xybert

Just wanted to say that it took me ages to click with the Metheny Mehldau albums. Expectations maybe, as i think i was expecting Art Of The Trio crossed with Bright Size Life, but no. Anyway, only recently re-bought Metheny Mehldau Quartet and have really dug it. Another lesson in the need to hold on to stuff rather than trade it unless it's absolutely necessary.

Yes, great post. I'm a bit out of my depth, and it doesn't help that i find it really hard to gather my thoughts when it comes to stuff like this (when it comes to thinking i'm a shower singer, ya know? It's like, it sounds good and all makes sense in my head, but when it comes to getting it down for public consumption i suck) so thanks for (i think) getting the gist of what i was saying and not destroying my sloppy post. This is actually a really interesting topic for me, and i wrote a long post yesterday but ended up not posting as i kept second guessing myself. I think what i mainly want to express is that I think Paul Motian is awesome, and does he really need to fit in to the Free Jazz narrative? And that brings me to the point about the narrative seeming to be not only "this is how it happened and who was important" but by extension "this is who was and is hip." And that's where i've gotten to the point where as i'm so massively out of step with the narrative in terms of who is hip and who isn't that it's like... i'm happy for the narrative to exist but it has no power over me.

Fathers day here so as a treat the family took me to a music store and let me spend $60 NZD. I picked up: Charles Mingus - Mingus Moves (excellent! far exceeded my expectations). Tony Fruscella - Tony Fruscella (only skimmed through it but also a keeper). Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk (mono Warner/EU 1000Y version... sounds infinitely better than my old CD with the insane panning). Miles Davis - The Bootleg Series Vol 1 (i only had the single disc 'best of' edition previously as that was what was available in stores here, and i figured they'd eventually get around to releasing the 3 disc edition, but they never did, and i could never be bothered ordering it, but finally it's here!)

I guess there are two things at play. I was watching an interview with Mike Patton on youtube and he was saying that he doesn't care whether people consider him a rocker or avant garde or pop or whatever; it's entirely up to the audience to decide, as far as he is concerned he is just an artist doing his thing. Increasingly i see it the same way. It like, there are a lot of cool people in the world, and just because that group of people is cool and have their ways it doesn't mean that you cannot be cool unless you are part of that group. You can be cool and have a completely different thing going on, and some will think you are cool and some will snear at you. Just keep doing your thing and let the historians and writers do their thing, but increasingly their thing means nothing to me, other than 'hmm, that's interesting' or purely as a record of 'this guy existed and did this', it makes no difference to reality. Artists Artists Artists.

I gained a new appreciation for eighties era Jimmy Giuffre. I gained greater appreciation for Joe Lovano via the Motian set. Was pleasantly surprised by some of the stuff on the Muhal set, admiration increased. I'm feeling the same way about the Muhal. Really enjoying it. Any thoughts on the Julius Hemphill set? Listened to some of it on the Cam jazz site and what I heard sounded very interesting. Yeah as the others have said the Hemphill is awesome. A nice mix of material too... I always seem to have one of the albums from this set on my ipod at any given time... currently Flat Out Jump Suite, which is a great album that gets better everytime i hear it. Cheers.

I remember feeling that the lower rated Coltrane Prestige albums were underrated relative to the higher rated ones, as i really dug all of them. Thing with a lot of Prestige gems is, objectively i can see why they are not basking in glory, but subjectively i just love them. I'll try to think of some that i believe are genuinely underrated masterpieces.

Bumping these links so that they are on this page. I'm mega stoked for the Lacy set, had pretty much given up hope on ever seeing it. For me the others are all interesting but i'll have to do some investigating to see whether i can't live without them. That Sun Ra looks mighty interesting, and when it comes to Sun Ra it doesn't necessarilly need to be widely considered as top notch material for me to really dig it, however i'll still do the needful as i wouldn't say i've been burned by a dud Ra before so much as there's Ra sitting on my shelf that i never revisit and i don't need to add to that pile if i can avoid it.

Mehldau is one of those guys who i feel is both overrated by some and underrated by some. Of his recent stuff, I thought Ode (2013?) was a brilliant piano trio album. I also really enjoyed Highway Rider. The solo piano album (Live in Marciac?) was really disappointing for me. Leading up to the release of the Mehliana album i was quite hopeful based on some of the live clips but when samples from the actual album became available i thought it sounded awful. I like the idea of a duo between a drummer and a piano player playing vintage synths so much, but the final product just sounded way too overproduced and 'yuck'.

I dig this album too, though i haven't heard enough of the Steeplechase stuff to recommend one over the other. it does feel like you pretty much can't go too wrong with Dex though.

I only recently listened to Broadbent for the first time after picking up a couple of CDs for almost literally nothing from a bargain bin: Together Again and Over The Fence, both released on local label Ode Records. Based on those two CDs i like his playing and intend to check out more, particularly want to check out the duet albums with Lee Konitz. A nice discovery, enjoyed his playing way more than i thought i would, way more flavour there than i thought there would be.

Herbie Nichols - Double Exposure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s5fZtslPXs

Conception arrived today. The two CDs are in two separate cardboard sleeves which are housed, along with a decent quality booklet, in an outer cardboard sleeve. Almost like a weird mini box set. Probably would have preferred a jewel case but it's okay, i like it. Interestingly, the tracklisting changed slightly since the original post (has also been updated on the website): DISC ONE GARY BURTON: WHO IS GARY BURTON? 1. STORM 2. I'VE JUST SEEN HER 3. FLY TIME FLY (SIGH) 4. CONCEPTION 5. GET AWAY BLUES 6. MY FUNNY VALENTINE 7. ONE NOTE HANK GARLAND WITH THE ALL-STARS: JAZZ WINDS FROM A NEW DIRECTION 8. ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE 9. THREE-FOUR, THE BLUES 10. MOVE 11. ALWAYS 12. RIOT-CHOUS 13. RELAXING HANK GARLAND'S QUINTET: SELECTIONS FROM SUBTLE SWING 14. IT'S LOVE, OF COURSE 15. NOT FOR ME 16. POP GOES THE WEASEL 17. UNLESS YOU'RE IN LOVE 18. RAINY AFTERNOON DISC TWO GARY BURTON: NEW VIBE MAN IN TOWN 1. JOY SPRING 2. OVER THE RAINBOW 3. LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE 4. MINOR BLUES 5. OUR WALTZ 6. SO MANY THINGS 7. SIR JOHN 8. YOU STEPPED OUT OF A DREAM THE NASHVILLE ALL-STARS: AFTER THE RIOT AT NEWPORT 9. RELAXIN' 10. NASHVILLE TO NEWPORT 11. OPUS DE FUNK 12. S’ WONDERFUL 13. ROUND MIDNIGHT 14. FRANKIE AND JOHNNY 15. RIOT-CHOUS FLOYD CRAMER 16. LAST DATE

Herbie Nichols! I've had the 3 disc Blue Note set for years, but i always found it a tedious chore to get through a single disc of it. Interesting player, and i think i was hearing him, but for whatever reason i just didn't connect with him. It was like, yeah i get what all the fuss is about, but i'm just not feeling it. Anyway, i only recently heard Love, Gloom, Cash, Love and it was like "aaaaahhhhhh." Sent me running back to the Blue Note set and it's been on repeat for the last few days.

This truly sucks. It's possible that it's a genuine random psycho, and i believe that you should take precautions (though 'don't let the terrorists win' etc), however i think that it's more likely to be someone you know either in real life or online, and they are 'just' maliciously trying to make your life harder with an empty (but potentially extremely destructive) threat. This paragraph here: “So why would Larry Kart take exception to our show and write such mean things about it? Well, it turns out you knew one of our cast members. You didn’t know him well. You just knew of him. So you decided that since you have no talent and could never do what he did, you were going to savage our show.” Whoever wrote that was writing fiction. It also feels forced that the 'gripe' relates to a theater review... this leads me to believe that it's someone that you've 'crossed' online but they don't want you to make any connection with that fact. Apologies if i'm talking rubbish, but that's my take on it. Without going in to too much detail i do encounter a lot of written threats/bollocks in my professional life and i've gotten reasonably good at 'reading' things. I sincerely hope that this is not a real threat and that it does not have the intended effect of troubling you too much. EDIT: also, signing it off 'KC' = complete rubbish designed to throw you off and/or get you thinking.

Bernie Wrightson? Amazing artist, but i'm totally out of the loop.

Arrived from Amazon Japan today: Duke: Duke Ellington Presents Historically Speaking The Symphonic Ellington The Great Paris Concert Dex: One Flight Up Gettin' Around Clubhouse

I've never heard them but it has long been on my to do list based on the write up in the Penguin Guide. Will check them out at some stage.

He's only 57? Looks more like 77. Is he sick? Nothing has been officially announced (that i'm aware of) regarding any sickness, there's only been speculation. In my opinion the dude does not look well, whatever the cause.

Absolutely beautiful, feeling very summery in what is technically the last week of winter here. I'm going outside to enjoy it!

Bummer. Yeah the timing isn't the greatest for a number of reasons. I'm still keen to see it at some point but even for me it'll be a rental, don't feel a great urge to go out and see it at the movies.

Interested. I've been flipping through my old Sin City trade paperbacks a lot recently. Miller has crafted some truly iconic comics, love em or hate em. There was a brief interview with Miller posted over on Ain't it Cool News. Was shocked to see the accompanying photo. Miller looks in really bad shape considering he is only 57. From what i understand 9/11 had a massive impact on his psyche. Also only just found out that he was married to Lynn Varley, however they split around 2005. Miller cops a lot of flak these days but i really hope he beats whatever is eating him, whether it's physical/mental/emotional or all of the above.

On The Long Waiting, released 2012, you can hear that Wheeler is no spring chicken. But for me it's okay, it just is what it is: "I'm 80 something and i'm expressing myself. This is where i'm at." I kind of love that about jazz in general.

Can confirm Up To Earth is highly enjoyable.

I have Up to Earth but haven't listened to it in a long time. From memory music and sound quality were both excellent, but i'll have a listen when i get home tonight and report back.