A Lark Ascending

As I recall they were primarily known for their music which was distinctive and different from other bands of the time (and, to my ears at least, music that still repays listening to whether for pure enjoyment or nostalgic reasons). They also had distinctive sleeves. I'm not sure all the extra gimmicks began until around '73. Well, doesn't the cover count as packaging? I'd go for some vintage live releases, from the Meddle/Atom Heart Mother/Obscured by Clouds era. I'm not going for any of these rereleases unless they come down in price, but I don't object to them. Of course the cover counts as packaging. And can often be a major part of the experience - the cover of Atom Heart Mother is etched on my brain. I'm just a bit cynical about the reissue business that invents all manner of brick-a-brack as a way of appealing to the collector mentality that we all possess in one form or another. I just think it's a pity that the energy that goes into a project like this (reassembling what is essentially a relatively small body of music) into a new format is not used elsewhere - either bringing back other music that is lying languishing or in supporting new music. But as I said before, I'm sure they've done the sums. From a supply and demand point of view this obviously makes sense - and the sort of prices being quoted must be sustainable. A small box of live material, without having to get the studio albums again, would have interested me. Especially pre-album release when the music was morphing into shape. A couple of the reissues seem to have an 'Experience' edition with a live other disc. But the DSotM one is a '76 concert. I'd imagine that would be a run through the album rather than the reaching towards the finished article you might get from a 72 recording.

My usual summer detective binge: Very much enjoyed the last two - one based on the Norfolk coast, the other in Cambridge (though not the posh college side). Also another Kate Atkinson whose books I really love. Quirky sense of humour: And my big history book of the summer, a very good overview of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars: The naval bits of which (alongside a trip to the 'Victory' in Portsmouth) made me read: A series I first read as a 14 year old, 40 years ago. Enjoyed it thoroughly - will try and read through the series again.

My thoughts, too. Though I've no wish to deprive the airwaves of what I believe is a non-mainstream station. Maybe a BBC 7, 8 or whatever (I'm sure no-one would miss one of the local phone in/classic pop stations that make Radio 1 sound innovative!). Apart from anything else it would allow the BBC to boast of its wider commitment to serving a broad spectrum of taste, without having to interfere with the stations its heart is in. No chance, of course, in the current climate.

Jazz does have a certain cache in the UK as a sign of 'sophistication' - think of how the word alone or the image of the smoky jazz club is used in marketing. I just think the BBC traditionally saw its role as upholding 'culture' but had a very narrow view of what that meant (yet within classical music it has always been prepared to support new music and the avant garde, often at the expense of more conservative music). Until the 70s it almost seemed as if it was doing 'popular' music against its will, maybe hoping that it could ultimately ween the audience off pop and onto the 'serious' stuff. Sometime in the 70s it became or was forced to become much more commercially aware and it has responded to a market driven musical agenda with equal enthusiasm. I don't think it 'hates' jazz (or folk, country, blues etc). It's just that there have never been enough enthusiasts/advocates at the higher executive levels to treat it as music with as much validity as classical music. I love the idea of the BBC as a public service broadcasting service with a duty to serve a broad range of taste and to help to keep the wider musical world well fed by constantly bringing to the forefront music that would not get noticed if the market alone was at work. The BBC does the latter for classical magnificently; I just think the sort of person who makes it to the upper echelons of the BBC assumes they are doing their bit for jazz if they commission something from Richard Rodney Bennett. All the more reason to celebrate the work of people like Alyn Shipton, Jez Nelson, Geoffrey Smith (who is much underused - seems like a typical chirpy presenter on JRR but if you hear him talking freely about jazz he's fascinating) today - and, as we've said many times before here, the likes of Humph, Peter Clayton, Brian Morton and Charles Fox in the past. The other mistake the BBC (and UK broadcasting more generally) makes is requiring a 'personality' to hang programmes on. Think of how we've had jazz programmes presented by Clare Martin, Jamie Cullum, Courtney Pine (though, thankfully, not Alan Titchmarsh yet!). It's that strange idea that people will not listen unless its a celebrity. Maybe they are right (I'm sure they've done the market research). But my model for a good presenter is someone who is an enthusiast for the music first and foremost - the John Peel approach. Side thought. The most recent Jazz Library on NHOP that Bill mentioned earlier is well worth a listen. I heard bits of it in a carpart in the pouring rain gazing at the Atlantic last week. Listened again yesterday and was very taken by both the man and the music played. Made me download three NHOP albums!

As I recall they were primarily known for their music which was distinctive and different from other bands of the time (and, to my ears at least, music that still repays listening to whether for pure enjoyment or nostalgic reasons). They also had distinctive sleeves. I'm not sure all the extra gimmicks began until around '73. Clearly there isn't an actual problem - as with the endless Miles repackaging the marketing people have clearly done their work and decided they can resell this by the bucketload in new packaging with 'extra material' and a promised sonic upgrade. I'm just a bit dubious that this is much more than a way of EMI (or whoever owns them) realising its assets. I'd be interested in hearing one or two live shows from the pre DSotM days (I recall hearing a radio broadcast of some of Meddle just before the album release - be interesting to hear that). But not interested enough to pay a fortune for a bunch of alternative mixes and outtakes alongside. I've still never heard 'Animals' and will probably get that...but as a download! [i'm not purist on this - have been picking up the King Crimson 40th Anniversary sets as earlier releases were a bit flat soundwise. The Pink Floyd CDs I have sound fine.)

From Jeff Schwartz e-book on Ayler: The group's appearance on British TV had seemed jinxed from the start, as problems with their accommodations had forced the musicians to wander the streets of London, where they could not be reached by the anxious producers. When the two half-hour programs were recorded, the music contained an absolute minimum of improvisation. Even a purely thematic recital must have been too much for 1966 England. Shocked programming executives ordered it destroyed, though bootleg audio (and possibly video) copies of this continuous half-hour piece may exist. No traces of the images and the sounds (a BBC broadcast) seem to have surfaced yet! The BBC, as a corporation, has never given a great deal of attention to jazz of any sort. In the 60s they could deal with highbrow and middle of the road pop but even rock caused them problems. They have no problem with rock/pop now (they understand commerce) or classical (fits in with their concept of 'culture'); but anything in between... Having said that there have been a string of individual advocates over the years who seem to have kept the flag flying. Agree with sidewinder on this. BBC4 does what BBC2 was originally intended to do. But when decisions are based on bean counting... Clearly documentaries about music like jazz can't compete with 'A Day in the Life of a Dinner Lady' programmes.

Can't imagine there's any conspiracy against Ayler. We could spend all day listing who is missing. No Bill Evans...yet. The programme has only been going since 2007 and appears in batches rather than every week. Often the subjects are based on people currently on tour in the UK - they are often recorded with an audience at jazz festivals or concerts. I don't think there's any system for working through 'the greats'. Not sure how they decide the programmes where a current musician talks about an older one. Probably nothing more than finding someone willing to talk about a musician they particularly admire. Alyn Shipton is unlikely to have anything against Ayler - he's a very receptive writer and broadcaster across the whole spectrum of jazz. Plenty of Ayler references in his 'A New History of Jazz'. Note this Jazz Library programme on Henry Grimes: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kksny (not on the alphabetical list. Probably to do with gaining permission - the Mike Westbrook programme is absent too). The full list of the programmes broadcast is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006x41z/episodes Wonderfully eclectic - from the Art Ensemble to Australian Jazz. Lets hope the missing ones appear in time. What is the story behind the BBC's treatment of Ayler? I'd imagine it was part of a general lack of receptivity to free/New Thing jazz. Though I'd be surprised it Charles Fox didn't play him on his Jazz Today programme. (Incidentally, I recall the programme on Hank Mobley being especially good. Dave Gelly was able to use his saxophonist experience to talk about Mobley's qualities without dumbfounding the technically illiterate listener).

I see Dutton Vocalion have just started putting things on iTunes (both domestically and internationally). Only a few so far but hopefully all will eventually be downloadable. iTunes available so far: http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/products.asp?cat=396 The broader British catalogue: http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/products.asp?cat=366 This label has been doing in recent years what Lyrita used to do - exploring the off-road footpaths of British classical music. Mainly late-19thC to mid 20thC but also some contemporary music (not yet up for download). I'd strongly recommend their David Matthews series - contemporary classical that is neither austerely avant-garde nor orchestral pop. Should appeal to many who like their Mahler or Sibelius. They also do vintage British jazz (discussed elsewhere) and bucket loads of 'light' music and nostalgia. Hopefully some of the former can come out this way too. They do delete recordings so maybe this will allow them to do a Chandos and make everything permanently available.

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet. I just noticed a large number of these programmes are now available to listen to online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazz/jazzlibrarya-z.shtml Some excellent interviews there. The BBC have always hung back from this on the grounds of licencing of the recorded music - maybe they've got round it or have sliced out the musical examples. It's always seemed a shame such programmes are around for a week or so and then vanish unless repeated. Be good to see the mammoth History of Jazz series they did 10 years or more back repeated. Can this be accessed outside the UK? [These programmes are either interviews with the musicians themselves or with other musicians with a particular love of the subject]

Agree with you totally - 'Lizard' and 'Islands' are my favourite KC records. Quite unlike what went before or came after (and I love both) and very much studio creations. I think part of the reason they have found it hard to gain long term acceptance is that Fripp himself dismissed them. Steve Wilson has written some wonderfully positive reappraisals. Back in 71/72 those two records played a big part in opening my ears to the thornier side of British jazz. Tippett's piano - often more grand romantic than he usually plays, sometimes spiky and abstract - was a major reason why (along with Marc Charig's trumpet). Tippett was invited to join KC full time. Wonder where that would have led? Can't imagine two such individualists lasting together for very long!

I've never been attracted to Liszt's music and haven't (consciously) heard Lang Lang. That cover puts off the day when I listen to either into a distant future. Looks like an advert for coffee!

He must be very old!

Seems that Mars is more Philip Glass than Gustav Holst!

Beautiful. Expect Omar Shariff to appear in a haze in the distance any second. Bet there are already 'entrepreneurs' assessing its viability as a site for a brand new casino city.

Teignmouth Drewsteignton St. Ives Totnes Now there's a tour schedule. Makes a change from the usual tour schedule by most US jazz stars: London!

I noticed that Electric Eden is now available in normal (i.e sensible!) paperback size: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electric-Eden-Unearthing-Britains-Visionary/dp/0571237533/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1313431616&sr=8-2 Must be selling. It was up front on display in a number of book shops I visited over the last couple of weeks.

I'll be after that one, mjazzg. I've been mesmerised by Tippett since first hearing him splash all over King Crimson's 'Cat Food'. Remember seeing a very wonderful Tippett Octet performance in the 80s (the group that were recorded for 'A Loose Wind...'

They are playing St. Ives this Tuesday. Typically, I was in St. Ives last Tuesday! Thought about staying on but it would have meant a mad dash on the Wednesday to be ready to receive and process A Level results. Hope those of you who get to see the orchestra have an excellent time.

A recent death that slipped by me - Mike Waterson: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jun/22/mike-waterson-obituary Don't see any banners advertising Waterson's records on iTunes! Very sad to see him pass. A highly distinctive singer from a highly influential group. (Only vaguely connected with Fairport/Pentangle but couldn't think where else to mention it). Here he is, groomed for stardom.

Oh yes! Not sure where I stuck those. On an LP case, I suspect. When I was going to see my parents in Germany during university holidays I used to carry one of these, stuffed with as many albums as possible, on the ferry going over and back. The case in my other hand had about two shirts, a change of underwear and a pair of jeans. The iPod generation just don't know how lucky they are!

Strangely I can't remember the stickers. In my memory I bought DSoTM and King Crimson's 'Lark's Tongues in Aspic' in the same week (a huge outlay in those days for a 17 year old on pocket money!). But Wikipedia says the first came out on 1st March, the second on 23rd. Given how eagerly I was awaiting LTiA (I'd seen the band the previous November and made a second visit sometime during March) I can't imagine I'd have waited!

Well given that when it came out in March 1973 it was filled with all manner of rubbish - postcards, a poster I seem to recall - I don't suppose I should be surprised.

Oh look! That's not all: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004ZNACA6/ref=s9_simh_gw_p15_d0_i3?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=06WPXBCNED7XYFJ9SAMY&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294 Includes one of Dave Gilmour's plectrum's, perhaps? And: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wish-Were-Here-Immersion-Boxset/dp/B004ZNAUVW/ref=pd_bxgy_m_h__img_c Personally, I'm saving up for the eagerly anticipated John Cage 4'33 boxset. Runs to about 200 discs, each one with a performance in one of the countries of the world, each in its own individual digi-pack sleeve. They've only just got the South Sudan disc in the can. Rumour has it they're waiting on Palestine.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Side-Moon-Immersion-Boxset/dp/B004ZNARH4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311597905&sr=8-1 Anyone who buys these deserves to have their voice added to the sound effects on the album! Or for US customers: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Side-Moon-Immersion-Box/dp/B004ZNARH4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311598336&sr=8-1 A snip at $127.06 And it's only 2011. What on earth will they pull out of the hat for the 40th anniversary in 2013? A version actually remixed on the dark side of the moon! A version with enhanced, computer generated Syd Barrett vocals?

Enjoyed him very much live in the context of the Mingus BB. I have a couple of his albums - enjoyable but they don't rush back to the CD player.