Alexander Hawkins

Thanks for the kind comments everyone! Ah...yes...so - some copies did exist in print in 2011; but official release was April this year...slightly convoluted story - but so much to say: you're not imagining things!!!

John - wow; thank you so much for the tip off...I'm flattered !

Some I've really enjoyed have been: Henry Threadgill - Tomorrow Sunny/The Revelry, Spp. (Pi Recordings) Wadada Leo Smith - Ten Freedom Summers (Cuneiform) Marilyn Crispell/Mark Dresser/Gerry Hemingway - Play Braxton (Tzadik) Blue Notes - Before the Wind Changes (Ogun) Chris McGregor - In His Good Time (Ogun) Hafez Modirzadeh - Post-Chromodal Out! (Pi Recordings)

Just thought I'd share this, where there's an opportunity to hear a track from the album...very kindly hosted by the folks at Destination Out (which I'm sure most here do read, but for any unaware - always WELL worth the time!).

Thank you everyone

If anyone's interested, I'm really proud that the release date for my duo album - 'Keep Your Heart Straight' - with Louis Moholo-Moholo is tomorrow! It's available on Amazon, Dusty Groove, etc. etc... It's a mix of things...several free improvisations, as well as some nice compositions...Prelude to a Kiss, If I Should Lose You, Mackay Davashe's 'Lakutshon'Ilanga', and - a favourite of mine from Spirits Rejoice - Amexesha Osizi (Times of Sorrow). ..anyway, it'd be great if anyone felt like checking it out! As I say, I'm very proud of it...a real honour to get to record with one of my heroes. There'll be some more gigs next year too, so will keep you posted...

Ubu - actually, wasn't thinking, but yes - we're doing a show at the Basel Jazz Festival in a couple of weeks...are you around?

Are you there until 5th Dec by any chance? I'm playing with Mulatu Astatke in Luxembourg that evening (details here)...

YES!!! I love that record.

:rofl:

Haha! I'll trade you, and start using 'subbing'!

David - got to tell you - Marshall and the Arkestra were AMAZING..! (Knoel Scott...sheesh!!!)

Thanks for the kind comments Adrian!

You said it! :tup

Thanks everyone for the kind words! Bev - really interesting you should single out the cymbals - as we mixed it, that was one of my first comments to the engineers - how beautifully they captured the cymbals. NIS - I really appreciate it, thank you. I know the feeling, budget-wise: that said, I'd really recommend the entire album... Allen - I would dearly love to...sadly visas to the US are phenomenally difficult to get...I think a festival gig is the only real solution, so I should get on the case...

Just 'upping' one last time - the music disappears from the 'Listen Again' in about 12 hours

Yes, definitely this Autumn - I think at the moment it's looking like late October/early November!

Really kind - cheers Adrian!

Yes - indeed, same band, but now with violin - I just felt it needed one more voice! Re that title - if you scroll down here, they've actually pinned some notes I wrote for the session when we were producing it...there's a Greenland connection, but I think it's fair to say you're not missing anything obvious p.s. if anyone can still be tempted to have a listen - it's still available online here until Monday night - then, to paraphrase Mr Dolphy, it's 'gone in the air'...

Great - thanks! Yeah, Dylan's violin can do that

Just upping this in case anyone can be persuaded to listen - the broadcast starts in just under 40 minutes (listen online here) - and should then be available to listen for 7 days afterwards at the same link...please enjoy

Hi Bev - yes - thank you for plugging it! I'm really proud of the session...it'd be really great if anyone felt like checking it out. There's around an hour's music, and a short interview. And available on iPlayer for the remainder of the week!

Beautiful - thanks for sharing! I think that horn case in picture 1 is the exact same one he was carrying round up until the last...looks very much like the one I can picture him always turning up with!

A nice clip of Howard's trio...

Really gutted that Lol has gone...I never played with him at all regularly, but it was always an absolute honour to do so when it did happen. I did a number of freely improvised gigs with him, but probably my fondest memories are of a couple of gigs where we played standards...Lol had a sense of a tune like no-one else - he *knew* melody...a little bit like with Lacy (I don't mean to make a facile comparison simply based on the horn; and after all - Lol played plenty of others in earlier years) - he had a manner which was at once oblique and completely pared-down and direct. And a more down to earth guy you could not wish to meet. He's missed.