John B

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

I thought he was making a reference to the Tuvan throat singing. Is Una Mae known for that?

There are some great deals to be had with the 60% off / no shipping code. Thanks for posting that! For less than $43 I got Sonny Criss- Complete Imperial Sessions (Remastered), Ornette Coleman, The Complete Science Fiction Sessions (Remastered), Kenny Dorham, 'Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia (Remastered) and Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come (Deluxe Edition) That is just over $5 a disc. Not too shabby.

I thought "AWOL" meant "always wants 'out' listening." back to the Tsahar - the vocals are just on track 4. (The shortest on the album.). Hamid is chanting in Arabic and Kowald is doing something that sounds like Tibetan throat singing in the background. Tsahar and Ragin sit this track out. I dig it, but could see how others might not.

I believe the vocals are limited to one track. I'll spin the cd again and let you know.

I ordered my copy through Verge. It took them a while but they were able to supply it. FMP sells it, too.

I'm listening to Open Systems, a 2001 release on Marge featuring Assif Tsahar, Hugh Ragin, Peter Kowald and Hamid Drake. It took me a while to track down a copy of this one after having it recommended to me but it was most definitely worth it! This is one of my favorite albums, regardless of genre. A month or two back I listened to it twice, back to back, which is unusual for me. I have a hard time describing why I love this disc. The playing, the writing and the atmosphere these four players create all come together in one complete whole. Very highly recommended.

Have you heard any of Shepik's discs as a leader? (I can't remember if we have discussed this before.) I highly recommend both The Well and Drip, in that order. Great music and great playing on each.

Gavino Murgia in addition to being vocalist, is a fantastic alto saxophonist and Sardenian bagpipes player. "Fantastic" means super-human technique and great sense for melody. hmmmmn...I don't recall postingthat quote here... B) any recommendations for discs of his to explore? Took me some time to find this disc in my collection. Riccardo Lay Quartetto "Frammenti" (il manifesto, 2001) Riccardo Lay - bass, perc Gavino Murgia - ts, ss, fl, and some Sardenian bagpipe-like instrument(s) Nico Casu - trumpet Fabrizio Sferra - drums Beautiful stuff - somewhat close in style to Don Cherry's "Complete Communion", but with a strong Italian flavor, meaning very melodic and joyful. Very positive music. I think the only place to find this disc on-line is through Felmay: http://www.felmay.it - it is available there for €8. thank you for posting that! I'll have to grab a copy.

Miles - Sorcerer Miles - Miles in the Sky Jaga Jazzist -A Livingroom Hush Jaga Jazzist - The Stix Vibracathedral Orchestra - Versatile Arab Chord Chart DJ Shadow - Endtroducing Neu! - s/t

Miles - E.S.P. Miles - Nefertiti Miles - Miles Smiles DJ Shadow - Preemptive Strike Man...or Astroman? - Deluxe Men in Space Eliane Radigue - Trilogie del Morte disc 1 Sepultura - Roots Jessamine - Long Arm of Coincidence

I have a copy of Charles Mingus' 1971 autobiography Beneath the Underdogfor sale for $8. It is a paperback copy of the 1990's reprint in near-mint condition. There is some slight scuffing on the back cover. Shipping in the U.S. $1, elsewhere $6.