king ubu

I've been mulling this over - also since I coincidentally played some James Brown (just post prime, mid seventies stuff, after the Wesley-led band had called it quits ... I still love much of those tracks!) ... and what would the options have been? I mean, Miles' music, from 1969/70 (think Jack Johnson, too, not just the live double albums) got "earthy" in some ways it never had been before (couldn't have, of course) .... yet the earthiest of all (jazz) instruments, the tenor sax, would no longer fit into the sonic spectrum on hand (Shorter played more and more soprano, Grossman too, Bartz was on - high - alto and soprano, Liebman more often on soprano than tenor) ... seems like chirpy stuff would fit in, somehow, but rarely do we get any kind of raucous tenor exploration of the kind that Shorter would (in his own raucous-yet-sublime manner, of course) deliver. Not sure if this all makes much sense, but ... would tenor players (Stubblefield was there once, wasn't he?) have been to "individual", too strong voices not merging that well with the entire "brew" that Miles' bands from 1970 to 1975 tended to present? One thing that always struck me on the original "Live Evil" (another favorite, I had the old French Renaud-produced CD edition, messy sound, but I loved it) is how you can barely tell trumpet, guitar and organ solos apart - how it all meshes into one boiling pot of sonic magic. Miles of course was the magus and he gave the direction to it all ("Directions in music by Miles Davis", remember?), so obviously he knew (no matter if instinctively or in any pre-conceived/grown way) how to mesh, or even how to lead it ... or how to let it evolve and when to intrude and direct and change it. But can you actually imagine any really strong and individual voice in there, next to Miles' own? There are moments where Liebman (and Bartz too, I'm rather with Lon there) could do some great stuff, kinda freed themselves up or kinda could get on top of it ... but often - also on film - it seems like you can almost feel how awkward they feel and how they wait for a moment where they can possibly rejoin what's going on around them, kinda just standing around trying to at least look cool (which they were darn good at, against all odds!) So, would Miles have had any use for some McCullough like antics? Probably he'd have hated it .... and no, I think it would have quickly grown tiresome (as it frankly did with JB, a year or so was just about enough ... though I'd surely have loved the Collins brothers stay on longer!). Could have have had use for Maceo (or St. Clair, the big unsung hero of that great mid/late sixties JB band)? No ... or well, yes, in the sparse "Jack Johnson" period surely so, but after, in the magus mixing sonic sculptures era? Not, I think. Anyway, these are lose mumblings I've been mulling over in my head for half a day now, not sure how much of it makes sense, but I find it all pretty fascinating, I confess, just to think about all these possible or impossible gos or no-gos.

The Deluxe was enough for me ... still need to play the remaster, but I just had to have the concert with The Band - and I think it's better than most people seem to think (but then I'm a major Band nut, so ...) The photo book is lovely though

I've not read a line yet in the notes ... but I loved the music! Got to dig it up again soon!

I'm a bit surprised by all the bad-mouthing Grossman gets here ... I'm not a fan, but that applies to most sax players in Miles' bands following Shorter. Liebman certainly was the best, but somehow it seems it was very hard for them to find their place in the whole sound. Compared to most other band members, they played it straight, no wah-wahs, no or very little sound devices (okay, maybe some amplification, Shorter started using that already of course, allows to somewhat play with the sound that comes out of the speakers, but ...). Anyway, I very much agree that this band was a very different one from the lost quintet, even if it's just a question of some months. Also I never enjoyed "Black Beauty" half as much as "Miles at Fillmore", which to me belongs to the finest of all Miles rekkids. And finally, I fully endorse the point made above about Miles the trumpet player being at a pinnacle here. No one who listens to this can retain those (silly) notions of Miles being a mediocre trumpet player not able to play the upper register etc.

discs 1-3

Stockmaster and Buckhausen ya mean? But then shouldn't that have been Stockminster? I'm confused ...

now into disc six of the Herman - the Woodchoppers material this set will need lots of time to sink in, but I'm loving it! will postpone disc 7 for when I feel like diving deep into the second herd ... got a pile of stuff lined up for that day (though frankly I never bothered to find out about overlap between the Hep and Storyville and Getz Masters of Jazz discs I've got - there must be some, maybe even quite some, but the annotation given is often rather not helpful).

Not sure myself ... most of the contain quite a few things I already have (not that Chet Baker one from Italy though, that one's tempting). I've love to get "Shadows", but it's just too much duplification everywhere.

I'd rather say you clear that in a hefty pub fight (and thanks, it's been mostly dormant for quite a while though)

Couple of years back I spent some serious listening time going through it all (I think I have about every tape that is in wider circulation, no rarities, but most bases covered, I'd assume, including tons of the European tour material from which "Live Trane" is mostly offering a selection). Anyway, I can very much relate to that. There was no off-night, and even though there's not a great number of tunes they did, it's fascinating to hear it, night after night. Coltrane remains a towering figure and hearing all those live tapes helps one to remind you of it!

Stuck with disc one yesterday, had to spin those tunes again and again - most fascinating! Now onto disc two.

Great, will look for it, wasn't aware ... enjoy "Follow Me Down" quite some!

I watched an internet broadcast of one of her concerts from Joe's Pub; I thought she was good. She's quite impressive, and well-educated musically for a gal from Wimberly. does she have a new disc out?

your're right indeed about the final US recordings/band of the seventies - but I've not yet spent much time yet listening to that band ...

sheesh, I ran out of popcorn ...

Seems they're going chronologically ... so please more 1970, then yeah, give us some of that 1971 tour, please ... and if possible, a set of the sitar band, too (there's not much known material around though), and then 1973 (two tours ... I'll take two sets, too, though the summer gigs are officially covered by the Montreux and - semi-officially? - Paris discs around), and finally there's Japan 1975. After that, if anyone still has any breath left, give us some goodies from the 80s, too, please! The early period isn't covered by the Montreux box too well, the band with Evans, Stern, Miller, Foster and Cinelu - would love more of that!

Woody Herman Columbia 1945-47 / discs one and two for sure, maybe more

best I found: http://collectorsfrenzy.com/details/160604378676/Coleman_Hawkins_Bean_And_The_Boys_21_LP_Box_Set

You guys are crazy! I bought this from Mosaic - one of the earliest catalogue numbers still around when I joined the club ... will play discs 5-8 today, the Sweden recordings!

Got to dig up the Krupa/James again soon, too! Now: The Complete Capitol Fifties Jack Teagarden Sessions - discs three and four

just getting started with the Birdland mateiral from 1961 (most of disc 2 and all of discs 3 and 4)

Very sad news.

disc 1 and the beginning of disc 2 - Miami 1959

Disc 10 of the Basie ... quite a ride! Will have to give the Roulette Live another spin sonn, too ... not sure why, but all in all, the Roulette stuff just kicks me more than the Verve (even though there's splendid Lady Q and Lockjaw there - and Gus Johnson, too).