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jasonguthartz

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Posts posted by jasonguthartz

  2. For Alto

    in Recommendations

    Posted · Edited by jasonguthartz

    I suppose I've been a little apprehensive about an album length (let alone a double album length, as this effectively is) of solos. Don't get me wrong, I love the various track-length precedents 'Picasso', 'God Bless the Child', 'Tenderley', etc., but was a bit wary of a whole album. But the interest is sustained here by sheer brilliance.

    If you've become inspired to explore solo sax records, here are some other masters (and masterpieces) of the genre:

    Evan Parker (Monoceros, 1978, Incus, reissued on Chronoscope; also Conic Sections)

    Joe McPhee (Tenor, 1976, Hat Hut, reissued on hatOLOGY)

    Peter Brötzmann (14 Love Poems, 1984, FMP)

    Roscoe Mitchell (half of Nonaah, 1978, Nessa LP) CALLING MR. CHUCK!!

    Mats Gustafsson (Impropositions, 1996, Phono Suecia)

    John Butcher (13 Friendly Numbers, 1991, Acta, reissued on Unsounds)

    Steve Lacy ( Solo Live at Unity Temple, 1997, Wobbly Rail; his two Monk records on Soul Note are also superb)

    And recent CDs by artists who have not been documented extensively in the solo genre:

    Scott Rosenberg - V: Solo Improvisations (2000, Umbrella)

    Ken Vandermark - Furniture Music (2002, Okka Disk)

    I should also mention a great solo clarinet record by John Carter, Suite of American Folk Pieces for Solo Clarinet (1979, Moers)

    But anyway, does anyone else particularly like this album? I must say, it's been nothing short of revelatory to me, despite its hype.

    Discovering For Alto led me to get a turntable (this was before it was reissued on CD) and, eventually, to this.

    For Alto is certainly great and certainly of great historical significance. But I think there are better solo Braxton records, perhaps the best being the newly-reissued Saxophone Improvisations Series F. His solo saxophone performances have changed over the years; the early solo works functioned like etudes and provided the basic building blocks ("language music") of all of Braxton's subsequent work, including his later solo work. Much to explore!

    -Jason

  4. Unissued BN session: Grant Green w/John Gilmore

    in Discography

    Posted

    Happen to come across this entry in an online Blue Note discography:

    http://www.jazzdisco.org/bluenote/1963-dis/c/#640212

    Grant Green Sextet

    John Gilmore (ts) Bobby Hutcherson (vib) Duke Pearson (p) Grant Green (g) Butch Warren (b) Billy Higgins (d)

    Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, February 12, 1964

    1299 Untitled Grant Green Tune, No. 3 BN rejected

    1300 Minor League -

    1301 Grant's Tune -

    1302 Un Poco Loco -

    1303 Ezz-thetic

    Damn. That Warren/Higgins combo is unbeatable (esp. with Sonny Clark), and with Gilmore as the only horn along with Hutcherson (who'd be making history on the "Out to Lunch" session less than two weeks later) -- I can't imagine this being a below-average session.

    Q: Anyone know if the tapes still exist, or of plans to issue it?

    Jason

  6. *** Bjork Corner ***

    in Artists

    Posted

    I just picked up her most recent, Medulla...

    It's quite interesting, and primarily a vocal only album, with some percussion.

    My understanding is that there is no percussion on the album - just vocals (sometimes electronically manipulated, as in "Desired Constellation") and some piano. Here's your "percussion" (link launches a brief Quicktime video):

    http://unit.bjork.com/specials/albums/medu...ulla_rahzel.mov

    If you're intrigued by the contributions of Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq Gillis, you might want to check this out:

    http://www.ubu.com/ethno/soundings/inuit.html

    -Jason

  7. *** Bjork Corner ***

    in Artists

    Posted · Edited by jasonguthartz

    Bjork's music videos are excellent....

    ahhh... Björk :wub:

    Here's a link which will launch The Greatest Video Ever Made:

    http://link.toolbot.com/bjorkvid/8793

    Gling-Glo is my least favorite of her records. It's not bad, but it's not a context which allows her to do the things she does best as a vocalist. Then again, I've not heard any traditional jazz vocal recording from the last couple of decades which does much for me. (Well, there's Steve Beresford's Signals for Tea, but... :P)

    Her greatest recorded performances might be:

    1) the version of "It's In Our Hands" on the Live at the Royal Opera House DVD (much different than the studio version included on her Greatest Hits CD);

    2) the version of "Undo" on the Vespertine Live CD; and

    3) the version of "Scatterheart" on the Selmasongs CD;

    4) most versions of "Hyperballad" (incl. the almost unrecognizable "Over the Edge Mix Live" version).

    As far as whole albums go, her two masterpieces are Homogenic & Vespertine, though about half of Medúlla is as great as anything she's ever done.

    -Jason

    "Björk's pitch, cadence and enunciation are so unpredictable you could start a drinking game around them. She's the anti-Sinatra, and one weird pixie."

    -- D. Strauss, The New York Observer

  8. Anthony Braxton

    in Artists

    Posted

    Speaking of forgotten about:: When or when will they reissue the arista records!??

    There have been rumors floating around for a few years now about Michael Cuscuna (who produced the Arista sessions) working on a Mosaic box of those recordings. Though a straight reissue of the LPs would be terrific, it'll be worth the wait if unissued material is included as well (if it exists). We wait...

  9. Marshall Allen outside of Arkestra

    in Discography

    Posted

    I don't think John Burks is Dave Burns. Never heard that - I believe it's John Burk, who worked with Buddy Johnson in the late 1950s. It's NOT Dizzy Gillespie, who used the John Burk/Berks/Birks name with various folks.

    Since Dave Burns DID record with Leo Parker for Blue Note just one month later, using his real name, it doesn't make sense to me that he would be using a pseudonym on the earlier session.

    Mike

    re: Burks

    I was going by this entry

    Damn those sloppy online discographies ;)

  10. Marshall Allen outside of Arkestra

    in Discography

    Posted

    Discographies confuse Marshall Allen, listed as "Red" Allen - with Henry "Red" Allen (the trumpeter) so Lord CDROM 5.0 now has the July 3, 1950 date listed with "Henry Allen" playing alto. This is really Marshall Allen.

    Looking under "Henry Allen" I find another session that must feature our man - March 1950 in Vienna with Thurmond "Trumpet" Young (who plays on the Moody sessions as Trummy Young - NOT that Trummy Young).

    Stop, Mike - I'm getting dizzy :wacko:

    ...which reminds me about that trumpeter "John Burks" on Leo Parker's Let Me Tell You 'Bout It (Blue Note, 1961) -- really Dave Burns, right?

    But thanks. I'll have to track down those Moody tracks, maybe on one of his Chronological Classics CDs?

  12. Marshall Allen outside of Arkestra

    in Discography

    Posted

    Did Marshall Allen play on any non-Arkestra recordings besides these two:

    Paul Bley, Barrage (ESP, 1964)

    Phil Alvin, Unsung (Slash, 1986, which I believe featured Ra & the Arkestra)

    I know he's done a few away from the Arkestra since Ra died, but I'm curious about any others recorded while Ra was alive.

    Jason Guthartz

    Chicago, IL

  13. Mingus & Cecil

    in Discography

    Posted

    Thanks Mike!!

    I should have known to check your Grimes & Dotson discographies - duh!

    Anyway, I suspected that "Duet" was a phantom.

    How did you see the video footage of those gigs? It be great if someone would put 'em on a DVD!

  14. Mingus & Cecil

    in Discography

    Posted

    I had posted this query to other boards and got no replies.

    Jason G.

    jason@restructures.net

    The sources listed below provide varying and conflicting details for the material issued on Ozone 19 (LP). My copy of the record doesn't include the Cecil/Mingus duo (damn!) referred to below. Can anyone confirm the existence of this "Duet" track, along with dates & personnel for everything else on this record?

    SOURCE A: http://www.jazzdisco.org/mingus/cat/a/#621026

    Ed Armour (tp) Don Butterfield (tu) Charles McPherson (as) Jaki Byard (p) Charles Mingus (b) Dannie Richmond (d)

    "Birdland", NYC, October 26, 1962

    Monk, Bunk and Vice Versa

    The Search

    O.P.O.P.

    Lonnie Hillyer (tp) Jimmy Owens or Hobert Dobsons (tp, flh) Julius Watkins (frh) Howard Johnson (tu) Charles McPherson (as) Charles Mingus (b, p, recit) Dannie Richmond (d)

    live in NYC, January 18, 1966

    Majonet: The Arts of Tatum and Freddie Webster / Don't Let It Happen Here

    Cecil Taylor (p) Charles Mingus (b)

    same location, date

    Duet

    SOURCE B: http://webusers.siba.fi/~eonttone/m...ls/ozone19.html

    1. The Arts Of Tatum And Freddie Webster (Majonet) (5:25)

    2. Don't Let It Happen Here (3:10)

    3. Duet

    All compositions by Charles Mingus

    * Hobart Dotson - trumpet (on 1,2)

    * Lonnie Hillyer - trumpet (on 1,2)

    * Jimmy Owens - trumpet, fluegelhorn (on 1,2)

    * Julius Watkins - French horn (on 1,2)

    * Howard Johnson - tuba (on 1,2)

    * Charles McPherson - alto sax (on 1,2)

    * Cecil Taylor - piano (on 3)

    * Charles Mingus - bass, piano, narration on 2

    * Dannie Richmond - drums (on 1,2)

    Information

    Date and location

    September 10, 1965, Village Gate, New York City

    Original issue

    Ozone 19 from TV recording

    Comments

    Ton Witberg:

    1,2 original given as orchestra drawn from the Town Hall concert 12 October 1962.

    3 given as New York 18 January 1966.

    SOURCE C: http://www.shef.ac.uk/misc/rec/ps/efi/mtaylors.html

    The Village Gate, NYC, September 19, 1965

    1. Number One

    2. Octagonal Skirt and Fancy Pants

    Cecil Taylor: piano; Jimmy Lyons: alto sax; prob. Henry Grimes: bass; Sunny Murray: drums

    Rare Broadcast Performances Ozone (Italy) 19 (lp)

    Note: This was originally recorded for BBS tv broadcast by WNET-TV, NYC. the original material was broadcast followed by a panel discussion involving CT, novelist Ralph Ellison and critic Martin Williams. The taping from this original broadcast is some 29 min. long. These are believed to be rehearsals, not concert performances.

    Note: Some sources give the drummer as Andrew Cyrille. Some give the bassist as Alan Silva.

    Note: The rest of this record features music by Charles Mingus.

    SOURCE D: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?...g06gtq8znu45~T1

    Unfortunately bassist Charles Mingus and pianist Cecil Taylor do not actually appear together on this bootleg album but their separate performances apparently both took place at the Half Note on the same night. Taylor plays quite free and with plenty of power with his quartet (altoist Jimmy Lyons, bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Sonny Murray) on two numbers while Mingus (who was otherwise completely unrecorded during 1966-68) leads a septet (with trumpeter Lonnie Hillyer and altoist Charles McPherson) on a variety of undocumented originals. The generally adventurous music is better than the cheesy packaging which completely leaves off the personnel and recording date.

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