John B

new music to check out? just what the doctor ordered. I'll send you a PM with my info. I finally had a chance to listen to Exploding Customer - Live at Glen Miller Cafe on Ayler today. It is a fantastic disc, very highly recommended. I'm guessing that a lot of people are going to see the name and pass them by, which would be a mistake. A lot less "out" than I had expected. Some nice tunes and playing by four musicians I still know next to nothing about.

Thank you for the heads up! I've got bids in on two of the Commodore sets.

Oddly enough, that supplier has priced the OOP titles higher than the others. Oh well... I'm fairly certain that one person at the "other supplier" is affiliated with Eremite directly and is credited on many of its releases, which might explain the availability of some of the OOPs as well as the awareness of their scarcity. If you're patient enough, most of these will probably make it back into print someday. I'm not sure what Michael's policy is on reprinting, but there are a few titles he has repressed already.

I can't wait to hear that upcoming Brotzmann on Hat with Joe McPhee. I recently picked up a few more goodies: Evan Parker solo soprano: The Snake Decides, which is great. I still think I enjoy Monoceros more, but they are both fantastic discs. I also finally got around to buying the live Exploding Customer disc on Ayler. I've been looking forward to hearing that one for a while. On Wednesday night we are going to see BassDrumBone live (Ray Anderson, Gerry Hemingway and Mark Helias.) for $5. I'll be picking up copies of Devil's Paradise and Johnny's Corner Song, both of which I have wanted to hear for a long time.

Indeed! I ordered Dare Devil ages ago from The Music Resource but of course they stiffed me. Finally picked it up on eBay for $10 - inclusive of shipping. Would have loved to have put the money into the pocket of Brotz and Hano but... Also ordered on February 21, 2004 the following "In Stock" - "Ships In 24 Hours" OOP Eremite titles from The Music Resource: GREGG BENDIAN INTERZONE Compact Discs $11.25 1 Incomplete ASSIF TSAHAR SHEKHINA Compact Discs $11.25 1 Incomplete TOM BRUNO GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER Compact Discs $11.25 1 Incomplete MALCOLM GOLDSTEIN LIVE AT FIRE IN THE VALLEY Compact Discs $12.75 1 Invoiced Waiting patiently... Let us know what you think of Daredevil. I really enjoyed that disc. The Music Resource might be able to get the Greg Bendian disc but they are going to stiff you on the rest. I'm talking from recent experience. I do know of another source for these oop Eremites, so I'll send you a PM.

going back off-topic again, gotta love teh Jurek. This time I quote from his review of "The Sorcerer Sessions" release. "this music — could not have been executed in this manner without this particular group of musicians seeking to forge — from the composer's music — an entirely new evolutionary sound that exists not only outside genre, but reconsiders the time and space continuum as inclusionary, inseparable, and limitless. The Blue Series Continuum has given us a recording worth considering for years to come. Along with David S. Ware's Threads, the Thirsty Ear label has given us, in 2003, two recordings that marry composition to improvisation in new ways, with new dictates and concerns. They are a pair of the most profound albums to come out of the jazz idiom in a very long time. This is aural dynamite and will challenge your accepted notions about not only jazz and classical music, but about the role of music in your life." This is also, somewhat akin to the situation with Threads, the only positive review of this disc that I have read so far.

I once received an order from cheap-cds that, when opened, had no disc in the jewel case. I emailed them and they sent me the missing disc very quickly.

beyond the usual suspects I've been listening to a lot of Qawwali recently. Mostly Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan whose album are all good, so far, but, when he is really on, they are transcendental. Shahen Shah is my favorite out of the few I have heard so far. I also heard the Sabri Brothers for the first time recently. Their album Ya Habib is fantastic! Back on the jazz front, Jimmy Cobb's new album - Cobb's Groove - is fantastic. Also a lot of Raphe Malik.

Art Blakey - Africaine Jimmy Cobb's Mobb - Cobb's Groove Wadada Leo Smith - Kabell Years disc 1 Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Shahbaaz The Sabri Brothers - Ya Habib Andre Afram Asmir - Race to the Bottom Bad Brains - I Against I Mastodon - Remission Vibracathedral Orchestra - Queen of Guess

Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin' John Patton - Let 'em Roll Miles Davis - Jack Johnson Sun Ra - Lanquidity Vibracathedral Orchestra - Hot Booty Live 1999

plus cduniverse takes paypal, so I was able to get the set, shipped, for only $6 more than the price of a cd I just sold. I've never heard any of these albums and am really looking forward to this arriving!

Chucho Valdes - New Conceptions Jackie McLean - Jackie's Bag Grant Green - Grantstand Alice Coltrane - Universal Conciousness Raphe Malik - ConSequences v/a - Amplify 2002 box set discs 3 and 4

I've been meaning to come back and post more thoughts but haven't found the time recently. Apologies for that. As I said earlier, this disc has been growing on me with each listen. Many of the tracks are just not the type of music I would choose to listen to while others I am greatly enjoying. Niki King - Winter Blues - A very pleasant track, but vocal jazz has almost never done anything for me. Scottish Guitar Quartet - Near the Circle - This one I am enjoying quite a bit. It is a little too "polite" for my taste (you mentioned earlier that this is intentional, trying to appeal more to the jazz novice. Too bad, I wish the artists had cut loose a bit more.) but still has a really nice sound and I would check out more releases by this group. John Rae's Celtic Feet - Boogie Celt - I don't really hear the "celtic" in this one. I do, however, dig the 1920's doxoeland-ish vibe they get going. It sounds like they had a blast recording this track! John Burgess - Festina Lente - Nice mellow latin vibe. Great for late nice relaxing in winter, daydreaming about being someplace warmer. Tam White & Brian Kellock - Hey Mister - Sorry, not my speed at all. Reminds me of Tony Bennett. It is nice enough, but, as I said above, vocal jazz just isn't my cup of tea. Mario Caribe - Delia Lee - another good track. I like the buildup of energy as the song goes along. I was happy that one of the tracks started to cut loose a bit. Good stuff. Trio AAB - Yet - This track really interests me. I'd be curious to hear their album. I wonder how representative of their overall sound this track is? Sort of electronic, sort of new-agey. The track itself doesn't blow me away but I like it and want to hear more of their work. Dave Milligan Trio - Piper's Bidding - very sparse and minimal, quite a somber mood. I really like this one more than I thought I was going to. I would check out more of their work if it was similar to this. Swirler - Wrinkle - I'm sure the electric bass and organ turned some people off but I thought this track was a blast! It is unusual to hear a bass in an organ trio but, in this instance, it works. Great fun! more to come...

agreed. Sounds exactly like Letterman.

John Patton - Got A Good Thing Going Raphe Malik - ConSequences Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Mustt Mustt Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Devotionals Man...Or Astroman - Is It... Bardo Pond - On the Ellispe Bardo Pond - Dilate

I haven't heard any of those....more to add to my list. I would recommend Soul Bodies vol.1, a duet session with Hamid Drake released on Ayler as well as Come Sunday, also a duet session, this time with percussionist Tatsya Nakatani, released on Hopscotch.

Speaking of Ayler, I played Love Cry in our house for the first time last year and my wife was humming one of the tunes afterwards. I took her to see the Dave Holland Big Band and I think she enjoyed the show more than I did, even though she was not familiar with any of the music beforehand. The only music she has complained about so far is electroacoustic improv. I am a very lucky man.

That list is one person's "100 must have or essentials." They aren't necessarily my choices or any other person's choices. There really is no one list of 100 essential discs in a genre as vast as jazz. Personally, I define "essential" as any disc I would not want to be without, regardless of other's people's opinion of it. Wasn't there someone trying to sell a list like this a while back?

received the disc last night and gave it two spins while making dinner. First thoughts: I have no clue who any of these tracks are by. We really enjoyed listening to your selections! I remember really digging the first track, in particular. I brought it into work today and will give it another, closer listen today.

I love the Lips releases between Priest Driven Ambulance and Clouds Taste Metallic. The albums before and after all have moments I enjoy but none seem to hold together as well, for me, as the early 90's releases. I saw the live a few times, once right before Ronald left and they went back to being a three-piece. It was one of the loudest shows I have ever seen. Ronald was playing lots of feedback and distortion (no real notes that I could discern) and he would regularly get into the area of pure white noise. I still thought it was a beautiful show. Unconsciously Screaming....

I haven't been able to access it since this morning.

it's funny, my tolerance for jazz vocalsists is just about zero but I really enjoy this album.

it's what he does for the ladies that's important. B) I'll have to disagree on this one. My only complaint about this disc and the Coltrane / Ellington disc is they are too short.

Great news! You just answered part of my email, too. Looking forward to finally hearing this album!

Taku Sugimoto - Opposite Steve Noble, John Edwards, Alex Ward - False Face Society Bobby Hutcherson - Dialogue Freddie Hubbard - Open Sesame Pluramon - Pick Up Canyon Pluramon - Render Bandits Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds of... Charalambides - Unknown Spin