ATR

I don't recall how I discovered his recordings back in the early 70's, but they opened up my mind. Never got around to studying Lydian Chromatic Theory but that's okay, I wasn't playing in the band. The music made sense enough to me. And he was a big fan of Cecil Taylor's, said that no great jazz musician had appeared on the scene since CT. This was sometime in the 90's, I believe. A jazz deity, so long Mr. Russell.

Maybe it's not considered avant enough, but any of the Miles Davis bands from Complete Cellar Door through Get Up With It, Agharta, etc. For one track, it's hard to top Henry Threadgill Sextett's Bermuda Blues from You Know the Number, or his Very Very Circus composition Try Some Ammonia from Too Much Sugar for a Dime. He used to do this number in concert only, entitled Cool, Cool, Well Water that was an absolute scorcher. Never has appeared on a recording. I prefer the Pullen composition Big Alice from Live at the Village Vanguard with the Adams/Pullen group. Got a hand jive like back beat. James Carter with Marc Ribot, Jamaaladeen, and G. Calvin on his Layin' in the Cut for Atlantic. Jamaaladeen's own Showstopper for Gramavision, and Bernie Worrell's Funk of Ages for the same label. Ornette Coleman, Of Human Feelings.

Haven't gotten the box so I haven't read the notes. If he doesn't mention Cooper, who I'm sure is credited for his performance in the discographical information, perhaps he's not familiar with his work. In order to write the booklet, he should have been. Maybe he's just young.

Just happened to see this post, and I realize it's quite old. Two great CT recordings. Akisakila was a two record set documenting the trio in Japan with Cyrille and Lyons. There was a companion record of CT solo. This is the first version of the Unit I heard live, and the recording is essential. Live in the Black Forest is the same band as the New World studio recordings and One Too Many... Features Ronald Shannon Jackson, Lyons, Sirone, Ramsey Ameen on violin, and Raphe Malik on trumpet. More concise than One Two Many, and equally essential. I've never seen it on CD, and only seen Akisakila as an expensive import.

Not a big Frisell fan, but I do like a few records he's been on. I recommend Zorn's Film Works 1986-1990, both of the Lulu trios with Zorn and George Lewis (albeit mostly for Lewis), Power Tools with Shannon Jackson and Melvin Gibbs, and One Time Out with Lovano and Motian. Of his own recordings I bought some of the early ones before he scattered himself all over various idioms. Is that You? I seem to recall was my favorite, Before We Were Born not so much. Smash and Scatteration, the duets with Vernon Reid, I haven't listened to in years. A good example of Frisell work that I think doesn't work in context is the Dave Douglas album Strange Liberation. Shows you how far he is from that chunky, rhythmic stuff that Miles had going on. I just don't care for all the sampling and echo in his sound, or the fact that he's so darned eclectic.

My first exposure to Crouch was seeing him play drums for a David Murray trio at Studio Rivbea, substituting for Sonny Fortune at the last minute sometime back in '75 or '76. We walked out and got our money back. Then again, we didn't care for Murray at the time, either. Recently, though, I read in George Lewis' AACM book that Muhal Richard Abrams credited him with being a decent writer of melodies (IIRC). Nice to know he can write something, even if we've never heard them. At any rate, Mr. Crouch reviewed Jerome Cooper's Unpredictability of Predictability record on About Time for the Village Voice, concluding that although Bert the Cat was great, the first side suite was too influenced by contemporary European Classical music. In response, Mr. Cooper wrote and recorded 'The Crouch Opinion' on Outer and Interactions, also for About Time. I've never been assaulted physically by Mr. Crouch. His manner, on the one occasion I spoke to him, was a bit patronizing. I'm still waiting for 'Outlaws and Gladiators', his book about avant garde jazz. I guess it was permanently shelved when he went to Lincoln Center, but it's funny. Even though Crouch wrote some of the lessons for the Lincoln Center/NEA Jazz in the Schools program, their curriculum includes Braxton, Threadgill, and Douglas. As well as Crouch's (excuse the expression) bete noire, Bitches Brew. If you've seen the film Miles Electric, you know what I mean. And if you haven't, check it out for one of Mr. Crouch's most strident diatribes. As for what happened to him, who knows? I don't know him personally. I've heard musicians call him 'The Benedict Arnold of Jazz', which seems to fit.

An innovator on his instrument and a great collaborator and communicator. The duets with Sun Ra never fail to delight.

Don't want to miss out on the Nonaah and Saga of the Outlaws discs. Two of many that inspired me back in the day. Although the resale value of my Nonaah and Outlaws LP's will drop, it's a fact that records were made to be listened to and not listed on ebay.

Excellent disc, but I wouldn't know where to get it today. I love the music on those Ogun sides, particularly Spirits Rejoice and Isipingo. I wasn't impressed by the sound of the CD versions, as they seemed to have significant distortion. I was wondering if it was an issue with the condition of the tapes, the quality of the mastering, or even that the discs were done by needledrop. Cuneiform also has some smokin' live Brotherhood of Breath that added nicely to my old Live at Willisau LP. Basically, if Moholo and Miller are in the boiler room it's going to roll.

Both of these Zenph Re-Performances are SACD hybrid discs. If you have a multi-channel SACD system you can hear the music in high definition surround, stereo, or binaural (for which you use headphones). They also have a redbook CD layer that has both the stereo and binaural mixes. An exceptional deal for what you're paying. Gimmick or not, every recording is a simulation. I encourage anyone who's interested to judge these not on how they sound compared to the original performances, but on whether you like what you hear. There's no substitute for the real thing, and you have to decide if the Zenphs are 'good for what it is'.

I wish there was more to report, but in the future there will be. Your words of welcome are appreciated. I couldn't find a thread on George Lewis' book quickly, and just thought I'd mention it.

http://about-time-records.com/ The three Henry Threadgill Sextet albums are in stock, and there's a link to cadencebuilding.com on the website. FWIW, Just the Facts and Pass the Bucket checked in at IIRC #74 in Ben Ratliff's 100 Greatest Jazz Records book and is on the Jazz at Lincoln Center/NEA curriculum. When Was That? was the first Sextet recording, substitutes Brian Smith on piccolo bass for Diedre Murray. Subject to Change is the third record in the series, with the brass players Rasul Siddik and Ray Anderson. Available only on LP at this time. Interesting to read what people know and recall of Threadgill's recordings at this time. He made three more sextet recordings and added a third 't' to the group configuration before moving on to Very Very Circus. Too Much Sugar for a Dime is a superb record, IMO. Threadgill's music is distinctly his own, although it seems to travel through New Orleans in most every ensemble I've heard him organize, at least in some fashion. The composition 'Try Some Ammonia' on Too Much Sugar for a Dime could easily be covered by The Neville Brothers, and Air did an entire record of New Orleans Rags entitled Air Lore. For anyone interested in Threadgill or the AACM, University of Chicago has just published 'AACM A Power Greater Than Itself' by trombonist George Lewis. I predict this will be one of the most important books you'll read about avant garde music in the second half of the XXth century.