B. Clugston

I owned Élettér once, but didn't like it. He has done some nice albums with Joelle Leandre, however.

I picked up the Tone Poet Black Fire the other day and my copy indeed has the warbling issue. It's really noticeable from the title track on. Not sure if it's a worn master tape or a post-mastering screw-up or what, but it is reallyweird.

Mountain actually does have two tracks on the second Woodstock set.

I have the 2 LP set and it's a nice package. New extensive liner notes from Ashley Kahn. I wish they swapped out Schaap's notes for Zwerin's. The studio sides sound great, though I don't have previous editions to compare with. Mastering is credited to Robert Vosgien of Capitol Studios and Kevin Reeves and Seth Foster of Universal get credit for live restoration.

RIP. Great guitarist. First heard him on the Paul Desmond live album from the 1970s where his masterful playing would quickly soothe anyone missing Brubeck. Lots of other great work on his own.

Woo-hoo! I figured any game in Edmonton in November would be a low scoring affair and there's no way Calgary was going to lose another one. Thanks GA Russell!

Calgary 45.

Distant Voices, one of five excellent albums Steve Lacy recorded during his 1975 tour of Japan, has been reissued on vinyl. Good news as it's $475 cheaper than the last copy I had a shot at. This one features pianist Yuji Takahashi and Taj Mahal Travellers' Takehisa Kosugi and is unique and out there in a indescribable manner. This one did get a CD issue over 10 years ago. The other four albums from the tour remain only obtainable in their original Japanese issues and each cost a lot! Hope someone reissues them. Stalks, in particular, is among Lacy's best.

Kosuke Mine Quintet, 2nd Album (Three Blind Mice).

Reggie Lucas, Survival Themes. Ornette Coleman, Crisis.

Steve Reich, Pulse/Quartet (Nonesuch). New-ish release from earlier this year. Quartet (for two pianos and two vibraphones) is very jazzy sounding. Dollar Brand, African Space Program (Enja)

Now playing the underrated and highly enjoyable The Empty Foxhole, Ornette Coleman (Blue Note).

Me too. His tenor playing can cover quite an unexpected range and can be full of surprises. Last time I saw him, he did the human bagpipe soprano solo, followed by a Monk tune, and then switched to tenor in a group setting, where his playing was very bluesy at times.

Really sad news. He was indeed, by all accounts, a really nice guy. Black Swan Records, which he cofounded, was an amazing record store in its time and Pickering did great work in leading the Vancouver Jazz Festival over the years. Back when they had cigarette company funding, he used to bring in some big names from the free/avant jazz world. Here's a nice obit.

I got Ravel.