ep1str0phy

The Atom The Wasp The Kids in Honey I Shrunk the Kids

Muhal was actually the first person I thought of when Threadgill popped up, but then I realized how many of the greats have passed w/o the possible funds (Tapscott included--hell yes on Tapscott; and who else (in the "free jazz raffle," as chewy put it--Marion Brown--still alive, thank the maker, and Grachan Moncur III, too, tho he's in and out of sorts--and Noah Howard; Mal Waldron, Dewey Redman--surprised Haden hasn't gotten one yet, granted the crowd and his large-scale, organizational proclivities...). And we have some potentially tremendous offerings by more "inside" cats--e.g., Harper, Charles Tolliver, Sonny Rollins (tho the debate rages...)--etc.

Can't add anything--just like to note that Wilson and Young are still playing with each other (last time I checked). That should count for something...

Again, I'm assuming that Complete Communion is in the Components boat (it's listen on the BN website--hence, still in print)--but, on that level, what merited the release of Where is Brooklyn?? Musical quality notwithstanding, of course...

Let me just say I've been waiting to hear this one for a very, very long time...

Coke dealer? And he was working with Jackie all that time (we are talking about Mr. Johnson, right?)... Any opinions on the latter, supposedly more commerical dates by RK (they show up in the used bins quite often)?

We can debate the merits of the grant process/award 'til the cows come home. Don't make it right, but just saying--the list of who's deserving (and not just good or, hell, great) can get pretty long. Implicit in Larry's words is the idea that Regina got something together in proper time--enough to provide a viable candidate for the MacArthur. The issue remains, however--we have dozens of qualified, well-organized, well-deserving career geniuses who've been passed over many, many times... that's either a tremendously understudied award committee or a pretty big rabbit out of a hat for Ms. Carter (maybe both? Tho it's happened before, obviously). Edit: another good name: Roscoe Mitchell--as well as any among a sizeable number of tremendously (IMO) deserving and often project-oriented AACMers

The only Hannibal release I've actually seen in store on CD (besides my find) was the one Marcello mentioned above (although My Friend Louis shows up quite frequently). I'd assume there'd be a market for this stuff--especially among the groove spiritual dustgroove crowd--but, whatever the case, Hannibal's music seems to have difficulty making the media transition.

NATION TIME!

Is that the case with Complete Communion?

I've always wondered about Components myself--it's probably my favorite Hutch BN, acting as a sort of cross-section of his two, extremely distinct personalities (the free guy and the modal/post-bop guy). One could spring for an album that integrated the two--e.g., Dialogue--but I think the peaks and troughs here are really something else. That second side--with the out Joe Chambers compositions--is as free-spirited and searching as anything the extended modal BN family ever waxed (up there with the whole Moncur discography, if I do say so m'self). Upside, though, is that side one features some of Bobby's best compositions and some terrific straight-ahead ensemble interplay--James Spaulding and Freddie Hubbard, playing at the peak. There's just a sense of fun and joie de vivre to these sessions that I find on far, far too few records these days.

Seriously--that's knocking my ass out. Looks like a trip to the bank... Also--nice to see Hakim Jami and Richard Pierce on the second session--two names I don't really hear from (I can't even recall the last time I did)... Re: Granelli album... every time I see Robben Ford's name, I twitch a bit. My middle school/high school guitar teacher used to freak out about that guy--fun player (covered Blues Connotation, I believe), but I just couldn't get past the gloss...

Yeah--went on a Kurosawa tear a while back and Ikiru sticks with me... the Hannibal album you pointed out passed me by a while back, although the presence of Ron Burton--I'm assuming that's the Rahsaan pianist--is reigniting my interest.

I'm actually a fan of Virgin Beauty, although not so much the dead... It is somewhat anomalous in the Coleman discography--not so much for the glossy, synthetic nature of the instrumentation (In All Languages had that, too--and it's probably one of the finer Prime Time albums), but rather for the uncomplicated, extremely minimal improvisatory content and almost self-consciously simplistic quality of the compositions and arrangements. It hews very, very close to a pop instrumental album--but this is still Ornette and still Prime Time, and, ultimately, there's only a slight barrier of glibness to separate this from, say, Of Human Feelings. i.e., there's still the same disoriented, grotesque sort of ironic disco going on here as on any of the other Prime Time albums, and I'm happy for it. Re: Garcia--I think the point is that he falls into the ensemble line, although there are a few moments where (in the way of dynamics and timbre) he jumps straight out. Perhaps it was a marketing ploy, but I'd say that it didn't affect the character of the music too much...

Lancelot Eric Clapton Han Solo

Howard Johnson Ray Draper Joe Daley

This one's a favorite.

Ray Cohn Ray Palmer Ray Charles

I've always been a casual fan of Hannibal Marivn Peterson--a terrific, combustible trumpeter, perhaps best known for his work with Gil Evans. He has also waxed a number of 'sleeper classic' solo recordings, mostly informed by the modal, post-Coltrane tradition (he was, for example, a key player on Pharoah's Black Unity) and featuring some excellent playing. Few of these are available on CD, and most are lost to the veritable slough of groovy modal free-ish post-bop that still clogs the used LP bins (and most of the dustygroove catalogue). Yesterday, fortunately, I tracked down a Japanese-only issue of "The Light"--obscure enough to fail mention at allmusic guide but not so unheard as to escape the few discographies scattered about the internet. Recorded in 1978, "The Light" is squarely in the vein I earlier described--hard modal vamps, dense, vertiginous solo spots, and lots of dated, if still effective spiritual discourse. What's really interesting are the details. Like the one Peterson album still listed on dustygroove, we've got the woefully underrated Diedre Murray on cello, the great Cecil McBee on bass, and some great playing by some relative unknowns (pianist Michael Cohrane, who does as good a McCoy Tyner as anyone I've heard, and drummer David Lee). There are some percussion and vocal spots as well... but what really drives me wild--and the reason I purchased the album, in the end--is a brief, incendiary appearance by free jazz superhero Frank Wright, whose bass clarinet lights a fire under everyone's almost-too-careful asses. Any thoughts on this one--or any other recordings by Mr. Peterson? I'd also be interested in hearing what y'all have to say about Ms. Murray and Mr. Wright, whose discographies are in great disproportion to such mad, mad, skills.

Pharoah Sanders? Really?

Miracle of miracles, the East Bay got some copies of Sound Grammar in. It's to early to formulate any cohesive thoughts (first listened last night), but I like what I hear. I may have to listen again, but most--if not all--of these themes have previously been recorded (all but 'Turnaround' and 'Song X' have been renamed--from memory, so someone correct me if I'm wrong). These are fine recastings, and the band dynamic here is as nuanced and fully established as on any of Ornette's recordings since the early Prime Time ensembles, methinks. Beautiful stuff.

Mwandishi does reunite now and again, but it's particularly nice to know this cause (regardless, I still think It'd be interesting to hear them now, especially as their mutual perspectives have changed). How was JP, by the way?

I'm not sure if I'm looking for them to reach their old glory--I just deeply love that lineup and I'd be interested in seeing what sound they'd come up with now (chemistry changes, but it would be nice to hear the new brew).

Or, to put this back on sort of a jazz footing (!), there is Paul Desmond's legendary story about the security guy at the fair where they were about to play. He stopped their car and asked them who they were. "The Dave Brubeck Quartet," they answered. He looked at his paperwork and asked, "How many in the Quartet?" Desmond always intended to use that as the title of his autobiography, but sadly, never got around to writing it. I love that line. Greg M. Security man was obviously a fan of Gospel quartets includinf the "Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama" MG As far back as grade school I can remember a Three Tenors poster with four tenors on it. A lot of bewildered, snot-nosed kids that day.