martini

I picked this up a few months ago on Amazon for $60 or thereabouts. It is beyond solid. I often imagine what it would be like to see a band this good play live and have that spectator experience. This is really special music.

I have the Schroeder and the Kleeb, and particularly like the Kleeb. It is fun to listen to the music while reading Braxton's Composition Notes. At least for me, it helps me to get inside of the experience, and it is quite enjoyable. I have a few of the releases with Braxton playing piano, but I haven't pulled them out in years. I've never been able to get into them fully. Overall, I'm more of a fan of his '70s and '80s quartets, orchestra music, and solo work. I do enjoy some of the ghost trance work too. At some point, I plan to re-subscribe to the Tri-Centric Foundation and download a few new releases. There is a boatload of interesting material there.

Thanks for sharing the link to the show. I really enjoyed Braxton's speech. It was also a trip to see the opera performance. I have his operas on CD, but it would be great to have a DVD of one of them. The visual element of the performance is great.

Vandermark 5: Alchemia (Discs 1-3 so far, with #3 spinning now) It has been awhile since I've pulled this one out. I had forgotten how good it really is. It has a tremendous mix of everything.

I've been working my way through the set, and it has been lovely. The "needledrops" of the early LPs sound good, IMO, although I have only listened to a few of them. I'm of the opinion that LPs sound better than CDs anyway, so buy the early original LPs, if you can. This set is the complete catalog at a fair, albeit expensive, price. To buy the first half of the ICP catalog on vinyl would likely cost one at least three times more than the cost of this set. And many of the CDs after the vinyl period have been OOP for years. To have all of this music in one package is wonderful. I remember talking to Bennink after a gig in Seattle in 2009 after which he signed a copy of my ICP 007/008. I asked him about the possibility of reissuing the early ICP catalog, and he said that it would not happen. I'm glad that he reconsidered. There is nothing "hand painted" about the set, but the music is plenty of equipment for living. That is good enough.

#20 just arrived: Anyone else get their copy yet? The discs were a bit of a mess in the box, but they fit fairly well once straightened out. I'm still going to put them on a shelf, and store the box. Although I have owned most of the early vinyl for years, I'm looking forward to hearing some of the discs in the ICP 30-45 range, as I have not heard many of them. It is going to take awhile to work through them. It will be a blast.

I'm so sorry to hear of his passing. I will always be a big fan of his music. I only saw him perform one time, in my hometown of Portland. It was with his trio featuring Mark Oi (guitar) and Mat Marucci (drums). The music was so good that it lingered in the spirit for days. It was the best feeling. Before the show, Mr. Tchicai was kind enough to sign some CDs that I bought as well as a poster. In between sets, he chatted with a small group of the twenty or so people who were there, as we hung out outside the venue on a warm evening. He was very kind. He talked to me about playing with Jimmy Lyons in Cecil Taylor's orchestra in the mid-80s. I will never forget his smile when recalling Jimmy and that music. We also chatted about his own projects, as well as other artists with whom he had recorded. And then he returned to the stage for the second set and raked down tunes that turned the building into a supernova. There will never be another John Tchicai.

I received an email from Jazz Loft yesterday, who is selling the following Brotzmann FMP reissues: Tschus (Brotzmann/Van Hove/Bennink) FMP 0230 http://www.jazzloft.com/p-54630-tschus.aspx Ein Halber Hund Kann Nicht Pinkeln (Brotzmann/Bennink) FMP 0420 http://www.jazzloft.com/p-54629-ein-halber-hund-kann-nicht-pinkeln.aspx The odd thing is that the label information is listed as Cien Fuegos, from Austria. I imagine that these are pirate copies, and not officially reissued by FMP (through licensing). Is this correct?

Oops! Moved to re-issues.

That was the first Earl Hooker I ever heard. I soon found out that there was better stuff out there, but that was the one that started me on a lifelong love affair with his music. Yeah, musically it's good rather than great. The under-ten-bucks sealed copy I just picked up seems to be something of a find from a collecting standpoint, though. Based on the little bit of poking around the web I've done, it looks like this one usually goes for some money. I had no idea when I bought it. Earl Hooker was great, and that is a great find. My favorite work from him is Hooker and Steve on Arhoolie, and I think they still have some sealed Hooker LPs for sale on their website. He is one of my favorites.

I feel your pain, GA. Off topic, but as good a place as any for a rant. I will NEVER use USPS around or anywhere near the holiday season again. Three of my Christmas present packages--all ordered on or near December 1, mind you--WERE NOT DELIVERED UNTIL AFTER 12/27. Off topic, but as someone who knows someone with "inside" experience with the USPS, anything shipped standard after 12/1 might take a month to arrive, even if it is traveling just a couple of states. The quasi-governmental unionized bureaucracy that is the USPS is currently trying to cut costs by "swallowing its tail." It is not a merit-based organization either (i.e., do a good job, and be rewarded). If it is not sent "priority mail," it is placed on the back burner, even if it was ordered way early. If you need anything in December with timeliness, go with UPS, FedEx, or DHL. However, during most months, USPS shipping is decent, and at a reasonable cost. Back on topic: if anyone comes across a decent deal on Wes Montgomery's Complete Riverside Recordings (for under $100, or under $80 preferably), please post. I missed some of the good prices in recent months.

Thanks for sharing the link to this. Wow, it made my day. What a great document.

I'm particularly interested in discs 1,2,4,5,7,8. I'm going to have to debate whether to buy singles, or splurge for the box/book. I'm looking forward to the reviews of the box when it comes out. I hope this signals other reissues on the label and/or mining of the vaults. I'd love to have a "clean" sonic copy of Globe Unity's Pearls some day.

This set is my favorite music from Cecil, and I'm a fan of every period of his. Parker's great bass and Oxley's dynamic yet somewhat light-handed percussion shouldn't make anyone's ears bleed. Anyone with a moderate interest in Taylor should seriously think about picking this one up. The price is right, and the music is excellent. Damn, and I thought I got a deal buying one for $175 a few years ago.

Maarten van Regteren Altena: Tuning the Bass (Solo 1975; ICP 019)