Stefan Wood

Totally missed out on the Mangelsdorff. Good BFT!!!!

Jesus! I can't afford NOT to get it. Interesting they omitted this current disc: The Czech Suite is a long time favorite. Good lord, the price just went down on the Dvorak box. $6.39!!! Hasn't shipped yet......

I'm looking for any recommendations.

Picked this set up today. Looks like a sampler from an early summer 1971 concert, With: Dave Pike, Jean Luc Ponty, John Surman, Stu Martin, Barre Phillips, Tangerine Dream, and Weather Report playing Wayne Shorter's composition "Eurydice." No idea this existed. Was this ever put on disc?

The Jimmy Lyons box is still available through Ayler records at a very reasonable price -- approximately $62 incl shipping.

If you need to maintain your afrobeat fix, this will do the trick:

From Soundway: This extraordinary, dark , moody and experimental offering from teenage Ghanaian afro rock outfit Edzayawa (Pronounced Ed - Zye - Ow - Ahh) is one the more obscure and unique releases that Soundway have brought back to life over the past ten years. Arriving in Lagos from Togo in the spring of 1973 the band were taken under the wing of Fela Kuti. After a run of appearances on the bill at his Shrine club they were signed by EMI Nigeria's visionary in-house producer Odion Iruoje. Over two days in May 1973 they recorded Projection One, which was their one and only release before disbanding two years later. The majority of their songs were based around a 6/8 rhythm influenced by the music of the Ewe people from the South East of Ghana and Western Togo. With themes that draw heavily on traditional folklore and deep philosophy the album has a heavy feel that sets itself well apart from the much of the lighter happier highlife of the previous decade. Alongside Fela's first few albums, Blo's Chapter One and Mono Mono's Give The Beggar A Chance this was one of the very earliest Afro - Rock LPs released in West Africa and has remained out of print for nearly forty years. Projection One never got a release in the band's home country of Ghana and apparently sailed way over most peoples heads at the time. Very much like the debut Hedzoleh Soundz album that Soundway re-issued in 2010 (another Ghanaian band that were recorded in Lagos, produced by Iruoje on the recommendation of Fela Kuti) the only copies that made it back to Ghana were the few that the band took back themselves. Funky! Very early Afro rock. Minimal playing at times, dark, complex 6/8 rhythms, but excellent.

I brought the cd with me to work to listen. I have the lp of the Dick Grove (made a burn onto cd a while ago, can't find it at the moment -- must be in the "archives."). I promise to provide a more detailed response. I really like "Igor." There's a lot going on in that piece. As for the rest? I'll let you know, but what crept into my mind was that this music was very similar to what Shorty Rogers had done with his extended "exotic" suites, or Les Baxter, Frank Comstock, etc. That's not a put down. Fischer obviously has come from a different angle, but how much different? Listened to it some more this late afternoon/early evening. There are some things that reveal better upon repeated listening; and there are others that just don't. "Ornithardy" is one of the sunniest tunes I've heard, up there with Miles and Gil's "Springville." Jerry Coker and Gary Foster (was this his first recorded appearance?) are great on this, as well as throughout the entire album. "Quiet Dawn" has some exquisite playing by Fischer, but overall I find it just okay. I guess I hear a Gil Evans influence more than Fischer, though I read in the notes he was more in tune with what Lee Konitz was doing. There's a strong intellectual craftsmanship to this and the next track, "Bittersweet" that objectively is interesting, but I can't connect to either aesthetically or emotionally. It's frustrating because the playing is top notch; I'm being drawn in by the playing, but at the same time I'm being pushed away. As if the process supercedes the end result. The clever workings of "Quiet Dawn" and "Bittersweet" call more attention to themselves than they should, and interferes with me hearing the music. I love "Igor." It's fun, playful, toe tapping goodness. "Extension" is the tune that reminds me of Ellington. Did not know that it was Fischer playing the sax and not Coker, on that and "Soloette." "Passacaglia" does nothing for me. Finally, "Canto Africano." I prefer Fischer's work in a Latin setting, and know of his accomplishments. This reminds me of Les Baxter. Seriously. The exotic stuff -- Shorty Rogers' Tarzan Suite, Prado's Voodoo Suite, etc. It's nice, but not "exceptional." I'm glad I brought up Dick Grove as a "counterpoint" so to speak, since on doing some research I discovered they had some things in common. They both did work for the Hi-Lo's for example; as well as working in Hollywood and composing and arranging around the same time. "Little Bird Suite" wears Gil Evans a bit more on its sleeve than "Extension," and I will admit that the musicianship is of a slightly higher standard on Extension, but I think you are being unfair in describing some of the tracks as clichés. "Little Bird" started as a bossa nova tune for Pete Jolly and became popular, subsequently recorded by many other musicians. This is the best version. I do not think that "Canto de Oriole," "Doodad", and "Circlet" are hackneyed, but contain some very fine playing, especially from Paul Horn and Bill Robinson. The whole album starts of with a post Sketches of Spain feel, but grows away from it's influence, and has its own character. I would strongly recommend you relisten to the lp, especially the second side. I'm thankful for your reissue program, and I hope you don't mind my criticisms. I will look forward to the Joe Daley box!

Thanks!

Shoot. I want to read more, but I have to subscribe, and I don't visit this site enough to pay for it.

I brought the cd with me to work to listen. I have the lp of the Dick Grove (made a burn onto cd a while ago, can't find it at the moment -- must be in the "archives."). I promise to provide a more detailed response. I really like "Igor." There's a lot going on in that piece. As for the rest? I'll let you know, but what crept into my mind was that this music was very similar to what Shorty Rogers had done with his extended "exotic" suites, or Les Baxter, Frank Comstock, etc. That's not a put down. Fischer obviously has come from a different angle, but how much different?

Ted Dunbar

I'm in. I can do download as well......

..... or watching pollen accumulate on a car. Really, I'm glad this is available. Some of my disappointment comes from expectations set from the prior releases from JLH. This is definitely different.

It is definitely his best album, but I am not a big fan of his work. I will revisit the tracks you mentioned, as there were a couple of interesting tunes. Overall it felt low key.

Yeah, received the Claire Fischer in the mail. Very nice, but NOT exceptional, IMO. The Little Bird Suite is better. But thanks for making the Fischer available!

pm sent.

Fingers crossed on getting it.

In my case, the 'historic' recordings have been revealing, opening my ears to conducting and performing that I do not hear in contemporary recordings. Perhaps I do not listen to enough, but there is a finite amount of listening time, and my attention is focused more on jazz. Less clinical, more interpretive then adhering strictly to the music sheets. I like Furtwangler because of his expressive abilities. I like Carl Schuricht, Edvard Van Beiunum, and above all, Herman Scherchen for similar reasons. I had no idea Scherchen was Xenakis' mentor, but having listened to more of Scherchen's conducting on the Tahra label, it makes sense. I'll even take Boult's mono Vaughan Williams cycle over his later one on EMI (didn't he do another on Lyrita?).

I celebrated a week early. Went up to NYC, hit the museums and several galleries to get my art fix. Went to the Jazz Record Center for the first time, and found a bunch of nice items, at a low price. Ahmed Abdullah Silkhearts, a Lennie Niehaus OJC, Charles Tyler in Europe, and other misc. jazz. Phil Schaap walks in just as I am paying. Sunday I found the new location for the Downtown Music Gallery -- in the most obscure corner of Chinatown -- and spent a nice hour going through the well kept and large (at least when compared to the original space) basement shop. Got the new ESP releases of Frank Lowe and Frank Wright, a couple of Ethnic Heritage Ensemble Silkhearts on sale, a recent Sabir Mateen disc, a couple of really limited pressings of Faruq Bey and the Northwoods Improvisers, some obscure Ted Daniel reissues from the 70's that I never knew about, and many others.

Nothing wrong with SACD.

I find the 'historic' box reissues more interesting than the contemporary stuff being spat out ad infinitum. I have the Furtwangler Box on Audite and the music is terrific.

From Academy/Voodoo Funk, a 7" reissue that is some hard hitting afrobeat music:

I was thinking Doo-Bop......