ep1str0phy

With you on the string albums. Universal Consciousness (featuring Ornette arrangements) is another one along the lines of World Galaxy--stylistically diverse, but not disunified. There are some dire duets with Rashied Ali (showcasing just how well Alice had integrated her husband's harmonic sensibility into her lines--quite a nice parallel to Interstellar Space), as well as some powerful ensemble spots (Leroy Jenkins is in the mix, and his contributions--confident and warm--are key). Another note on World Galaxy, though--Frank Lowe is tough on that one (sounds like some wacky editing, but he just erupts in spots at full wail). Also of note is the backbeat rendition of A Love Supreme, which is surely one of the more original renditions in my memory. Alice had the juice.

Archie Shepp, incidentally, does not play on the album.

Toot away, C. Toot away. Again, though, I like Bobby Few. I was just listening to the Ervin date the other day and he's way, way in the pocket--really could play anywhere.

Damn, really? They're still LPRs over here. Could this mean that the copies of Kwanza we're getting are imports? (speculation, of course.)

Spirit Catcher! Didn't know about that one... good luck, Chuck, and I'm looking forward to these...

How did that happen (referring to chalupa's thing on DB getting money from BYG)?

Now, if only we boycotted this shit...

From what I can gather, scores of folks were trying to get the Wright review disc. I hope this guy listened hard. For whatever it's worth, I like Unity a bit more than many of the other Wright quartet dates I've heard. I'll probably favor the Wright/Howard duo at the end of the day, but I appreciate the special sort of fervor that these musicians can pull from free-ish mania. Lord knows that less successful attempts exist--and without the juice. As per Few--anyone who's heard him in both the Lacy and Wright contexts will know that that cat's approach is a lot more than florid runs. He's probably one of the more immediately versatile piano voices in the free jazz of the post-Ayler/Coltrane era. So DMG's selling Black Ark now? With permission, or is this just another rip? 'Cause if this is just another rip, then they're not really looking into the proper business prospects (if certain posts on the blogosphere are any indication). Another topic: what do you guys think of Braxton's work with Gino Robair?

I'm just wondering where this reissue came from. Not a part of the LP Reproduction series, apparently (it comes in a jewel case--now when was the last time you saw an Impulse album reissue in a jewel case? The only one we've had since the digipack onslaught has been the recent A Love Supreme single, IIRC...). Did Impulse just figure that this one would make bank?

Shadow Vignettes: Birth of A Notion -AACM free-funk/groove (composed/arranged by Edward Wilkerson Jr.) with some questionable rap flourishes. The spirit of the ensemble (featuring a brutal Ernest Dawkins, Ari Brown, Steve Berry, Yosef Ben Israel, Reggie Nicholson, and Kahil El'Zabar, among others) carries it off, though.

Well, they get to listen to Coltrane live whereas I'm stuck with the bootlegs. Guy Actually, that's exactly what I meant. But yes--no disagreements here. Let's (do/try to) keep on living.

Tru dat--but maybe too optimistic? United in grief, but not always ideas... So much death... envy the angels, here we weep...

I missed this one several times, ebay, private auctions, ecc.. Do you think I have to give it another chance? Yes. It is heavy. Like a lead brick. Oh--and props to TtK for Natural Black Inventions. Love that one. Listening to Jacques Coursil's The Way Ahead, and I'm bowled over. Never knew it was this (I suppose I always expected a BYG blowout, and not something so tremendously subtle and nuanced...).

Found out about this Sunday morning, listened to World Galaxy and Universal Consciousness over the drive up from LA to San Francisco. History will write and say all sorts of damn things, but she was a truly beautiful soul.

Sorta tangent--Braxton and Abrams doing "Miss Ann"? I'm interested.

There are surely scarier parts of Oakland. There's literally a police station some two or three blocks away from the club, and it's right in the middle of a fairly major commercial area. There should be minimal concern so long as you're willing to pay the Taxi fare... Now, if the concern isn't safety and it's some elitist "I'll never go to Oakland thing", than screw'em. Music for the faithful.

Five Pieces is available online somewhere... I'm with you on the CD thing David, although it seems as if we're competitors of sorts in the Bay Area (I'm in Berkeley a lot of the year)... if a copy or two shows up, someone must be picking it up--but who?

I think CT might be referring to the LPs, which are rather easy to come by up here. I was in a store yesterday and I picked up For Trio for $4.99 (a little beat up, but OK). For whatever it's worth, there were a few copies of COM (1967) in stock... the CD, on the other hand, is difficult as all hell to find. And David--I found the stuff in the San Fernando Valley in CA--not all that far from you--so I'd think that my pickins would be your pickins.

For whatever it's worth, I like that Brubeck record. There's been enough militant fervor over whether or not Braxton can play in the box/under the table, and I think he fits in fine among more "conservative" company. I'm not sure that anyone less schooled in the idiom would suss out the tension as "unusual".

That's old school--exciting as hell. Why can't I be in Europe!!??

I'd just think that either some things have changed or some music biz cat has some ju-ju. It's a surprise pairing, no doubt.

George Russell Sextet: At Beethoven Hall -I purchased this one mainly on the promise of hearing Don Cherry in this sort of context, although I'm doubly a Russell fan. It's probably one of Russell's finer boppish sessions, and the whole group smokes.

Say what? So is this a full-on communion between two masters or a promoter's gig? And--whatever the case--isn't Cecil the one who didn't want to play ball? How did that change?

The bass player in that pic looks like a young William Parker.

Yeah! Barre Phillips really smokes on that one.