. And on the meta front for Jon, fingers crossed that the Bags submersible team finally brings home the Southern Hemisphere Circumnavigational Title, Fijians eat our wake!

In other meta news, my colleague Herr Olewnick just detonated another flechette bomb of reviews. I just can’t keep up (not that I’m complaining).

In addition to Rowe on acoustic, I'd like to hear Tilbury play electric piano.

Maybe a duet with Chick. Wyndbag Hill might pick it up.

true story: after seeing AMM together at Autumn Uprising in 2000, Brian O. and I were pretty much in shock (it was only the second time I'd seen them, and pretty easily the best of the ten or twelve sets I saw before they broke up) right afterwards, trying to process what we'd just seen. our companion, the good Mr. Walter Horn, proceeded to tell us about how the balance of the group was unfair as Rowe and Prevost had so much more leeway with their instruments of choice than Tilbury, and that in his opinion Tilbury should switch to synthesizer. it pretty much left me speechless then, and it still amazes me to think about it today.

so, Tom, Walt's six years ahead of you on this one... :)

My point was intended perfectly naively, Djill Bixson. Nothing sinister afoot. If Derek Bailey had no problem with acoustic guitar, (and many say his finest work was done on that instrument), I ask "Does Keith Rowe have a problem with the instrument? If so, what is it?". I wonder if we've perhaps heard only half the man's finest.

My point was that Tilbury was, when he wasn't plucking piano strings, reduced to playing Feldmania, wind chimey arpeggios, bass rumbles and Cecil Taylor stuff, since he (unlike Rowe) wouldn't introduce Chopin into an AMM gig. And, because those were his only (self-imposed) choices, he sat out about half the gig, which, perhaps Jon doesn't remember, because while he saw ten or twelve AMM gigs during that period, I only caught that one. (Also, I think I actually said "sampler," but whatever.)

In any case, Tilbury has since that date recorded on electric organ and performed on church organ, so, even if Jon remains flabbergasted by my suggesting of his need stretch out, Tilbury himself has apparently seen the limitations of acoustic piano for contemporary improv and has looked elsewhere for keyboarded materials. Like a synth or sampler the organ can be used for drones, hisses, etc.

Tilbury didn't sit out any of that gig. he did leave the piano for a while, but he spent much of that time using some kind of stick on a metal box on the wall on the side of the stage (which was obscured to some of the audience, so maybe to Walt?).

Tilbury on sampler, Keith on acoustic guitar a la Jack Rose, maybe Eddie on kazoo? reform AMM!

What you don't seem to get, Jon, is that (in this digital age) there isn't much difference between playing an organ and playing organ samples, or between hitting a stick on a metal box with triggering a sample of a stick hitting a metal box. You may, however, have noticed that Keith Rowe has none of your compunctions about playing radio broadcasts of acoustic guitars and kazoos.

Walter, you said he should switch instruments to a sampler, thus entirely missing the point of the overall trio dynamic. you're so stuck on his Feldmanisms that you don't seem to see the balance they brought to the trio. AMM at its best as a trio was about a precarious balance between three very strong personalities, not about one changing to fit better with the other two.

plus, Tilbury is a pianist, a classical pianist. yes, he's dabbled occasionally with other things here and there, but he's a pianist, and a gorgeous, brilliant one. it just amazes/amazed me that someone could leave that set thinking about the "limitations" as opposed to marveling in the actual music. but hey, to each their own, I guess...

"You may, however, have noticed that Keith Rowe has none of your compunctions about playing radio broadcasts of acoustic guitars and kazoos."

huh? do you have something specific in mind?

I remember a blast of "Strangers in the Night" on Dark Rags, but can't recall any kazoos, Walt. You been reading too much of that Gravity's Rainbow, Tyrone?

I've read Rowe's piece on why he uses the radio. I don't remember any strictures regarding kazoos or acoustic guitars.

If you want to make this discussion/argument about who likes Tilbury's piano talents more, that's silly, but fine. Not only do I think also he's a great pianist, but (a) I've studied piano, classical and otherwise, and (b) I actually listen to classical pianists quite a bit and have done so for over 40 years.

...and I think that version of AMM was probably played out. The kind of contrast you mention, as I discussed in a review of Fine has its limitations.

"I've read Rowe's piece on why he uses the radio. I don't remember any strictures regarding kazoos or acoustic guitars."

no, the strictures come in the moment, during the set, when he chooses what to include or not. but just because something isn't specifically proscribed doesn't mean it's actually included, a strange point to try to make.

"I think that version of AMM was probably played out. The kind of contrast you mention, as I discussed in a review of Fine has its limitations."

it probably was, although not that night.

anyway, I only brought this up to let Tom know that Walter was way ahead of him on this one. back to finger-picking Keith...

I don't want to labour a point, but the first time I saw Keith Rowe, (in an edition of the Mike Westbrook band), I don't remember an amplifier in sight. It was vaguely reminiscent of Freddie Green with Basie. So at some point, I presume he decided to abandon the acoustic ... Does anyone know why?

Well last weekend I saw Keith play cymbals, some stones, a copy of the Nantes local newspaper and a few birdfeeders.... :)

Also a year or so ago I saw a solo Tilbury set that involved him playing with a software programme that twisted the sounds of the piano up after he played them, thats about as near to a synth/sampler he's likely to come I'd say.

How about any interesting live music in my city of residence. '05 was comparatively Cologne: Lehn/Hemingway, Magik Markers, Butcher/Robair, Pengo, Stephan Mathieu (4 hour drive), Mike Shiflet, Sinbad, Jon Mueller, Hive Mind and a few others I'm forgetting.

'06:

--a dreadfully boring six-hour Lucier performance, only redeeming quality was a scorchingly hot cellist who ate potato chips for most of the two hours I stayed and want back

--an uncomfortable snore of a Michael Schumacher laptop performance where he kept staring at me, I gather because I stayed the longest

--Akiyama in an extremely hot gallery really didn't blow up my skirt (6 hour drive, pretty frustrated afterward)

Whenever I question the quality of the live music scene with locals, I want to end the conversation immediately like the Holiday Inn commercial where the guy gets caught eating off the discarded room service plate: "rock on, brother".

A few '06 positives:

--Donald Fagen at the Chicago Theater (again, 4 hours, what a great place)

--Paper Rad in a basement on a first and last date (what a hoot this was, totally unfamiliar going in)

--a mindblowing twenty minute Stay Fucked set

We did win the fucking Series though, it all evens out I guess.

if it helps, FrauSchau, it's looking like there may possibly (possibly) be a Quake in 2007 after all (in the US, not in NYC). details to follow if it's actually happening...

That's great news, Jon! I'm going to Dortmund for two weeks in spring so if any Wien Amplify window is still open, plow forth, please. Tickets to London and Frankfurt are so sick right now it's not even funny. Four bills for my roommate to go to Liverpool then Graz then London then back next month. I presume you can't say where the possible (possible) Quake could be held in '07.

Ocala, FL (9-2, KD in north central Florida = kibbles n' bits, we could 'cap 2yo assassins before the show)

Lawrence' KS (10-1, we could have an outdoor Quake, probably too contrived + the weather variable but Tsunoda in a field next to a mid-19th cen. stone convent? Yes, please.

Hot Springs, AR (11-1, a warmer early spring, cotton peaking, Samartzis non-turntable/Rowe festival. Three days of duos and field experiments in the rocky Boston Mountains with cheap diesel fern, plus they're running that time of year at Oaklawn.

Massachusetts (3-5, please not here, for I loathe massholes)

"I'm going to Dortmund for two weeks in spring so if any Wien Amplify window is still open, plow forth, please."

this is in the works still, some definite progress this week. maybe november 2007, maybe first half of 2008, maybe never (that would make me sad, but hey).

I promise to make the Hot Springs gig if you go that route. Nice, old-fashioned metal tubing at some of the spas there. It's also convenient to the in-laws. But mostly I'd love to catch some races with Pan Schau. Shit, I'd just lay some cash on the master and see what happens.

Or, Mass. would be great too. Do it in April to coincide with my mid-Pesach screening of Der Golem!

Jon said: "it's looking like there may possibly (possibly) be a Quake in 2007 after all (in the US, not in NYC). details to follow if it's actually happening..."

Oh man. Just last night me and my friend Santiago (with whom we drank beers at DBA) were discussing festivals we'd like to go to next year...Won't miss it this time if it happens!

You guys ever heard of the festival in nickelsdorf austria?
That's the peeziest!

I am predicting (and hoping for) a Grimes-like return of cellist Abdul Wadud. I'm not sure what happened to him but I just know that it seems he's dropped off the performance and recording radar.

Some curious, investigative journalist (Derek??) will locate the long lost (10+ years) father of free cello playing and help bring him back to prominance.

"the father of free cello playing"???

He emerged long after Tristan Honsinger and Ernst Reijseger ...

I don't think so Graham.
He was active in the late '60s
and first appeared on Julius Hemphill's
Dogon AD in 1972. That would
make him and Reijseger, at the very least, contamporaries. Honsinger didn't appear
on the scene until a little later in the
'70s, I believe. His first record appears
to be with the ICP in '77.

Jon said: "it's looking like there may possibly (possibly) be a Quake in 2007 after all (in the US, not in NYC). details to follow if it's actually happening..."

ooooo...Chicago in the springtime...aaaahhhh

Quite right Joel, my memory for dates needed polishing up. Wadud (b. 1947) and Honsinger (b. 1949) were contemporaries, Reijseger (b. 1954) is slightly younger. I had remembered Dogon AD as being from 1975 (the "Coon Bidness" sessions), but you're right, it's from 1972. Thanks for the refresher course! Either way, they're all great cello players. Maybe Wadud will re-surface in Amsterdam - it seems to be a good place for cellists.

For an early jazz cellist who moved into alea with Feldman and Brown at about the time he was working with Mingus, how about Seymour Barab? And later, there was Fred Sherry, who is known for playing Elliott Carter and other hairy modern classical stuff, but who I think also worked with Chick Corea in the 70s.

And let's not forget Lawrence Sheaff and Cornelius Cardew in mid-60's AMM, or indeed Dave Holland's fine duet with Derek Bailey on a 1971 (untypical) ECM.

Some Lacy records from the early 70's also had cello, if I'm remembering correctly...Can't remember who played it, though.

Irene Aebi, aka Mrs. Steve Lacy.

lets not forget Joel Freedman, who appeared on a record of Albert Ayler and was accused of adding"alien" European elements to Aylers sound(according to Amiri Baraka a/k/a Leroi Jones.

Quite right! But who cares about Amiri Baraka? There's also a lot of Rohan de Saram ...

...and don't forget Mingus himself was a cellist, and Ron Carter with Dolphy...pinning down the "father" of anything is like stuffing an octopus into a pair of fishnet stockings.

Oscar Pettiford

I think Joel's point was about free improvising cellists. Mingus, Carter and Pettiford were jazzmen. They wouldn't have made it into AMM or onto FMP.

"I think Joel's point was about free improvising cellists. Mingus, Carter and Pettiford were jazzmen. They wouldn't have made it into AMM or onto FMP."

Ah, yes. I lost the thread of the conversation.

Hmmm, wonder what my brother pan Schaumann has to say about Ron Carter's abilities as cellist...

:-D