Showing posts with label jeff cosgrove. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jeff cosgrove. Show all posts

Monday, May 19, 2014

Alternating Current



http://www.allaboutjazz.com/coverart/large/jeffcosgrove_alternatingcurrent_db.jpg I got a fine CD last week from master drummer Jeff Cosgrove.  Jeff is a fearless explorer of those regions of avant garde hyperspace opened up by the elder captains.  I have previously reviewed his amazing tribute to the music of Paul Motian: Motian Sickness. 
Alternating Current is another voyage for which you will want to be on board.  Cosgrove leads a trio including Matthew Shipp on piano and William Parker on bass.  Anyone who has followed this blog or listened to JazzNoteNSU knows that I am devoted to the music of William Parker.  I think that he might be the greatest living composer of jazz.  I have also featured Matthew Shipp frequently, as I think his word is fundamental.  I will take the liberty of including a bit from one of Jeff’s emails: “Playing/meeting Matt and William was definitely life changing.  The best part is they are some of the kindest people as well.”  I can only imagine, but I am grateful to Jeff for including me in the outreach part of the project. 
Finally, I note that the album is dedicated to Andrew Cyrille who, according to the liner notes, “helped connect the musicians for this recording and has long been an inspiration in improvisation”.  Cyrille is another master whom I have pushed with all the power of my meagre resources. 
The disc has three cuts: ‘Bridges of Tomorrow’ is 38 minutes long.  It is textbook free jazz: a weaving of three great minds with thick rope here and stringy sinews there.  The second and third cuts are shorter and sweeter, if more impressionistic. 
If you love jazz, you will want to get this disc. 


Monday, January 2, 2012

David Murray's Black Saint Quartet in Berlin

I received a nice note from Jeff Cosgrove.  Jeff is a drummer and he has just recorded a CD with the title Motian Sickness - The Music of Paul Motian, For the Love of Sarah.  You gotta love that title. 
The CD features Jamie Masefield (Jazz Mandolin Project) on mandolin, Mat Maneri (William Parker/Cecil Taylor) on viola, John Hebert (Fred Hersch/Mary Halvorson) on bass, and me on drums.  This is a project I had be speaking with Paul Motian about for over three years and he sent me all the compositions. 
I'll be reviewing this CD as soon as I get it.  I am a big fan of Paul Motian, who passed away in November.   As it happened, I had just noticed a review of Jeff's recording at Jazz Times

In a subsequent email, Jeff alerted me to a recording by David Murray and the Black Saint Quartet, Black Saint Quartet: Live in Berlin.  I found it on eMusic.  I hadn't noticed it before because eMusic didn't list it under David Murray.  I am big into David Murray.  I have been listening to it and it is exquisite.  I have a cut playing on my Live365 station.  Holy buckets but it is good!  

Here's the lineup, from Discogs
ps.  If David Murray should happen to notice this post, he should send me an email.  I will whirl like a Dervish if I get one.