A Lark Ascending

I'm really looking forward to this one. Most of Stan's output in recent years has been standards and well known jazz tunes. My favourite period of his is the 70s and early 80s when he was writing lots of his own stuff. It will be good to hear him in this rather different context.

I think I was overly influenced by 'The Time Tunnel' as an 11 year old!

I love 'Stupidly Happy.' Makes me feel I'm 14! But then I like 'Shiney Happy People' so what do I know!

The lack of Tony Coe on disc is very sad. He is equally comfortable performing in a 'mainstream' style as in a more challenging environment. I would very much like to see his 70s disc, 'Zeitgeist', out again which falls in the latter category. I saw him a few years back open the Cheltenham Festival with a marvellous extended piece for large jazz band. No sign of it on record! Such a pity. One plus - his 70s disc, "Coexistence", has just been reissued. A very nice, mainstream disc. Similar to the Zephyrs. One UK tenor/soprano player to look out for is Iain Ballamy. He came out of a very fertile scene in the mid 80s surrounding a great big band (that term does them a disservice) called 'Loose Tubes'. He has a very distinctive tone, plays in a huge variety of contexts - a quartet called Anorak, in a collaboration with Norwegian musicians called 'Food' that moves into more avant-noise and electronic areas, in Django Bates various bands and in all sorts of other contexts. One of our best kept secrets. His recently released duo disc with accordion player Stian Carstensen, "The Little Radio", is a magical piece of totally distinctive music. Another marvellous sax player from the Loose Tubes school is Julian Arguelles. He's building up a wonderful set of recordings on the Provocateur label. New one due soon. Sorry. Gone right off topic!

The 2005 Grammys. Whilst there I would peruse the latest music magazines. On return I could: a) Go to the bookies and get some very good odds on next years winners. B) Make my predictions for what's going to matter in jazz next year and become revered as a pundit of incredible forsight. I'd just need to make sure I didn't go to the Grammys 2005 in 'real time'. Wouldn't want to meet myself.

Just out of interest, what are the 'vocals' that Mr. Coe is credited with on the Strauss disc? I've never heard him sing!

Thanks Geoff. Crazy Jazz are pretty good if a little slow. I'm sure they'll come through. The record's been out for a few decades. I think I can wait a little longer!

The 'Put the kettle on for tea' key. These are mandatory on all UK computers.

Now you've moved it!

Sorry, Dan. I accidentally deleted the post and reposted. So your response precedes the post now!

AAJ and Organissimo are like two pubs (or bars!) in the same street. One is rather upmarket and glitzy, has expansion plans, attracts alot of passing trade and yet has a few bunches of regulars who like to sit over their beers discussing their particular current obsessions - British jazz, Australian jazz, European jazz or whatever. The other is a bit like 'Cheers'. A closer community who tend to sit around the bar and slap one another on the back rather alot. Yet are equally welcoming of newcomers who come along a little less frequently. They're also very tolerant of the drunk in the corner singing 'Danny Boy' and shouting obscenities. They also have a great resident band! Some people feel happier in the first bar. Some feel happier in the second. Some like to drop into both. Both are likely to attract much needed interest to the neglected street they're on. Whatever pub we favour it's got to be better that we don't waste time and energy slagging off the other one!

I've had this on order from Crazy Jazz since before Xmas. The owner there says its proving hard to get hold of at present.

Cancer. The bio tells of Harriott drifting around the coutry, occasionally playing with local bands, sleeping on the sofas of friends and sympathetic acquaintances. He was eventually admitted to hospital where he died. It just sounds a very lonely end.

'Genius' is the CD made from Garrick's private collection. It came out a while back, disappeared but is back available once more. Movement is the follow-up to Abstract. Both Goode and Robertson describe it as a mixture of the free form and more conventional - a step back in their eyes (or ears!). ********* The point is made in both books that Harriott was ten years ahead of his time. I could just imagine him playing in the heart of the early 70s young Turk scene with Osborne, Moholo, Skidmore, Feza, Tippett, Charig and all the rest. I could imagine him in the Brotherhood of Breath. Sadly by the late 60s, according to both books, a mixture of illness, disillusion, lack of appreciation and loss of direction seemed to have set in. He is portrayed as a very private man who did not connect easily, perhaps preventing him from getting involved in the flourishing scene that was brewing in London at the time. Although he lived a bit longer he makes me think of people like Dolphy and Booker Little - great talents who never got to reach their potential.

You're quite right, Gary, though I missed that one. The Jazzscript site has noted for 2003: Friday 21st November Abstract - A Tribute to Joe Harriott, Purcell Room with Soweto Kinch, Byron Wallen, Andrew McCormack, Gary Crosby, Tom Skinner + special guests. The first half will feature a discussion with the author Alan Robertson of his new biography of Harriott, the second half, a star British quintet revisits Harriott's original music. Promoter: LJF with BBC Radio 3. 7.30 pm. Friday 21st November Soweto Kinch and Gary Crosby play in celebration of Joe Harriott Foyles, Charing Cross Road, London, 1.00-2.30 pm. Harriott is understandably a big hero to the marvellous generation of Afro-Caribbean musicians that have flowered in the UK in the last couple of decades. I've got the Kinsey recording (from 1957) playing at this moment. Beautiful stuff.

'Free Form' and 'Abstract' are the two discs that get most attention. They generated only limited interest in the UK (though 'Abstract' apparently became the first UK disc to get a 5 star Downbeat review) and he gradually returned to a more straight ahead approach. His recordings after Abstract are OOP but the consensus seems to be that they lack the fire of those two. He also appeared on several UK jazz recordings in the 60s - Michael Garrick's OOP records and the record by Amancio D'Silva. There's a great track from the latter on the 'Impressed' compilation. He was even on the 'Five Bridges Suite' by The Nice!!!! Anyone remember that one? He was involved in the jazz and poetry movement that was popular in the UK in the 60s - Garrick and Shake Keane were big enthusiasts of this. In the 50s he played a Parkerish bop style. There's a few recordings available of this - the recent Tony Kinsey 2CD from Vocalion has him in the latter's Quintet on the second disc 'Jazz at the Flamingo.' There's also a few 1954 tracks on the second Bop in Britain compilation. Michael Garrick has done a great deal to keep his memory alive. I think a relatively recent Harriott disc called 'Genius' is from Garrick's private tapes. I've not heard it. I'd advise starting with either 'Abstract' or 'Free Form'. On balance 'Abstract' first purely for the astonishing 'Modal.'

I don't care greatly for the Indo-Jazz Fusions myself. They seem to have an almost metronomic beat which gives the overall sound an inflexible feel. But in the context of their time they were certainly innovative. Groups like Shakti have done this with much greater subtlety subsequently. But I'd imagine McLaughlin was well aware of the Harriott-Mayer group. Possibly a source, though with all things eastern being in the air in the 60s it's hard to be sure. The Koch still exists. Very similar to the Redial. I would urge you to chase down "Abstract". There is a legendary piece on there called 'Modal' that was one of those accidents in the studio. The musicians started playing, someone said 'This sounds interesting, turn a tape on' and it just happened. Apart from the two very strong and distinctive horns (Harriott and Shake Keane) I think one of the things that makes these two discs so magical is the piano of Pat Smythe. Like Bill Evans on Kind of Blue he brings a semi-classical sensibility to the recording. There's a point during 'Modal' where he seems to move into Satie territory. I just think these two discs have a unique chemistry that makes them real treasures. And I'm not talking as a long time fan. I only bought them in the last few years and at first was little affected. But gradually they've sunk in to become two of my favourite discs.

There's an excellent new biography of Joe Harriott - 'Fire in his Soul' by Alan Robertson - that came out in the UK last year that some of you might find interesting. Take a look here: http://www.jazzscript.co.uk/books/harriottrobertson.htm A very moving story of a Caribbean musician in the UK from the 50s onwards taking him to the triumphs his great early 60s quintet and then the Indo-Jazz Fusion group; and then on to a very sad end. It had me playing "Free Form" and "Abstract" throughout January - quite magical discs. "Abstract" seems to be still in the shops but I havn't seen "Free Form" for a while. Pounce on both if you see them. I also bought Ken Vandermark's recording of Harriott tunes, "Straight Lines". Very enjoyable if very different in feel. There's also a short account of some of the major West Indian jazz musicians in the UK in the Sixties on the same site: http://www.jazzscript.co.uk/extra/art.yelbird.htm West Indian musicians and the South African exiles (the Blue Notes) had a huge impact on UK jazz in the 60s and helped shape the varied scene that exists today. There's also a nice book about Coleridge Goode, the bass player in the Harriott quintet called 'Bass Lines'. Basically a transcription of a series of interviews it gives an insight into the life of a jobbing jazz musician in the period from the 30s through to the present - not just the high profile moments but the weekly hotel gigs too! http://www.jazzscript.co.uk/books/goodecotterrell.htm

You're welcome, David. There's also a second volume of 'Impressed' due on April 1st (hopefully not an April Fool ruse!). Rumour has it that other discs from the era will follow. I'm hoping for some of the Michael Garricks.

Hey, Jazzmoose, I am part of the diaspora too!! Mike may just have provided a compromise here. It strikes me as fair: http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/showthread....43385#post43385

I've deliberately taken a a step away from Organissimo in recent weeks because of a specific issue. I've continued to post at AAJ. AAJ remains my first port of call. Why? Because it's better? No. Because it has posters more interested in European, UK and (more recently) Australian jazz that I rather like. Despite my very specific issues regarding a specific situation I find Organissimo to be better on other fields. Why has Mike acted like this? Well I don't think his action has been wise. And I've PM'd him with my view on the situation. But I think some members of Organissimo need to ask if they've really helped things. All those 'Arn't we the best', 'This is my Home' 'Look at the statistics' etc posts. Come on. Isn't this what kids do over favourite football (or baseball) teams. Is it really so difficult to recognise that two boards can support the same music but show an interest in different aspects of it? I'm hopeful that Mike might change his decision. But that will be achieved by reasoned argument rather than terminal 'I've had it with AAJ' comments (less convincing from those who rarely post there). AAJ and Organissimo are two oases in a relatively jazzless world. I want to see both thrive as jazz and relate music discussion boards. It's sad to see this blowing up, regardless of who is or is not responsible.

Exactly that. Completists only. There's a new Andy Partridge + Peter Blegvad CD due at any moment. Details here: http://chalkhills.org/reelbyreal/a_Orpheus.html I've not read anything about it.

I'm not sure if you're aware that your record has been reviewed in the UK's Jazz Review for February. A lukewarm review, unfortunately. It turned up in the 'Fast Taste' section where some poor fellow (one Jack Cooke) gets the job of reviewing a dozen or more discs. I suspect they only get a cursory listen. He certainly missed it on this one. Anyway, assuming you follow the 'any publicity...' line here's the review. Look away now if you're squeamish. Organissimo Waiting For The Boonaboo Sisters PKO RECORDS 020 Whether the sisters showed eventually isn't stated, but there's a lot of that insistent choppy beat during the wait, varied with a couple of slow numbers, a tricky 3/4 called "Young's Dream" and a sizzling straightahead "Jimmy Smith Goes To Washington" which makes you wish they'd stayed with that groove a little longer. You've guessed by now this is an organ combo, drummer Randy Marsh slicing the rhythm, Joe Gloss the guitarist, Jim Alfredson at the B3 and demonstrating he knows exactly what he's doing. Made in Michigan, and it's equally clear they've been more than just introduced to each other - it's slick and beyond doubt they're great in a club setting. Tenorist Peter Blake guests on a couple, doing a good school-of-Don-Wilkerson on "Clap Yo Hands". Spot the careless liner note reading!!!! It would be tempting to critique the cliched reviewing style, but... It has to be pointed out that Jazz Review, for all its virtues, has what I call a 'Grumpy Uncles' approach to reviewing. They find it very hard to owning up to liking things!

A few of you might be interested in this, especially if you enjoyed last year's 'Impressed' compilation: Details: http://www.bgo-records.com/detailsBGO2.asp...alogNo=BGOCD615 Due any day. First time out for 30 years they say! There's also a great live set from the mid-60s: It sounds like a fifth disc from the Miles Blackhawk set! Wonderful! Details here: http://www.jazzscript.co.uk/CDs/rendell65har.htm

I've been following the Westbrooks since the mid-70s. There's a big gap in available recordings from the early 70s to the 90s - superb recordings like 'The Westbrook Blake', 'Goose Sauce', 'Love-Dream Variations', 'Mama Chicago' and 'The Paris Album'. I find the more recent recordings a bit too theatrical for my taste. However, I would recommend two recordings available on ENJA: The Cortege - originally a 3LP set, now on 2CDs. A piece linked with the death of Westbrook's father. A collage of poems from various European writers in various languages. Unlike the more recent stuff the music dominates over the vocals. They arrangements are superb and quite unlike anything else I've heard. There are some spine tingling solos from the likes of Malcomn Griffiths, Guy Barker and Brian Godding. To my mind the best extended jazz piece I know. Glad Day - this collects all the Westbrook Blake settings in a new recording from the late 90s. Astonishingly it's as good as the original 'Westbrook Blake' album - my only disappointment was that I preferred the original sequence. It adds songs not on the latter album. Quite wonderful. Again, lots of instrumental richness and soloing. Columbia reissued the original late-60s Westbrooks a few years back in a British re-issue series that quickly died. I suspect they've all but disappeared. If you're interested buy one now. Three I've never heard that have never got to CD (except possibly in Japanese form) are 'Tyger' (an even earlier Blake arrangement); and 'Love Songs' with Norma Winstone; and 'For the Record'. Enja are about to release Westbrook's new extended piece, "Chanson Irresponsable" which sounded superb on the radio a couple of years back. A return to the large format Westbrook.