Simon Weil

The problem I have with Vol 2 is Stuart Nicholson, who I don't think is original. In that respect Vol 1 is better, Charles Fox actually having new things to say off his own bat. I do agree that these are much better than Penguin and I also agree that Harrison is a top class critic. My take on Penguin is that I think it is basically received wisdom. Simon Weil

That's a very good record. Bill himself wants it out. Simon Weil

I suppose at the back of my mind was the idea of doing a Mosaic select of just the fusion stuff. Admitedly this rather defeats Dr J.'s original intent, but I'm not sure that it wouldn't be a more logical way of getting this stuff out (in terms of amount of material/cost/consistency of music). But you'd lose the nice/loving full Mosaic box approach... Simon Weil

This is kind of irrelevant, but I just thought I'd mention that the 1st, 2nd and 4th of these records did actually appear in a boxed LP set (as it's a box set thread) from RCA France. I agree that this, I dunno: light fusion from Burton, is engaging stuff. I don't know how well the earlier stuff (not fusion) would meld with the later - I mean, in terms of selling points I guess it would make more sense to have an all-fusion box. But then I don't know the earlier. Actually, of all the fusion out there, this early Burton stuff is my favourite, partly for its restraint, partly just because of its specific sweet vibe - and it certainly should be out there in one form or another. I mean, it's historic. Simon Weil

Whoa, Chateau Latour! Happy Birthday, Brownie. Simon Weil

Yeah, it was Martin Williams in 65. The review's in Jazz Heritage. He actually just has one "very", but you've certainly got the sentiment right. I don't think Ratliff's really listened to the box, not really. My literary ear is hearing an equal mix of prejudice and received wisdom filtered through pumped up ego. At least Williams was honest when he didn't like the music. Simon Weil

Happy Birthday, Chris. Simon Weil

Thanks Brownie (got an Ayler article to write after the RSI goes). Simon Weil

Thanks Chuck. Simon Weil

Gary asked me to contribute to this thread, so.... I haven't been around for a while because I've got back/RSI problems which prevent me posting in an ongoing way. But I've got an article about late Coltrane which may be can be of interest: Circling Om This is a kind of wound-up (which doesn't help my back), intellectual article. Hope that's OK. Simon Weil

Yup, I'll be wanting to listen to that again. Simon Weil

I thought it was good but not great. Nobody on that program seemed up to evoking the stature of the man, so what you were left with was a piquaresque travelogue around America with bits of Coltrane thrown. Well, not quite, but the only way they had of evoking Coltrane's greatness was by the way the fans revered him. Porter was quite good - and said a lot of interesting things, including the admission about LSD - but it felt more of a taster than the main course. They were equivocal and quizzical about late Coltrane, but not damning. Simon Weil

Well, put me down as one of those crying foul on this development. Interviews are o.k. to hear once or twice, but to have two cds be nothing but interviews on what will be a very expensive set, is, to my view, terrible. I would much rather have nine complete cds of unissued music then seven. A big negitive move to my mind, and one which might affect my willingness to buy the set. This is a valid point, which I'm sure Revenant considered. The obverse of it, as Patrick Regan (who puts together the Ayler site) said is that there's so little interview material available. Not only does this make a brand new interview available, you also get to hear Albert's voice over an extensive period. I cannot tell you how often I have gone over the spoken introduction to "My name is Albert Ayler", listening to the nuances of tone and the trend of what he's saying - but also to the overall quality of his voice. Now granted this is a bit obsessive, but that's what this box is about - obsessive. You simply won't be buying 9CDs of the marvellous, if underrated, artist at a premium price if you're not pretty damn obsessed. Two CDs of intense listening for me, but I'm verbal. Simon Weil

What sort of angles is he going to come up with to do with obsession? I'd imagine we'll get the Church of John Coltrane thing. Jazz fanaticism is ripe for a bit of fun-making just like train-spotting. Some listeners obsessions with their heroes can get well out of proportion. Let's just hope that he can say something interesting and positive rather than turning it into another reality TV show about peculiar people (The man with ten thousand Coltrane records instead of the man with ten thousand Elvis suits!). I'm not holding my breath, however! I think "interesting and positive" is what I'm hoping for. In general Yentob's done things (or been associated with things) that have taken a kind of strange-but-positive angle on pop artifacts or popular culture (I remember that program on "My Way", for example). The stuff about "the following" goes to a popular culture rather than an art thing. Simon Weil [Edit: I'm just hoping he doesn't end up patronising Jazzers in some way.]

I've certainly seen Yentob at one Jazz concert - and this is his show, so I guess that's how it gets on at this hour and on BBC1. It'll be interesting to see his take. Simon Weil Edit: I'm wondering about this: What sort of angles is he going to come up with to do with obsession?

I like what Stephen Ambrose says: D-Day/Stephen Ambrose p25 This extraordinary event made by ordinary people. Simon Weil

Yeah, I'd vote for Charlie Gillett as well. Wonderfully knowledgeable guy who used to do a great mix-em-up radio show (RnB, Ska, Country, just about anything). I think he's been doing a world music show for years now (also very good, but not so much to my taste). Runs a record label (Oval). He once ran a talent contest on one of his radio shows - Dire Straits won it with "Sultans of Swing" (which "made" them). I believe "Sound of the City" was based on a phd he did. Simon Weil

Well, I'm very much a "people-based" guy, in that I see these boards as (obviously) rotating about people. Sometimes (?often) it does work to the detriment of free discussion when someone comes in and tries to impose his view of what Jazz is and isn't. But it's also like Jazz itself, you need some sort of form to have the discussion operate in - Most of the time we operate with implicit standardized perspectives aka terra firmas. The reason I wrote my post was the sense that different sorts of standardized perspective were being fudged together. See, people's opinions are one sort of terra firma for talking about Jazz, but so is "this is a classic recording" or "this is great artist" type of discourse. I thought they were being made to collide in this thread with sticky results. I.E. I thought it was glooping up free discussion. Simon Weil

It does strike me as kind of illogical to say that Mclean's BN recordings are "important" or "classic" or whatever and then knock the Prestige ones out as not worth listening too, or whatever. I mean, clearly one will value the early recordings differently according to taste - but making the BN ones part of some sort of canon of "Jazz that matters" means that "serious listeners" are going to have to want to check out the earlier recordings in at least some detail. Jackie McLean is one of those people I don't know so well - so I have no view vis a vis the value of the earlier recordings. Still, there's some fudgy thinking going on here. Simon Weil

I always thought this was tremendous, life-enhancing music. My initial engagement with the music is always a kind of sense/vibe thing - so I'm not terribly bothered by the audiophile issues. I mean my first impression of this music was life-enhancing rich stuff and after that, well...How much detail you can hear is nice but not decisive on whether I listen to the music or not. When I did try to listen to the music in a detailed way, I couldn't work out why I liked it so much - in that he didn't seem to be doing something so very different from a hundred or so other folks. And then I realized he was the reason these hundred or so other folks sound just like him. Then I got really excited (kind of obvious I know). Simon Weil

Happy Birthday Jim. Simon Weil

There's a bridge near where I live which a couple of times has been a target for IRA bombs. I used to go under it a lot on my bike. Once there were some black plastic bags underneath it. I phoned it in. The policeman who replied took it seriously, replying sardonically to the effect of "If you hear a bang...". You've got to admire these guys, going to have a look (no bang). Simon Weil

Happy birthday Chuck. Simon Weil

That's a good site. Thanks, Ghost. Simon Weil

I think today does bear a resemblance to the First World War, in the sense that that was just totally futile and went on for years and years - just killing people and eating resources. To me Iraq is like that and Israel/Palestine is like that. There are loads of good artists from WW1, but the one I particularly like is Paul Nash (I also like poetry etc from this period) Here is "We Are Making a New World" - a spiritual portrait of Bush's legacy: The Mule Track: I can't see Al Qaeda giving up for years. Simon Weil