Motian/Haden/Redman/Carroll

This is an extraordinary performance; I recommend blowing it up to full screen, and watching it front-to-back, followed by part two. Howard Mandel's archival Motian interview tipped me off re: this project—three fourths of Keith Jarrett's American Quartet, but with trumpeter Baikida Carroll subbing for Jarrett, and with Charlie Haden at the helm—and lo and behold, there's a full, pro-quality concert on YouTube. You'll hear a lot of Ornette-ism in this music, but especially in the second piece (which starts at 16:40), this band goes to a freer, more uncharted place. I really wish these four had made a proper record.

(Incidentally, Baikida Carroll plays the Stone in NYC next Wednesday, December 7. He'll co-lead a "Wuartet" with Tim Berne. You might have heard Mr. Carroll on the wonderful new Dogon A.D. reissue.)

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P.S. Here is my review of Sunday night's Frank Ocean show at Bowery Ballroom.

P.P.S. Here is my joint preview of two monster metal shows going down in NYC this weekend: Inquisition with Disma (whose Towards the Megalith is one of my favorite metal records of the year) on Friday; and Hull with the mighty Eyehategod on Sunday.

CMJ +3

Looking for lively, polyphonic CMJ coverage? Follow Time Out NY Music on Twitter. A bunch of writers, including myself, will be out, about and Tweeting madly all week.

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Also, three blogs I've been enjoying lately:

ugEXPLODE
Anything-goes creator and connoisseur of challenging sounds Weasel Walter (late of the Flying Luttenbachers, currently free-jazz-focused) blogs eloquently, unpretentiously. This close reading of Beefheart's "Hair Pie: Bake 2" blew my mind.

That's How Kids Die
Neck in neck with Invisible Oranges (currently in the midst of an impressive reboot after the departure of site guru Cosmo Lee) for the title of my favorite metal blog. Josh Haun is a passionate, open-minded listener and a clear, forceful writer. His nascent "Top 100 Metal Albums"—unlike so many of its counterparts, a totally freeform affair—looks like an extra-meaty long-term blog-ject. Here's a great entry on Type O Negative's October Rust.

Burning Ambulance
Phil Freeman is all over his beat—jazz, metal, etc.—and I admire that. He writes for a bunch of other publications, but this site (and its accompanying print journal) is his baby, and he makes sure to keep it well fed. He's been especially strong lately on reissues, including those of Death's Human and Julius Hemphill's Dogon A.D. These are the kinds of pieces that will bring new listeners on board re: such classics.