Д.Д.

I hope they don't spend half of the book on bitching about Helma Schleif.

There are a couple of classical CD stores that still manage it somehow (but pale shade of what they were back in a day) and a few second-hand CD / Vinyl stores (one of them, Black Monk, is actually quite good). I've seen a few new small Vinyl-only stores, but I have not been inside.

I saw this band as well, probably around 2002 in Washington, DC. It was an excellent concert, and Jamal's playing was the highlight - all these overtones... Love his trio album with Pierre Dorge and Johnny Dyani on SteepleChase, one of my most-listend jazz albums of the last 20 years or so.

Right you are! I put it in the list.

Denmark: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Albertson

Scott, you might want to edit the first post in this thread adding the blog's URL.

Thanks, I might check it out since I like Knuffke, but I tend to avoid anything with William Parker.

Well, I didn't know who James Brandon Lewis was, so I checked his Molecular album on INTAKT. I though he was extremely boring. Safe robotic playing, generic compositions. Loved Brad Jones / Chad Taylor team though.

You might want to consider Martial Solal Trio "Triangle": https://www.discogs.com/release/4318656-Martial-Solal-Trio-Triangle - one of the best piano trio records of the last whatever decades, IMHO. But I like Solal in general.

Yeah, let's ban this earless pseudo jazz fan from JAZZ for life and beyond! No one shall doubt the jazz party line (as formulated by Milestone)! felser, thanks for the BFT. For me, the biggest surprise was Ahmed Abdullah's trumpet playing on track 11. I heard his nice (but not exactly earth-shattering) "Diaspora" album on CIMP - his playing is much more mellow there, didn't even consider it might be him. And I still have his Silkheart CD lying around sealed - probably about time I give it a listen. I have another Steve Reid record from the same period (with Arthur Blythe), haven't listened to it for 20 years or so. I seem to remember there were some sound balance issues there.

I love Scriabin, and I have this set. I think it is pretty weak. I the playing is timid and colorless and lacking in dynamics. My recommendation for Scriabin would be Sofronitsky.

Good, thanks, I put the Spotify links on the ist.

Is the trumpeter on track 11 Japanese?

Writing as I listen. Not focusing too much on identifying the musicians, which is something I am not good at anyway, but just sharing my impressions as I go along. 1. Funky Latin stuff. Nice as club music to talk to pretty ladies to. Otherwise, not too interesting IMHO. Competently played, predictable and repetitive. 2. I have this album, haven’t listened to it for ages. Used to like it a lot – not sure whether I would appreciate it these days... Good idea with reverb on the saxophone. All these exotic percussions create very nice effect. The pianist is doing some interesting comping – I find her harp playing is mostly decorative up-and-down arpeggios, but her piano playing is for real. Brutalist primitive violin playing. This violin player plays more or less the same solo everywhere – whether with John Handy or his own albums or here. Yeah, and here is the harp solo – pretty but pretty weak, IMHO. Man, is this bass groove solid. 3. Nothing that grabs me here. The vocalist is OK. The band is OK. The string arrangement is as bland as it can get (and totally unnecessary). The tune itself is a boring blues, never liked it. 4. Oh, tenor-drums duo. I like this format a lot – a lot of space for the horn. It is fairly obvious who these two are thanks to copious number of familiar licks that both used throughout their long careers. The drummer is considered one of the greats – I actually don’t like him that much and he ruins a few otherwise fine Blue Note dates for me. I think he played better late in life – like here – and equally important, his drums sound was recorded much fuller. The saxophonist is a watered-down Coltrane for me. I heard quite a few of his albums, and the only one I liked was the his ECM one with Abercrombie, the rest are all the same. Have not heard this particular album, not sure I want to, even though this particular track is nice enough. 5. Organ trio. Really not the stuff I am familiar or normally interested in, so I am curious. The tune is generic. The saxophone is playing VERY safe and by the numbers. Same goes for the organ player. Sorry, this one is very boring for me. 6. I like the tune! Soprano / trumpet (or is it flugelhorn?) front-line – interesting. Drummer is doing some impressive stuff in the background – would this be Jack DeJohnette by chance? No, not him, more rockfish. The trumpet solo is good, a bit shaky. Eddie Henderson? I definitely know the trumpeter but can’t come up with the name. Soprano solo is solid. I liked the tune, the drummer in particular. 7. This is great! Everything is just perfect here. I loved it. 8. The tune is cute. I am indifferent to vocals here – quite monotonous. The horn arrangement is nice. At 3 ½ minutes’ mark it feels like enough. Way too long for what it is. Would have liked to have more horn solos. 9. I can’t stand Latin music for the robotic oppressiveness of its rhythms. And I don’t like jazz flute either, although this solo is OK (not sure about the reverb). Nice propulsive bass. Some empty chatter from vibes – cute, though. OK, I guess. I definitely did not hate it. 10. I liked this one! Production is horrible with voices way up and cardboard box drum sound, but a great drive. Not sure I would be interested in a whole album of this stuff but at under two minutes – very enjoyable. 11. Long long intro. Strange piano sound. Oh, again soprano saxophone. What’s that around 1:10 behind soprano – overdubbed soprano or cello? Ugly, but entertaining. Soprano solo OK. Is that cello or bass arco? Either way, not very well played and too low in the mix! Aggressive trumpet solo – nice. Sounds like young Woody Shaw. The drummer is a bit overdoing it with cymbals, no? The bass vamp is really tiring. I like the manic piano solo, but what’s up with this piano sound? Is the piano prepared or just out-of-tune? Would this be Stanley Cowell? Oh, quite an abrupt end. It’s all rather clumsy, but I liked it. 12. More early 70’s spiritual staff. Alto sax solo starts OK. Man, a lot of percussion here. Oh, it’s not alto but tenor? Embarrassing, but I am not sure. Nice screeching! Piano is very cheesy. Is this early Billy Harper? Although this sounds less proficient than Harper to me. I liked it! 13. Is this some electric saxophone thing? The tune is very simplistic. Again a bashing overactive drummer. Keyboards solo OK. Electro-sax-whatever solo is not too exciting. Seems to be struggling with the instrument. Going through motions, as far as I am concerned. Again, as in a few tracks above an obtrusive repetitive bass vamp, I feel sorry for the bass player. Second keyboards solo – flashy, but no interesting ideas. Did not like this one at all, sorry. Thank you for compiling this BFT, looking forward to learning about a couple of tracks.

Glenn Ferris is an outstanding trombonist. He's on many recordings. I like his trio ones (and the trio is a peculiar one, trombone - cello - bass) in particular: https://www.discogs.com/artist/3097057-Glenn-Ferris-Trio .