B. Clugston

How would you folks who have heard the missing tracks rate them?

The only tape (remember those?) I have in my entire music collection is Hal on Earth , which includes the fantastic "Raining Violets" and few others that later turned up on The Finnish/Swiss Tour . I agree the latter gets a little too Zappa-ish (for my liking) at times. Hal on Earth did make a CD appearance.

You are not alone. One of my favourite Mitchell albums. The shocking contrast between the arty "Words" and the funky rave-up "You Wastin My Time" is a scream. I dig Mitchell's bass sax and Gerald Oshita's contrabass sarrusophone on the latter. Also features "Linefine Lyon Seven" and "Variations on Sketches from Bamboo," two of Mitchell's better compositions.

Miles played two dates. The first was released on CD by Sony in Japan. It also got the Jazz Door treatment (It's About That Time ), though predictably the wrong city (Montreux) is given. There have been plans by Sony to issue both sets on CD, though when is anyone's guess. I've only heard the first. A good set by the quintet, but not as adventurous as the concerts they performed in Europe that fall. The way Miles is miked makes him sound like he's playing flugelhornn. July 25, 1969: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Milestones/Footprints/Round Midnight/It's About That Time/Sanctuary/The Theme July 26, 1969: Directions/Spanish Key/I Fall in Love Too Easily/Masqualero/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/No Blues/Nefertiti/Sanctuary/The Theme

The new set is out on Leo and it's a (what else) 4 CD set called 4 Compositions (Ulrichsberg) 2005 Phonomanie VIII. Includes a solo piano piece (301?), a trio piece and two performances with a 16-piece ensemble. Squinting at the picture of the cover I have, Comp. 96 is included. By my count, this is Braxton's 8th 4-CD set! In other news, the Downtown Music Gallery is listing the MIA Braxton Houses as "forthcoming": Ghost Trance Festival (New York) 1997 10 CD set Ensemble (Wesleyan) 1997 Composition No. 204 Ensemble (Wesleyan) 1997 Composition No. 205 Tentet (Den Haag) 1997 Ghost Trance Festival (Oakland) 1997 12 CD The latter's inclusion is a bit odd, since half the set is already out on Leo.

This is my favourite Mingus album not named The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady and by the one I listen to the most. Blues & Roots gets overshadowed by the contemperanous Mingus Ah Um. But check out the tunes and the cracking good line-up on this one. Highlights for me include Pepper Adams, the way Mingus keeps adding layer after layer on E's Flat, Mingus' bass on "My Jelly Roll Soul," etc.

The Tzadik site has been updated (with the usual hyperbole) with some intriguing new and upcoming releases: Evan Parker: Time Lapse Evan Parker has practically single handedly redefined the language of the saxophone. A profound influence on several generations of musicians, his impact on modern saxophone technique is staggering. His newest project takes his visionary music to a new level through the world of overdubbing and electronics. Time Lapse is one of Evan’s greatest achievements. Eleven compositions by one of the most important and radical improvisers in the world. Essential. Billy Martin: Starlings A striking and colorful CD of chamber music by Billy Martin, the dynamic percussionist from one of the world’s most popular instrumental bands, Medeski Martin and Wood. Performed and recorded originally on a wide variety of African thumb pianos, these delightful pieces have been meticulously transcribed, arranged and orchestrated by Anthony Coleman for string quartet and chamber orchestra. Rounding out the program is a suite of compositions performed by Billy’s dynamic percussion ensemble. Upcoming Releases Archival Series John Zorn: Astronome [#7359] Zorn continues his intense new rock direction with a second release by the dynamic all star trio from his acclaimed song suite Moonchild to present an intense and mysterious tale of magic and alchemy. Featuring the mad vocal wizardry of Mike Patton singing in preverbal language accompanied by long time cohort Trevor Dunn on electric bass and Joey Baron on drums, this is Zorn at his edgy and uncompromising best. An opera of unbridled madness and complexity that will make your jaw drop. Recorded and mixed by the radical posse of musical terrorist Bill Laswell. Uri Caine: Moloch: Book of Angels Volume 6 [#7360] Uri Caine is a musician of astonishing virtuosity and versatility. Coming out of the legendary Philly Jazz scene, his playing is an encyclopedia of styles from Tatum to Evans and beyond. With Moloch he interprets tunes from Zorn’s Book of Angels in a breathtaking outing for solo piano. Virtuosic and soulful, this latest volume of material from Masada Book Two is an absolute tour-de-force. Fifteen musical miniatures by one of the world’s greatest piano virtuosos. Composer Series Earle Brown: Folio and Four Systems [#8028] A spectacular collection of musicians from all over the map, including Leo Smith, Joan La Barbara, Mark Feldman, Morton Subotnick and Merzbow perform dynamic interpretations of compositions by one of America’s greatest musical experimentalists. Influenced by the work of Jackson Pollock and Alexander Calder, Brown pioneered graphic, improvisational and open form scores in contemporary concert music as early as 1952. This heartfelt tribute, organized by the Earle Brown Foundation to commemorate Brown’s 80th birthday, brings together musicians and ensembles from rock, jazz and classical backgrounds in exciting and varied realizations of Brown’s groundbreaking open form work, Folio and Four Systems. Lee Hyla: Wilson's Ivory-Bill [#8027] Another classic CD of exciting chamber work by one of the most consistently imaginative and original composers around. Featuring some of the best performers out of the excellent Boston New Music scene, Wilson’s Ivory-Bill presents four extended compositions of color, meticulous detail and dramatic fireworks, including a bizarre piece for voice, piano and birdsong and an intense new string quartet. This is a remarkable and varied CD of new classical music at its adventurous best. Key Series Henry Kaiser / Charles K. Noyes / Sang Won Park: Invite the Spirit 2006 [#7617] One of the most evocative and successful meetings of East and West reunites to weave their magic spell via kayagum, electric guitar and percussion. Invite the Spirit was a sensation when it was first released in 1983 and now over twenty years later they are sounding better than ever. Joined by two scintillating Korean P’ansori vocalists on several tracks this is a whole new take on the Korean shamanistic tradition. Over seventy minutes of timeless, ecstatic, magical music unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Radical Jewish Culture Alon Nechushtan and Talat: The Growl [#8113] Talat is a dynamic new ensemble based in New York that plays original music crossing the borders of Jazz, Middle Eastern Groove and Klezmer. Featuring a quintet of some of the most talented players out of the new generation, this is a brilliant debut CD that will delight fans of Masada, Rashanim, Satlah and the Hasidic New Wave. Loping melodies, catchy hooks and improvisational fireworks from a new generation bringing Jewish music to exciting new places. Rashanim: Shalosh [#8112] With its exciting blend of rock, jazz and jewish music, Rashanim has quickly become one of the most dynamic bands in the Jewish New Music scene. Their last release Masada Rock has garnered them much well deserved attention, and after extensive touring through Europe the band is more than ready for their third studio recording on Tzadik. Tighter than ever, this Jewish power trio rips through an electrifying program of mystical jewish melodies and middle eastern grooves.

There is a Bob James-Eric Dolphy connection. Many years back, Blue Note released a collection of Dolphy tracks called Other Aspects. Among the tracks was "Jim Crow," recorded with an unidentified counter-tenor and piano/bass/drums. Turns out the piano trio was the Bob James trio and the track was actually a Bob James composition called "A Personal Statement." http://www.semja.org/dec99/index.html Dolphy, the trio and eight french horns also performed a great Dolphy composition called "Strength and Unity" (sometimes referred to as "Strength with Unity"). It sounds not unlike Dolphy's "In the Blues." The tune is at http://adale.org/Discographies/LateED.html

A couple of LPs worth reviving as CDs are the Creative Orchestra Sketches from Bamboo (on Moers) and Duets with Anthony Braxton (Sackville). Both are excellent.

Here's a photo of the original two-bass group (with Charles Moffett on drums) http://www.espdisk.com/photos/esp25.html

The Who have been on a downward spiral for three decades. "Who Are You" was a good album, but a several notches below their glory days. Losing Moon didn't help. Led Zeppelin knew they couldn't go on without Bonham; The Who have become a 70s rock answer to the Beach Boys. Even the Stones and Deep Purple occasionally come up with something new; The Who should just tour as a Townsend/Daltrey oldies act.

Hite -- beer from South Korea. Not bad.

102, Trillium R and part of the Washington set are not GTM, but the rest are. My favouries are Tentet, a rollicking, fast-paced GTM theme, and the double-disc Sextet, which has more of a chamberish take on GTM. Trombonist Roland Dahinden, accordionist Ted Reichman, bassist Joe Fonda and percussionist Kevin Norton are in fine form on both. (Jason Hwang is the sixth man on Sextet.) Pick these up--you will not be disappointed. As for the rest, it will depend on what degree of Braxton completism you subscribe to. The quartet disc features Braxton's first GTM recordings with the rhythm section from above. Also good. I've never really taken to 187 and 188. They are to me a lot less dynamic than Tentet and Sextet. Some nice moments, but they tend to lumber along. The Washington discs are part retrospective, part GTM. They feature an incredible version of Comp. 70 with a fantastic Braxton solo. Braxton conducts another earlier piece and there's a GTM duet for violin piano. Both good. Disc 2 is lengthy GTM piece for large ensemble which has never been a highlight for me (but I know a few people in the Braxton Yahoo group quite like it). Again, I find it kind of lumbering. As for the others, Trillium R is four CDs of Braxtonian opera with some impressive musicians (see restructures.net for the names). It's historically important and bound to be a collector's item, but most would find it hard going. I enjoyed the opera reading on the recent Leo CD much more. Comp. 102 is for puppet theatre and would have worked better as a DVD as it sounds more like accompaniment music. Still, there's something kind of beguiling about this piece.

Out to Lunch and Unity are favourites. Also True Blue, Song for My Father, The Turnaround, Groovin at Small's Paradise and Dorham's Round About Midnight. Someone should start another poll. I went for Back to the Chicken Shack on this one. Love that photo!

It’s the fun, humour and joy that has always appealed to me in this album. Listening to early Brotzmann (come to think of it, any Brotzmann) can be a bludgeoning experience. While Ayler was about “Spirits” and “Spiritual Unity,” Brotzmann gave us “Machine Gun.” But this one has its rewards. I love the juxtaposition of more traditional grooves with the rounds of noise the three saxophonists blast out. Pianist Fred van Hove helps set this one apart. Piano wasn’t always integrated particularly well in the early free blowouts of the mid-1960s (loads of exceptions, though), but van Hove has a place in the music. A classic. There’s a live version of “Machine Gun” with Gerd Dudek added on sax which appears on the excellent “Fuck de Boere” on Atavistic. This thread also prompted me to relisten to “Nipples.” Another classic.

There are some bassists who loathed amplfification. David Izenson comes to mind.

High Frequency The Rajah Any of Chick Corea's Circle stuff. The rest of Jimmy Smith's Sermon session Rollin' with Leo Parker I'd like to see some or all of the Gil Melle stuff make a reappearance as I neglected to pick them up last time round.

Nice to see Old and New Gospel coming back. I've always liked that date. Won't bother upgrading, though. Besides Compulsion, nice to see the Art Taylor disc.

I really feel for the family. 10 years without justice or closure and now this.

He explains that in Graham Lock's book "Forces and Motion." Don't have it in front of me, but I think it was something to do with tranquilizers.

This one didn't seem right from the get-go. A sad example of incompetent investigators. Maybe they'll link him to 9/11 plots next.

Here's an obit: http://calyx.club.fr/mus/pyle_pip.html Pip Pyle played with Gong in 1971 plus some later incarnations in the 1990s.

The ones I have are the Feb. 5, 1968 concert on Moon and a Rome concert on Nippon Crown. The set list for the latter (as it appears on the CD cover) is "Lonely Woman," "Mousieur Le Prince," "Forgotten Children" and "Buddah Blues." My CD says the latter is from 1967, but I believe it was recorded Feb. 8, 1968. Both were re-released as The Love Revolution.

The version of "New York" was played by the quartet plus one at the Carnegie Hall concert in June. For a sample, go to http://destination-out.com/ and scroll way down....

There's two boots - one poorly recorded with the "Dancing in Your Head" theme ("Tutti); the other in much better sound and includes "Lonely Woman" and a track where Ornette plays a double reed instrument (Yusef Lateef he ain't). Both were recently reissued as a 2 CD set on one of those hazy European labels. Interestingly, Ornette's new group has revived a song that appeared on the same boot as "Tutti," a song called "New York."