30.12.11
JANUARY IS INTERPLANETARY SAM RIVERS MONTH
SINCE SAM RIVERS PASSED ON this week, we here at The Changing Same are celebrating the pure genius that was him. We've shared his 1974 release for implulse! and a slightly more obscure live album; now its time for a classic from later in his career, a truly original recording at that, and a game changer as far as big band jazz is concerned, as far as we are concerned, anyway: Sam Rivers and the Rivbea All Star Orchestra's "Inspiration."
Sam Rivers' music became extremely expressive later in his career (perhaps a tip for those of us that are getting older - like Tom Waits, or Sun Ra, I'd like to think we get better with age, not the other way around like so many other pop and trendy musicians of today). The shear amount of content in his large ensemble recordings is just staggering. In 4 bars you'll hear influences ranging from Latin, to funk, big band swing, free jazz, avante-garde, and soul: Perhaps a few hits from the drummer that quote, ever so slightly, Latin jazz; a free, wild solo from the trumpeter; a heavy, funk influenced electric bass; completely out-there Monk-in-the-future intervals; all the while swingin' away, swingin' away hard...It's hard to imagine until you hear it. His creativity is only comparable to other masters: Zappa, Ra, Monk...The Changing Same is going to do its best to bring you communique's from Sam Rivers in the coming weeks in honor of his genius and his contribution to the world of jazz, and music as a whole. Thats why, here at The Changing Same, we are establishing January as Interplanetary Sam Rivers Month. Stay tuned.
BUY: http://www.amazon.com/Inspiration-Sam-Rivers/dp/B00000JJJ1
INFO LINK HERE AND IN COMMENTS
29.12.11
ALICE COLTRANE, MY FAVORITE.
I heart Alice Coltrane just about more than anything else on the planet. Check out this amazing compilation of her recordings over at Blaxploitation Jive. Here is the list of what they're sharing:
Discography
As a leader
A Monastic Trio (Impulse!, 1967)
Cosmic Music (Impulse!, 1966-68) with John Coltrane
Huntington Ashram Monastery (Impulse!, 1969)
Ptah, the El Daoud (Impulse!, 1970)
Journey in Satchidananda (Impulse!, 1970)
Universal Consciousness (Impulse!, 1972)
World Galaxy (1972)
Lord of Lords (1973)
John Coltrane: Infinity (1973)
Reflection on Creation and Space (a Five Year View) (1973)
Illuminations (1974) with Carlos Santana
Eternity (1975)
Radha-Krisna Nama Sankirtana (1976)
Transcendence (1977)
Transfiguration (1978)
Turiya Sings (1982)
Divine Songs (1987)
Infinite Chants (1990)
Glorious Chants (1995)
Priceless Jazz (1998)
The Music of Alice Coltrane: Astral Meditations (1999)
Translinear Light (2004)
The Impulse Story (2006)
As a sideperson
With John Coltrane
Live at the Village Vanguard Again! (Impulse!, 1966)
Live in Japan (Impulse!, 1966 [1973])
Stellar Regions (Impulse!, 1966)
Expression (Impulse!, 1967)
The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording (Impulse!, 1967)
With Terry Gibbs
Terry Gibbs Plays Jewish Melodies in Jazztime (Mercury, 1963)
Hootenanny My Way (Mercury, 1963)
El Nutto (Limelight, 1964)
With Charlie Haden
Closeness (Horizon, 1976)
With Joe Henderson
The Elements (Milestone, 1973)
With McCoy Tyner
Extensions (Blue Note, 1970)
Live Albums
Alice Coltrane Live (1972)
Alice Coltrane Quartet Live In Warsaw (1987)
DOROTHY ASHBY, JAZZ HARPIST. COMPLETE DISCOGRAPHY
Speaking of women who play jazz harp, Dorothy Ashby makes fantastic music. And she plays the harp. Need I say more? Check out her complete discography over at Blaxploitation Jive.
Carrot Soufflé
Fluffy and sweet, this dish is perfect for the holidays and somewhere between a dessert and an appetizer. I got this recipe from my good friend Lee Zucker; we used to serve this at her restaurant, The Locomotive, in Eugene, Oregon.
Carrot Soufflé
1 stick (4 ozs.) unsalted butter*, plus some for pan
4-5 very large carrots (1 1/2 lbs. total weight)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons white, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
Generous pinch of salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2-quart casserole (about 8 1/2 inches square) or 6 custard cups. If using custard cups, set them in a roasting pan for ease of handling.
2. Peel carrots and chop into 1/2-inch rounds. Drop into a pot of 3 cups boiling water. When water returns to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook 10-15 minutes—until soft. Drain carrots well, return to pot, and mash with a potato masher; alternatively, pulse in a food processor to a coarse puree—slushy with no big pieces, but not smooth like baby food. Measure out 2 cups; store remainder for another use.
3. While carrots are still hot, add to them the 4 ozs. butter and the sugar and mix well. If carrots become too cool, return to heat briefly. In a small bowl, beat eggs; add and mix into carrot mixture. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, then mix well into carrots. Pour into prepared casserole or custard cups.
4. Bake at 350 degrees until set—about 50-60 minutes for a casserole, 40 minutes for custard cups. Rotate pan front to back for even baking half way through cooking time. When done, a knife inserted at center should come out oily-looking but not creamy-looking. If baked in a casserole, it probably will not puff; in custard cups, it will lift above the rim like a soufflé. (Serve immediately, or it will fall. It will taste the same, just look more ordinary.) To reheat, if made earlier, microwave a single serving for one minute; longer for multiple servings. If reheating multiple servings, carefully insert a skinny knife near center of one serving and touch deep inside to be sure they’re hot inside. Pierced spot can be smoothed over to camouflage the experiment.
6 servings
*If using salted butter, delete salt in recipe
Carrot Soufflé
1 stick (4 ozs.) unsalted butter*, plus some for pan
4-5 very large carrots (1 1/2 lbs. total weight)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons white, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
Generous pinch of salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2-quart casserole (about 8 1/2 inches square) or 6 custard cups. If using custard cups, set them in a roasting pan for ease of handling.
2. Peel carrots and chop into 1/2-inch rounds. Drop into a pot of 3 cups boiling water. When water returns to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook 10-15 minutes—until soft. Drain carrots well, return to pot, and mash with a potato masher; alternatively, pulse in a food processor to a coarse puree—slushy with no big pieces, but not smooth like baby food. Measure out 2 cups; store remainder for another use.
3. While carrots are still hot, add to them the 4 ozs. butter and the sugar and mix well. If carrots become too cool, return to heat briefly. In a small bowl, beat eggs; add and mix into carrot mixture. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, then mix well into carrots. Pour into prepared casserole or custard cups.
4. Bake at 350 degrees until set—about 50-60 minutes for a casserole, 40 minutes for custard cups. Rotate pan front to back for even baking half way through cooking time. When done, a knife inserted at center should come out oily-looking but not creamy-looking. If baked in a casserole, it probably will not puff; in custard cups, it will lift above the rim like a soufflé. (Serve immediately, or it will fall. It will taste the same, just look more ordinary.) To reheat, if made earlier, microwave a single serving for one minute; longer for multiple servings. If reheating multiple servings, carefully insert a skinny knife near center of one serving and touch deep inside to be sure they’re hot inside. Pierced spot can be smoothed over to camouflage the experiment.
6 servings
*If using salted butter, delete salt in recipe
Live Sam Rivers Crosscurrent (Blue Marge 1005, 1981)
Since Sam Rivers passed on this week, The Changing Same is honoring him with a series of posts concerning this man's great genius and monumental impact on me as a musician and as a person. This little gem of a live show came to me courtesy of my super homie Jonathan Sindleman only yesterday. Now I share it with you, via Post Miles . Jonathan suggested I start with the last track, "Swirl." That was a great place to start; now I suggest you start by stopping by Post Miles and following the link to get you some.
28.12.11
BOBBY FEW / ALAN SILVA / FRANK WRIGHT "SOLOS & DUETS - VOL.2" (SUN, 1975)
Since I never seem to find time to update these pages anymore, I am going to guide those who stumble upon this blog to those who do a better job than I in sharing important info on great music. I am a huge fan of Inconstant Sol, and here's another link to a classic.
The Revered Frank Wright is, in my opinion, one of the greatest tenor sax players of all time. He's right up there with Coltrane and Ayler. He is in as high of regard as these masters as far as those that are in the know are concerned; but those that are in the know are few considering the fact that these masters could be used in comparison to Rev. Wright. He did share the stage with John Coltrane in the 60's. Alan Silva, Bobby Few, and Muhammed Ali (brother of Rasheid, from Coltrane's ensembles) were at the core of his personell on his recordings with his band, "Center of the World." He worked with the best of the best, from Reggie Workman to Cecil Taylor, form William Parker to Eddie Jefferson. This album is fantastic cause you can hear all four members of Center of the World making solo and duet statements with one another. Should I mention its also one of those ultra-rare free jazz gems? It is. It is also not for the faint of heart.
RIP Sam Rivers
Sam Rivers - Crystals - check it out at Inconstant Sol
RIP Sam Rivers - I feel so lucky to have met him and seen him perform live in Portland with his trio. He was a master musician.
28.11.10
It's almost Hanukkah, so, the best Challah ever:
Chalah
(Butter Braid)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 sticks (6 ozs.) unsalted butter, i.e., 1 stick (8 tablespoons) for dough, 1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) for oiling bowl and baking sheet, and 1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) for basting loaf
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lukewarm water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast, e.g., Fleischmann’s (but not "Rapid Rise" or other "instant")
3 large eggs
About 3 3/4 cups white, all-purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
Poppy seeds for garnish—optional
1. Scald milk in a small saucepan over high heat. Move to a large mixing bowl or work bowl of a standing mixer (e.g., KitchenAid). Cut 1/2 stick of the butter into pats and add to bowl with the salt and the 1/3 cup sugar; mix well with a wooden spoon, or dough hook attachment to mixer, until butter, salt, sugar are all dissolved and mixture is lukewarm. Meanwhile: in a small bowl, stir next three ingredients together well to dissolve yeast; leave 5-10 minutes—until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, yeast is dead; replace yeast before proceeding. Separate one egg: put white aside for later; beat yolk and two whole eggs lightly in a small bowl.
2. Stir or machine-mix yeast into cooled milk mixture. Add eggs and 1/2 the flour; beat to smooth. Add remaining flour, the last 1/2 cup gradually. By hand: When spoon-stirring becomes too arduous, press flour into dough with your fist, turning dough over as needed. By hand or machine: Add just enough flour to make a fairly stiff, but not dry, dough that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. If too sticky, add a little extra flour; if too dry, drizzle in a little warm water.
3. By hand: Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes. By machine: knead with dough hook for 5 minutes on medium speed, then finish by kneading briefly by hand. Finished dough should be satiny smooth and bouncy. Put in a buttered bowl, turn over so top surface is buttered too, and cover with a clean, non-terrycloth (i.e., low-lint) towel that has been dipped in hot water and wrung out well. Put in a warm place to rise to double in bulk—2-2 1/2 hours. An unheated oven with the light on works well.
4. When doubled in bulk, punch down thoroughly and turn out onto a clean, unfloured surface. Cut into three** pieces; roll each to a rope about 15 inches long. Seal the three together at one end, squeezing bonded part together very hard then turning under. Braid dough ropes together (like braiding hair) and seal second end like first. Use a little water if difficult to bond. (If you don’t wish to braid, shape all the dough into a log; it will taste the same.)** Place on buttered baking sheet and melt the extra 2 tablespoons of butter. Butter the braided loaf with a brush. Leave to rise for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees after bread has risen for 40 minutes.
5. Place risen bread on centered rack of preheated oven. Beat retained egg white with a tablespoon or two of water. After baking 10 minutes, brush loaf with egg-white mixture; rotate pan front to back for even baking. Repeat 10 minutes later. Five minutes later, brush with egg white a 3rd, final time and sprinkle with poppy seeds, if wished. Cook 5 minutes more, or 10, if needed—a total of 30-35 minutes—until loaf is golden brown (not dark brown), top creases don’t look or feel raw, and bottom gives off hollow sound if thumped. (Yes, it’s hard to turn on it’s side to thump.) If very top begins to brown too quickly, i.e., while sides, etc. are still quite pale, cover fast-browning part with a strip of aluminum foil. Remove to a rack and cool before slicing.
Makes 1 loaf a little under 2 lbs. in weight
*2 x recipe = 1 dramatically-long loaf; fits diagonally on standard baking sheet. For 2x recipe, use 4 eggs total and same 1 egg white for glazing. Increase butter by 1 stick: 1/2 stick is still enough for oiling bowl, pan, loaf.
**For a triple-braided loaf, best used for a double recipe, see instructions: “Bread, Chalah, To Triple Braid”.
Triple-Braided Chalah
(See recipe, "Bread, Chalah" for basic instructions, substituting below process for #'s 4. and 5. in that recipe. Triple-braided version works best using a double recipe of dough. If doubling recipe, )
4. When dough is doubled in bulk, punch down thoroughly and turn out onto a clean, unfloured surface. Cut in half. Divide one half into 3 pieces; roll each to a rope about 8 inches long, if doing a single recipe of dough, 17-18 inches long if doing a double recipe. Seal the 3 at one end, squeezing together hard to bond, then turning under and squeezing again to further bond the underside to the part that shows. Braid dough ropes together, exactly like braiding hair, and seal 2nd end like the 1st . Use a little water if difficult to bond. Place on buttered baking sheet—on the diagonal if doing a double recipe.
5. Cut 2/3 of the remaining dough into 3 pieces. Repeat above process, but making each strand about 2 inches longer; they will look skinny. The finished braid must also be 2 inches longer than the 1st braid, though dough may try to contract when braided. If this is the case, hold one end of finished braid in each hand and stretch gently. Leave on rolling surface and repeat the process with the remaining 1/3, again making a very skinny braid 2 inches longer than the 2nd braid.
6. Wet the side of your hand (the surface used for breaking stuff in karate) and make a deep, damp depression the length of the 1st, largest braid. Wet your hand more than once if necessary. Place the 2nd braid in this depression but with the direction of the braided pattern reversed. Press down hard to bond, pull ends of 2nd braid out and underneath the sealed ends of the 1st braid, and seal them to the underside of the 1st braid with a little water and quite a bit of pressure. Repeat process exactly with the remaining dough, remembering to reverse the direction of the braided pattern again (so that the 1st and 3rd braids are headed the same way and the one in between goes in the opposite direction). Press firmly at the ends, to seal the 3 braids together; also press down harder than you think you should several times across the entire top of the loaf to weld the 3 braids together. Even if they look ugly at the moment, rising and baking will transform them.
7. Melt the extra 2 tablespoons of butter. Butter the braided loaf with a brush. Leave to rise for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees after bread has risen for 40 minutes.
8. Place risen bread on centered rack of preheated oven. Beat retained egg white with 1-2 tablespoons of water. After baking 10 minutes, brush loaf with egg-white mixture; rotate pan front to back for even baking. Repeat 10 minutes later. 5 minutes later, brush with egg white a 3rd, final time and sprinkle with poppy seeds, if wished. Cook 5 minutes more, or 10, if needed—a total of 30-35 minutes for a single recipe, 5-10 minutes longer for a double recipe—until loaf is golden brown (not dark brown), top creases don’t look or feel raw, and bottom gives off hollow sound if thumped. (Yes, it’s hard to turn on it’s side to thump.) If very top begins to brown too quickly— while sides, etc. are still quite pale—cover fast-browning part with a strip of aluminum foil. Remove to a rack and cool before slicing.
Makes 1 loaf a little under 2 lbs. in weight or 1 double loaf of about 3 3/4 lbs.
(Butter Braid)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 sticks (6 ozs.) unsalted butter, i.e., 1 stick (8 tablespoons) for dough, 1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) for oiling bowl and baking sheet, and 1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) for basting loaf
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lukewarm water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast, e.g., Fleischmann’s (but not "Rapid Rise" or other "instant")
3 large eggs
About 3 3/4 cups white, all-purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
Poppy seeds for garnish—optional
1. Scald milk in a small saucepan over high heat. Move to a large mixing bowl or work bowl of a standing mixer (e.g., KitchenAid). Cut 1/2 stick of the butter into pats and add to bowl with the salt and the 1/3 cup sugar; mix well with a wooden spoon, or dough hook attachment to mixer, until butter, salt, sugar are all dissolved and mixture is lukewarm. Meanwhile: in a small bowl, stir next three ingredients together well to dissolve yeast; leave 5-10 minutes—until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, yeast is dead; replace yeast before proceeding. Separate one egg: put white aside for later; beat yolk and two whole eggs lightly in a small bowl.
2. Stir or machine-mix yeast into cooled milk mixture. Add eggs and 1/2 the flour; beat to smooth. Add remaining flour, the last 1/2 cup gradually. By hand: When spoon-stirring becomes too arduous, press flour into dough with your fist, turning dough over as needed. By hand or machine: Add just enough flour to make a fairly stiff, but not dry, dough that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. If too sticky, add a little extra flour; if too dry, drizzle in a little warm water.
3. By hand: Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes. By machine: knead with dough hook for 5 minutes on medium speed, then finish by kneading briefly by hand. Finished dough should be satiny smooth and bouncy. Put in a buttered bowl, turn over so top surface is buttered too, and cover with a clean, non-terrycloth (i.e., low-lint) towel that has been dipped in hot water and wrung out well. Put in a warm place to rise to double in bulk—2-2 1/2 hours. An unheated oven with the light on works well.
4. When doubled in bulk, punch down thoroughly and turn out onto a clean, unfloured surface. Cut into three** pieces; roll each to a rope about 15 inches long. Seal the three together at one end, squeezing bonded part together very hard then turning under. Braid dough ropes together (like braiding hair) and seal second end like first. Use a little water if difficult to bond. (If you don’t wish to braid, shape all the dough into a log; it will taste the same.)** Place on buttered baking sheet and melt the extra 2 tablespoons of butter. Butter the braided loaf with a brush. Leave to rise for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees after bread has risen for 40 minutes.
5. Place risen bread on centered rack of preheated oven. Beat retained egg white with a tablespoon or two of water. After baking 10 minutes, brush loaf with egg-white mixture; rotate pan front to back for even baking. Repeat 10 minutes later. Five minutes later, brush with egg white a 3rd, final time and sprinkle with poppy seeds, if wished. Cook 5 minutes more, or 10, if needed—a total of 30-35 minutes—until loaf is golden brown (not dark brown), top creases don’t look or feel raw, and bottom gives off hollow sound if thumped. (Yes, it’s hard to turn on it’s side to thump.) If very top begins to brown too quickly, i.e., while sides, etc. are still quite pale, cover fast-browning part with a strip of aluminum foil. Remove to a rack and cool before slicing.
Makes 1 loaf a little under 2 lbs. in weight
*2 x recipe = 1 dramatically-long loaf; fits diagonally on standard baking sheet. For 2x recipe, use 4 eggs total and same 1 egg white for glazing. Increase butter by 1 stick: 1/2 stick is still enough for oiling bowl, pan, loaf.
**For a triple-braided loaf, best used for a double recipe, see instructions: “Bread, Chalah, To Triple Braid”.
Triple-Braided Chalah
(See recipe, "Bread, Chalah" for basic instructions, substituting below process for #'s 4. and 5. in that recipe. Triple-braided version works best using a double recipe of dough. If doubling recipe, )
4. When dough is doubled in bulk, punch down thoroughly and turn out onto a clean, unfloured surface. Cut in half. Divide one half into 3 pieces; roll each to a rope about 8 inches long, if doing a single recipe of dough, 17-18 inches long if doing a double recipe. Seal the 3 at one end, squeezing together hard to bond, then turning under and squeezing again to further bond the underside to the part that shows. Braid dough ropes together, exactly like braiding hair, and seal 2nd end like the 1st . Use a little water if difficult to bond. Place on buttered baking sheet—on the diagonal if doing a double recipe.
5. Cut 2/3 of the remaining dough into 3 pieces. Repeat above process, but making each strand about 2 inches longer; they will look skinny. The finished braid must also be 2 inches longer than the 1st braid, though dough may try to contract when braided. If this is the case, hold one end of finished braid in each hand and stretch gently. Leave on rolling surface and repeat the process with the remaining 1/3, again making a very skinny braid 2 inches longer than the 2nd braid.
6. Wet the side of your hand (the surface used for breaking stuff in karate) and make a deep, damp depression the length of the 1st, largest braid. Wet your hand more than once if necessary. Place the 2nd braid in this depression but with the direction of the braided pattern reversed. Press down hard to bond, pull ends of 2nd braid out and underneath the sealed ends of the 1st braid, and seal them to the underside of the 1st braid with a little water and quite a bit of pressure. Repeat process exactly with the remaining dough, remembering to reverse the direction of the braided pattern again (so that the 1st and 3rd braids are headed the same way and the one in between goes in the opposite direction). Press firmly at the ends, to seal the 3 braids together; also press down harder than you think you should several times across the entire top of the loaf to weld the 3 braids together. Even if they look ugly at the moment, rising and baking will transform them.
7. Melt the extra 2 tablespoons of butter. Butter the braided loaf with a brush. Leave to rise for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees after bread has risen for 40 minutes.
8. Place risen bread on centered rack of preheated oven. Beat retained egg white with 1-2 tablespoons of water. After baking 10 minutes, brush loaf with egg-white mixture; rotate pan front to back for even baking. Repeat 10 minutes later. 5 minutes later, brush with egg white a 3rd, final time and sprinkle with poppy seeds, if wished. Cook 5 minutes more, or 10, if needed—a total of 30-35 minutes for a single recipe, 5-10 minutes longer for a double recipe—until loaf is golden brown (not dark brown), top creases don’t look or feel raw, and bottom gives off hollow sound if thumped. (Yes, it’s hard to turn on it’s side to thump.) If very top begins to brown too quickly— while sides, etc. are still quite pale—cover fast-browning part with a strip of aluminum foil. Remove to a rack and cool before slicing.
Makes 1 loaf a little under 2 lbs. in weight or 1 double loaf of about 3 3/4 lbs.
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