January listening

Posted by: John C on 06 January 2002

Live at the Golden Circle. The RVG reissues of this wonderful concert have been released. Massive. David Izenzon on bass, Charles Moffett on drums. The RVGs are excellent with clearer drums, an d a valiant attempt to improve the bass which is bad on my LP versions. Beautiful music with Ornette in spectacular lyrical form. I'm dancing around the room.

Mal Waldron/Steve Lacy "Lets call This" (Hat HUt) and Sempre Amore (Soul Note)playing the music of Thelonius Monk and Duke Ellington respectively.
Wonderful LPs . I love Mal W aldron but am really getting into Lacy. I find Lacy has the most severe, emotionally stunted sound I've ever heard but it is nevertheless strangely beautiful.

Tristano/Konitz/Marsh Mosaic LP set.
10 Lps of sheer genius . My first real run at these grea t musicians. Excellent music and stunning LP sound.

John.[

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[This message was edited by John C on MONDAY 07 January 2002 at 16:39.]

Posted on: 09 January 2002 by Former member

i've spent the last couple of years mainly building up my jazz vinyl... but since new years i've been playing thru the pile of cds near the rig which hadnt been played. basically, i pile up cds i want to play and couple of weeks or months later i take back most of them back to storage... leaving some which i cant recall having played.

yeah.. the US pressing John Coltrane 'my favourite things'... which sounds better than the french pressing i got. ornette coleman 'the twins' and the one with a cover with the paint palette with colors. benny goodman, artie shaw 'gramercy 5', mildred bailey(v. interesting old vocalist.. i got 3 LP set), betty carter.

maybe i'll cover them properly another day... but what really knocked me out in the last couple of weeks were:

i) Townes Van Zandt: the cover of him sitting at a blue-inspired kitchen, at the table. the song is called "carousel girl" or some such. picked up the record recently. EXCELLENT!

ii) a japanese production CD of a Hawaiian band called "Bounjour Hawaii", the label is also called "bH" and track 4 what an excellent chanteuse!!

regards
shahreza

Posted on: 10 January 2002 by Dean Leroy

Hi again John, What, you have come around to the notion at least some RVGs sound better than LPs? This can't be true; tell me it isn't so! Seriously though, I recently got my ears on "Sonny Rollins at the Village Vanguard" at your recommendation and its as good as you said. Thanks for the heads up.

Since you are starting to get into Steve Lacy I thought I would turn you on to "Monks Dream," a collaboration of Lacy and Roswell Rudd; its anything but emotionally removed. Beautifully recorded in Paris, by the way. As you probably know Lacy got his start with Monk so while I'm on the subject you might want to check out the new Columbia reissue/remaster of "Monk in Tokyo" Great stuff. All the best in the New Year. Dean

Posted on: 11 January 2002 by Former member

Lacy,Ornette...

Hi,John

Trickles [Black Saint] is probably my favourite
Lacy album,great playing by Lacy,Roswell Rudd,
Kent Carter on bass and Beaver Harris on drums.
Superb recording too.I picked up a s/h copy of
The Window [Soul Note]recently,it is a trio w.
Jean-Jaques Avenel bass,Oliver Johnson drums.
The final cut Retreat is absolute bliss.
I have an original copy of Ornette's Live
At The Golden Circle Vol.1.I won it in an auction
by mail order at Mole Jazz for £6.oo in 1982 I
think.The sleeve was listed as water damaged but
I had the record cleaned on a Keith Monks machine
at Nairn Music[Linn/Naim dealer]in Inverness[I was working at Ardersier at the time].It sticks
at the end of track 1 but sounds great.
My favourite Ornette album has to be
Soapsuds,Soapsuds[Artists House],pick of the month by Barry McCrae in the May 1980 issue of
Jazz Journal[the first jazz magazine I ever
bought]at Waverly St. station en route to the
Sullom Voe oil terminal in the Shetlands but hey
that's another storey.

best

Dave

Lacy,Ornette...

Posted on: 11 January 2002 by John C

Excellent recommendations Dean and Dave (and welcome to the forum Dave). I've been getting the early Lacy records Reflections, More monk, Straight horn of Steve Lacy so far. I find Soul note/Black Saint catalogue to be of universally high standard. In addition to his Monk interpretations Lacy is on a brilliant record Change of Season (Soul Note)with Misha Mengelberg, George lewis, Harjen Corter, Han Bennink playing the music of the wondrous Herbie Nichols.

Dave I was just checking the latest Mole auction list. You wont be getting anything for £6 these days.

The Ornette CDs are great and there is a stunning bonus track , Doughnuts on Vol1. Can't recommend these highly enough.

John

Posted on: 12 January 2002 by Former member

Hi again John,
Yes,the Black Saint/Soul Note albums are very well recorded.Giancarlo Barigozzi seems to have
worked some magic at his studio in Milan.You
mention Rudy Van Gelder,I've just finished reading Richard Cook's brilliant biography of
Blue Note Records,covering the move from "his
little customised studio at his parents house
in Hackensack to a new studio in Englewood
New Jersey".A read for any jazz fan.

best

Dave

Posted on: 12 January 2002 by Former member

correction:

Blue Note Records by Richard Cook
A mustread for jazz fans.

Posted on: 13 January 2002 by Former member

John:

Misha Mengelberg -- pure genius. Have you heard his albums, Who's Bridge and No Idea?

The Tristano/Konitz/Marsh set is fascinating; I've been wondering whether to pick up the vinyl before it goes OOP. I already own the two double LPs of these musicians on Atlantic (containing the performances at the Sing Sing club). This music actually started me on the Konitz universe. But I don't really care for Tristano's playing. Is the Mosaic worth picking up, then?

The Konitz trio with Dallas/Elvin Jones disc is fantastic. It's now expanded into 3 CDs on Verve. Konitz was endlessly inventive. His more recent stuff pales in comparison.

Hockman

Posted on: 14 January 2002 by John C

Hock for a couple of reasons I think the Tristano/Konitz/Marsh is essential. It documents some of the most important recordings from a hugely influential school of jazz, it really illustrates the development of Konitz over time, the quality of the booklet and Lps is as usual outstanding, most of this music is not coming out on any other format any time soon so when its gone.... The Tristano Sing Sing live recordings sound great, there are 2 beautiful mono Konitz LPs discs 6 and 7 which sound great and i believe the originals were rather ropey stereo efforts, the Marsh Lps are really excellent with some great Paul Chambers.

Of the 10 or so Mosaics I own I listen to this, the Sam Rivers and the Andrew Hill most.

Misha. Ill hunt down those records. I also recommend 2 days in April a summit meeting between Fred Anderson and Mengelberg in Chicago. Hamid Drake on drums!

John.

Posted on: 14 January 2002 by Former member

Hockman[hi,Hockman]prompted me to have a listen
to Motion.Mine's a 1981 Japanese Verve gatefold
issue.All the tracks except You'd Be Nice.. are
presented in hole in the middle stereo,so I
listened in mono which puts the focus centre
stage,much better [IMHO].
Another alto,bass and drums trio that I can
recommend is by the Dave Holland Trio:In
Triplicate[ECM 837 113-1]w.Steve Coleman and
Jack DeJohnette.It sounds better in Mono [IMHO],
the drums too overpowering in stereo.
Finally,have you seen/heard Robert Barry and
Fred Anderson:Duets 2001[thrill jockey 101].Fred
with ex Sun Ra drummer Robert Barry,stunning
recording made live at the Empty Bottle in
Chicago,and available on vinyl.

cheers

Dave

Posted on: 14 January 2002 by Former member

Guys:

I recommended Motion to you before, Dave? Heck, I couldn't even remember the title the first time around. The CD set contains lots of extra material, both from the Dallas/Jones rhythm section and others. It is well-worth looking for.

I second the Holland/Coleman disc recommendation. Do also look for the duo performance on DIW (I'm horrible with titles, but I think it's called "Phase Space" or something).

John, you make me lust for the Konitz/Tristano set. I'm keen on Konitz but Tristano leaves me cold. Maybe I will put in an order for the set together with the In A Silent Way box on vinyl. All my previous Miles boxes are on CD and I'm pretty curious about how the LPs sound.

The Rivers box is just outstanding, but I can't warm to the Hill Blue Notes. I got some of the individual albums and decided not to go for the box.

Rgds

Hockman

Posted on: 15 January 2002 by John C

I listened to LPs 8,9, and 10 last night again. I found I have a Japanese 1971 release of Konitz in HiFI which is disc 8. The sound of is better on the Mosaic and the music is really very good. Interestingly Konitz later cut out all the bits he didnt like. Great liner notes from Konitz.
The last two Lps are superb and Marsh is excellent. Its an intersting intellectual exercise to compare how Marsh in particular fits in with the Paul Chambers/Philly Joe/Paul Motian or Kenny Clarke/Oscar Pettiford rhythmn sections. Nicely explained in the booklet. Oh dear sound like a jazz bore now.

The Mosaic Miles LPs are stupendous.

John.
Oh and I'm ignoring all recommendations as I buy too many records and am going to try and listen to all the unplayed ones. If I repeat this often enough I may just do it.o

[This message was edited by John C on TUESDAY 15 January 2002 at 09:34.]

Posted on: 24 January 2002 by Former member

Hi again,John

I recently found a recording of David Murray playing soprano.It's on Live At The Lower Manhattan Club Vol.1[INDIA NAVIGATION].The tune is called Bechet's Bounce and Murray employs the master's wide vibrato initially,but the improvisation is pure Murray.The rest of the band are Lester Bowie trumpet,Fred Hopkins bass and Philip Wilson drums.
Gonna look out for Vol.2

best

Dave

Posted on: 24 January 2002 by Tony L

quote:
Blue Note Records by Richard Cook
A mustread for jazz fans.

Thanks for the tip - just ordered it from Amazon...

Tony.

Posted on: 24 January 2002 by John C

Fred Anderson/Robert Barry- Duets (Thrill Jockey) Thanks Dave, excellent recommendation.

Barry Guy New Orchestra- Inscape Tableaux- Improvised large ensemble playing. Still digesting this.

Matthew Shipp/William Parker - DNA (Thirsty Ear). An older release from 1999. Just collecting all the releases by the dynamic duo. Brilliant as ever.

Jimmy Giuffre 3 - 1961. (ECM) I started to get into Giuffre after hearing Ken vandermark playing some of his songs live recently. What an extraordinary musician. There is a minimalist beauty to his approach on the clarinet and he sounds really radical in some ways. This CD features the trio with the mighty Paul Bley and a 20!! year old Steve Swallow. Pity about the ECM remastering. Also recommend Jimmy Giuffre Clarinet (Atlantic)and The Train and the River (Atlantic). Still trying to finda nice vinyl copy of Free Fall.

John

Posted on: 26 January 2002 by Former member

Quiet Song,on Paul Bley's Improvising Artists label finds Bley and Giuffre joined by Bill Conners on acoustic guitar.Bley does his usual inside out thing on acoustic piano adding electric piano also, with Giuffre playing tenor, clarinet and flute.Solo,duo and trio performances.One track, Trio[written by Bley]only lasts 1'44", but is full of delicate interplay, Giuffre sounding Evan Parker like on tenor. Sublime stuff from 1976.

also,Tangents In Jazz[Affinity],Dragonfly[Soulnote].

best

Dave

Posted on: 26 January 2002 by Former member

quote:
Originally posted by John C:
Live at the Golden Circle. The RVG reissues of this wonderful concert have been released. Massive. David Izenzon on bass, Charles Moffett on drums. The RVGs are excellent with clearer drums, an d a valiant attempt to improve the bass which is bad on my LP versions. Beautiful music with Ornette in spectacular lyrical form. I'm dancing around the room.

I have an older CD of this, and I love it. I think I may have to indulge in the RVG, since they're generally so good.

Now if only he'd remaster Dex's "One Flight Up".

Joel

Born to groove

Posted on: 26 January 2002 by Tony L

quote:
Now if only he'd remaster Dex's "One Flight Up".

Yes, I am enjoying your old vinyl copy! I played it earlier today. A truly excellent album.

Tony.

PS Great to see you back. Believe you are having a Quadraspirectomy tomorrow.

Posted on: 28 January 2002 by John C

Joel, Vol 2 features Ornettes trumpet playing in all its glory! I can't recommend these highly enough.

Joel and Tony. Dexter is curiously under-represented on my shelves but my favourite is Doin' Alright which features some great Freddie Hubbard esp on Society Red( which I think Dex played in the movie Round Midnight? ) The opening bars of the first song "I was Doin Alright" encapsulate perfectly the cool swing of Dexter's style.

John.o

Posted on: 30 January 2002 by John C

Opening up the brilliant Henro Texier in trio format. Played stuff from recent CD and though not quite as compelling as when I saw them last year (Barbican Hall vs small Soho club) , superb. They play with the same joyous humanity you hear on say Mingus a t Antibes. The drummer Tony Rabeson was brilliant last night and gives the whole thing a beautiful North African feel. I implore anyone listening who is into jazz or world music (whatever that is)or anything to try this man's CDs either the recent Ramparts d'Argile or Mosaic Man on La bel Bleu.

Luckily they did not feature the wonderful Serbian pianist Bojan Z, as he would have blown the main act off the stage. Brad Mehldau. The most overated musician in jazz? I quite liked one of his releases last year but I just can't warm to hi m generally.His playing seems so removed, uncommunicative. If I listened carfully, its clear he is a supreme technician and some of his left handed rhythmic figures are beautiful but overall no soul.What am I missing here? I suspect its my rather unsophisticated ears.

John.

ps. Hockman, picked up my tickets for John Zorn in March.

Posted on: 30 January 2002 by Former member

quote:
ps. Hockman, picked up my tickets for John Zorn in March.

You lucky b*stard! Is he performing with Masada, the greatest jazz quartet alive?

I too think that Mehldau's overrated. Again, perhaps another case of the major music labels heavily promoting a "marketable" commodity instead of taking chances. His live playing seems very technical (too many notes thrown in) although I find his Art of the Trio vol 3 can be very beautiful indeed.

Do you ever read his liner notes? Pompous, pseudo-intellectual rubbish.

Hockman
Enjoying my Pearl Jam albums at the moment...

Posted on: 30 January 2002 by John C

Is he performing with Masada, the greatest jazz quartet alive?

World Premiere of "The Gift" . Marc Ribot, Jamie Saft, Trevor Dunn, Joey Baron, Cyro Baptista and Dave Douglas.

And I quote ...'for lovers only' The side of John Zorn you've rarely heard...A beautiful and lyrical excursion into surf, exotica, easy listening ....

John.

Buying Masada Cds this week.›

Posted on: 31 January 2002 by Former member

I have The Gift -- it is really like what the description says. I think this is one of my wife's favorite JZorn album. She doesn't like the classic Big Gundown and neither do I actually.

As for Masada, the live albums are superior to the studio ones in terms of overall fire and raw power. I particularly like Jerusalem, Sevilla and Middleheim.

One of my favorite Zorn happens to be Voodoo by the Sonny Clark Memorial Quartet. It's an album of great irony in that it clearly proves hard core avant garde artists can easily play hard bop. What's more is that they play arguably better than the neoboppers like Marsalis and his ilk.

Hockman

Posted on: 31 January 2002 by Former member

Totally agree with Hockman on Voodoo.Great alto from Zorn,and a superb album.Great Marsalis too, on Black Codes From The Underground.

Dave