Alexander Hawkins

Joe G's got a point I'm ashamed for forgetting Conf'rence of the Birds

That's what I would have recommended if I were in a better mood this morning !

Increasingly, Virgin have a little 'avant-garde' stuff in - a few HatHuts, Black Saints, Tzadiks, etc...but vibe? None, it's true. Ronnie Scotts has sold out with its new management (although was on the way down previously, probably), and its booking policy is an absolute disgrace. I'd say boycott it, but there'd be no point - there's hardly any musicians there anyway, and you have to pay an outrageous amount to get in on the door (how's £40-£50 strike you?). But there you go - the corporate pound was too alluring (silly me for thinking it was about the music). So by and large, I'd say Ronnie's is a joke (admittedly, there's still the off-chance you might catch something nice). [Rant over ] Agree with the 606, and especially the Vortex. If you're in on the 8th March, for example, Evan Parker's at the Vortex with Paul Rutherford, John Edwards, and Tony Marsh. If you're into the free improvisation end of things, the Klinker is an institution - can be exceedingly 'out', in a very British way. Similarly, 'Free Radicals' at the Red Rose often has some very fine improv.

Shhh it's oh so still Unless it's one by Roscoe Turn it off now please

If you mean the one I mentioned, I would say (IMHO of course) that the guide is emphatically wrong. I think Crispell is phenomenal on it.

Just listening to the edition of Marian McPartland's 'Piano Jazz' with Amina, and there's some great playing here too! (And as you say, she comes across as extremely likeable)

I'm not famiiar with too much under her own name, but love 'Live in Berlin' on Soul Note - an awesome quartet with Billy Bang, Peter Kowald, and John Betsch. Very Cecil-esque in spots. My favourite Crispell is probably with the Braxton quartet though...check out Birmingham, London and Coventry (all on Leo) from the 1985 UK tour.

A little - it explains how the funding bodies broke down with AIR north of the river, and BAG south. The focus is BAG, but he makes it clear that the two organisations did 'get along', by and large, and were often thought of as one and the same etc.

Rooster - FWIW, the author of those AAJ articles is also the author of the book!

It's interesting...it clearly had its birth as an academic piece, but is readable (especially the second half) nonetheless. Doubtless some of this is due to references being endnotes (hence the script not being constantly interrupted with Harvard cites)... He comes across as passionate about the subject, and extremely thorough (it's a shame that he came along too late to interview Hemphill, however, and that Lake presumably turned him down for an interview). This thoroughness has a few unfortunate consequences for readability - there are several pages which are pretty heavy going if only for being so heavily laced with acronyms of various community groups etc. Some of it depends on what you expect from a 'jazz book', as well. It is very much a sociological piece, which IMHO any history such as this has to be. It is short on musicology, but doesn't present itself as musicological - and it does provide the vital context which any realistic musicology must have. Looker is also dutiful in not ignoring the theatrical/visual art elements of the collective, whilst acknowledging that music remained its dominant strain. If you think it's a fascinating scene (and who's going to disagree), I wouldn't imagine you regretting the read!

Any more readers since a couple of years ago? I finished this book this morning. I might try to write a full review if I have the chance - I think it's a great piece of work, and completely fascinating.

Great stuff. However, I think the polyrhythms only kick in if you accidentally play both clips at once, which happened first time I tried...Otherwise first is funky, second almost reggae, but with a Meters thing...

I think it's extraordinary, although I know lots of people are unsure...The 'thinking aloud' aspect of the thing is fascinating IMHO. But for me, Rollins is such a giant that even listening to him 'struggle' in a musical setting is of interest. But I don't think he's 'struggling' here, in any real sense. It's interesting (perhaps not surprising, though?) that Sonny worries standards for a lot of his improvisation here, rather than going 'free'.

Cecil? Muhal?

Have you tried here?

Yes - wrong, IMHO! [p.s. Not being sarky - just in a rush now!]

Apparently so...

Peter Evans is awesome, from what I've heard! Has a solo one out on Evan's label, Psi.

A couple of months ago, Taylor Ho Bynum gave me a copy of an album he did with Matana - with Thomson Kneeland on bass, and Tomas Fujiwara on drums - Matana's 'The Calling' on Utech Records. This is a live club recording - so I don't know how you'd find it comparing to the Sticks and Stones records, Larry? - and I really, really like it. The first thing that strikes me is Matana's tone - distinctive, highly vocal, and completely beautiful. The repertoire is also interesting - they finish with 'Do you know what it means (to miss New Orleans)' - (apparently the date was very shortly after the catastrophe). They also do 'My Man', and a Ra tune. I would definitely recommend this if you can find a copy - all four members play fantastically well. One of the best things I heard last year. [Thinking of female AACM associated musicians, I'll bet Matana and Nicole Mitchell would sound wonderful together.]

Usually? Would that were the case in the UK as well...

It's true that to cite the string of albums wouldn't be accurate evidence of any hard bop proclivities - but I don't think that's what anyone has said...I think people have only suggested that they [subjectively, of course] prefer Morgan's playing in more hard bop-ish sessions. It's of course true that he's on Larry Young stuff, Grachan stuff, etc. That said, I don't know that Search for the New Land is particularly progressive..? I also think that 'Sidewinder' is not necessarily the paradigm of hard bop, so to say he felt semi-trapped by it is interesting, but I don't know how much it bears on the thesis that he sounded most comfortable in hard bop surroundings. In fact, even if it were a hard bop paradigm, I think it'd still be a consistent position to say that he sounded comfortable in hard bop, notwithstanding that he felt semi trapped by it!

Sorry - more precisely (since I've no idea what he felt, other than what Bertrand posted, and that goes completely to the contrary!) - that he sounded somewhat ill at ease.

I enjoy Morgan on MS and Evolution, but I do have some sympathy for this point of view:

Really looking forward to these. Is 'Spirit Catcher' the harp date?