An anthology of music to poetry by PAUL HAINES

american clavé 1014/18 (double CD)

DARN IT!

poems by PAUL HAINES

musics by (in order of appearance) PAUL BLEY, ROBERT WYATT, EVAN PARKER, CARMEN LUNDY, GEORGE CARTWRIGHT, WAYNE HURVITZ, BOBBY PREVITTE, DAVID HOFSTRA, JOHN OSWALD, MELVIN GIBBS, DK DYSON, RICHARD HARRINGTON, DEREK BAYNES, DEREK BAILEY, DON PULLEN, CARLA BLEY, JACK BRUCE, LEO NOCENTELLI, ROBBIE AMEEN, MARVIN “SMITTY” SMITH, GREG “IRON MAN” TATE, MARQUE GILMORE, JESSE HENRY, JAY STRINGER, BEN NITZA, ALVA ROGERS, LEWIS BARNES, MIKE VEAL, JOHN TCHICAI, ANDREW CYRILLE, PETER SCHERER, KIP HANRAHAN, JT LEWIS, SILVANA DELUIGI, HENRY THREADGILL, MICHEL CONTAT, ANDY GONZALEZ, IGNACIO BERROA, DANIEL FRIEBERG, DAVID SANCHEZ, YALE EVELEV, BORNEAN DRUMMERS, STEVE SWALLOW, MARY MARGARET O’HARA, GARY LUCAS, DD JACKSON, MIKE SNOW, THE BURMESE, FERNANDO SAUNDERS, CARLOS WARD, TIM HAINES, AVERY HAINES, TIM WRIGHT, MARYANN LIFCHEK, PAUL DUTTON, JOHN KEAMEVAAR, AL MATTES, JACK VORVIS, ROSWELL RUDD.  Project and recordings guided by KIP HANRAHAN

7 YEARS IN THE MAKING! OVER 32 PERFORMANCES!

All poems by Paul Haines / project and recordings guided by Kip Hanrahan / packaging, design, photographs by Michael Snow / recording assistants included Suzy Dyer, John Azelvandre, Shawna Stobie, and Jeff Lippay / computer typeset and layout by Julie Ebel / mastering by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York / special “producers'” thanks is owed to Jo Haines, Alfie Wyatt, George Cartwright, Michel Contat, Tim Haines, Nancy Hanrahan, Scott Marcus, Yale Evelev, Heinz-Peter Schwerfel and Ib Scovgaard + Nana. © & © 1993 american clavé

Tracklist CD One

THREATS THAT MATTER (Paul Bley) Paul Bley-piano; RPM Studios, New York (4/89) (David Stone-recording engineer)

CURTSY (Paul Haines, Robert Wyatt) Robert Wyatt – keyboards, percussion, voice; Evan Parker – soprano sax; Musicworks Studio, London (8/86)

WHAT THIS WAS GOING TO SUPPOSE TO MEAN (Paul Haines, Evan Parker) Evan Parker – soprano sax; Carmen Lundy – voice; North London street (8/86)

FUNNYBIRD SONG (Carla Bley to lyrics by Paul Haines) music box arrangement and construction by John Oswald; produced by John Oswald; (5/89) (John Oswald recording engineer)

OUTSIDE THE CITY (Paul Haines, Melvin Gibbs) Melvin Gibbs – bass; DK Dyson – voice, Richard Harrington – drums; Derek Baynes – piano; produced by Greg Iron-man Tate. Sound on Sound Studio, New York (4/89) (David Stone – recording engineer)

ART IN HEAVEN (Paul Haines, Derek Bailey) Derek Bailey – voice, guitar; Musicworks Studio, London (8/86)

RAWALPINDI BLUES (Paul Haines, Carla Bley) Jack Bruce – bass, voice; Don Pullen – piano; Leo Nocentelli – guitar; Robbie Ameen – trap drums; Marvin “Smitty” Smith – trap drums; R.P.M. Studio, New York (1/90) (Mike Krowiak – recording engineer)

STICKS IN THE MUD (Paul Haines, Gregory Tate) Marque Gilmore – drums; Jesse Henry – guitar; Jay Stringer – bass; Ben Nitza – percussion; Alva Rogers – voice; Lewis Barnes – trumpet; Mike Veal – saxophone; Sound on Sound Studio, New York (4/86) produced by Greg Iron-man Tate (David Stone – recording engineer)

THERE AREN’T THESE THINGS QUESTIONABLE ALL OVER (John Tchicai) John Tchicai – Tenor sax; Andrew Cyrille – trap drums; R.P.M. Studios, New York (1/90) (Mike Krowiak – recording engineer)

LES PARAMEDICAUX EROTIQUES (Paul Haines, Kip Hanrahan, Peter Scherer) Peter Scherer – piano, keyboards; JT Lewis – drums; Silvana Deluigi – voice; Henry Threadgill – alto sax; Sorcerer Sound Studio, New York/Artistic Palace, Paris (5/92; 6/93) (John Fausty, Pierre-Antoine Watteau, Xavier Berbudeau – recording engineers)

JUBILEE (Paul Haines, Michel Contat) Michel Contat – voice; Daniel Frieberg – piano; David Sanchez – tenor saxophone; Andy Gonzalez -bass; Ignacio Berroa – trap drums; Paris + RPM Studio, New York (4/89) (David Stone – recording engineer)

ON THE WAY TO ELSEWHERE AND HERE (Paul Haines, Mary Margaret O’Hara) Mary Margaret O’Hara – voice; Steve Swallow – bass; Gary Lucas – dobro; Robbie Ameen – trap drums; Sorcerer Sound Studio, New York (5/92) (John Fausty – recording engineer)

INEXPLICABLY (Paul Haines, Borneo Drummers, John Tchicai) Borneo Drummers; John Tchicai – soprano sax; Borneo Sound (12/86); RPM, New York (1/90) (Yale Evelev, Mike Krowiak – recording engineers)

POEM FOR GRETCHEN RUTH (Paul Haines, George Cartwright) Alex Chilton – voice, Wayne Horwitz – piano; David Hofstra – bass; Bobby Previtte – drums; Sound Idea Studio, New York (10/86) (John Fausty – recording engineer)

Tracklist CD Two

JUST WHEN I THOUGHT (Paul Haines) Michel Contat – voice; Val de Grace Studios, Paris (Paul Haines, Michel Contat – recording engineers)

THIS DEDICATION (Paul Haines, John Tchicai) Marvin “Smitty” Smith – trap drums; Andy Gonzalez – bass; John Tchicai – tenor sax; R.P.M. Studio, New York (1/90) (Mike Krowiak – recording engineer)

THREATS THAT COUNT (Paul Bley) Paul Bley – piano; R.P.M. Studio, New York (4/89) (David Stone – recording engineer)

WHAT THIS WAS GOING TO SUPPOSE TO MEAN (Paul Haines, Evan Parker) Evan Parker – soprano sax; Carmen Lundy – voice; North London street (8/86)

BREAKFAST (Paul Haines, Steve Swallow) Steve Swallow – bass, organ, piano; Mary Margaret O’Hara – voice; DD Jackson – piano; Robbie Ameen – trap drums; Sorcerer Sound Studio, New York (5/92) (Jon Fausty – recording engineer)

SNOW VARIATIONS ON DARN IT! (Michael Snow) Michael Snow – piano; Toronto (4/87) (Michael Snow – recording engineer)

DARN IT! (Paul Haines, Kip Hanrahan) Fernando Saunders – bass, voice; Peter Scherer – DX-7; George Cartwright – tenor saxophone, Alex Chilton – guitar; Wayne Hurvitz – piano; David Hofstra – bass; Bobby Previtte – trap drums; Sound Ideas Studio, New York (10/86) (Jon Fausty – recording engineer)

ROUTE DOUBT (Paul Haines, Derek Bailey) Derek Bailey – voice, guitar; Musicworks Studio, London (8/86)

ASK ME IF YOU KNOW (Paul Haines, John Tchicai) John Tchicai – tenor sax, voice; Andy Gonzalez – bass; Marvin “Smitty” Smith – drums; R.P.M. Studio, New York (1/90) (Mike Krowiak – recording engineer)

THOSE SWEET BLUE OLIVES OF BOMBAY (John Tchicai, Paul Haines) John Tchicai – tenor sax; Andrew Cyrille – trap drums; R.P.M. Studio, New York (1/90) (Mike Krowiak – recording engineer)

HELLO (Paul Haines, The Burmese) nothern Burmese – music, voices, ambience; John Tchicai – sax; Michel Contat – voice; Outside Mandalay Street Studios, Burma; R.P.M. Studio, New York (6/79) (Yale Evelev, Mike Krowiak – recording engineers)

MRS DRESSUP (Paul Haines, Melvin Gibbs) Melvin Gibbs – bass; DK Dyson – voice; Leo Nocentelli – guitar; Carlos Ward – alto saxophone; Richard Harrington – drums, samples; ZSound on Sound Studio, New York (4/89) produced by Melvin Gibbs (David Stone – recording engineer)

THIRD WORLD TWO MEDLEY: SHE WAS SHOWING ME/BOINT LIVER (Paul Haines, Gary Lucas) Gary Lucas – guitars; Mary Margaret O’Hara – voice; Fernando Saunders – electric bass; R.P.M. Studio, New York (1/90, 5/92) (Mike Krowiak, Jon Fausty – recording engineers)

BREAKFAST (late) (Paul Haines, George Cartwright) Alex Chilton – voice, guitar; George Cartwright – tenor sax; Bobby Previtte – trap drums; Wayne Hurvitz – piano; David Hofstra – bass; Sound Ideas Studio, New York (10/86)

THE PLEASE FASTEN YOUR SEATBELT SIGN (Paul Haines, Paul Futton, John Kamevaar, Al Mattes, John Oswald, Michael Snow, Jack Vorvis) CCMC: Paul Dutton – voice, John Kamevaar – keyboard sampler; Al Mattes – bass; John Oswald – alto sax; Michael Snow – piano; Jack Vorvis – drums; Music Gallery, Toronto (6/93) (Paul Hodge – sound engineeer)

TESTING TESTING (Paul Haines, Tim Wright) Tim Haines – voice; Avery Haines – voice; Tim Wright – guitars, bass; Maryanne Lifchek – accordian, trap drums; Sunder Nagar Studio, New Dehli (70); Sound (Jon Fausty – recording engineer)

DARN IT! REPRISE (DOWN IN BACK!) (Paul Haines, Kip Hanrahan, Roswell Rudd) Roswell Rudd – trombone; R.P.M. Studio New York (6/93) (Jon Fausty – recording engineer)

THREATS THAT CAN’T READ (Paul Bley) Paul Bley – piano; R.P.M. Studio, New York (4/89) (David Stone – recording engineer)

C’ETAIT DANS LA NUIT (Paul Haines, Roswell Rudd) Paul Haines – voice; Roswell Rudd – trombone, voice; R.P.M. Studio, New York (6/93) (Jon Fausty – recording engineer)

“…Darn it! Strings together an outrageous number of artists performing one after another in a polyglot line that stretches from Paul Bley’s solo piano ‘Threats That Matter’ through funky dance numbers by Greg ‘Iron Man’ Tate to a duet by trombonist Roswell Rudd and Canadian poetry Paul Haines, ‘Etait Dans La Nuit.’ Even its beautiful package, designed by artist / film maker / musician Michael Snow (who also contributes a lovely piano piece) enforces the compilation’s linearity, unfolding into a long accordion of personnel and poetry… Darn it! Overcomes stylistic impediments successfully, reveling in the way Haines’ terse writing can endure so many different kinds of interpretation.” — John Corbett, Downbeat

“…You can’t be sure where the next song will take the album stylistically or sonically, yet it forms an intriguing whole… There’s enough on this album to keep you listening, puzzling over and popping your fingers long into the night. Worth waiting the seven years it took to finish. — Ed Hazell, Providence RI Phoenix

…The short poem–texts highlight the collapse of sound into sound, melding disparate sonic modes – music and language – as, for example, Don Pullen flies outward with his trademark cascading arpeggios. The constantly shifting ensembles make this an always interesting and worthwhile investment for the linguist and the improvised music aficionado and nearly everyone in between. — Andy Bartlett, Acoustic Music / Victory

…Each musician is obviously working hard to convey the majesty of poetry through his or her sounds. Haines’ poems, when paired with music, are made complete. What makes this compilation rank with the more successful of these ventures is that the musicians involved have clearly been chosen for their ability to translate this music adequately rather than their marquee potential… — Megan McLaughlin, CMJ / New Music Report

 

Double CD version (incl. shipment cost world-wide)