B. Clugston

Good to know--thanks!

I stopped buying after the Black Fire fiasco, but I understand most of these sound good.

I actually love the trippy cover on the Barefield LP, but the music is great too.

I saw Golia live with Bobby Bradford, Ken Filiano and Alex Cline and it was every bit of good as you could imagine! I have several of his records on vinyl, which I haven't spun in ages, but they are all good, particularly the trio date ...In the Right Order ... He's a nice illustrator, too--he did the cover to the Dave Holland/Barre Phillips ECM LP.

It's crazy how much the vinyl goes for on this one considering how many were pressed back in the 1960s. I have an original mono with lovely punchy sound. Music Matters reissued it a few years back and it sounds OK, but not as vibrant as the original or even the RVG CD. You are probably in safe hands with a King or Liberty era pressing.

They've also been working with Ayler's estate for the Ayler recordings.

Their reissues are always pricy. Limited editions using vintage gear. From their website: "For mono masters, the engineers have deployed vintage Danish Lyrec valve reel-to-reel tape recorders and Ortofon valve cutting lathes – machines actually designed to work synergistically by the same exacting manufacturers (Ortofon’s renowned Dr. Schlegel was the pioneer of the moving coil cutterhead – a major advancement in mastering technology that dates from the close of the Second World War – and the company remains the industry leader in valve record-cutting technology after more than 60 years spent manufacturing the specialist mastering engineer’s lathe of choice). Stereo masters also use vintage Neumann and Lyrec valve lathes in tandem with another technological rarity, the hefty EMI BTR2 reel-to-reel valve tape recorder, a wonderful, robust machine so revered in mastering circles that even EMI’s deadly rivals, Decca, once swore by it, as did the BBC, IBC and others, including, naturally, EMI’s own Abbey Road facility."

I have three 4 Men reissues and they all have correct copyright and licensing info. They are an American company. Doxy is an Italian-based public domain loophole outfit. No comparison.

Yes, he does get a bad rap, though I agree with Chuck in that he too often took the safe route. I wish he found himself more often in unfamiliar contexts, like Emerson, Peterson & Palmer.

Go Bombers!

The defending champ says Winnipeg 40.

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.

Dave Holland has released a new album with Evan Parker, Craig Taborn and Ches Smith called Uncharted Territories. While they still play together from time to time, including last March in London, I think it's been a while since they've been on a record together (I'm thinking Kenny Wheeler's Music for Large and Small Ensembles?). The samples I've heard some great.

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.