Rooster_Ties

Any fans here among us? And what other composers would you say are "among his ilk"?? I may have another disc or two of his around here somewhere (though I'm forgetting the covers)... But these two discs I can quickly account for 100%, having dearly loved them for the better part of 20 years. Vigorous writing, energetic and very modern, but I'd like to think them also mostly pretty approachable too. (And my wife really likes both of them too, so that makes them "mostly pretty approachable" in my book.) https://www.discogs.com/Boris-Blacher-Horst-G%C3%B6bel-Die-drei-Klavierkonzerte/release/18955630 And also this one, equally... https://www.discogs.com/Boris-Blacher-Kolja-Blacher-Philharmonisches-Orchester-Frankfurt-Oder-Nikoa-Athin%C3%A4os-Symphonie-Viol/release/12087467

How about a couple Boris Blacher CD's I dearly love, both of them... I realize they're not identical, but they are *so* close -- and if you look closely, the cigarette is visible in the second image (in his mouth). Anyway, identical or not, this is the first example I thought of.

Would love to see that, if you can find a way and have the chance.

Very true!! Although the Brooks is a wee bit more “unsafer”.

A genuine question… Why am I so often reminded of Hindemith when listening to the interwoven melody lines (emphasis on “lines”) of 2 or 3 Tristanoites playing off each other? Not every track — but one or two (even three) tracks per hour inevitably tickle that same spot in my brain that Hindemith’s numerous sonatas do (for practically every orchestral instrument plus piano). …while we’re waiting for more details on this new bevy of riches from Mosaic.

If you knew what I listened to stuff on these days, you'd know I'd need a lot more than just a $60 pair of headphones. (My 15-year old mid-range bookshelf stereo that I had in the living room died about 3-4 years ago, and about a year later when (unrelated) I finally broke down and got a cheap Blu-ray player to replace my old VHS/DVD player (which I had been using to play CD's on, thru our TV as a temporary workaround -- mind you, we live in a 635 sq-ft apartment) -- I found that the sound-quality of even the cheap Blu-ray player and our hi-def TV resulted in sound that was really far superior than my old bookshelf stereo system. Then the pandemic hit (and I lost my job when the Museum I worked for had to shut-down and lay-off 85% of the staff for over a year, and has still only rehired about 10% of us (including me) since we reopened 3 days a week back in April)... ...and so I've still just been using the TV and Blu-ray combo for quite a while now (which even out of the standard, built-in TV speakers, sounds kinda shockingly good, on a 12 year old Sony hi-def TV -- not a huge screen, but good sound, apparently. But with no way to plug in any headphones

Anybody wanna chew on any of this? I always remember Space: 1999 fondly from my youth -- not sure if that was when it first ran, or slightly later (still in syndication). Also -- even as a kid!! -- I always LOVED Mission Impossible, especially because so much of the story was told in each episode without dialog (or very little). Not saying Space: 1999 and Mission Impossible were terribly similar, aesthetically (though some of the same actors being on both certainly made a connection for me). But then again, the kinda-sorta "international"-ish casts -- and/or vaguely international settings (in the case of MI) -- that is another similarity, in my mind (and the impression I was left with watching them both as a teen, or even pre-teen maybe (I forget exactly when I really got into both). Anyway, I just stumbled on this -- and I have to say I've never even heard of UFO before -- and all the marionet shows that same production company did (in the 60's, as shown early on in the video below) -- I like have almost ZERO recollection of ever having seen any of that before. I was born in '69, so if it wasn't in syndication (or in reruns on syndication, after the fact), I would have never seen those in semi-real-time, meaning within a decade of their first release. And then by the time I got to college in 1987, I rarely saw all that much TV (and never cable) until my then future-wife and I finally got cable in around 1997 or '98 when we moved in together (she HAD to have ESPN, to see her beloved KU Jayhawks basketball). ANYWAY, take a gander at this... It's 27 minutes long, but well put together, and fast moving. Kinda temps me to see if I could score a cheap copy of the entire run of Space: 1999 on DVD somehow, if such a thing weren't too pricy. Haven't even looked -- those sorts of things are either dirt cheap, or stupid expensive, all depending on supply and demand at the current moment.

OK, I'm thru the whole thing now -- and none of the intensity of this thing scared me in the slightest (but trying to listen to it quietly before sure the hell did). What a truly wonderful document of an amazing night. One of the most amazing Woody Shaw documents I've ever heard. Shaw is clearly on Zev's radar -- what with the Larry Young Paris release -- and one can only hope for more. Hasn't he been involved -- at least tangentially -- with one or two of the other more recent Woody Shaw releases? -- the sax-less quartet thing, and whatever the other one was on that same label -- is it Renaissance?? I'll try and look, and answer my own question with and edit here in a bit.

OK, I finally got to spin the first disc yesterday, and I'm about 1/3rd of the way through the second disc now. Couple weeks ago, when I first heard about half the second disc, I had to have the volume WAY down (late night listening, with my wife in the other room). I suppose I could have uploaded it into iTunes off my CD's, and then bothered to update iTunes on my phone -- but who has time for all that. ANYWAY, I have to say that at a louder volume finally, this all sounds pretty darn "reasonably good" -- and the performances are f'ing amazing. Absolutely love all the Woody on disc 1 -- line after line after line of searing stuff -- not unlike Woody's four studio appearances with Andrew Hill for Blue Note (especially than insane Halloween night 1967 studio date that opens disc #3 of the BN Select, the one with Sam Rivers and Howard Johnson). Part of me is kind of "pick my jaw up off the floor" shocked that this even got released officially, and on physical media too (even CD!). Who the hell is "Roy Brooks"? Garnett too. Hell, nobody on the entire date is a name that'll really "sell" ('cept maybe Woody, and even then). Plus, most of this thing is quite intense -- though maybe not as insanely so as I was experiencing trying hear it at super-low volume levels back before my trip to move my dad. Still, QUITE intense -- and shit like this don't often see the light of day through official channels.

Would you categorize Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band similarly? Or if not, why not? (an honest question) Edit: And are any other notable bands you would categorize similarly? (Asking, cuz I like this kinda stuff, at least when it’s really good.)

How’s this bouncy, upbeat arrangement from the Arkestra float your boat then? Ra recorded and played the tune much earlier too (late 50’s for one). But iirc, this more ‘spritely’ arrangement was only in the bands book from around 1980 (that’s when this one was recorded), plus or minus 3-4 years — or something like that, I’ve always assumed.

And I have to say the visual feel of the whole thing (even the CD version I have), is really solid. All those Liberty-era BN logos, the font of the cd numbers and other non-liners lettering. And all those photos of Lee!! I first saw most of them for a split second each in the “I Called Him Morgan” doc (which I was fortunate to see here in DC at the National Gallery, even before it’s probably brief theatrical run). But never in a million years did I expect I’d ever own something with so many of them, let alone so appropriately appropriated for multiple pseudo album-covers. The whole project — wonder of wonders — just looks really well thought out. That we got such a lovey product that really celebrates Lee like this, musically and visually — is really amazing. And all for just a hair over $60, at least in my case, made this a no brainer to get — despite my attempts to resist for several weeks. Sure glad I gave in and grabbed it.

I had no idea Candoli was active into the 80’s even, let alone the 90’s (admittedly, I mostly know him by reputation).

Back in college, right when it first came out — I either used to own a copy of Gerry Mulligan’s Re-birth of the Cool (1992) — or I had easy access to one (or maybe I purloined a promo copy that the college radio station I worked at probably got). Anyway, whatever the case, I don’t remember having a copy just a few years later. But I remember it both a little (slightly) fondly — but it was also kinda a little creepy too, iirc. Yes, clearly, forcing those 1949-50 charts (just slightly under-rehearsed, in their original incarnation) into the universe of GRP’s 1992 production techniques… …was too big a mind-fuck for me even to comprehend the implications of, barely 3 years into my jazz listening journey. But is there anything redeeming in Milligan’s specific revisiting of those charts in 1992?? — overly-modern production techniques be dammed? And was Mulligan’s 1992 attempt to revisit this specific past the FIRST time the whole — do I dare call it the Birth of the Cool suite? — the first time the whole shebang had been re-recorded for release??? (Surely not the first, I’d think — or maybe not?) And what OTHER re-recordings of the full (or nearly full) BotC compilation album — and I always have to remind myself that the album was compilation — what OTHER BotC remakes are out there?? And are any of them 1) interesting? 2) good? 3) bad? 4) otherwise? or even 5) bizarre?? Somewhere I think I have a plain CDr (just a burn of what circulates) of Geri Allen and Wallace Roney freely interpolating the entire (or nearly entire) BotC suite (quite freely, as all the tunes run together, iirc, but it’s been 10+ years since I last listened to it. It’s just the two of them, piano and trumpet — a live audience recording at some (art?) museum, iirc, from like 15-ish years ago. That’s the most unique version I can think of. Are there any others, besides the ‘92 Mulligan version? PS: Yes, I do think Mulligan’s remake is probably just plain weird. But is there anything else to it worth enjoying, despite the weirdness? (I’m seeing I can stream it thru Pandora, so maybe I will tomorrow, and report back.)

May be the first Mosaic I’ve ever actually pre-ordered. I did (but all separately) order the Woody Shaw Muse set, and the Sam Rivers Select, and one of the Charles Tolliver Selects — immediate upon their release. But in each case, I ordered a few days after the pre-order period closed, so I could add a few other sets to my same order. So, yeah, this might be my first actual PRE-order.

Check the other thread. In a word, YES!!

HO. LY. SHIT!!

I’ve never been in the audience for a live performance of the 8th — but I sang in a big production of it (maybe 400 musicians? — the final send-off concert for the longtime music director of the Kansas City Symphony, from 1986-98 (I sang in the KCS Chorus from 1995-2004). And I fully credit that experience — singing #8 — for making me finally ‘get’ Mahler. I’d heard #1 back in college (and liked the experience, but it was literally the very first large-scale ‘major work’ I ever heard performed live (Chicago Symphony, spring term my freshman year). But right after I moved to Kansas City, I heard #4 and/or #5 (can’t remember which, or maybe it was both) — and NONE of it made any sense at all, what with all the shifting tonalities and relatively-incessant chromaticism. Then maybe a year later I start rehearsing #8 — and it makes EVEN LESS sense to me. Singing within the parts of just the half of choir I was in (one of the “double choirs”), NONE of it made a lick of sense to me, though I was getting my part mostly pretty well (I could sing the notes, but the context for it all was bewildering). So, literally the week we started putting the two (separate) “choirs” together (the two halves of the chorus had been rehearsing separately, for like 5 weeks)… …so literally the week we start putting all the parts together, it SUDDENLY at least starts to begin to make a little sense. And then, by the final rehearsals with the “band” (big, fucking band too — maybe 140 instruments?) — that final week of rehearsals with the orchestra makes the lightbulb mostly go off in my brain. And the actual performance was nearly transcendent for me. And THEN I heard either #4 or #5 again (live) about 12-18 months later, and I was a total convert — and I had all 9 symphonies on CD within the next 3-4 months.

Back home again, and settling into my morning with discs 7 & 8 — having only heard 1-6 right before I left to move my dad (and most of that was later at night, with the stereo way down as my wife had already gone to bed). I’m often not especially a fan of stage announcements (with plenty of exceptions) — but I’m happy to report this is one of those exceptions. Lee’s laidback style and manner is so evident, and it’s nice to hear his ‘non-showboaty’ confidence shining through as he’s talking to the audience. May finally find some time to do more than skim the liners. I love Mosaic, but I have to say I love the semi-lavish but restrained packaging (and compactness too). I’m struggling to think of many (any?) other multi-disc sets like this, that seem to have gotten the packaging so right.

Ha!!!!!!! Soon as I got the gist of the subject of this thread, but well *BEFORE* I got past your first paragraph even — THE first and almost only name that immediately came to mind, was none other than JOHN HICKS. I’d like to claim great minds think alike, but it’s simply Hicks who was frickin’ great in every respect as a solid accompanist. Mulgrew Miller comes to mind too, but Hicks may have been the g.o.a.t. in this category.

Flying back to DC in the morning. All things considered, the move went very well. I’ll be back in 5 weeks, but I got nearly everything done I wanted and needed to. Maybe my assessment is a tad bit superficial, but I have been half-blown away at the quality of this assisted-living center we chose for my dad. I’ve said it all above, about the staff, and the facilities — but I continue to think this is really just a much nicer version of the place he was before — and with even better staff — and all their KEY staff (4-5 people, including the director) all seem super with-it, and on top of everything (and all the lower-level staff have all been great too). Plus, the whole frickin’ place — the building and everything — is brand new, all less than 6 months old. I hope I’m not proven wrong, but I’m really having a tough time imagining any sort of assisted living center that would be any better, without paying literally double the price. And what he’s paying here in the new place, (now), is barely $800/month more than what he was paying at the old place — which was nice enough back in its day, but is very shabby (almost rundown) now, 35 years after they opened their doors. I love the director (of the new place), a gal who almost seems like a younger version of the (great) director of the old place Dad was at before — both gals are each a pistol, and definitely full of piss and vinegar if you cross either one of ‘em. (The old director is going on our Christmas card list, for sure — and I told her I owe her a few dinners out in the coming years, for really being such a huge help in finding a place for my dad, and keeping him safe these last 18 months of Covid). And I even got (fit!) all his furniture into the new place, and all to his liking — with enough wiggle room to accommodate a walker, when he needs to start using one all the time, maybe in another year. Anyway, mission accomplished, pretty much in about every way I could have hoped for. Just about the biggest relief ever.

Holy shit, that’s NICE. Me likey, likey!!! Is this like the bass version of the insanely nasally sounding clarinet-like instruments I heard in Spain some 25 years ago?? Ear-splitting, my wife would call them. But man, that bass version is sweet!!!

I probably don’t understand Schrodinger's Box paradox well enough to have made a precise analogy… But the idea of the cat being both alive or dead (with no way to know which), seemed analogous to this jazz article in a folded up newspaper — too brittle to actually open — so there’s no way to tell… …if the cat is alive or dead (if the article in question has the relevant details to our discussion, or not). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger's_cat

Schrodinger's jazz article.