king ubu

If I remember correctly, there is a really powerful and quite "out" version of Footprints on some Freeman live CD. If it is on this one, then this CD is worth hearing if only for this track alone. I think I also have a CD of Von Freeman with Chico Freeman (BIrthday at Blue Note or something like that) and I remember it being pretty boring, mainly due to Chico's playing which I find absolutely bland. "Footprints" is on this CD - a marvellous version, indeed! Yesterday picked this one up cheap: No chance yet to listen. "African Drums" is a real winner, it seems! Will be interested to hear the "Arrivederci..." review - haven't heard it yet, but somehow I still like Sclavis, and the library I frequent in Zurich has quite many of his CDs. ubu

Where's the love for Big Black?

Have been listening to some radio recordings I made from the Willisau festival which took place last weekend. Thursday saw a great opening by a group led by swiss bass player Heiri Känzig (he was with the Vienna Art Orchestra a long time), featuring Christy Doran on acoustic guitar, Fabian Kuratli (d), and Mark Feldman (v). Then, E.S.T. - still not getting too much love from me... Friday night had a group around swiss rapper Nya (who gained some notoriety by appearing with Erik Truffaz' group, on some Blue Note CDs), another electronic/funk/rock group led by Adrian Sherwood, featuring Doug Wimbish and Bernard Fowler, among others (haven't heard them, weren't broadcasted). The last group on Friday was DJ Spooky with the Matt Shipp 3 (Parker & Brown). Pretty boring, I think. A friend burned me "Optometry," and even if his playing there is very tame, it seems Joe McPhee makes a difference. There are several tracks on the CD I like quite well. Saturday: afternoon was guitars (haven't yet heard it): Elliot Sharp with Melvin Gibbs (b), and Lance Carter (d), group called "Raw Meat." The second group featured the resurrected Henry Grimes, a quartet by Marc Ribot, "Spiritual Unit," dedicated to Ayler's music. Roy Campbell (tp) and CHad Taylor (d) were the others. Saturday night was Rebekka Bakken (currently spinning, rather boring), then Dave Liebman solo, in top form! A marvellous concert! To end that night was Josh Roseman's Unit (with Peter Apfelbaum, Barney McAll, Liberty Ellman, and Gabe Jarrett) - not bad, but I only heard 20 minutes of their set. On Sunday, the afternoon had the trio of Irène Schweizer, Fred Anderson, and Hamid Drake. Only heard half an hours worht, but great music! Then Portal's Minneapolis schtick... Sunday night, to end the festival: a chinese improvising duo, Xu Fengxia (I think I saw her life a couple of years ago in another setting), and Wu Wei, both playing trad. Chinese instruments in a decidedly non-traditional way. Pretty intense, pretty good, but not jazz. Then, the VAO ended things with world premiere of the new programme, "Big Band Poesie" - as usual lately, polished, good, but not too exciting. I hope to hear the rest of the Schweizer/Anderson/Drake, Liebman, and Känzig concerts, as well as the full Sharp and Ribot sets... I guess the festival was mediocre, which is a bit sad, as it was the 30th anniversary edition. ubu

I remember Elvis? I remember Beavis?

And he did talk during the Cuong Vu excerpts he broadcasted on Sunday afternoon... The French do that all the time, too ( ), well at least the guy who does the France Musiques programmes on jazz. Announcing musicians or whatever during applause, and then not shutting up in time when the next tune starts. Sucks! Though I'm maybe spoiled, as I had no access to any foreign stations until recently, and the Swiss always keep their mouths shut when the music's on. They even let you hear a full round of applause and stage chatter, doing it the atmospheric way, when they're live on the air. end of rant. And in case: no i don't hate the French, I adore them, in spite of that stange chap. Couldn't say the same about Austria in general... (saw some live parliament again today... killing!) ubu

I know he didn't talk during the 5 elements... sorry for stating he did the miles mistake, though. The problem with five elements, though, is that there's some otehr odd chap doing waaaaaaay too much talking! Not sure I like it, yet. Would rather have liked to hear either all of the Byron, or all of the Lloyd (but I guess they'll come around doing that later on). ubu

Check "April In Paris" (Verve Master Edition), and the Basie Sings/Joe Williams Swings (Verve as well, but not VME). Then, it seems, Blue Note will release more soon (a comp and a real one, as far as I understand). They also have a great live CD available, "Breakfast Dance and Barbecue". ubu

Did they play stuff from "In A Silent Way"? I was half asleep when I heard this on the radio. I know they played "In a Silent Way" at their Vanguard stand last winter (w/Billy Hart) and it will be on the new CD (w/ Jack deJohnette). Plenty of Jason Moran soloing at that Vanguard gig (maybe the radio guy was partial to Don's playing -- like I am -- and maybe even ubu on this occasion, since, as you said, "I quite liked his playing in this setting. Loose and swinging...") Yes, they played "In A Silent Way" - and the strange chap that did the moderation said it was a Miles composition... why have those Ö1 guys to be so talkative? I'd love it if they could just keep their mouth shut WHILE there's still or already music being played - even more so as these programmes were NOT done live, but taking place several hours later... End of rant. Had a listen to another Byron trio track (played on Sunday, during the 5pm-6pm slot), and I think Byron was playing very sloppy. Those other tracks, I wasn't half asleep, but not too attentive anymore, either, and I didn't take notice of it, but it seems that Byron does not only have a rough tone, but also some serious fingering problems. Definitively unwanted ghost-notes (I'd be outright enough to call them "errors"), and generally bad tonguing. But then he's got fast fingers etc, tries to do the virtuoso stuff, but somehow... It seems that he tries to play faster and flashier than his technique allows. (Now forgive me these harsh sentences, but I attempted to play the clarinet for many years, also thought about going to conservatory etc, but then decided to go to university instead... and changed to saxophone, but haven't nearly as much time to practise and play as I'd wish I had...) ubu

Why the hell do you need two of them? And what I always wanted to ask: are you a relative of Cheney?

One for, me, yes, my dearest friend?

deus, when I say "in spite of", I mean: I like the way he accompanies other players (notably Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins on those Fifites Verve dates, but there are many many more), yet I've never been too keen on his soloing, on those records. I mean that there are piano players appearing on hornmen's dates and I wish they'd get more solo space, but with Peterson, I don't feel that way. It's just great what he plays on "Hawkins encounters Webster", and it's fine with me that he doesn't solo on each track... But then, as I said, I start liking OP slowly, but it seems, surely. That twofer with Affinity (the Brown-Thigpen trio) is sure very fine, for instance. ubu

The Byron trio (with Moran and Billy Hart) played the Austrian Saalfelden Jazzfestival this weekend. Heard a couple of tracks on radio, and I quite like it. Pity though that Moran did get quite less solo space than Byron. Not too warm either on Byron, in general (the only disc I have and never really got so far, is "You are #6"), but I quite liked his playing in this setting. Lose and swinging, Hart did some Krupa tricks (if I heard that right), and the music has a sort of retro-vibe, yet Byron and Moran's harmonic awareness make it more than just a nostalgic affair. ubu

Got this recent reissue a few weeks ago. Very very nice. Wess was maybe the first to bring the flute to the fore, while with Basie. On "Wheelin' and Dealin'", one of those Waldron-Prestige-jams (with Coltrane, Quinichette, Doug Watkins), Wess does some very nice flutin', too. ubu

I guess you make a few valid points, deus. With me it's as Chuck said above, "so many dates I love in spite of him", and from there, I slowly start my way to liking him. I only have very few of his own records (maybe he was one who simply recorded a bit too much?), but I think I'll just slowly start exploring more. ubu

O.K., Thanks to Chaney, I should be getting this in a couple of days, and if this IS NOT DA SHIT, the King might start worrying about a revolution! Have just seen the Louis Malle flick "Viva Maria," and I do have to admit, the king does like the Bardot-Moreau-revolution quite a lot - if you do something similar, no problem! ubu

Yup!

Very interesting, brownie! Thanks for sharing, and Bentsy thanks for this thread! This album is one of the few of Mingus' 55-64 recordings I don't have yet, maybe the only legit one I miss. ubu

I guess the rat people own about 1% of the number of this set, at least, no? let me add: arcana major is da shit! ubu

Happy birthday to the Prez! One of the greatest of the all!

I rate the Prestige dates very very highly. Only because they did such a bad deal (what was that, can't remember for sure - Keepnews "bought" him for 103 something $$?), that does not mean the music is not up to what Monk was doing in those years. I agree with John L on both the trio sides and the date with Miles and Bags - essential! (I also agree on the Columbias, by the way.) It seems to me that many, far too many people consider Monk's BN and Riverside output to be far ahead of what he put on disc for Prestige and Columbia. I have to disagree with that, by all accounts. ubu

Sounds interesting, for sure! Have read the Shelton book when I was 15 or something, a long time ago. ubu

Bought this used today - great stuff! And very nice to hear Benny Powell in such company! ubu

arcana major is da shit! ubu

My presence on the board lately is quite rare, as most of my spare time goes into the Count Basie website some of us are doing... some listening, of late: What a fantastic disc! HELLYEAH! This is some of the best no-nonsense jazz I hear, lately! Disc one is quite good, I think. Billy Hart makes a difference, and Harrell has some good moments. Disc two is more conventional, but good, as well. As Lovano is quoted in the liners: the group with Miller, McBride and Hart is about "swinging", mainly. Elegant mainstream, while disc one has a more open feel, that I do prefer. Lovano, though, is at home in both settings, for sure. Another fantastic one! Howard Johnson, James Newton... great band playing. Haven't heard much of Blythe's music, and none of his releases as a leader, so far, but I definitely need to check out more. I remember having read somewhere he was a rather erratic player? Quite good and interesting big band. Among the members are Manfred Schoof, E.-L. Petrowsky, Larry Schneider, Howard Johnson, Chris Hunter, Marvin Stamm, co-founder Franco Ambrosetti... If you find Gruntz' "MPS Years" compilation (one of those Motor Music late Nineties MPS-reissues), GET it! He has made some great records with the Concert Jazz Band. Founders were Gruntz, Flavio & Franco Ambrosetti (they're father and son), Daniel Humair, and a few others. Gruntz has led this band for decades now, and still gets top players from all over, though mainly it seems from NYC. Schoof is a big asset, though, on this one. Then I got some nice ones from D.D., but haven't listened to the discs more than once, and thus won't post any comments yet. Suffice to say: I did like what I heard, so far. ubu