corto maltese

That's funny: not so long ago, I was talked into buying this as a private press free jazz album. I was hesitant because of the electric bass, but decided to give it a try (the price was reasonable). To be honest: I didn't even get to the end of side 1. I like to think I don't have many musical prejudices, but an electric bass in a (free) jazz context...

I remember the first edition of the Penguin Jazz Guide describing the Just Music album -en passant- as a "thoroughly forgettable session" or something to that effect. Now, I've learned a lot from that book, but the British bias of the authors in covering free music was all too obvious.

Don't worry, I just forgat that one. It's "Witchi-Tai-To" (not a bad album by any means, but I don't have room for it) and the later ones that had to go. The trouble with first pressings of those early ECM's is that not many people seem to know or to care. Of course, it's perfectly fine (and understandable) not to care about such details, except for sellers who ask premium prices for so-called "1st original pressings" when they're actually just offering a pre-1977 pressing (without label code). The Just Music you have is indeed very rare.

Yes, I think so. There are several pressing variations of "Free At Last", but the first came in a fold out cover with a sheet music booklet inserted in one of the "flaps" inside..

Yes, it did. My copy of Sart is spineless. We might need an uber nerd (preferably from Japan) to help us here... No, seriously: I think 1015 might actually have been the last one. "Sart" and "Triptykon" are the only Garbarek ECM's left in my collection. It's not that I disliked the later albums, but I felt no urgent need to keep them. It's a great album by a terrific singer. I recently found an original Seeds pressing in its original cover, which, to my surprise, is slightly different from the Earthforms cover.

How about the cover? Real nerds of course need a copy of this with a spineless cover.

He surely was one of Fred Van Hove's favourite playing partners. I saw them together many times in different combinations. He always seemed to be around really. When a trombone was called for in a free jazz ensemble, Hannes was there. Not the most subtle player, but always generous, good humoured, playing with full commitment and lots of gusto. And a most agreeable man too. RIP

It isn't (not for me, anyway). And that was obviously not the point of my remark.

Denying "format" is like telling the Blue Note story leaving Reid Miles out, isn't it?

Thanks for a very enjoyable BFT. I feel a bit embarrassed about not recognizing the Hampel and Gilson tunes. In my defence, I could only listen once and the track you picked from "Heartplants" (actually it's "Without Me" not "Without You") is, although beautiful, probably the least representative of the album (esp. Schlippenbach plays a lot more "out" elsewhere). Anyway, it's a great album that should be wider known. The same goes for the genius of Jef Gilson... Many of his records are quite unique and completely different from each other and yet all of them unmistakably Gilson. So another splendid choice!

I've had a chat with someone from BE!Jazz at the Utrecht record fair last month (they were selling there). He was very adamant that their releases are 100 percent legit. That's just his word of course. But it's a fact that BE!Jazz releases are carried by some reputable retailers over here.

In the 1980s there have been several issues of the Jazzjaarboek (Yearbook of Jazz), that would fit the bill very nicely. Although relatively small format books, they covered a broad spectrum (mainstream to free) with essays, reviews, interviews, etc. You can find used copies quite easily and they're not expensive (usually less than 10 euro).

Clifford, I found this video of the concert for you (hope this can be viewed outside Belgium): http://cobra.canvas.be/cm/cobra/videozone/archief/redactietips-cobra/jazzmiddelheim-museum/1.1056671

Around 20 years ago Cecil Taylor was invited to play at a (mostly mainstream) jazz festival in Antwerp, Belgium. Cecil had planned a duo performance with Thurman Barker on marimba. Because the organizers were worried that free jazz without bass ànd drums would be a bridge too far for their audience, they talked him into bringing a "regular" drummer on stage too. That was Richard Bakr. Barker and Bakr are both fine players in their own right, but I wouldn't have missed either of them if Cecil had performed solo.

Track 9 is Helen Merrill. Because a HFTF blindfold test wouldn't complete without at least some Masahiko's thrown in, this must be the version from the "Affinity" album (with Sato and Togashi). Lovely record. One of many, of course.

In track 7 I hear Nordic fiddling and "shades of Chet" (the Rava-Fresu tradition) - plus: HFTF was never shy about expressing his love for ECM... Mathias Eick's "Midwest" album fits the bill.

Track 3 is the opening track of a big favourite of mine: Giorgio Gaslini's "Nuovi Sentimenti" (1966) with Steve Lacy. A splendid album by a fantastic band.

Aha, more weirdness ? Good stuff. Fine label.

The blue background for "the Blues" is a stroke of designer's genius, so I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to these stones than we, unsophistacated souls, can imagine.

Hey, a large part of my collection is music of this persuasion... To call them pretty similar, isn't that a bit "all Chinese look alike" from the other side of the Atlantic?

If you like this, you should hear Duologue, a 1970 studio session. On side 1 they play standards - very attractively done, but the sidelong duo improvisation on side 2 is what makes this record really special.

Well, it's on my wantlist too, but obviously nowhere near that price. In general (rare) free jazz seems to be doing very well on Ebay these days. Earlier this month, the Khan Jamal on Dogtown finished at $1700+.

Track 6 is Paul Bley with Gary Peacock and Franz Koglmann from the "Annette" CD (Hat Art), all improvisations on (old) tunes by Annette Peacock. I think this one is "Cartoon". "Annette" and its twin, Marilyn Crispell's "Nothing Ever Was, Anyway" (also Annette Peacock songs and Gary Peacock on bass) are two of my very favourite CD's. Heartbreakingly beautiful music.

It's been reissued on vinyl too (easily available but I can't vouch for the quality). The original on French Polydor is a fine recording and good pressing. I like it, but I can imagine some listeners getting tired of the conga drumming. Karyobin and Ric Colbeck are of course highly recommended

Wrong breakfast, presumably. No, it's true: the recording is far from ideal. But I love the band.