ep1str0phy

Speaking of Dennis Charles: did anyone pick up the Sirone UMS CD (DC's on that one, right?)? I'm somewhat wary of the UMSs (inconsistent in quality)... but I'm buckling on this one.

I'm getting a copy of "Last Date" in the mail soon. Will report!

Sounds fair. I'd been waiting for something like the Takayanagi--appropriate enough for the thread, interesting enough to the parties here...

Funny Rat has been off this board for way too long (some agreement I wasn't made aware of?)... Upped to say that I'm getting into the Japanese free improvisation thing (spurred on by some stuff that Clifford sent me)... and I just purchased a copy of Masayuki Takayanagi and New Direction Unit's Eclipse. My opinion is still formulating on this one, but it's beautiful, aggressive, exploratory stuff (maybe a little self-indulgent, too... in that early Brotzmann sort of way)--far more of a wash than even a lot of European improvisation sides (reminds me, a bit, of the blowout BYG jams--e.g. Seasons). The cats start at a high level and just keep upping the energy. This music isn't as brutal or heart-rending as, say, Albert Ayler or Brotz, and it doesn't seem to have the same caliber of dynamic intricacy that even the more free-wheeling of the European free improvisers. In fact--given Takayanagi's guitar theatrics--it comes across as a tangential direction on the EAI part of the evolutionary tree... loud and fearless, but not necessarily violent--searching in a manner that has as much to do with the nature and possibilities of the instrumentation as it does with the group dynamic. I'll be looking for more (I've got some Kaoru Abe in the mail).

No doubt. Exactly the feelings I had when I got the album...

Shihab is an underrated master--lots of good stuff to be found (and not the hokey, forced sort of world jazz--this is real deal material... I may name Don Cherry's more 'western' excursions in the same breath). Today: Arcana: The Last Wave Philip Cohran and the Artistic Heritage Ensemble Cecil Taylor Quartet: Looking Ahead! Byard Lancaster: It's Not Up to Us

The Harrison album is great, although don't look for anything above and beyond the rest of the Detroit school (it's par for the course, which is still very good): hard grooves, excellent inside/outside improv, and some of Harrison's best sax work. Caveat: the sound blows (sounds like a mid-quality LP rip).

Ornette will be performing Skies of America tomorrow evening in Bologna, Italy, with his quartet (Al McDowell, Tony Falanga and Denardo) and the local Symphony Orchestra. In 1990, there have been two Italian performances of Skies of America, one with the Quartet (Ornette, Cherry, Haden, Higgins) and one with Prime Time. The Orchestra conductor was John Giordano. luca Heck. Talk about a coincidence. I'm going to start an Elvis found on Moon thread and see what happens. On a more serious note, I have a review (at least one) of the London 198x performance - I'll try to find it... I'm familiar with the fact that Giordano reorchestrated the piece, but I'd be interested in knowing just how much (and to what extent) things changed... With regard to the Bologna performance--if that's Ornette's present quartet, what happened to Cohen? Thanks again, guys...

Here's to many more years of great music... (Ep1, regretting not bringing his Savoy sides up North...)

Michael Carvin solos on 'Who Does She Hope to Be?' (the Sonny Sharrock ballad) on Frank Lowe's Lowe-down and Blue. Quite beautiful in a minimalist way.

Well, I love Foxhole.

Thanks for the info, folks. On the level of the London recording: it is reported that Ornette had been rehearsing (prior to recording) with top symphony players (maybe not enough, simultaneously, to record, though).

I dig those covers.

People: I'm looking for information on Ornette's Skies of America--not only the recording, but also the history of the symphony in the way of public performance and development. Anything you have--including old reviews of performances and the album (or even personal opinions) would be greatly appreciated. Also, for those scholars here--the history of the composition is storied but somewhat sparsely available. I've already read through the Litweiler and Niklas Wilson books, as well as numerous articles online; I'm still curious as to the specifics of the policy of the British Musicians Union (preventing the OC Quartet from peforming on the album), why Ornette was impelled to work abroad (I would assume this has something to do with the quality of the LSO), and the role of Coleman's Guggenheim grant or any other subsidies in the production of the symphony. Again, anything would be greatly appreciated.

I had to read that a few times before I figured out what the heck was going on... Doesn't it sometimes seem as if this sort of thing happens every few years? Remember the Yellow Submarine 'Songtrack'? Anyway, I'd like to see a mash-up-type album top the Gray Album stuff, but we'll see...

Yep. And since he's in the mood for more accessible Hill, he should get Dance with Death, too. (in the long run, I agree with sal...) For the most accesible Hill on record (probably), go with Shades (on Soul Note). It's got Clifford Jordan on it and it's a generally straight hard bop/post bop corker.

I think it's a terrific catch. Moreover, considering Ornette's penchant for intricate musical formulation, it wouldn't put it past him in the way of remembering and invoking the lyrical content. Maybe it was a subconscious twitch, maybe overt; regardless, I think Ornette's mind--with his music--is working at a terrifically quick and powerful level. It would be interesting to hear and compare other recordings of 'Turnaround' from this tour (and, for that matter, dating back to some 'earlier later performances'--e.g., the original quartet reunion in the 80's)--is this the only time he's done it?

I'll only add that those Barron Savoy dates are wildly underrated. A good chance to hear some legendary players out of more familiar group folds (e.g., Mingus and Trane), too.

Whoa. Frankly, I would've liked to have heard some Charles Davis on those sides...

There's always Love, Love. And if we drop in albums, too, there's Rahsaan Rahsaan.

Sonny's Dream is a piece unto itself. Hard boppish in character, yes, but the writing and Sonny's solos push the boundaries of the idiom in a fairly idiosyncratic, somewhat progressive manner (Tapscott's all over it).

No. Black Fire and Judgment are both more accessible, as are several Andrew albums from the late 60s. Guy Black Fire maybe, but Judgment is very explosive in an explicitly avant way. The lack of horns on the latter session obscures the already oblique group textures and complicated compositions/forms. Among the more striking elements of the album is the sheer metrical complexity created by the ensemble interactions (we're talking Hill, early Hutch, Richard Davis and Elvin freakin Jones, for cryin out loud)--It's dizzying, dizzying stuff, and perfectly suited to Andrew's darker, denser side.

I love Dick Griffin's work with Rahsaan--wish I could go (I'm on the WC).

Oh--and it seems as if this is the Wright-Silva-Few-Ali group, which I have yet to hear (I've heard several of the other incarnations, though). I'll admit--I'm a big fan of Wright's bass-less bands, but this should be interesting...