A Lark Ascending

I saw that band at a concert at the Crystal Palace Bowl in London that Summer...a sort of Lilliputian version of the Lost Angeles Bowl! Great concert from what I recall. Steeleye Span too. And Steve Harley who I didn't much care for!

Of course they do! No, but it doesn't hurt. Thank's John. I'm glad to know being American doesn't hurt. And even gladder to know that being dead isn't going to hurt!

Do mean to suggest that great jazz artists are not worthy of the same enshrinement bestowed on sports heroes? OK. Do sports personalities need a hall of fame? One other question. Do you have to be dead and American to be in a hall of fame? Sorry. I'm a history teacher who doesn't like museums!

I've got an Epsom Photo 830U that I use alot. It does everything I need. Getting much cheaper compatible ink cartridges is easier with a big name like Epsom or Canon. I've never used the real thing!

Do we have to have a jazz hall of fame?

An excellent release. This is music I've never heard before - apart from the track Dusk Fire on the Impressed compilation (and the live versions on the 'Live in London (Not!)" disc. I came to jazz in the 70s and started to imbibe the Brit stuff from there. This is Brit-Jazz Prehistory to me. The first album seems to me to be pretty standard UK musicians trying to absorb American methods. But the 'Dusk Fire' disc really takes flight. I'm struck by Rendell's sound - in places I can hear where Art Themen was coming from. I look forward to the next instalments! And pray that the Garrick solo discs follow. What I've heard on Impressed and on the radio from Garrick's solo stuff has been very 'impressive'. Volume II of Impressed due out next week!

First of a 3 part series on Evan Parker went out on BBC Radio 3 tonight. Parker talking about his own music and life. You can hear part 1 here for the next week: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazz/jazzfile.shtml Part 2 goes out next Saturday at 6.00 UK time.

I share your enthusiasm. But rather than pick him out as 'one of the best' I prefer to see him as just one example of the enormous talent and creativity coming from Europe these days; and one of many reasons why I feel jazz in the world in general is as exciting, moving and creative as it's ever been.

Stanko is on the verge of being famous in Europe! I saw a reference to 'Suspended Night' having gained a gold disc within its first month on AAJ!!!! Not sure how accurate that is but I'd love to believe it. It has certainly generated more than the usual interest in the UK press. A beautiful, beautiful album. The third variation is incredibly haunting. When I first played the CD I immediately recognised it from when I saw Stanko last year. It really is fantastic to see Stanko doing so well. I wonder how long it's going to be before someone in the press breaks the spell and declares him overrated!

An interesting (and well balanced) reaction. I think alot of this comes from the different 'triggers' in music we associate with emotion. People who associate jazz primarily with a blues base often find music lacking its triggers hard to warm to. I think that's the reason why ECM gets such a a hard time in some quarters - much of the music performed on the label operates from a different set of triggers - as does most European jazz in general. Liebman and Beirach both strike me as musicians who have taken a few steps back from blues-based jazz in order to do something else (not something better, just something different). I'm a great fan of Beirach's piano/violin/bass recordings on ACT which I could imagine sounding very cold to some ears. I find them very moving. I'm listening for different triggers that equate with emotion. As a kid I never cared for blues or soul music. It sounded overwrought, forced, hysterical to my ears. It's something I've had to learn to love over the decades. It's a bit like language in general. Certain words in English immediately trigger emotional connections. A non-English speaking Finn will hear none of that. Which is why I alway think reviewers need to be cautious condemning music for being emotionless, soulless or whatever. They might just lack the language to hear it.

Ellington and Monk clearly. But how about Kenny Wheeler!

There's a wealth of information about Liebman here: http://www.upbeat.com/lieb/ He's also touring in the States at present: March: dates with Jurgen Friedrich trio in Germany; tour in Spain with drummer Guillermo McGill; Carnegie Hall Jazz Workshop, New York City; appearances on East Coast with the Dave Liebman Group including New Haven Lounge in Baltimore; the Opera House in Jim Thorpe, PA; Deer Head Inn, Delaware Water Gap, PA; One Step Plaza, Peekskill, NY; duo with Phil Markowitz at Manhattan School of Music; Washington Heights Synagogue, NYC; quartet with Markowitz, Jay Anderson and drummer Gene Jackson at Porters, NYC April: with Dave Liebman Group at Birdland, NYC; Ryles, Cambridge,MA; Vermont Jazz Center, Brattleboro,VT; European tour with Steve Swallow and Adam Nussbaum. I think I'm drawn to the duo album with Marc Copland Bookends and the unknown Jobim record at present.

What a small world we live in, Simon. I recall Nico doing "Deutschland, Deutschland Uber Alles"...very strange!

With the forthcoming Select approaching, Liebman is likely to have a high profile in the world of jazz fandom. What available recordings get a high recommendation? And anyone know what happened to the rest of 'The Elements' suite. I was listening to and enjoying 'Water' today in the car. Any plans for Earth, Air and Fire? Does the Arkadia label still exist? Its website doesn't seem to have been updated for a year.

Nice!

I went to the Rainbow a couple of times. I saw King Crimson there in late 1973; and I was at the Kevin Ayers/John Cale/Eno/Nico concert in 1974 that eventually became a quite well known LP.

Maybe we might get a James Newton select if the Adams/Pullen and Liebman/Beirach are felt marketable? I recall someone back on the BNBB saying that Cuscuna had said there was virtually no chance of the BN Newton's getting a reissue. As far as I know there are only two - 'African Flower' (which I have) and 'Romance and Revolution' (which I don't). Is that enough for a Select? Is there more music available to BN from other labels? A distant wish.

Hello Goodspeak. Nice to see you too. We've just had storms: 1. My fence blew down on Friday night. Damn! I'll have to hold a Chinese Fence Building Party to get it straight! 2. Walking through Nottingham on Saturday an opticians sign blew off its post and crashed to the ground behind me, five seconds after I'd walked past the spot! 3. Got to the school I work at this morning to find the roof had blown off the PE facilities. What's going on. England is supposed to be temperate!

I love 'Sticky Fingers'. Great songs, great performances. And "Can you hear me knocking" has a fabulous extended guitar section. I really like the two before but just find a few tracks on both don't grab me. "Exile" is great too though more blurred to my ears. (Before and) After that my Stones listening is just the singles.

Can anyone remember which Dr Who fought one of these back in the 70s?

Yes, this is good news. I have a couple of these on LP that I bought after being wowed by the Mingus 'Changes' discs. Great records.

Is that Glen Campbell I hear....

I have it on an LP bought in 1977. Then I bought a CD version in the mid 90s. A few years back I replaced it with the single disc remastered version with the second 'Flamenco Sketches' version. I love the whole album...still my desert island disc. I find it hard to choose between 'Blue in Green' and 'Flamenco Sketches'. My choice of those two says a fair bit about my musical taste!

It's been dreadful in the UK. After a few years when spring sprung in mid-February we've only just had a glimmer this week. I spent yesterday marching 14-15 year olds round a pile of old stones...sorry one of our cultural treasures...in drizzle and cold! Give me Phoenix. PS - I've just finished off a bottle of Fuller's ESB and a bottle of Young's Special London Ale. Very nice and mellow Friday night. Bet you don't get them in Phoenix.

Sorry! Didn't check the picture!