B. Clugston

Great point! Afro-Blue-->Spanish Lady-->In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (really). I was thinking more "Whipping Post," but "Elizabeth Reed" is another good example. Duane Allman was an admirer of Coltrane.

I think there's at least two with Chico's band and Martin Milner pretending to play guitar. One of them is fairly long scene. Chico may even have a small speaking part, if I recall correctly. Great film with some great lines: "The cat's in the bag and the bag's in the river."

While it’s not earth-shattering from a jazz perspective, it’s more important as a precursor of the hippie rock jams later in the decade. To me, “Spanish Key” sounds like a missing link between early-1960s Coltrane and the Allman Brothers Band. It’s an album that has much broader appeal than just jazz listeners. The quintet regrouped for a reunion set that was released in 1996.

These are cheap in the states. I had all of them at one point but had to make room, figuring it wouldn't be hard to buy them back. It isn't. If it's vinyl you want, I'll keep my eyes out. CHEAP?? Difficult to find! I suggest you buy (if you can) at least half a dozen CDs of Creative Orchestra Music, Five Pieces 1975, and Montreux/Berlin. Several of us here would buy them from you immediately. Sadly (and shockingly), Five Pieces isn't on CD. A batch of Creative Orchestra Musics and the 3/4s of Montreux/Berlin CD reissue showed up on eBay a couple of years ago at less than $20! I managed to snap up a Creative Orchestra Music, but the live date was gone in seconds.

The CD reissue of Montreux/Berlin omits one track. $15 is a very good price. The CD has been known to go for more than quadruple that. Creative Orchestra Music is the only other original Arista to wind up on CD. The albums frequently pop up on eBay, often at reasonable prices. Avoid rip-off asking prices; these LPs aren't that scarce. The Arista LPs have circulated as part of a tree in the past; it's about time they were given a proper release.

I remember Ron on CBC. He was great. They even used him at the 1988 Olympics. I hope he does return to the broadcast booth.

That's an AACM dream team. How come no Joseph Jarman?

According to the Braxton group on Yahoo, the duo will happen “probably next Spring in Bologna or next Summer in London.” Not sure if that means 2007 or 2008. Braxton has long been a Cecil Taylor fan and Taylor has described Braxton as an important artist in interviews. I wonder if the seed was planted following Braxton’s duo recordings with Andrew Cyrille. Apparently, Braxton will be playing in trios with William Parker and Hamid Drake and Parker and Milford Graves in Italy this March.

chichen itza giza easter island machu picchu great wall colosseum angkor

The Taylor/Braxton duo is listed by a booking agency as a potential act. http://www.exb.it/inglese/framez/touring_set.htm I hope some festival takes them up on the offer.

Media baron David Asper is reportedly an interested buyer. When he was on the board of directors two years ago, he went apeshit on the team. He's certainly more passionate and knowledgable about football than newspapers.

I still remember the Kansas City Scouts—awful team, awful uniform. But the Canucks' Oh Henry uniforms were worse. I can't see Kansas City being a great NHL market.

My first LP box set was one of the George Harrison triple-LPs, probably The Concert for Bangladesh. First CD box set was Ornette Coleman's Beauty is a Rare Thing. First Mosaic: Jimmy Giuffre.

Pharoah was playing a bit of piccolo around this time. There is also some uncredited piccolo appearing on Live in Japan at times.

If it’s the Lighthouse version you mean (I’m not fluent in Chewyese), it’s a fantastic, hard-driving version. A firecracking solo from Maupin spurred on by Morgan, nice solo by the composer and fantastic funky bass by Jymie Merritt. Morgan’s solo is surprisingly subdued, but perhaps this was to provide contrast to Maupin’s solo.

It's kind of like Clare Torry's contribution to Pink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky." The song already existed, but she made the song. If the song already exists, however, would these examples not be cases of arranging, not co-composing. I mean should Kenny G get a songwriting credit for "What a Wonderful World"?

The ECM sound doesn’t appeal to me, so aside from Vesala, I haven’t given much of the label’s output of the past 20 years much of a listen. I’m not discrediting fans out there, but the ECM stuff sounds like it was recorded in a domed stadium. I do like a lot of the 1970s output, however. Never heard the Waldron and much of the Wheelers, but wish I had. Here’s my Top 10: Edward Vesala, Ode to the Death of Jazz Edward Vesala, Nordic Gallery Edward Vesala, Lumi Dave Holland, The Conference of the Birds Marion Brown, Afternoon of a Georgian Faun Circle, Paris Concert Bennie Maupin, The Jewel in the Lotus Kenny Wheeler, Around 6 Edward Vesala, Satu Jimmy Giuffre, 1961 Edited to add the Giuffre, even though it's a Verve in ECM clothing.

Mike Patton on John Zorn's Astronome. I'm only sort of joking because it was the only new release with vocals that I bought.

Jazz reissues are alive and well...in Andorra.

Haven’t heard many new releases from 2006, but of the few I've heard, the one I enjoyed the most was: Anthony Braxton, 4 Compositions (Ulrichsberg) 2005 Phonomanie VIII Favourite archival release: Harry Miller’s Isipingo, Which Way Now Favourite reissues: Ned Rothenberg, Solo Works—The Lumina Recordings Lee Morgan, The Gigolo Favourite concerts (all in Vancouver): OrkestRova Fe-Mail Billy Bragg Wolf Eyes

The Royal Albert Hall live "bonus" could be the oft-released Live at the Proms concert with the Ratledge/Hopper/Dean/Wyatt line-up.

The rap on Aebi is undeserved. Her vocals may be an acquired taste to some, but she never ruins the music. I think she compliments Lacy (and Potts) quite nicely. It’s not like Yoko warbling in that Lennon Christmas song.

Listened to a lot of everything, but these ones got spun more often: Miles Davis Cellar Door box set Sergei Kuryokhin, Don Carlos and France Anthony Braxton with Wolf Eyes and the 4-CD Ulrichsberg set The Naked City box and live CD Leo Parker’s Let Me Tell You ’Bout It

Phil Woods brutally panned it in a Blindfold Test around that time. For Alto did get a lot of positive reviews, but there was hostility from some conservative critics. Some of the critical reaction is mentioned in Graham Lock's book Blutopia. I'll check when I have the chance.

On the Corner was probably the most controversial. )But I can't give you much of an eyewitness account as I was listening to singing puppets in those days.) Braxton's For Alto was a critical flashpoint.