Carl Maguire - Floriculture

hearsay · November-26th-2005, 01:30 PM

Ok, first off Carl is a good friend of mine and plays in another band with me. However, first I heard this record over two years ago through Chris Manngian, who used to post here as Helmut Lampshade, and who plays alto sax on this CD, then I called Carl out of the blue and asked him if he wanted to play. So his music preceded him and that's how we became friends.

Floriculture is the name of Carl's band which is: Carl on piano and prepared piano, Chris on alto, Trevor Dunn on bass and Dan Weiss on drums, truly some of the best improvisors around NYC today. Carl's music is somewhere in the vein of Tim Berne, Mark Dresser or Henry Threadgill, compositions that have a many layers and are interestingly integrated with very loose improvisation. This CD is available finally from between the lines, so I hope people will check it out.

Gary Sisco · November-27th-2005, 07:10 AM

I'll give a hearty second to this one, which Carl gave me a copy of when Brett came through here with his trio. I couldn't believe it hadn't been officially released when I heard it. Topnotch. Good to know it's out and available.

Paul B · November-27th-2005, 03:22 PM

Like hearsay, I've known Carl, and played music with him, for many years. I've seen the tunes on this album grow from their early incarnation on the page to their full realization on this album, and I've played through some of them myself with Carl and Chris.

Carl is truly a magnificent pianist, someone who has really sought to define his voice. He has chops to spare, but you won't hear him indulging in the (easy) excesses of many post-Cecil pianists. He is deeply attuned to rhythm, and his charts are laden with complex rhthmic patterns (making them extremely difficult to read). On the piano Carl can whip through a Ligetti etude as if it were a children's piece by Bartok, and improvise more intelligently than many pianists who are far more well known--and than any that I have encountered firsthand. Fortunately Carl is beginning to appear on the radar, and I suspect he may soon be as well-known as...well, you know the usual suspects.

Folks, check this record out. Well-written tunes, propulsive solos, top-knotch musicianship on all fronts. Hints of Dresser, Berne, Graewe, Ligetti, Bartok....It's a keeper, and the first of what I know will be many brilliant records from Carl Maguire.

Bye-ya

Gary Sisco · November-28th-2005, 09:29 AM

I'm going to buy it to give Carl a sale and keep the private copy for a souvenir. He'll be going places.

Brian Olewnick · February-12th-2006, 08:01 PM

This afternoon, I posted a review at Bags:

http://www.bagatellen.com/archives/reviews/001171.html

I really think a lot of people here would get a kick out of this disc. It's not at all the type of thing I normally find myself listening to these days but, just as when I caught them at the Knit a couple years back, I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Folk who had liked Bobby Previte's jazzier work should dig this. Paul B might want to add more. The altoist was known in these here parts as Helmut Lampshade a couple years ago; maybe he's still around?

They're playing Tonic on the 22nd, sharing the bill with, er, Bloody Panda, apparently a death metal band with roots in Keiji Haino. OK.

Paul B · February-12th-2006, 11:47 PM

Just posted at Bags in response to your nice review. Won't bother here, as there's another thread about the record somewhere down below. And it didn't seem to pique the interest of too many...

Bye-ya

Gary Sisco · February-13th-2006, 08:18 AM

This is an excellent record. Almost anyone at JC would dig this one. Carl gave me a copy when he was up here with Brett Sroka's trio that also includes Damion Reid. People really ought to look into this one.

Brian Olewnick · February-13th-2006, 08:34 AM

Didn't realize the disc had been circulating around for a while. Glad a few have already caught it then. Also didn't realize, until Carl informed me, that their first gig, the first I caught, was shortly after 9/11. Thought it was more recently. Time flies!

Gary Sisco · February-13th-2006, 08:38 AM

Brian -- It was a self-release when Carl gave me my copy. I'll pick up one of the official release so's he can get another legit sale.

Clay Fink · February-15th-2006, 12:13 PM

He played better before he started on the steroids.

Paul B · February-15th-2006, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clay Fink

He played better before he started on the steroids.

Gary Sisco · February-15th-2006, 02:58 PM

Fink's off his meds again. Don't know where that one came from or why.

hearsay · February-18th-2006, 12:53 PM

Hey Brian, and other NYers- Carl's having a record release gig for Floriculture at Tonic this coming Wednesday 2/22, around 10 pm. They go on after doom metal band Bloody Panda who share the same drummer, it's going to be a rough night for him!

Also, Ergo plays at the Knitting Factory next Saturday 2/25, and we share the same keyboardists as Floriculture!