Avant-Garde Jazz (Late August 1999) Despite the all-encompassing title, this is actually just me reviewing six discs that fit that description and were at the time recent releases. It appeared on page 9 of the September 1999 edition of Agenda, the monthly alternative newspaper of Washtenaw county. (You can view it,with Adobe Acrobat, on Agenda's site by clicking here.) This essay is where I came up with the term "digitally encoded pudding." More importantly, the fact that I got this piece published inspired me to turn my dream of being a music critic into a reality and build this page. Besides, its not a bad piece.
The Twenty Best CDs of the 1990s (December 18, 1999) Just what the title says.
The Ten Best CDs of 1999 (December 24, 1999) Again, just what the title says.
Me and Rap (March 5, 2000) An Essay on the stated topic.
The Validity of Avant-Garde Jazz (April 13, 2000) This is an improved version of an essay that I wrote in February of 2000.
Capitalist Pundits and MP3s (May 19, 2000) I weigh in on what I find to be one of the more interesting aspects of the debate surrounding MP3s -why are the ideolouges of corporate capitalism so down on the music industry?
American Skin: MP3s, Springsteen, and Cops (June 16, 2000) My look at "American Skin (41 Shots)".
"American Skin" (June 17, 2000) I did this essay for the Bad Subjects. Click here to read it on my site. Also please check out my earlier essay "American Skin: MP3s, Springsteen, and Cops" which covers many of the same themes although I do make some different points in each.
Lewis Porter John Coltrane: His Life and Music (The University of Michigan Press, 1998)
Johnny Adams Man of My Word (Rounder, 1998)
Rashied Ali and Louie Belogenis Rings of Saturn (Knitting Factory Records, 1999)
Fred Anderson, Hamid Drake, "Kidd" Jordan, and William Parker 2 Days in April (Eremite, 2000) I wrote this for allaboutjazz.com. Click here to read it on my site.
Fred Anderson Quartet Live at the Velvet Lounge Volume Two (Asian Improv Records, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Patrick Arena & Andy Monroe Night Cap (Arenamusic, 1999) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Nick Bisesi Free Time (Hallway, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Bon Jovi Slippery when Wet (Mercury, 1999 -original release 1986)
Lester Bowie’s Brass Fantasy The Odyssey of Funk & Popular Music Vol. 1 (Atlantic, 1999)
Kevin Breit and Cyro Baptista Supergenerous (Blue Note, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Marion Brown Three for Shepp (Impulse, 1998 -original release 1967)
David Budbill & William Parker Zen Mountains Zen Streets: A Duet for Poet & Improvised Bass (Boxholder Records, 1999) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. You can read the review on that site by clicking here. You will need to scroll down some. This review also appears in the the spring 2000 edition of One Final Note. Click here to read the review on that site.
Don Byron Music for Six Musicians (Nonesuch, 1995)
Don Byron Romance with the Unseen (Blue Note Records, 1999) There are some additional comments in my Top 10 CDs of 1999 piece.
Mary Chapin Carpenter Stones in the Road (Columbia, 1994)
Johnny Cash Unchained (American, 1996)
Tracy Chapman Telling Stories (Elektra, 2000)
Brian Chase and David Remmick Games are the Enemies of Truth, Beauty, and Sleep (self-released, 2000) I wrote this for allaboutjazz.com. Click here to read on that site.
Bill Cole's Untempered Ensemble 11/20/99 (Boxholder, 2000) I wrote this for allaboutjazz.com. Click here to read it on my site.
The Ornette Coleman Double Quartet Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation (Columbia, 1987 -Original release 1961)
Colours Rebel Heart (NBTM, 1999) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. You can read the review on that site by clicking here. You will need to scroll down some.
John Coltrane Interstellar Space (Impulse, 1991 -Original Release 1974)
The Robert Cray Band Some Rainy Morning (Mercury, 1995)
The Robert Cray Band Take your Shoes Off (Rykodisc, 1999)
Steve Dalachinsky Incomplete Directions (Knitting Factory Records, 1999) I wrote this for allaboutjazz.com. Click here to read it on my site.
Dolmen Orchestra Conducted by Nicola Pisani "Sequenze Armonche" (Some Gregorian Reflections) (Leo Records, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Bill Dowdy Jazz Trio plus Dee Dee McNeil Live at the Discovery Theatre (Dee Square Records, 2000) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Dominic Duval with the C.T. String Quartet Under the Pyramid (Leo Records, 2000) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read the review on that site. You will have to scroll down some. I wrote another review of Under the Pyramid for the summer 2000 edition of One Final Note. Click here to read it on my page.
Dominic Duval and Jason Kao Hwang The Experiment (Blue Jackel, 2000) I wrote this for jazzweekly.com. Click here to read it on my site.
Dr. Dan Dan on the Moon (Terminus Records, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Steve Earle Train a Comin’ (Winter Harvest, 1995)
Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band The Mountain (E2 Records, 1999)
Steve Earle Transcendental Blues (E-Squared/Artemis Records, 2000) I wrote another review for countryreview.com. Click here to read it on my page.
Ensemble Elektra The Book of Time (Milo, 1999) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Freedom of Assembly Freedom of Assembly (Buzz Records, 1999) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com . Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down to the very bottom.
The Ganelin Trio Poco-A-Poco (Leo Records, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Frode Gjerstad Trio Ultima (Cadence Jazz Records, 1999) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some. I have done another review of this disc that is slightly different. The second version was done for the spring 2000 edition of One Final Note. Click here to read the review on that site. You don't really need to read both reviews.
The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble The Other Bridge (Oakland, 1999) (Nine Winds, 2000) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some. I wrote another review of The Other Bridge for the summer 2000 edition of One Final Note. Click here to read it on my page.
Alan Hacker and Tony Coe Sun, Moon & Stars (ZahZah, 1999) This was done for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Happy Apple body popping moon walking top rocking (No Alternative Records, 1999) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read the review on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Ben Harper Fight for your Mind (Virgin, 1995)
Ben Harper Burn to Shine (Virgin Records, 1999)
Corey Harris Greens from the Garden (Alligator, 1999)
Corey Harris & Henry Butler Vu-Du Menz (Alligator Records, 2000) I wrote this for the Bad Subjects website. Click here to read it on my site. I have also done an abbreviated version of this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read the review on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
The Herbie Nichols Project Dr. Cyclops’ Dream (Soul Note, 1999) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. You can read the review on that site by clicking here. You will need to scroll down some.
Wayne Horvitz & Zony Mash Upper Egypt (Knitting Factory Records, 2000) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Susie Ibarra and Denis Charles Drum Talk (Wobbly Rail, 1998)
Susie Ibarra Trio Radiance (Hopscotch, 1999) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. You can read the review on that site by clicking here. You will need to scroll down some.
Susie Ibarra Flower after Flower (Tzadik, 2000) I did this review for allaboutjazz.com. Click here to read it on my site.
Terje Isungset Floating Rhythms (Via Music, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that page. Scroll down to the very bottom.
Brad Jones AKA Alias Uncivilized Poise (Knitting Factory Records, 1999) There is also a brief addendum for my Top 10 CDs of 1999 piece. I wrote another review of this disc for jazzreview.com. Click here to go to the review on that site. You will probably have to scroll down some.
Achim Kaufmann Quartet Double Exposure (Leo Records, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Hans Kennel and John Wolf Brennan Pipelines (Leo Records, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Kris Kristofferson The Austin Sessions (Atlantic, 1999)
Lan Xang Hidden Gardens (Naxos Jazz, 2000) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read the review on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
The Roscoe Mitchell Sextet Sound (Delmark Records, 1996 -Original release 1966)
Roscoe Mitchell and the Note Factory This Dance is for Steve McCall (Black Saint, 1993)
Roscoe Mitchell Quartet In Walked Buckner (Delmark, 1999) I wrote another review for jazzreview.com. Click here to go to the review on that site. You will probably have to scroll down some.
Roscoe Mitchell and the Note Factory Nine to Get Ready(ECM, 1999) I also wrote a brief follow up for my Best of the 1990s reveiw. I have written yet another review of this great disc by Roscoe Mitchell and the Note Factory. This time it was for jazzreview.com. Click here to go to the review on that site. You will probably have to scroll down some.
The Miyumi Project The Miyumi Project (Southport/Asian Improv Records, 2000) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Mrs. Fun The Best of Mrs. Fun (Daemon Records, 2000)
Joan Osborne Relish (Blue Gorilla/Mercury, 1995)
Evan Parker, Barry Guy, Paul Lytton, and Marilyn Crispell After Appleby (Leo Records, 2000) I have also done an edited version of this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read the review on that site. You will have to scroll down some. I wrote another review of After Appleby for the summer 2000 edition of One Final Note. Click here to read it on my page.
William Parker/In Order to Survive The Peach Orchard (AUM Fidelity, 1998)
William Parker and In Order to Survive Posium Pendasem (Free Music Productions, 1999) This was written for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
William Parker Trio Painter's Spring (Thirsty Ear, 2000) I wrote this for jazzweekly.com. Click here to read it on my site. I have done another review of this recording for allaboutjazz.com. Follow this link to read it on my site.
William Parker & The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra Mayor of Punkville (AUM Fidelity, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Lee Roy Parnell Hits and Highways Ahead (Bmg/Arista, 1999)
Pharaoh’s Daughter Out of the Reeds (Knitting Factory Records, 2000) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Poison Poison’s Greatest Hits 1986-1996 (Capitol, 1996)
Rage Against the Machine The Battle of Los Angeles (Epic, 1999)
Edward Ratliff’s Rhapsodalia Wong Fei-Hong Meets Little Strudel (Strudel Media, 2000) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Vernon Reid Mistaken Identity (Epic, 1996)
Hal Russell, Michael Staron, Sparrow, and Rick Shandling Albert’s Lullaby (Southport, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some. This review also appears, in pretty much the same from in the fall 2000 edition of One Final Note. Click here to read it on that site and click here to read it the same format on my site.
Pharoah Sanders Save our Children (Verve, 1998)
Pharoah Sanders, Hamid Drake and Adam Rudolph Spirits (Mah/Meta Records, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Sonny Sharrock Ask the Ages (Axiom, 1991)
Archie Shepp meets Kahil El’Zabar’s Ritual Trio Conversations (Delmark, 1999)
Matthew Shipp Trio The Multiplication Table (Hat Hut Records, 1998)
Matthew Shipp Duo with William Parker DNA (Thirsty Ear, 1999)
Matthew Shipp Quartet Pastoral Composure (Thirsty Ear, 2000) I have also written another review of this disc which is slightly shorter.
Bruce Springsteen Tracks (Columbia, 1998)
Surface Music Live at the Knitting Factory 8.30.99 (self-released, 2000) I wrote this for allaboutjazz.com. Click here to read it on that site.
Test Live/Test (Eremite, 1999) I wrote this for jazzweekly.com. Click here to read it on my site.
Tripleplay Expansion Slang (Boxholder, 2000) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some. I wrote another review of this disc for allaboutjazz.com. Click here to read it on my page.
Assif Tsahar's Brass Reeds Ensemble The Hollow World (Hopscotch, 1999) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
Townes Van Zandt A Far Cry from Dead (Arista, 1999)
Various Artists Defiance Blues (House of Blues, 1998)
Various artists Largo (Blue Gorilla/Mercury, 1998)
Various Artists Knitting on the Roof (Knitting Factory Records, 1999) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to go to the review on that site. You will probably have to scroll down some.
David S. Ware Quartet Godspelized (DIW, 1996)
David S. Ware Quartet Go See the World (Columbia, 1998)
David S. Ware Surrendered (Columbia, 2000) I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some. I have also written another review of this disc.
Whitesnake Whitesnake (Geffen, 1987)
Kelly Willis Bang Bang (MCA, 1991)
Neil Young and Crazy Horse Sleeps with Angels (Reprise, 1994)
Neil Young Mirror Ball (Reprise, 1995)
Zrazy Private Wars (Alfi, 1999) I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.
An interview with Frode Gjerstad (February 20, 2000) I conducted this interview with free jazz musicians Frode Gjerstad for jazzreview.com . You can also read it on my site.
The Buena Vista Social Club Review of the October 30, 1999 show at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, MI.
Peter Brotzmann’s Die Like a Dog Quartet Review of the April 21, 2000 concert at the Kerrytown Concert House. That link will take you to my review at jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on my site.
Mary Chapin Carpenter Review of the November 5, 1998 concert at The Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, MI.
The Frode Gjerstad Trio Review of their January 21, 2000 concert at the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor, MI. I wrote this for jazzreview.com and that link will take you to the review on that site. Click here for the review on my site.
The Del McCoury Band Review of the November 3, 1999 show at the Ark in Ann Arbor, MI.
Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band Review of the September 8, 1999 Palace of Auburn Hills show. You might also be interested in my essay Village Corner Comments. The Springsteen concert plays an important role in the piece.
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