[HeavyWeather77]

I've been a Mark Turner fan for many years, but for some reason I just started listening to his "Lathe of Heaven" album today. What a beautiful, haunting, brilliant album. I often forget how awesome a chordless quartet can be, and this might be one of my favorites ever. Each member of the group is a beautiful musician.

There's also a cool video highlighting parts of the recording process, too, at wonderful Avatar Studios in New York. Lots of extremely sexy gear in this session... dual ribbons on Avishai Cohen's trumpet (an RCA 77 and a 44, I think, unless they're AEA), dual Neumanns on Mark (probably a u67s), et cetera. With those musicians in that room, though, they'd sound great on an iPhone voice memo recording.

 

[Aquarian]

I listened to this earlier today. I think the compositions are interesting and the playing is good but it was a little to tense sounding for my taste. There were a couple more calm songs but even they felt a bit tense. I think the rhythm is part of that, the drummer wasn't letting up for sure.

In a sense it reminds me of Steve Coleman's stuff, it's a bit at diagonal from the usual.

I prefer a more relaxed take on out jazz, Nicole Mitchell's small groups or Steve Lacy with Mal Waldron.

 

[Nefertiti]

Love this album. I'm curious where the title "Lathe of Heaven "came from? Mark Turner is one of the rare sax players I listen to not to learn or play like him but just because I love the music he composes and plays. I'm not listening to "get" or "learn" anything but just because it sounds really different and cool. My first Mark Turner was Yam Yam. I still listen to it all the time all these years later.

 

[Nefertiti]

...also, the intonation on this between the trumpet player and Mark is great! Totally locked in.

 

[HeavyWeather77]

Oh yeah, man, Mark and Avishai Cohen are completely awesome together. I've been listening to both of them for years with their own groups, I'm really glad they came together for this quartet. This groups has a pretty special and distinctive sound and vibe.

"Lathe of Heaven" is a novel by one of my favorite authors, Ursula K. LeGuin, who also happens to be one of Mark's favorite authors, apparently! He took the title of the album directly from the title of that book, which I haven't read yet. LeGuin was a genius, though, and I'm sure it's great, I'm putting it on my reading list.

 

[Nefertiti]

Oh yeah, man, Mark and Avishai Cohen are completely awesome together. I've been listening to both of them for years with their own groups, I'm really glad they came together for this quartet. This groups has a pretty special and distinctive sound and vibe.

"Lathe of Heaven" is a novel by one of my favorite authors, Ursula K. LeGuin, who also happens to be one of Mark's favorite authors, apparently! He took the title of the album directly from the title of that book, which I haven't read yet. LeGuin was a genius, though, and I'm sure it's great, I'm putting it on my reading list.

I haven't read that yet either. I'll see if the library has it.

 

[rzzzzz]

Lathe of Heaven is just about my favorite Sci Fi novel. PBS turned it into it's very first in-house movie production in 1980, apparently with a lot of input from the author. it was remade a 2nd time, but the first is much better.

(thanks for the cluing us onto Mark Turner.)

 

[HeavyWeather77]

(thanks for the cluing us onto Mark Turner.)

Holy smokes, for the folks who haven't checked out Mark Turner before, do I have a listening list for you. Nefertiti already mentioned "Yam-Yam," which is great. Here are my favorite recordings of Mark's, or that feature him prominently:

"Mark Turner" (eponymous album)

Mark Turner - "In This World"

Kurt Rosenwinkel - "The Enemies of Energy"

Mark Turner - "Dharma Days"

Kurt Rosenwinkel - "The Next Step"

I wore these albums out (on CD, so vintage!) for a very long time. They're all really, really good records through and through, brilliant writing and group playing in addition to Mark's fearless and individualistic saxophone work.

 

[adamk]

Lathe of Heaven is just about my favorite Sci Fi novel. PBS turned it into it's very first in-house movie production in 1980, apparently with a lot of input from the author. it was remade a 2nd time, but the first is much better.

(thanks for the cluing us onto Mark Turner.)

Many SciFi writers have great ideas but lack in interesting writing ability,
She has both.

 

[Honkermann]

It's a great record. Reminds me a bit of Miles' quintet 1965-1967, sans piano.

I saw this group at the Village Vanguard after this release -- fantastic show!