what’s new(ish)
Chicago Underground Duo (Chad Taylor, drum kit, percussion, mbira, kalimba; Rob Mazurek, trumpet, piccolo trumpet, RMI electric piano, modular synths, samplers, voice, flutes, bells), “Hyperglyph” (video by Rob Mazurek), published 9/17/25
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago (Columbus Park)
what’s new
SML, live, Chicago (Empty Bottle), 2025 (published 11/6/25)
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other day, Chicago (Columbus Park)
what’s new
Paal Nilssen-Love (drums, percussion), Jim O’Rourke (guitar), Ken Vandermark (reeds), live, Japan (Club Sakuraza, Kofu), 2024 (published 3/10/25)
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yesterday, Oak Park, Illinois
sounds of all over
Ken Vandermark (1964-, reeds [Chicago]), Paal Nilssen-Love (1974-, percussion [Nesodden, Norway]), live, Columbia, South Carolina, 8/31/24
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other day, Chicago
what’s new
One-word review: Wow!
Patricia Brennan Septet (PB, vibraphone, electronics, composition; Jon Irabagon, alto and sopranino saxophones; Mark Shim, tenor saxophone; Adam O’Farrill, trumpet, electronics; Marcus Gilmore, drums; Mauricio Herrera, percussion; Kim Cass, bass), “Palos de Oros” (Suit of Coins), published 8/6/24
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other day, Oak Park, Ill.
3n
Devin Gray (percussion), Mark Feldman (violin), Russ Johnson (trumpet), live, Milwaukee, 4/19/24
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other day, Chicago
sounds of New York
These two sets, live-streamed last night, are very different. The first is wonderful. The second? One of the best things I’ve heard in a long time.
First Set: Patricia Brennan (vibraphone, electronics) & Adam O’Farrill (trumpet, electronics) Duo, 10:00-
Second Set: Patricia Brennan’s SeVeN (Patricia Brennan, vibraphone, electronics; Adam O’Farrill, trumpet, electronics; Jon Irabagon, alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone; Mark Shim, tenor saxophone; Kim Cass, bass; Dan Weiss, drums; Mauricio Herrera, percussion), 1:14:00-
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
like nothing else
Jürg Frey, “Architecture Circulaire” (2017), for 5 contrabass clarinets and 5 percussionists (clarinets: Armand Angster, Hans Koch, Theo Nabicht, Ernesto Molinari, Olivier Vivarès; percussion: Eklekto [Alexandre Babel, Sébastien Cordier, Louis Delignon, Florian Feyer, Dorian Fretto]), live, Geneva, 2017
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other day, Chicago
like nothing else
Raül Refree (guitar, piano, electronics) and Núria Andorrà (percussion, vibraphone), live (“Lo que esconden,” “Fandangos Negros,” “Ramírez 11012017,” “Montaña Vacías,” “Todo el mundo quiere irse ya”), France (Rennes), 12/7/23
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other day, Chicago
What you didn’t know you needed right now.
Irreversible Entanglements (Camae Ayewa [Moor Mother], vocals; Aquiles Navarro, trumpet, synthesizer; Keir Neuringer, saxophone, synthesizer; Luke Stewart, bass; Tcheser Holmes, drums; Kyle Kidd, vocals), live (“Fireworks”, “Soundness,” “Free Love,” “Our Land Back,” “root ᐸ=ᐳ branch,” “Protect Your Light”), live, Washington, D.C., 2/19/24
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yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
music clip of the day 