SoundGround >> Henry Threadgill

For reviving the Ronald Shannon Jackson thread, and talking about this composer whom had thought of as an instrumentalist, primarily... we can blame Hugo for putting this into my head to impose on y'all. Another name. Henry Threadgill. (Yeah, it's hard not to say "Henry MOTHERFREAKIN' THREADGILL. But I'll control myself).

Here's a guy who did not come up through Ornette Coleman, but whose music shares a lot with that of some of those who did. That said, he's also sui generis, just playing and working and scuffling in Chicago for a long time. Henry Threadgill. He plays alto sax and flute; mostly is known as a composer and bandleader. I was listening to him a lot in the 90s (though he really came up in the 70s). He's still around. He writes really beautiful things, sometimes really noisy things, crazy-dense things, super grooving things... often all of that at once.

I thought of him because of discussing guitarists "with" other guys on the Ronald Shannon Jackson thread. And this features a guy named Masujaa, who plays really amazing stuff on here; but this is a big band piece, the guitar is not the point. One thing that makes it sound like it has a lot in common with Ornette and company ("harmolodic music") is exactly the use of the electric guitar with all the horns.

Tuba is sick, too. Marcus Rojas, playing what you'd usually have a bass doing.

Henry Threadgill put out LOTS of great recordings. The one that caught me was called "Too Much Sugar for a Dime"; and particularly the first tune, which is called "LIttle Pocket Size Demons". Turn it up.