ep1str0phy

Whoa--Sahib Shihab? How is this? Yesterday (a rare/import kick at the SF Amoeba): Booker Ervin: The In Between Pete LaRoca: Basra (RVG) Walt Dickerson: Vibes in Motion Louis Moholo-Moholo: Bra Louis-Bra Tebs/Spirits Rejoice!

As far as something 'subersive' is concerned--Wayne's had some harder joints (than 'Adam's Apple')... I was recently marveling at just how groove-heavy 'Etcetera' is--not just funky, but tough. Four-square beats are perfect foundations for 'forward-looking' jazz improv, as everyone from MMW, Miles, and even Fred Frith will attest. Some more progressive Lee Morgan work might be applicable here, and especially later Andrew Hill (something like 'Lift Every Voice' or 'Dance With Death'). And--this might be pushing it (the albums are hard to find, regardless)--but check out the Free Funk thread somewhere in recs.

Nice topic idea--I come in and out of 'spells,' no doubt. Right now I'm in a sort of inside/outside bag--60's post-bop, mostly. I just recently powered through a Mingus kick (and, before that, Anthony Braxton). Also--even while conflated with research purposes--I've been up on a lot of South African exile stuff (generally the Epistles and Blue Notes constituents). This goes somewhere back to my Brotherhood AOTW somewhere back... straight to yesterday, when I acquired a copy of the Bra Louis-Bra Tebs/Spirits Rejoice! twofer (not yet heard). In the midst of this, I've been especially engaged with any and all Johnny Dyani--from sideman work (Ibrahim) to solo material (mainly with Pukwana). It's powerful, endlessly moving stuff.

At the same time--the Sonny/Lasha 'Firebirds' co-op (name not used on this session) was technically Lasha's band (assuming leadership under different personnel). I'm assuming that it's just a matter of packaging and marketing, although it's really odd how Lasha doesn't appear on a couple tunes from his own date... I can only hope that there's some missing material somewhere out there.

pulled this one out and gave it a spin today - AMAZING!!! One of my all time favorites--no doubt. I remember the first-spin thrills--it was dull dusk, the food was warm, and I was laughing like an idiot. It was just so beautiful. I'll second the enthusiasm for the Harris album (above--brownie)--there's some fine playing all around. Any chance to hear McIntyre and Moncur is a golden one. Also to note: there's a fine version of 'Love and Hate.'

Ali Baba Baby Huey Huey P Long Harold Land Eric Dolphy Gerald Wilson

I've been hearing some fine things about the group, although I can't locate any of their albums (anything out on CD?). I'm a fan of Watts, although I'm not entirely familiar with his 'leader' work. MG--I guess I'll be looking into the Lonnie Smith...

Doug Carn's version of 'Infant Eyes.' Beautiful.

Yoko Ono Coco Chanel Poco Bud Powell Thelonious Monk Grachan Moncur III

Well, I'm psyched (hides photos of himself as 3-year-old in Superman T-shirt).

Lou Reed Reed Richards Richard Starkey The Walrus Larry Bird Snoop Dogg

I've been deaf to this stuff for ages--regardless of 'genre' qualifications, are they any good? If so, I may have to make a run to the shop... As per Spaceways, etc... a lot of Vandermark's stuff is pretty groove heavy. Not just swinging--a lot of his material likes to ride on the beat. William Parker, too, for that matter.

Of the Chico I've heard (at any length), The Outside Within is my favorite. There's a delicacy and power to the proceedings that a lot of modern post-bop lacks--a sense of 'mystery' that just magnifies the group energy. The sidemen are top notch, too--Hicks, McBee, DeJohnette. 'Search' is an all-time favorite of mine. On the Leaders stuff--I've found a lot of it to be of relatively low-wattage, granted the capabilities of the ensemble. Not bad... just unextraordinary. I'll listen again--maybe I'll change my tune.

Jimmy James Blue Flames Randy California Randy Weston Ed Blackwell Anthony Braxton

Tony Williams Jim Morrison Jesse James

I'm actually interested in the real answer.

I know there are a million more specific questions I could be asking (and I can't think of any right now), but I'd really be interested in knowing when someone is going to reissue 'Echoes of Prayer.'

Definitely Dogon A.D. and 'Coon Bidness (when will we these be reissued?), also Ornette's Dancing In Your Head and Body Meta, Blood Ulmer's early 80s stuff (Are You Glad to Be in America?, Free Lancing, Black Rock, and Odyssey), and Miles' mid-70s Dark Magus, Pangaea, and Agharta. Good call on the Ulmer (pretty surprised no one mentioned him specifically...). 'Coon Bidness is still available in spots (it's a recent Freedom reissue--no frills)... Dogon A.D. was being circulated on the internet not too long ago, although no actual reissue is in sight (and with an album of this caliber--why? If someone cleaned it up, I'd be there in no time).

Bebe Neuwirth Bob Neuwirth Mary Worth Brenda Starr Blondie Bumstead Cathy Carrie Mark Hamill The Joker

Ah (haven't seen too many pictures, so...). That's Abe's sound though, right?

.:.--the talk about Tim Berne got me thinking about the late great Mr. Julius Hemphill--whose music, as far as I'm concerned, is among the funkiest free shit out there. Dogon A.D. and 'Coon Bidness are masterworks of groove-heavy progressive improv, no doubt. -And I'll look into the McCann (I've seen it around, never heard it). -Moderately off-topic, but 'Sweet Space' is like 'Ming's' evil twin. Similar group of inside/outside 80's avant cats (Wilbur Morris, Steve McCall, Curtis Clark, Frank Lowe, Butch Morris, Bang and Thomas). It's one of my favorite sessions--just brutually hard, swinging, explosive jazz. Bang is pretty funky, too. -I'm listening to Thomas Chapin's Insomnia right now--a lot of this stuff would probably qualify. Curtis Fowlkes on the tb--now there's a bad cat.

The thing I've always dug about Grachan's playing and writing is the high degree of specificity, the total lack of superfulousness. And that's not equating "high-density" with "lack of specificity" either. It just means that when your playing and writing is as totally devoid of "filler" as Moncur's has been over the years, you damn well better be able to say exactly what you want to say. With a few exceptions (notably some things from a few years ago where it sounded like his chops were pretty much gone), that's what he's done, and the clarity of communication of vision that's resulted has been something that I very much appreciate. No ambiguity of intent, no foo-foo, no licks to kill time waiting for a real idea to pop up. In short, no "diversion" from the core expression. "Shortest distance between two points" and all that. I've (probably) said it once and I'll say it (again): Grachan is one of the finest minimalist composers/minimalist spontaneous composers in the pantheon. He's the apotheosis of anti-flash--the Monk, I'd say, of the trombone. Not only can he wrangle the last drop of meaning from every note he plays--he accomplishes so much with but a modicum of technical flash. No wild timbral flights, no lavish smears, rolls, bends... it's all, essentially, pure Grachan.

David Murray Wilber Morris Dennis Charles

Hey--great footage! Although Abe certainly seems to be the 'weightier' half of the pair.

I guess some cats just really dig golf... or need to roll a dime (one or both, I suppose).