David Ayers

Welcome John! I bought your book when it first came out and bought (almost) every album you listed religiously. And all the ones you dissed I never bought. Thanks for the heads up on all that music! At that time there was little information (at least here in England) and the records were quite hard to find too - in fact I still haven't found them all! You did a great job in describing and recommending that music.

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!

Thanks for the ideas. I am right now checking the USPS site. Now is Mobley Street here or a block down - I can't see any street sign...

It has occurred to me that instead of having purchases mailed to me from the US to the UK I could have them sent somewhere in the US for me to pick up when I next visit. This would save shipping and taxes, if it worked. But is it possible? Can anyone give me advice on this - I would be very grateful. When I stay in the US it is generally for a couple weeks and I have a proper address as I rent an apartment. I could get stuff mailed to me while I am there but of course if it is late I will miss it! Does anyone have any ideas about this or am I barking up the wrong arboreal object? Alternatively, anyone in the San Diego area who would be willing to sign for a package for me? I'll pick it up in August...

Interestingly the price of RVGs was reduced, here in the UK, earlier this year,. They were 'normally' £10.99 ($19) and came down to £7.99 ($14). Sale prices of course are lower, sometimes £5 ($9). In case this seems high, remember that this includes sales tax at 17.5%, and the dollar conversion reflects a currently unfavorable exchnage rate (for the dollar I mean). That said, the UK prices have always been the highest, and I imagine that the reduction (Sony made a similar reduction) was a response to falling sales due to market saturation and people buying abroad over the internet. So maybe they were overpriced...

Still available as a JRVG and worth snapping up. There is also a Spanish 'blue series' version. Really ALL the BN sessions are a must and this one should not be passed over while it is still around.

Well, you can get a range of backgrounds in Continuing Education. People are older so they bring more to it. You can get a large contrast of approaches. You might get a very well informed person who has come to tell YOU a thing or two and show off to others. Or you might get others who have no idea what you are talking about but will carry discussion off in just ANY direction at all. I'd say a main *potential* problem is dealing with a domineering group member, whether they are knowledgeable or not. Such a person can prevent you from getting your material out and irritate or intimidate others. Pitching at the right level, keeping focus , catering to differing expectations, and preventing war breaking out are some of the possible challenges. That said, continuing ed. class members are usually generous to their instructors, who are frequently people younger than they are , and whom they therefore feel protective towards.

I have occasionally lectured on jazz to American Studies students. It is a tough call to decide how much to say about music to people who maybe don't necessarily have a musical background. These days people want you to do everything from the point of view of social history, so that you don't have to demand any specialist knowledge of any of the arts from anyone. That said, in my lectures I have played 'In the Mood' and explained its attraction in terms of the instrumentation, but also by counting it out in terms of the novelty, 'shock' bar lengths. I'll be interested to hear what you get into these classes. The secret of teaching is don't try to do too much! PS as you may already know, Continuing Education presents its own challenges and pitfalls...

I heard Ornette perform Skies in London with Prime Time in the later 80s (I think). It was an exciting occasion, structured differently to the LP version. Here the emphasis was on alternating the movements of Skies with improvised comment by Prime Time, who sort of kick started off the back of Jamaaladeen Tacuma's bass when each movement ended. It was a unique thing to hear an electric band with double (almost) everything playing with a full orchestra. I believe there is a VHS of a US performance but I have never seen it. As for forms, I haven't played it in ages. It is no use implying a criticism of the musicians for 'trying to understand it' - they had to attempt to parse it and were evidently unable to based on what they were given or told. If it is wind quintets you like I'd say start with the Nielsen which has just appeared on the cover CD of BBC Music Magazine over here along with Ligeti's Bagatelles. I'll be comparing them to the Ornette myself. My copy of F&S is an original issue, though there was a CD which some here may have picked up.