king ubu

A couple of thoughts on my (not so popular, alas!) album of the week, after another thorough listen: I love the opening Part I! That xylophone thing Russell plays has sort of a circus-quality, slapstick. The beginning of Part II ("Krupa") shows him to be a swing expert (an expert at both that thing so hard to describe in words and the style/era). "Blasé" (and "Gloomy Sunday", too) is a highly effective, very individualistic take on a quite seldom heard (at least these days) standard. Russell's soprano playing is marvellous! With "Dark Rapture" we enter groove territory. I love the sound of the bass saxophone (wish I had one myself!). Another groovy tune comes at the end ("Oh Well"). Much of the music on this album is dense, textural music, often the horns play rhythm parts, too (as on "My Little Grass Shack"). "For M" then, has some real good trumpet playing by Russell. It's fun how he jumps from cool directly to electric. He succeeds to make this a clear musical hommage to MD (you'd recognize that without knowing the title and narration), yet somehow it's still very much Hal Russell there! Another general observation is that this is group music. While the NRG Ensemble sometimes defies its name, on Part V (Birth of the Free) they really live up to their name! And Mars Williams has quite an energetic thing to say throughout on his tenor. The Ayler hommage is another of my favorite tracks on this disc. First you get the very effective coupled double basses, then the two tenors enter. They emulate Ayler, but if only for the duplication of tenor saxophone, it is something else than just a replica. (And that line in the narration "Then along came Ayler / Holy shit!" is another favorite moment of mine!). And after the Free part comes the rise of NRG. That passage where Russell plays over a didgeridoo-backdrop is great! They can produce so many sounds! That's one of the best things about this band (and this album in particular - in my opinion the still very good Finnish/Swiss album has a little bit more of a sameness, and more rock-influence in general, I think). A listing of the instruments played may help to get an image of the sound part: Russell: ts, ss, tpt, dr, xylophone, perc, gong, narration, vox Williams: ts, as, bass-sax, toy horns, wood flute, didgeridoo, bells, sounds, narration Brian Sandstrom: b, g, tpt, toy horns, perc Kent Kessler: b, tb Steve Hunt: d, vib, tympani, perc Hunt and the two bassists, by the way, do a great job on the whole album. From dance-inflected swing beats up to free colouring, funky grooves, rock to free pulse playing... The two encores are a nice (but actually not extremely necessary) addition. A lyrical tune, and another groove thing, they show the spectrum of NRG very well. Now once again, what strikes me most is that out of all these sometimes rather disparate influences, styles, components, comes a really great sound/band concept - and NOT a ecclecticism merging and melting together on a superficial level the parts of the puzzle. In some way, this is a post-modern album in the best sense. Not a "great narration" (although it is that, too, of course!), but a quizzical, comical, earnest, happy, sad, joyous, jumping, grooving, loud and often funny piece. ubu

This sums it up pretty well... ... though I picked up all her discs... I did like "Love scenes" when it came out, but it has been a long time since I last heard it. Then her first two records (the ones before the Cole) are quite good in my opinion. And I have to confess I do like some things on the one following Love scenes (can't remember the title of that), the first "diva" one. The strings one is pretty lame (though she does a pretty "Cry me a river"), but the live disc is another quite good one. ubu

quite good at least, I'd say! I like it a lot! The line up of this date and yes, Lon, the sound, is quite unique. Then, the whole vibe is not as commercial as on the (wonderful, in my opinion) Fat Albert Rotunda. And Johnny Coles, Garnett Brown and Joe Henderson are a great frontline, too! ubu

Yeah! And besides I might add that her liner notes to the Revenge set really deserve an award! A box of all that material would sure be great. But this would be some 15 or 20 discs, I think! ubu

John, the 4CD box "At Birdland 1950-1951 Volume 1" (got it recently) was also released as two 2CD sets, as far as I know. So maybe you saw volume two of this? ubu

Thanks for this, PDEE! I will have to get a closer look at that Savoy set and compare with your list! ubu

What's the best deal to get the box in Europe? Amazon France has it for 60 Euros. Cheaper than that anywhere? ubu

Claude, SWR2 usually has bi-weekly jazz live broadcasts on thursdays. Usually they broadcast stuff they recorded themselves (the so-called "SWR Jazz Sessions"), but now they have started a series called something like "From the SWR (actually SWF and SDR) Archives". The first in the series was an hommage to Albert Mangelsdorff, then came a Brubeck quartet date from the eighties (with Bill Smith) and now comes Mingus. In between they feature some new stuff. I think you get archivals once a month and new stuff once a month. Find more here: http://www.swr.de/swr2/sendungen/jazz/index.html ubu

Yes, I do have several recordings of this tour (the two Enjas, the 3LP thing from Amsterdam, a very cheap CD from Oslo, the Revenge set... and the "Great Concert" has recently been reissued, too). This is what I found on the Stuttgard concert: Source: http://webusers.siba.fi/~eonttone/mingus/1964.html So the upcoming broadcast will contain maximum half of what was recorded that night... And poor king ubu will have to hunt down those LPs nevertheless... ubu

Well, I looked at the Savoy 3CD issue (Odyssey or something), and at the Proper box. This raises some questions. I do own the RCA 2CD set (and consider it essential), and the Bird 8CD Savoy/Dial etc. box. Now: are the Dizzy sessions included in the Savoy box complete? Or are there tracks missing? As I get it, the Proper does not have any of the DeeGee stuff of the Savoy. Is this music worthwile? The Musicraft dates are also in the Savoy box? (The May 15, June 10, and July 9, 1946 dates) Somehow it seems I could pick up the Savoy thing and disregard the Properbox, but the Proper does include the Manor date (Jan 9, 1945) and the Dial session (Feb 6, 46) as well as two tracks released on Phoenix and Guild respectively (Feb 9, 1945). What's the best way to get all this music? Chronological Classics? thanks for clarifications / recommendations! ubu

This might be of interest to our german (and swiss - hell, I love talking to myself...) friends: This concert is available on some bootleg, but it's certainly nice to hear it again (or, as in my case, hear it for the very first time), in what might be the best possible sound quality. It seems they play LPs in their recently started "Archives"-series, but usually, it's in quite good quality! ubu

I cannot tell you, but I know I'll have it before it goes OOP! ubu

TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! ... ubu

TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! TEE NAH! Another lucky owner of the Mosaic! (Found one two or three years ago, not too expansive. Is that discography inside really including ALL there is from TEE NAH!?) The Hubbard is a real good one. Then the stuff he made with Kenny Burrell, and also don't forget the Freddie Redd date and all the stuff he made with Jimmy Smith! ubu

For me it's Miles Smiles, with The Sorcerer, ESP and the Berlin concert close behind. Though I do not know any broadcasts of the second quintet - I would certainly love to hear some of it! The mood on the Berlin tracks is great if you ask me. Plugged Nickel is beyond category, for me. And I have to admit that I don't know the music on those 8 CDs very well. I could hardly tell the different sets... gotta listen again! ubu

I know there was no Miles-Moreau story, but I love those pictures nevertheless! You don't get photos taken from one of your favorite jazz musician with one of your favorite film star that often, do you? ubu

Very well said, SEK! I never had a problem getting access to Russell's music. It strikes me as some of the funniest, weirdest, grooviest stuff around! Hope you have fun with the Finnish/Swiss album, as well! I have that one, too. Somehow though I prefer Story - I think it's the more rock-like stuff on Finnish/Swiss which makes me like it a little less (I never could relate to rock that much - with exceptions of course; going to see Bob Dylan next week once again...) What strikes me most about Russell is that he does not care about "genres" of "styles", and yet his music still never get ecclectic. It's more like he collects all his influences, the re-shapes everything along his own premises, and the outgrowth of this is a highly individualistic, and completely "new" musical universe. And then he's quite a player, too! Gary, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Keep the comments coming! Matthew, John B? I have very little time to listen right now, but I hope to give some more personal comments on the weekend. ubu

I don't care about the sound that much, as none of this music was readily available before... Can anyone comment on the Brook Benton and Frank D'rone releases? Never heard of these two (men & albums)! ubu

That's what I was afraid of... I will look for them! Thanks! ubu

Starting with this one??? cool, sure B) Hell, what's Miles got to do with that?! Was he ... there?!? Holy cow! ubu

yes! I know an even better pic, but cannot find it online! YOU are the picture-wizard, EKE, you try to find some more! (Maybe we could stard a Miles-Jeanne-thread?) ubu

and dig once more? (all off topic, but such nice pics,... I'm sure no one gets mad about that!) ubu

dig?

Have fun with these! Some good ones, you have picked up! Don't forget to add the other Donald Byrd disc to your list. They both come from the same concert - and I love them! Walter Davis and Bobby Jaspar are great musicians, whose fame could be a little wider spread in my opinion. The Clarke, Criss and Thomas are favorites of mine. There's a second one by Thomas, and as a companion to the Criss, look at Saxophones at Saint-Germain des Pres. That one has tracks by Criss, Hubert Fol and Michel de Villers - the Fol tracks are sublime! ubu

Thanks for the Song X . Just added it to an open order on amazon Germany. Costs me 8.5 Euros, no shipping. Not bad! ubu