El relámpago, Arthur Rimbaud (1873)

¡El trabajo humano! es la explosión que de vez en cuando ilumina mi abismo .

«Nada es vanidad; ¡a la ciencia, adelante!», grita el moderno Eclesiastés, es decir, Todo el mundo. Y sin embargo, los cadáveres de los vagos y maleantes caen sobre el corazón de los demás… ¡Ah! deprisa, más deprisa; allá lejos, más allá de la noche, esas recompensas futuras, eternas… ¿las dejamos escapar?…

¿Qué puedo hacer yo? Conozco el trabajo; y la ciencia es demasiado lenta. Que la oración galope y truene la luz… lo veo claramente. Es demasiado simple, y hace demasiado calor; se abstendrán de mí. Tengo mis obligaciones, estaré orgulloso de ellas dejándolas de lado, como tantos otros.

Mi vida está gastada. ¡Adelante! Finjamos, holgazaneemos, ¡oh piedad! Y existiremos divirtiéndonos, soñando amores monstruos y fantásticos universos, maldiciendo y porfiando contra las apariencias del mundo, saltimbanqui, mendigo, artista, bandido —¡sacerdote! En mi cama de hospital ha vuelto a mi el olor del incienso, tan penetrante; guardián de los aromas sagrados, confesor, mártir…

En ello reconozco mi sórdida educación infantil. ¡Y luego qué!… Ir a por los veinte años, como lo demás van por los suyos…

¡No! ¡No! ¡Ahora me rebelo contra la muerte! El trabajo es muy poca cosa para mi orgullo: mi traición al mundo, un suplicio excesivamente corto. En el último momento atacaría a derecha, a izquierda...

Entonces, —¡Oh!— pobre alma querida, ¡no habríamos perdido la eternidad!

Arthur Rimbaud 1873

(extraído del libro "Prosa completa" de la editorial Cátedra, pag.198)

Art Blakey, Orgy In Rhythms Vol 1 & 2 (1957)

A true orgy in rhythm from Art Blakey – a set that not only features his drums next to the kit of Art Taylor, but which also adds in a bevy of other percussionists – including Sabu Martinez, Patato Valdez, and Jose Valentine! Joe Jones and Specs Wright also bring in additional jazz drums – making for more drummers than you might even find in a high school band – all working together with amazing qualities in sound, sometimes even melodic amidst all of the rhythms. Lighter lyrical touches are provided by Herbie Mann's flute, and Ray Bryant throws in some great lines on piano – underscoring the grooves in a nice way. Both original volumes are super-tough to find on LP, and this cool CD brings them both together as a single release, for a total of 8 long tracks that includes "Elephant Walk", "Amuck", "Ya Ya", "Abdallah's Delight", "Split Skins", "Buhania Chant", and "Toffi".

01. Buhaina Chant

02. Ya Ya

03. Toffi

04. Split Skins

05. Amuck

06. Elephant Walk

07. Come Out and Meet Me Tonight

08. Abdullah's Delight

Art Blakey: drums

Ray Bryant: piano

Jo Jones: drums, tympani

Herbie Mann: flute

Wendell Marshall: bass

Sabu Martinez: percussion

Ubaldo Nieto: percussion, timbales

Evilio Quintero: percussion, maracas, cencerro

Arthur Taylor: drums

Carlos "Patato" Valdes: percussion

Specs Wright: drums, tympani

Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, Swiss Cheese and Fire (1971/1992)

This is a bootleg album, released by Frank Zappa without enhancement, and also available as part of the Beat The Boots! #2 boxed set. It's a two-CD set that presents a nearly complete live performance by the 1970-71 "Flo & Eddie" edition of The Mothers, featuring lead vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, and recorded December 4, 1971. As such, it begins with an extended instrumental introduction leading into "Peaches En Regalia," and then there is a combination of 200 Motels material and oldies like "Call Any Vegetable." Sound quality is good, and the performance level is high.

Hence, the critical verdict is: good, for a bootleg. Of course, this recording also has historical value, apart from its musical attributes. The show, which occurred at the Casino in Montreux, Switzerland, ended in a fire that destroyed The Mothers' equipment. The following week in London, Zappa was pushed off the stage by a deranged fan, and this edition of The Mothers was history.

CD1: Swiss Cheese

1. Intro 14:21

2. Peaches En Regalia 3:27

3. Tears Began To Fall/She Painted Up Her Face/Half-A-Dozen Provocative Squats 5:59

4. Call Any Vegetable 9:55

5. Anyway The Wind Blows 3:44

CD2: Fire!

1. Magdalena/Dog Breath 9:49

2. Sofa 18:06

3. A Pound For A Brown (On The Bus) 7:07

4. Wonderful Wino/Sharleena/Cruisin' For Burgers 12:37

5. King Kong 1:24

6. Fire! 1:55 (This is the famous fire that the Deep Purple song "Smoke On The Water" was written about)

FZ: guitar, vocals 

Mark Volman: vocals 

Howard Kaylan: vocals 

Jim Pons: bass, vocals

Don Preston: keyboards

Ian Underwood: keyboards

Aynsley Dunbar: drums

Originally Released: June 1992

Recorded at Casino, Montreaux, Switzerland - December 4, 1971

Art Taylor, Taylor's Wailers (1957)

Five of the six selections on this CD reissue feature drummer Art Taylor in an all-star sextet of mostly young players comprised of trumpeter Donald Byrd, altoist Jackie McLean, Charlie Rouse on tenor, pianist Ray Bryant, and bassist Wendell Marshall. Among the highpoints of the 1957 hard bop date are the original version of Bryant's popular "Cubano Chant" and strong renditions of two Thelonious Monk tunes ("Off Minor" and "Well, You Needn't") cut just prior to the pianist/composer's discovery by the jazz public. Bryant is the most mature of the soloists, but the three horn players were already starting to develop their own highly individual sounds. The remaining track (a version of Jimmy Heath's "C.T.A.") is played by the quartet of Taylor, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, and bassist Paul Chambers and is a leftover (although a good one) from another session.

1. Batland 9:51

2. C.T.A. 4:42

3. Exhibit A 6:13

4. Cubano Chant 6:35

5. Off Minor 5:37

6. Well, You Needn't 7:55

Art Taylor (drums)

Jackie McLean (alto saxophone)

John Coltrane, Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone)

Donald Byrd (trumpet)

Red Garland, Ray Bryant (piano)

Wendell Marshall, Paul Chambers (bass)

Sonny Sharrock, Monkey-Pockie-Boo (1970)

An album recorded in Paris on June 22nd, 1970 with wife Linda plus Ben Guerin (bass) and Jacques Thollot (drums). Sonny Sharrock was one of the top avant-garde guitarists and his playing was intense and ferocious. He mixed together Jimi Hendrix and Pharoah Sanders. 'Sharrock was the first guitarist to really embrace fire music. He wanted his playing to mirror the emotional scream of the tenor saxophone' (Thurston Moore and Byron Coley).

On the subject of this guitarist people have quite a range of opinion -- between the fellow string-benders who kneel at his feet and the members of Herbie Mann's audience who used to stand out on the sidewalk whenever it was time for a Sharrock solo. Recordings by the man as a leader were plentiful during the later part of his career, but there are those fans who wished there had been more records earlier on when his playing was at its most blisteringly intense. Thus, fans might approach this session on the consistently artistically exciting BYG label expecting to have their minds blown. It is an album one wants to like, but it is as difficult to like as the losers at cheerleader tryouts. Not all the problems can be blamed on Big Sonny, but he does decide to lay out on guitar for nearly half of the first side's 17-minute opus, "27th Day," making his grand entrance instead on slide whistle. Uh, slide whistle? Does one really buy a Sonny Sharrock album to hear him play slide whistle? It is the equivalent of John Coltrane playing kazoo, although there are Sharrock pundits who have wasted valuable time analyzing the relationship between his slide whistle playing and his main ax. And like the waitress who shows up to find the entire kitchen staff dead drunk, Sharrock works here without any of the other musicians on board helping out in the least. With so many great players seemingly at the label's beck and call, why did Sharrock get saddled with the French rhythm section, who sounds as cheesy as an overdone un croque monsieur toasted sandwich? As for the vocal pyrotechnics of Linda Sharrock, she proves many things, one of which is that she cannot sing along with a slide whistle. This type of freestyle, avant-garde vocalizing has its place and its quality practitioners, such as Jeanne Lee, but in the end it subtracts from, not adds to, the pleasure of enjoying Sharrock's playing. Of course, there are moments of quality guitar skronking. (Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi) (http://www.answers.com/topic/monkey-pockie-boo#ixzz18tMgdTZF)

1. 27th Day 17:01 Written BySonny Sharrock

2. Soon 7:59 Written By Linda Sharrock

3. Monkey-Pockie-Boo 9:00 Written By Linda Sharrock

Beb Guérin: Bass

Jacques Thollot: Drums

Warren «Sonny» Sharrock: Guitar, Whistle [Slide], Vocals

Linda Sharrock: Vocals

Recorded June 22, 1970 at Studio Saravah, Paris.

Donald Byrd, The Cat Walk (1962)

Trumpeter Donald Byrd and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams worked together on several recordings between 1958 and 1961, and The Cat Walk (released on LP in 1962) is among the best. A quintet setting, with pianist Duke Pearson (another longtime Byrd collaborator), bassist Laymon Jackson, and a lively Philly Joe Jones on drums joining the front line of Byrd and Adams, the sessions for The Cat Walk benefited from the writing and arrangement skills of Pearson, who contributes three compositions here, the impressive opener "Say You're Mine," "Duke's Mixture," and "Hello Bright Sunflower," which borrows its melodic structure from the opening bars of "Lullaby of Broadway" and features Byrd using a muted trumpet. Byrd contributed the title track, which attempts to capture the coiled, taut, but somehow still relaxed and assured gait of a tomcat, thanks in no small part to Jones' inspired drumming which hits the mark with stops and turns and smooth run-outs that are indeed very feline in nature. Byrd's playing throughout is typically sleek and lyrical, and Adams' sturdy, husky baritone sound is the perfect counterbalance, making The Cat Walk an essential Byrd purchase. ~ AllMusic

01 - Say You're Mine

02 - Duke's Mixture

03 - Each Time I Think Of You

04 - The Cat Walk

05 - Cute

06 - Hello Bright Sunflower

Donald Byrd: trumpet

Jerry Dodgion: alto saxophone & flute

Frank Foster: tenor saxophone & clarinet

Lew Tabackin: tenor saxophone & flute

Pepper Adams: baritone saxophone & clarinet

Bill Cambell: trombone

Hermeto Pascoal: flute (on "Xibaba" only)

Duke Pearson: electric piano

Wally Richardson: guitar

Ron Carter: bass

Mickey Roker: drums

Airto Moreira: percussion

Medeski, Martin and Wood, The Stone: Issue Four (2010)

This fourth cd to benefit The Stone presents a spectacular set of music recorded live in Japan by the legendary trio of Medeski, Martin and Wood. Beautiful sound and a great crowd makes this a very special release by these downtown music masters. Support The Stone by purchasing this and the other limited edition Stone Benefit cds before they go out of print! Available online only through the Downtown Music Gallery and Tzadik, all proceeds from the sale of this limited edition CD will go directly to support The Stone. Only with your help can we keep The Stone alive!

1. Tutrasa’i

2. Riffin Ed/Luz Marina

3. Buster Rides Again/Doppler

4. Amber Gris

5. We’re All Connected

Billy Martin: Drums, Percussion 

John Medeski: Piano, Melodica 

Chris Wood: Bass 

info |

http://www.tzadik.com/index.php?catalog=0005

Un Escorpion Perfumado, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (2010)

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (ORL) December's release is available for download from his site already. If still not too long ago with every of his new release often listener was afraid on getting some noisy and chaotic heavy mix (what happened time to time), with his ORL most recent releases the problem is different.

For some time he found out the heavy use of electronics on his solo releases, and this album is one between such series. All music is played by trio, without guest musicians or usual female vocals. But the music is not so different from what was released during few last months: deeply psychedelic (pop) rock with melodic tunes, overdose of electronic effects and noises, melancholic, obviously influenced by ORL some last Latin music flavoured albums. Omar sings himself all vocals, and besides of it all space is filled with loops and all possible electronic noises over the head.

This album is far from some earlier releases with bulk structure and raw improvs. Still enough experimental, it is much more easy listenable, better structured and in many places more remind experimental psyche-pop, than rock. Again, as often with ORL, he doesn't care too much about consistence of materials he releases as solo albums, so quite often compositions remind more blueprint or rehearsal versions for (possible) future The Mars Volta releases.

Not the best and not the worst ORL solo release. Really interesting one for artist's fans, for newcomers it's better to start from Omar's more essential albums. (http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=360171)

1. Estrangular El Extranjero 

2. Que Dice Pessoa ? 

3. Agua Dulce De Pulpo 

4. Incesto O Pasion ? 

5. Mensaje Imputente 

6. El Diablo Y La Tierra

Omar Rodríguez-López: vocals, guitars, bass,

Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez: keyboards

Deantoni Parks: drums

info |

http://omardigital.rodriguezlopezproductions.com/album/un-escorpion-perfumado

Jean Louis, Morse (2010)

With their compact and distorted grooves, Jean Louis create music out of wood, metal and electronic sounds. They worked underground for two years to develop and refine their rhythmic form to create compositions that are strongly riff based and explosive.

In la Defense's National Jazz Competition in 2007, Jean Louis took secound prize, Joachim Florent and Francesco Pastacaldi took the first and third soloist prizes, respectively. In 2008, they went abroad and participated in such events as: Le Triton aux Lilas, The Hermitage's Studio, The Olympic Cafe in Paris, The European (First part of Fantazio), The Rhino Jazz Festival (Gier River), and The Tuning Fork in Cherbourg.

Jean Louis acheive their massive sound with the use of the trumpet and double bass, often with electronic effects, and their stellar drum work. The Trio's influences include artists such as Zu, Marc Ducret, Meshuggah, Melvins, Varese, Stravinksi, Zakir, Hussein, Fela Kuti, Miles Davis, and Fred Frith... On a quest for the freedom of expression, they create an in-depth jump into musical experimentation that is far from any cliches while constantly evolving. (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=4794#discography)

1. Lady Crash (0:53)

2. Schaerbeek (8:43)

3. Tartaglia (3:44) Muestra en Sampler

4. Doom (8:09)

5. Junky Clown (2:01)

6. 5 Tournant (5:20)

7. Morses from Mars (1:51)

8. Morse (6:42)

9. Milwaukee (2:00)

10. Sapiens (8:02)

11. Doomus (1:07)

Aymeric Avice: trumpet, slide trumpet

Joachim Florent: double bass, bass, guitar

Francesco Pastacaldi: drums

Additional instruments: Korg MS-20 and Toys

info | 

http://www.myspace.com/tranchemusic

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke & Lenny White, Forever (2010)

Pianist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White have teamed up once again to revisit their common roots in the seminal fusion band Return to Forever. On June 7, 2011, Concord Jazz will release Forever, a two-CD set of 18 tunes that include updated RTF classics as well as jazz trio standards. In support of the release, a tour is planned for next summer.

Disc one, recorded live, is a best-of sampler from Corea, Clarke and White’s acoustic “RTF–Unplugged” 2009 world tour. Highlights include jazz standards “On Green Dolphin Street,” “Waltz For Debby” and “Hackensack,” Corea classics “Bud Powell” and “Windows,” Clarke’s new “La Canción De Sofia” and RTF pieces “Señor Mouse” and “No Mystery.”

“This acoustic trio had not been documented up to this point,” said White. “It was important to document because that’s how we started. On the last day of our Keystone Korner gig in 1973 in San Francisco, we had two guitarists sit in, and it became electric. But we come from playing it the jazz tradition. RTF had a real jazz rhythm section, and I think that’s what distinguishes RTF from all the other groups.”

Disc two of Forever is a bonus CD that includes tracks featuring vocalist Chaka Khan, violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and original RTF guitarist Bill Connors, all of whom joined the core trio for a one-time-only gig at the Hollywood Bowl during the 2009 tour. Connors reunites with his former bandmates on several compositions from the Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy album, incuding “Señor Mouse,” “Space Circus” and “After The Rain.” Ponty performs on five tracks, including “Armando’s Rhumba” (which he first performed on Corea’s 1976 album My Spanish Heart) and his onetime fusion hit “Renaissance.”

Kahn’s appearance marks a reprise of the 1982 recording Echoes Of An Era, a straightahead collection with performances from Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson, along with Corea, Clarke and White. Her vocal chops are demonstrated on Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy” and the Corea-penned “High Wire–The Aerialist.”

Most of the tracks on disc two are from rehearsal sessions for the Hollywood Bowl gig held at Mad Hatter Studios in Los Angeles. The vibe is relaxed, with plenty of studio banter and laughter as the trio and their guests prepare the concert material. The final track of disc two is a fresh version of Corea’s “500 Miles High” recorded by Corea, Clarke and White live at the Monterey Jazz Festival.

“There was real magic,” Clarke said of the trio’s 2009 tour. “We hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and we have a lot of history at Mad Hatter. We originally didn’t intend to put this material out, but it sounded so great that we wanted to share this with our fans.”

According to Clarke, another electric RTF tour is in the works, featuring himself, Corea, White, Connors and Ponty. “This is actually the fourth version of Return To Forever,” he said. “It’s come full circle with Bill coming back and the addition of Jean-Luc. After release, we’re doing an RTF IV tour to go out and support the new CD. It’s a total update, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.” (Source: Downbeat, 02 December 2010)

Disc 1:

01 On Green Dolphin Street (Bronislaw Kaper, Ned Washington) - 08:41

02 Waltz For Debby (Bill Evans, Gene Lees) - 09:54

03 Bud Powell (Chick Corea) - 07:09

04 La Canción de Sophia (Stanley Clarke) - 07:37

05 Windows (Chick Corea) - 09:54

06 Hackensack (Thelonious Monk) - 07:26

07 No Mystery (Chick Corea) - 14:24

08 Senor Mouse (Chick Corea) - 12:06

Disc 2:

01 Captain Marvel (Chick Corea) - 04:12

02 Senor Mouse (Chick Corea) - 10:06

03 Crescent (John Coltrane) - 01:44

04 Armando's Rhumba (Chick Corea) - 05:11

05 Renaissance (Jean-Luc Ponty) - 06:28

06 High Wire -- The Aerialist (Chick Corea, Tony Cohen -- Chick Corea) - 03:40

07 I Loves You Porgy (George Gershwin) - 05:13

08 After The Cosmic Rain (Stanley Clarke) - 10:37

09 Space Circus (Chick Corea) - 06:00

10 500 Miles High (Chick Corea, Neville Potter) - 12:45

Personnel:

Chick Corea: piano.

Stanley Clarke: bass.

Lenny White: drums.

Guests (on Disc 2):

Jean-Luc Ponty: violin. 

Chaka Khan: vocals.

Bill Connors: guitar.

This 2-CD set is presently only available as a Japanese import. The US release is scheduled for June 2011, to coincide with Mr. Corea's 70th birthday.

Film socialisme, Jean-Luc Godard (2010)

Género: Drama

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Intérpretes: Alain Badiou, Catherine Tanvier, Christian Sinniger, Élisabeth Vitali, Jean-Marc Stehlé, Nadège Beausson-Diagne, Patti Smith y Robert Maloubier

Nacionalidad: Suiza

Duración: 102 min

Fecha de estreno: 17 / 12 / 2010

Productora: Vega Film

Guionista: Jean-Luc Godard

Fotografía: Fabrice Aragno

Distribuidora: Pirámide Films

Calificación: Todos los públicos

"Film Socialisme" es una sinfonía en tres movimientos: "Cosas así": En el Mediterráneo, a bordo de un crucero, viajan varios personajes: un policía de Moscú, un criminal de guerra, un filósofo francés (Alain Badiou), una cantante norteamericana (interpretada por Patti Smith), un embajador palestino y un ex doble agente. Múltiples conversaciones, múltiples idiomas entre pasajeros, casi todos de vacaciones. "Nuestra Europa": En el transcurso de una noche, una niña y su hermano pequeño han convocado a sus padres ante el tribunal de su infancia. Piden explicaciones serias sobre los temas de libertad, igualdad, fraternidad. "Nuestras humanidades": Visita de seis lugares que son escenario de leyendas auténticas y falsas, Egipto, Palestina, Odessa, Hellas, Nápoles y Barcelona. (FILMAFFINITY -http://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film310337.html)

CRÍTICAS

"Otra inimitable elucubración que nos entrega el gran ogro del modernismo (...) su estilo es cada vez más postlinguístico (...) compone un collage final inefable, genial, que compensa el desplazamiento (...) Puntuación: *** (sobre 5)" (E. Rodríguez Marchante: Diario ABC) 

----------------------------------------

"Colosal criptograma dispuesto a desafiar a una selecta minoría de espectadores atrevidos, o convenientemente armados de valor" (Jordi Costa: Diario El País) 

----------------------------------------

"Sigue la línea abierta en los tres últimos lustros por el director (...) es decir, la línea más puramente ensayística y de pensamiento. (...) reformula el lenguaje con una profusión de texturas que apreciará el buen gourmet" (Jordi Batlle Caminal: Diario La Vanguardia) 

----------------------------------------

"¿Críptica? Puede ser. ¿Fascinante, grandiosa, complejísima? Por supuesto (...) Puntuación: ***** (sobre 5)" (Sergi Sánchez: Fotogramas) 

----------------------------------------

"La vertiente de la no ficción ortodoxa se ha radicalizado en la obra de Godard en los últimos años. 'Film socialisme' es su máxima expresión (...) Puntuación: **** (sobre 5)" (Quim Casas: Diario El Periódico) 

----------------------------------------

"Inaccesible e incomprensible para todo el mundo (...) Es una obra realmente bella, llena de sugestivas imágenes, pero la belleza carente de significado no es arte (...) Puntuación: *** (sobre 5)" (Nando Salvá: Cinemanía)