David Ayers

Did anybody ever try the Derek Bailey disc String Theory on Paratactile? It consists almost entirely of guitar feedback sounds. Good for those who like high pitched sounds. But is it art?

I heard the Holland group with Steve Coleman live and was excited, but the LPs I never warmed to and they are under threat of recycling.

Since I was playing them last night, a big for a few Bill Dixon titles on Soul Note: Live in Italy vols 1 and 2; Thoughts; Son of Sisyphus. There are others of these but this is what I got through last night. What I really like about Dixon is the immense mindfulness of everything he does. There is never any note spinning, and nothing is played for effect. The compositions all proceed at their own pace and achieve intensity through their organisation (NEVER through any thrashing about or 'freaking out'). I also played through his side of the Savoy CD - a shadow of what was to come, I thought, and no real need for the rejected takes.

I'd say Fire Music is the essential Impulse, followed perhaps (and for different reasons) by Three for a Quarter One for A Dime (which is included as a bonus on the euro/US CD issue of Live in SF (but not on the successive Japanese versions). The most essential Shepp in my book is also, I am sorry to say, the hardest to find - the two Fontanas: Rufus with John Tchicai and Consequence with the NY Contemporary 5. Easier to find and also essential are the two Sonet/Delmark LPS with the NYC5. The CD of this music is missing one track.

I will be following the Tour, if not watching too much as on the TV channels I have there is only one hour a week of coverage. The changes to the race since last year (no first week TT, limit to time loss in TTT, mountain TT) seem designed purely to make it harder for Armstrong to win. I have doubts about the L'Alpe d'Huez TT because I fear that the crowd might not be properly penned back. I am hoping for a good showing from Jan Ullrich.

Superb and a must. I read one comment on the solo on Cross Breeding which described it as the greatest tenor solo on record (I wish I could remember who wrote that). That's open to debat I suppose, but it is pretty remarkable. Just buy the record, don't even think about it.

But, but... I STILL haven't got to the end of the Plugged Nickel box yet!

If we're talking BIKE then I am IN. By the way I am taking the bike to San Diego in August - any bikers in the area?

I find this set genuinely boring. The musicians descende on the music from a great height - i.e. they are playing well within their technical and expressive limits most of the time. This is much more about reconstruction and conforming to some idea of jazz than about actually expressing or doing anything. This isn't anti-marsalis-ism - it really does bore me.

I was at the Rome leg of this tour, and have the two Leo releases on vinyl (complete - the CD docks a little, I think). You have to be in the mood for this music! Some people don't like Ward and are nostalgic for Lyons. At the Rome gig half of the audience walked out - literally half! The trance like effect of the very loud and continuous performance was quite something - not for everyone though...

Also true. I had a similar thought about the the new TOCJ24s. Why on earth don't they do hybrid SACDs? The answer in the case of Toshiba may be a sinister plan to squeeze the audiophiles till the pips squeak.

Very true - to go with the single disc Iron Man seesions from the original tape, and while we are at it the XRCD budget price twofer of Cookin/Relaxin/Workin/Steamin

Oh yeah... That's one of the best discs I've purchased in a long time. Highly recommended! I find early Anderson more engaging than late, and this is a keeper.

Me too. I want a full set. Do you think the European T's are copy protected? Have the US ones got the FBI logo on the back?

Try the recent disk of Hill compositions on CIMP! Really you need to try a standards disk (like the CIMP), a quartet with Crispell disk, a solo disk, and an early free trio disk to get the range for Braxton (oh and yes one of the large ensemble disks I suppose, if you must...). Oh and something with George Lewis.

The only discussion of For Adolphe Sax in this thread has been tentative. I think this is a great disk and genuinely historical (not just old). The bonus track is a major bonus (and who in any case had the original LP!!??). Ok there are many such power trio records around, but I think this is a great one with finely controlled playing all round. UMS is a great series and have done a major service bringing back several totally rare Brotzmann disks.

By the way due to being busy at work and thinking I had more time than I did I missed this set. Yet before it was last chance I didn't think I needed it. There's something about the psychology of ordering.... While OOP sets which I did get in time I keep thinking of selling!

BRAXTON, "not really a free impro type?" What do you think he has done all of his life as a musician? That's the best joke I've heard in a long time. Of course, another big recommendation for this two records (DUO (LONDON) 1993 and also the sequel TRIO (LONDON) 1993 with Rutherford aboard), two of the best both men have ever recorded. And the sound quality is fair. Braxton does structures, not free improv. He has repeatedly said this in interviews. See e.g. discussion in Radano, 207-12. I think he puts it usefully in the liner notes for the Wesleyan solo disk, where he discusses structure in solo recitals and gives a breakdown of his different improvisational 'languages'. It is pretty clear that Braxton is big on structure - those little squiggles after the track numbers are composition titles after all... At the time of the recordings with Parker and Rutherford this would be pretty much an unusual escapade from him.

This will be a a new recording, posisbly made at Ronnie Scott's which is where other tapes in this series come from.

As mentioned on jazzmatazz. Has anybody seen this? Am I dreaming? What do we know about it? PS I calmed down and found the Harkit website, which makes no mention of the release - I suspect it has been stopped by Ornette... but I hope not! PPS I emailed Harkit and they quickly and helpfully told me this is 'under consideration' but has so far got no further. Fingers crossed.

I am up for it depending on - all sorts really...! How about Paris, which is very central? Alternatively a night at Ronnie Scott's for UK members plus others? Keep me posted and don't do anything without telling me!

Bring them on, Gary! One is is one of your recommendations. I need to listen to it a couple of more times but first listen gets a I thought Braxton and Parker were not too comforatble with each other on this occasion (or on the companion disk which also features aul Rutherford). Their approaches are different (Braxton not really a free improv. type). Also I find the BBC recorded sound a bit muted, lacking texture and immediacy.

My previous list of these omitted the first thirty! Sorry guys! So here is the complete list in a convenient form.

Keep talking... you're turning me on...

Don't bother, they suck. That may be why all attempts to sell my West Wind CDs of that music have completely failed!