mjazzg

beyond decription, perhaps?

Barry Guy - Five Fizzles for Samuel Beckett [No Business] 10" Superb. Cries out to be twice as long - a double 12" would do the trick nicely.

You definitely don't want Jamie Cullum in your car or even on your bumper. Apologies from UK for exporting him

Thanks. Album can be streamed and dl'd here by the looks of things http://mnoad.bandcamp.com/album/dream-defenders

I've often wondered about that one. Is it as restrained as I've heard tell? effectively a ballad album?

DL please I'm a -1. I only listen to plastic saxophone players....seeking enlightenment

Now this intrigues me. You've compared one of my favourite ever singers to someone I don't know, Gene McDaniels. What early 70s Gene McDaniels should I try and hear? thanks Start with Boby Hutcherson's "Now" album, for the great "Slow Change" and "Hello To The Wind". Also, McDaniels had a huge pop hit in the early 60's with "A Hundred Pounds of Clay", though that has nothing to do with his subsequent work. He wrote some hits for Roberta Flack if I remember correctly. What he said. Gene wasn't only a huge talent, he was a quality human. If you want to hear the progressive, non-Jazz side of Gene, check out Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse and Universal Jones. I agree that the Hutcherson records is the place to start, though. That's in my desert island collection. Even Gene's early pop stuff is worth the listen. De nada. Thanks gents. I know 'Now' but didn't make the connection with McDaniels. I'll check him out further after this I'll second the praise for this BFT. Really hit the spot and opened up some new avenues for me

Luther Thomas - 11th Street Fire Suite [Creative Consciousness]

Kenny Wheeler - Around 6 [ECM] my favourite Kenny ECM. Couldn't resist a vinyl copy in Oxfam this weekend.

Now this intrigues me. You've compared one of my favourite ever singers to someone I don't know, Gene McDaniels. What early 70s Gene McDaniels should I try and hear? thanks

Mama Lapato - s/t {Bead]

Five highlights of the year Ros Barber - The Marlowe Papers. Read of the year. Out-Mantels Mantel Neil Gaiman - American Gods. Surprise preconceptions-buster of the year Jonatham Swift - Gullivers Travels. Laugh out loud funny apart from many other attributes Jerome Ferrari - Where I left my soul. Disturbing but brilliant Dona Tartt - The Goldfinch. Just a damn good page-turner despite some obvious flaws and the book I'm most looking forward to starting over the festive break - Paul Kingsnorth 'The Wake'. Brilliantly original historical storyline with linguistic invention

That's interesting. I enjoyed Cloud Atlas, but I just see Bone Clocks as too much of the same again. I don't plan on reading it. I thought Bone Clocks was flawed. Some of the narratives worked very well indeed but some overstayed their welcome. Overall very readable but the denouement left me cold. Having read all Mitchell's books it's not up there with Ghostwritten, Cloud Atlas, or Jacob de Zoet

I keep a list of music purchased but have only done so for a couple of years. What I find sobering reviewing the list at year's end is those titles I've forgotten about...."must buy less" is a recurring New Year's resolution Nice list Adrian. I haven't bought any of them but they're nearly all 'to buy' list

Jimmy Giuffre Three - River Chant [Choice] each time I listen to this and its partner session I realise just how strong they are. I get the impression they're somewhat overlooked

That list is insane. Good insane but insane nonetheless There's more bands there than play in London all year. I'm almost tired just reading the list! Anyone going is going to have one hell of a time that's certain. Enjoy it and let those of us on distant shores know what such a cornucopia is like to experience And when my lottery ticket comes in (as I know it will with the Jazz Gods smiling on me) at the weekend I'll be flying over for Amina Claudine Myers Trio Tomas Fujiwara & The Hookup Myra Melford's Snowy Egret Marc Ribot & The Young Philadelphians w/ strings Kris Davis Infrasound Tyshawn Sorey Piano Trio I hope someone gets that Melford band recorded - Pi Recordings, if you're listening

fine one ideed Mike Osborne & Stan Tracey - Original [Cadillac]

fine, fine album that one

those that stuck around on the current play pile, in no particular order except maybe I thought of the first two first for a reason Olie Brice Quintet - Immune to Clockwork [Multi Kulti] Anton Hunter Trio - s/t [Efpi] John Escreet - Sound, Space and Structures [sunnyside] Jason Adasiewicsz Sun Rooms - From the Region [Delmark] Chicago Underground Duo - Locus [Northern Spy] Saft/Swallow/Previte - The New Standard [Rare Noise] Go Go Penguin - v2.0 {Gondwana] The Grip - s/t [slowfoot] Brotzmann/Adasiewicsz - Mollie's in the mood [Eremite] Matthew Halsall & The Gondwana Orchestra - When the world was one [Gondwana] David Virelles - Mboko [ECM] Fire! Orchestra - Enter [Rune Grammofon] Reissue - Jimmy Giuffre 3 & 4 - New York Concerts

Would like to see that, but London is a bit far ... :-( well worth the trip I'd say.....as a consolation there's a fascinating documentary on iplayer (maybe still there) which really gives an insight into the mind that created theses powerful works

Elton Dean Quintet - Boundaries [Japo]

Dean/Hopper/Gallivan/Tippett - more avenues to investigate, thanks Bev. I'm sure Mansfield's lovely but the bedsit I think I'll pass by if you don't mind Osborne is still playing his heart out here....lovely LP (well cared for too)

I'm always intrigued by the guitarist on that one - Jeff Green. What else did he do? never come across him before. Cue those in the know.... Discogs has some interesting enties for him - Elton Dean's Just Us and a big band Intercontinental Express which has a pretty impressive line up - Kenny W, Ray Babbington, Elton Dean. Nick Evans etc, etc http://www.discogs.com/Intercontinental-Express-Joe-Gallivan-Charles-Austin-Ken-Wheeler-Nick-Evans-Jeff-Green-Elton-Dean-Ro/release/2389205

Anselm Kiefer at Royal Academy. Extraordinary work throughout

Mike Osborne Quintet - Marcel's Muse [Ogun] received with open arms as a generous gift. Charig's contributions are particularly noteworthy amongst a strong crowd Could be worse - Pathe Marconi DMM? For some of us those DMMs were our introduction to BN and Jazz. We knew no better at the time and I'm thankful I bought a whole load or I'd still be listening to indie rock. I remember a review in the NME at the time about that reissue programme that introduced a concept of 'brown-bagging' in that the quality of the music was so uniformly good you may as well buy them in a brown bag, sight unseen as it didn't matter which one you got. I didn't try that but they did introduce me to Bobby Hutcherson, Herbie Hancock, Anthony Williams, Sam Rivers, Grachan Moncur III amongst others for which I am eternally grateful to Pathe-Marconi