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What music did you buy today?


tonym

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Still view Potts as 2nd rate. Never had a problem with Lacy.

This is not the first time I've heard similar things said about Potts

I think his playing on the Lacy recordings I have from the 80's is excellent.

Vibrant, expressive and his tone is gorgeous.

In fact, his solo on Wickets from Morning Joy is one of my favorite alto saxophone solos I've heard by anyone. His improvisation on the uptempo tune Blinks (second track) from the 1983 recording sets the tone for the great 2 CD set.

Different strokes.....

I had just put a Bill Evans CD in the player, and was about to hit "play," but after reading this, I pulled out that CD and put in Flim-Flam by the Lacy/Potts duo.

If my opinion is between those of Mr. Nessa and Mr. Reynolds, it ends up being a lot closer to Steve's. Potts is certainly not "second-rate" as a saxophonist - as an alto saxophonist, at least. He has a good, individual sound and excellent command of the instrument. I've never enjoyed his soprano playing nearly as much - his sound and intonation on soprano are a little grating to me.

As an improviser, he's obviously not Lacy's equal, but he's pretty good at his best. Putting it bluntly, he uses a lot more notes than Lacy - but practically everyone does. And those "extra" notes are not just decoration or filler - they generally have a harmonic significance. And Steve (Reynolds) is right that Potts is an excellent foil for Lacy. Potts brings a kind of energy and excitement to the music that Lacy's deliberate approach doesn't have without Potts. And, more importantly, Potts brings in The Blues, baby. Lacy's beautiful playing just doesn't have that blues flavor/content that I crave sometimes. Even when he's playing a Monk blues, or one of his own blues like "Wickets," Lacy treats the blues as a form and a chord progression, not as a style/language. Nothing wrong with that - plenty of other improvisers have done the same, like Peter Bocage, Benny Carter, and Art Tatum. But the contrast Potts' deeper blues style brings enriches the music.

I was particularly taken with Potts' bluesy solo on the title cut of Flim-Flam. This is a danged good CD; it might be worth checking out if you don't think you like Potts. Heck, by the end of the 21-minute "3 Points" suite, I was just about ready to take back my qualms about Potts' soprano playing.

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I have a lot of respect for Potts, how he maintained a sort of musical alter ego relationship with Lacy. That was not easy by any means. I mean, sometimes he's practically in Lacy's pockets during performances. It's a great partnership/relationship. Having said that, Potts is still the "alter" and Lacy "the ego," and its the latter that drives the artistic vision. Without that vision, there wouldn't be much more than the commonplace performance, fine as that might be. Lacy without Potts works for me, Potts without Lacy, not so much, which is not a knock, just an acknowledgment of artistic achievement.

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2809011.jpg

Horace Tapscott Quintet - The Giant is Awakened (International Phonograph)

Only $12.83 at Importcds.

No longer listed at Importcds. I wonder if they're going to be able to fulfil my order.

Until 8 December 10% off entire order at Importcds. Code "SAVE10."

I got a shipping notice today. 16 days to complete an order is not too bad. The item is once again listed, but not in stock.

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There's a sale going on over at Catalytic Sound, 10-20% off. Picked up the Mad Dogs box/rickety sheet of paper with rubbery pegs that might or might not work/ set @$45, which I think is a good price. And, Vandermark's two Audio One discs, @$12 each. SO much more there, but I'm trying to hold to a budget. :smirk:

BTW, when you first look at your cart, you might see some staggering shipping and tax charges, but open up the shipping section and the charges become much more reasonable, and tax disappears (unless you are in one of the states that require it). The high charges one sees initially are just defaults but they almost scared me off.

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Thanks for the heads up. I'll get the Mad Dogs OTL set, too. Glad to see one of these for sale in the US, that's kind of what I've been holding out for.

I grabbed a couple stealth Amazon Prime deals (free two-day shipping):

Joe Maneri Quartet - Let The Horse Go $5.97

Thomas Borgmann Trio - The Last Concert $7.97

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John Cage/Joan La Barbara - Singing Through -- Vocal Composations By John Cage

Morton Feldman - Three Voices For Joan La Barbara

Jimi Tenor & Abdissa Assefa - Itetu

Arthur Prysock - Fly My Love

Eric Salzman - Nude Paper Sermon

Sonny Stitt - Deuces Wild

Dick Van Dyke - Songs I Like By Dick Van Dyke

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Daunik Lazro & Carlos Zingaro - Hauts Plateaux (Potlatch)

Michel Doneda/Le Quan Ninh/Paul Rogers - Open Paper Tree (FMP)

Daunik Lazro/Michael Doneda/Le Quan Ninh (In Situ)

Mujician - Colours Fulfilled (Cuneiform)

Earlier this week from the Catalytic Sale, some Joe McPhee:

Tomorrow Came Today (PNL)

Port of Saints (Duval, Boni, Bisio)

The Damage Is Done (Brotzmann, Kessler, Zerang)

Angels, Devils, & Haints (Duval, Bisio, Rogers, Tchamitian)

Creole Gardens (Zerang)

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John Cage/Joan La Barbara - Singing Through -- Vocal Composations By John Cage

Morton Feldman - Three Voices For Joan La Barbara

Jimi Tenor & Abdissa Assefa - Itetu

Arthur Prysock - Fly My Love

Eric Salzman - Nude Paper Sermon

Sonny Stitt - Deuces Wild

Dick Van Dyke - Songs I Like By Dick Van Dyke

An eclectic assortment - to say the least.

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John Cage/Joan La Barbara - Singing Through -- Vocal Composations By John Cage

Morton Feldman - Three Voices For Joan La Barbara

Jimi Tenor & Abdissa Assefa - Itetu

Arthur Prysock - Fly My Love

Eric Salzman - Nude Paper Sermon

Sonny Stitt - Deuces Wild

Dick Van Dyke - Songs I Like By Dick Van Dyke

An eclectic assortment - to say the least.

People themselves are eclectic, once you get enough of 'em in the picture to get an accurate picture. Small sample size, skewed evaluations, right?

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John Cage/Joan La Barbara - Singing Through -- Vocal Composations By John Cage

Morton Feldman - Three Voices For Joan La Barbara

Jimi Tenor & Abdissa Assefa - Itetu

Arthur Prysock - Fly My Love

Eric Salzman - Nude Paper Sermon

Sonny Stitt - Deuces Wild

Dick Van Dyke - Songs I Like By Dick Van Dyke

An eclectic assortment - to say the least.

People themselves are eclectic, once you get enough of 'em in the picture to get an accurate picture. Small sample size, skewed evaluations, right?

I've found that while people may be eclectic, what they allow themselves to experience often isn't.

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John Cage/Joan La Barbara - Singing Through -- Vocal Composations By John Cage

Morton Feldman - Three Voices For Joan La Barbara

Jimi Tenor & Abdissa Assefa - Itetu

Arthur Prysock - Fly My Love

Eric Salzman - Nude Paper Sermon

Sonny Stitt - Deuces Wild

Dick Van Dyke - Songs I Like By Dick Van Dyke

An eclectic assortment - to say the least.

People themselves are eclectic, once you get enough of 'em in the picture to get an accurate picture. Small sample size, skewed evaluations, right?

I've found that while people may be eclectic, what they allow themselves to experience often isn't.

Too true

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I am an Indian is my favorite recording from the wonderous little band. Certainly the most driving of their recordings

Last night @ the show:

BassDrumBone: March of Dimes

Ray Anderson Pocket Brass Band: Sweet Chicago Suite

Today:

Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles

Thelonious Monk Quartet: Misterioso

Andrew Hill: Judgement

Bobby Hutcherson: Dialogue

Nice to pick up some classics I no longer had due to the wreckage of my past

Edited by Steve Reynolds
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