B. Clugston

It's a good site that frequently samples long lost gems. It's a shame that Impulse's overlords have always issued this music (Sam Rivers') in such piecemeal form. Mosaic anyone?

The psycho in Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho would agree about Invisible Touch.

Eric Dolphy played on a couple of albums with two different incarnations of the Latin Jazz Quintet. I've heard Caribe on Prestige and while it's pretty straight ahead, it's still Dolphy. The Quintet though is more jazz than Latin. Never heard the other, which was reissued on CD at one point.

an alternate of In a Silent Way with Miles?? Wasn't everything from those sessions already released on the Miles box? I assume that the alternate take from the Miles box is exactly the one on this WR box. Guy Judging by the timing, it's probably the master take (sans "It's About That Time" and the repeat).

Crispell performs a lot in my part of the world, so I've been fortunate to see her both in "free" and "composed" contexts and enjoy both. Once, during a trio concert a couple of years ago, she even sang one song!

When the Select disappears, it would be nice to see this reissued as an RVG, Conn, whatever.

Here’s more info on the new 4-CD Ulrichsberg set from Leo. It’s a good set and includes a welcome (recorded) return to some older creative orchestra music chestnuts. Disc 1 - Comp. 301 performed by Genevieve Foccroulle on piano Disc 2 - 14-piece Austrian ensemble with three conductors (Braxton, Taylor Ho Bynum, Aaron Siegel). Group starts with Comp. 96 and travels to Comp. 134 (previously heard on Eugene and the London Jazz Composers Orchestra discs) with some language improvisations, collages and Ghost Trance moments along the way. Braxton plays sax from time to time as well as conducting. Fantastic! Disc 3 - Braxton, Bynum and Siegel perform a Diamond Curtain Wall piece with electronics. A little bit reminiscent of some of the stuff Braxton did with Richard Teitelbaum. Disc 4 - Same idea as Disc 2, only this time Comps. 169 and 147 are the main pieces.

In the case of Zorn, this is indeed great news for The Stone. It will be money put to good use, probably mostly for the benefit of other musicians.

MacArthur Fellows for 2006 Include Composer John Zorn, Jazz Violinist Regina Carter By Matthew Westphal 19 Sep 2006 Regina Carter, an innovative jazz violinist, and John Zorn, a composer and saxophonist whose music straddles the genres of contemporary classical, jazz and Jewish folk music, are among the 2006 MacArthur Fellows, whose names were announced this morning by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The MacArthur Fellowships — popularly known as the "genius awards" — are given each year to support outstanding and innovative work in such fields as research science, literature, the visual and performing arts and health care. The associated cash grants, paid out over five years, are intended to allow the Fellows to devote themselves to their creative work free (temporarily) from worries about making a steady living. The 2006 MacArthur Fellowships are worth $500,000. ... www.playbillarts.com/news/article/5249.html

Nigerian scam, Russian style. I got one these once, purportedly from an Ekaterina, and with a photo. The next day I get another one from an Olga, but with the same photo.

There may be a mention in John Litweiler's Ornette bio. If I recall correctly, Ornette checked out a Dead concert and was impressed with the whole Deadhead scene.

Another live archival recording is out on Leo Records--Springtime in Chicago from 1978.

It seems every time Dizzy touched this tune it was magic, even in later years. I saw a nice version from Montreal with that guitar/bass/drums combo he had in later years. The Massey Hall version may well be my favourite. Parker's versions are great as well. Also quite like Sonny's take on the Village Vanguard set.

I'm sure the efforts in dealing with the Estate (prop. Vince Wilburn Jr.) have also helped to delay this one's release. Sony has a lot of live recordings of this group in the can, yet other than the Japanese issue of the first Juan-Le-Pins concert and the Fillmore sets with Airto, nothing—which is a shame, since this band was always challenging and constantly evolving.

The second concert is as good as the first. While I agree that these concerts are more conservative than the fall concerts, they do have the upside of featuring different material. Guy In this context, I don't think "more conservative" means to imply that this is not great stuff - it is! I made the mistake of letting it "sleep" in my collection for too long (under the incorrect assumption that it somehow sounded circa 1962 ... ). You are correct in that "more conservative" doesn't mean that this is not great stuff. By the fall tour, Corea was further in to his "far out" phase and the band got a lot more intense, including some avant garde moments that were uncharacteristic of a Miles Davis group.

How would you folks who have heard the missing tracks rate them?

The only tape (remember those?) I have in my entire music collection is Hal on Earth , which includes the fantastic "Raining Violets" and few others that later turned up on The Finnish/Swiss Tour . I agree the latter gets a little too Zappa-ish (for my liking) at times. Hal on Earth did make a CD appearance.

You are not alone. One of my favourite Mitchell albums. The shocking contrast between the arty "Words" and the funky rave-up "You Wastin My Time" is a scream. I dig Mitchell's bass sax and Gerald Oshita's contrabass sarrusophone on the latter. Also features "Linefine Lyon Seven" and "Variations on Sketches from Bamboo," two of Mitchell's better compositions.

Miles played two dates. The first was released on CD by Sony in Japan. It also got the Jazz Door treatment (It's About That Time ), though predictably the wrong city (Montreux) is given. There have been plans by Sony to issue both sets on CD, though when is anyone's guess. I've only heard the first. A good set by the quintet, but not as adventurous as the concerts they performed in Europe that fall. The way Miles is miked makes him sound like he's playing flugelhornn. July 25, 1969: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Milestones/Footprints/Round Midnight/It's About That Time/Sanctuary/The Theme July 26, 1969: Directions/Spanish Key/I Fall in Love Too Easily/Masqualero/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/No Blues/Nefertiti/Sanctuary/The Theme

The new set is out on Leo and it's a (what else) 4 CD set called 4 Compositions (Ulrichsberg) 2005 Phonomanie VIII. Includes a solo piano piece (301?), a trio piece and two performances with a 16-piece ensemble. Squinting at the picture of the cover I have, Comp. 96 is included. By my count, this is Braxton's 8th 4-CD set! In other news, the Downtown Music Gallery is listing the MIA Braxton Houses as "forthcoming": Ghost Trance Festival (New York) 1997 10 CD set Ensemble (Wesleyan) 1997 Composition No. 204 Ensemble (Wesleyan) 1997 Composition No. 205 Tentet (Den Haag) 1997 Ghost Trance Festival (Oakland) 1997 12 CD The latter's inclusion is a bit odd, since half the set is already out on Leo.

This is my favourite Mingus album not named The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady and by the one I listen to the most. Blues & Roots gets overshadowed by the contemperanous Mingus Ah Um. But check out the tunes and the cracking good line-up on this one. Highlights for me include Pepper Adams, the way Mingus keeps adding layer after layer on E's Flat, Mingus' bass on "My Jelly Roll Soul," etc.

The Tzadik site has been updated (with the usual hyperbole) with some intriguing new and upcoming releases: Evan Parker: Time Lapse Evan Parker has practically single handedly redefined the language of the saxophone. A profound influence on several generations of musicians, his impact on modern saxophone technique is staggering. His newest project takes his visionary music to a new level through the world of overdubbing and electronics. Time Lapse is one of Evan’s greatest achievements. Eleven compositions by one of the most important and radical improvisers in the world. Essential. Billy Martin: Starlings A striking and colorful CD of chamber music by Billy Martin, the dynamic percussionist from one of the world’s most popular instrumental bands, Medeski Martin and Wood. Performed and recorded originally on a wide variety of African thumb pianos, these delightful pieces have been meticulously transcribed, arranged and orchestrated by Anthony Coleman for string quartet and chamber orchestra. Rounding out the program is a suite of compositions performed by Billy’s dynamic percussion ensemble. Upcoming Releases Archival Series John Zorn: Astronome [#7359] Zorn continues his intense new rock direction with a second release by the dynamic all star trio from his acclaimed song suite Moonchild to present an intense and mysterious tale of magic and alchemy. Featuring the mad vocal wizardry of Mike Patton singing in preverbal language accompanied by long time cohort Trevor Dunn on electric bass and Joey Baron on drums, this is Zorn at his edgy and uncompromising best. An opera of unbridled madness and complexity that will make your jaw drop. Recorded and mixed by the radical posse of musical terrorist Bill Laswell. Uri Caine: Moloch: Book of Angels Volume 6 [#7360] Uri Caine is a musician of astonishing virtuosity and versatility. Coming out of the legendary Philly Jazz scene, his playing is an encyclopedia of styles from Tatum to Evans and beyond. With Moloch he interprets tunes from Zorn’s Book of Angels in a breathtaking outing for solo piano. Virtuosic and soulful, this latest volume of material from Masada Book Two is an absolute tour-de-force. Fifteen musical miniatures by one of the world’s greatest piano virtuosos. Composer Series Earle Brown: Folio and Four Systems [#8028] A spectacular collection of musicians from all over the map, including Leo Smith, Joan La Barbara, Mark Feldman, Morton Subotnick and Merzbow perform dynamic interpretations of compositions by one of America’s greatest musical experimentalists. Influenced by the work of Jackson Pollock and Alexander Calder, Brown pioneered graphic, improvisational and open form scores in contemporary concert music as early as 1952. This heartfelt tribute, organized by the Earle Brown Foundation to commemorate Brown’s 80th birthday, brings together musicians and ensembles from rock, jazz and classical backgrounds in exciting and varied realizations of Brown’s groundbreaking open form work, Folio and Four Systems. Lee Hyla: Wilson's Ivory-Bill [#8027] Another classic CD of exciting chamber work by one of the most consistently imaginative and original composers around. Featuring some of the best performers out of the excellent Boston New Music scene, Wilson’s Ivory-Bill presents four extended compositions of color, meticulous detail and dramatic fireworks, including a bizarre piece for voice, piano and birdsong and an intense new string quartet. This is a remarkable and varied CD of new classical music at its adventurous best. Key Series Henry Kaiser / Charles K. Noyes / Sang Won Park: Invite the Spirit 2006 [#7617] One of the most evocative and successful meetings of East and West reunites to weave their magic spell via kayagum, electric guitar and percussion. Invite the Spirit was a sensation when it was first released in 1983 and now over twenty years later they are sounding better than ever. Joined by two scintillating Korean P’ansori vocalists on several tracks this is a whole new take on the Korean shamanistic tradition. Over seventy minutes of timeless, ecstatic, magical music unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Radical Jewish Culture Alon Nechushtan and Talat: The Growl [#8113] Talat is a dynamic new ensemble based in New York that plays original music crossing the borders of Jazz, Middle Eastern Groove and Klezmer. Featuring a quintet of some of the most talented players out of the new generation, this is a brilliant debut CD that will delight fans of Masada, Rashanim, Satlah and the Hasidic New Wave. Loping melodies, catchy hooks and improvisational fireworks from a new generation bringing Jewish music to exciting new places. Rashanim: Shalosh [#8112] With its exciting blend of rock, jazz and jewish music, Rashanim has quickly become one of the most dynamic bands in the Jewish New Music scene. Their last release Masada Rock has garnered them much well deserved attention, and after extensive touring through Europe the band is more than ready for their third studio recording on Tzadik. Tighter than ever, this Jewish power trio rips through an electrifying program of mystical jewish melodies and middle eastern grooves.

There is a Bob James-Eric Dolphy connection. Many years back, Blue Note released a collection of Dolphy tracks called Other Aspects. Among the tracks was "Jim Crow," recorded with an unidentified counter-tenor and piano/bass/drums. Turns out the piano trio was the Bob James trio and the track was actually a Bob James composition called "A Personal Statement." http://www.semja.org/dec99/index.html Dolphy, the trio and eight french horns also performed a great Dolphy composition called "Strength and Unity" (sometimes referred to as "Strength with Unity"). It sounds not unlike Dolphy's "In the Blues." The tune is at http://adale.org/Discographies/LateED.html

A couple of LPs worth reviving as CDs are the Creative Orchestra Sketches from Bamboo (on Moers) and Duets with Anthony Braxton (Sackville). Both are excellent.

Here's a photo of the original two-bass group (with Charles Moffett on drums) http://www.espdisk.com/photos/esp25.html