Late

That's the best deal I've seen. (Didn't even occur to me to purchase discs directly from the site. Duh.) Here's the complete list. Stimulate the economy!

The list Bev posted is the complete reissue series so far. In the U.S., Dusty Groove probably has the best prices. This search yields them all. Here is the projected list for this series: Mike Taylor Quartet - Pendulum (Columbia) 1965 Dusko Goykovich - Swinging Macedonia (Columbia) Neil Ardley - Ian Carr - Mike Gibbs - Stan Tracey (Argo), 1974 Stan Tracey Trio - Perspectives (Columbia) Stan Tracey - Under Milkwood (Columbia) Stan Tracey with his Big Band - Seven Ages of Man (Columbia) Stan Tracey Quartet - Free An' One (Columbia), 1969 The Stan Tracey Big Brass - We Love You Madly (Columbia) Stan Tracey - The Latin American Caper (Columbia), 1968 Stan Tracey Quartet - With Love from Jazz - (Columbia), 1967 The Stan Tracey Big Band: Alice in Jazzland - (Columbia) Paul Gonsalves/Tubby Hayes - Just Friends - (Columbia), 1965 Neil Ardley - Willpower (Argo) 1974 Neil Ardley - A Symphony of Amaranths (Regal Zonophone) 1972 New Jazz Orchestra - Western Union (Decca) 1965 Laurie Johnson Conducts Music For Combined Jazz and Symphony Orchestra: Synthesis New Jazz Orchestra - Dejeuner Sur L’Herbe (Verve) 1969 Michael Garrick Trio - Cold Mountain (Argo) 1972 Michael Garrick Band - Home Stretch Blues (Argo / Decca) 1972 Michael Garrick - Heart is A Lotus Michael Garrick - October Woman (Argo) 1965 Michael Garrick Septet - Black Marigolds (Argo) Rendell / Carr Quintet - Shades of Blue Rendell / Carr Quintet - Dusk Fire Rendell / Carr Quintet - Phase III Rendell / Carr Quintet - Live Rendell / Carr Quintet - Change Is Guy Warren - Afro Jazz Mike Westbrook - Release / Marching Songs / Love Songs

My favorite Pell on record is I Had the Craziest Dream (Capitol) and A Pell of a Time (RCA). The latter has some fine, if unusually subdued, Pepper Adams on it.

I did get a response. Unfortunately, the response was "There are no new reissue plans for Sun Ra material on Evidence. But keep checking back, and thanks for your enthusiasm."

My sentiments exactly.

These really are great "albums" — not just slopped together like some "Jazz for Wednesday Afternoon Razor Burns" collection. The sequence makes sense, the remastering is impeccable, and the tunes are all uniformly great. And, right now, I believe it's the only way one can hear Joe Harriott's funky "Jaipur." They are expensive, and I cringed when I pulled the plug, but now (of course) I'm glad I did.

Here's Fred Jung's 2003 interview with Brown: In recent years, I had heard that Marion Brown was ill. Such vague details were of grave concern since I had first experienced his virtuoso playing on John Coltrane's wicked Ascension opus. It was only a matter of time before Three for Shepp was in my collection and then came Porto Nova, Reed 'n Vibes, and Live in Japan. Through Roadshow friend, Gunter Hampel, I learned of Brown's trials and they are many in number. Brown has undergone brain surgery, eye surgery, has had all of his teeth extracted, and a portion of his leg has been amputated and he has had to learn to walk with a prosthetic. For such a gentle soul, it is too much for me to bear. From an undisclosed nursing home in New York, we spoke of his life, his love, his music, as always, unedited and in his own words. FRED JUNG: Let's start from the beginning. MARION BROWN: It was because of my mother. My mother liked music and I loved her a lot and she brought me to the attention of music and it stuck, so I started taking lessons. The saxophone was my first instrument because of Charlie Parker. When I heard him, it was the greatest saxophonist I had ever heard before. He decimated me. I liked his technique and his ideas. He had stupendous technique and brilliant ideas. That showed me that he's a very intelligent man. FJ: You attended both Clark College and Howard University, an impressive amount of education, which at the time was unheard of for a black man. MB: Yeah, right, Fred. And then I played in the army band for three years. It was very good experience. That's how I got my chops and learned to be able to rely on myself. I played the alto, the clarinet and the baritone saxophone. FJ: What prompted the move to New York? MB: My mother wanted a better life for herself and a better life for me, so she came to New York to find it. FJ: Sounds like she was a single mother. MB: Yes, she was. My mother was my total inspiration. Everything I did, I did it for her. FJ: How did you get involved with the Sixties free jazz whirlwind? MB: After I left Howard University and came to New York City and met Archie Shepp and Ornette Coleman. I met Archie Shepp in 1962. He lived in a building where I had a friend live, Leroy Jones. And one time I was visiting Leroy Jones and on the way downstairs, I heard Archie Shepp in his studio practicing, so I went in. I had a soprano recorder in my pocket and I played some soprano sonatas for Archie and he liked my playing so well, he offered me the opportunity to play with him. But I didn't have a saxophone, so Ornette Coleman let me use his white plastic saxophone to get started. FJ: Nice of Ornette to come through and the infamous white plastic saxophone no less. MB: Well, I met Ornette through WBAI FM. I did some jazz programs on there substituting for A.B. Spellman and Ornette heard me and he liked what I did and he wanted to meet me. FJ: At the time, Ornette was creating quite a firestorm in New York. What was your impression of Ornette? MB: Ornette Coleman is the same as Charlie Parker, but he did it a different, the opposite way. Charlie Parker did everything that he did based on knowing harmony and chords. Ornette Coleman did everything he did based on knowing how to reach inside of himself and create music intuitively. FJ: Whose approach did you find more appealing? MB: I found Ornette more appealing. I thought it was better to play what you felt naturally than to have a lot of systems based on chords and things. FJ: Being without a saxophone initially, when were you able to purchase your own horn? MB: As soon as I started working with Archie, I earned enough money to buy my own, so I gave Ornette his horn back. FJ: You performed on John Coltrane's Ascension. How did you find yourself on the session? MB: Well, I met Coltrane through Archie Shepp. Archie told him about my music and he started to listen to it and he liked it. And then, several times, he would come to hear me play and he liked that. So when he decided to do “Ascension”, I fit the picture of somebody that he wanted in it. Coltrane was a very brilliant man and a beautiful person. He was one of a kind. His sound and technique, those things he used to play called “sheets of sound,” that and his feeling of a love for God. His spirituality became the most important part of his music because he was thankful to God for all the things that God had given him to make him who he was. FJ: During much of the Sixties, American musicians were seeking sanctuary and employment in Europe. You were one of them. MB: The climate was good as far as people liking the music, but it was impossible to make enough money to meet the cost of living. The climate was the same in Europe. People liked music and it was possible to get enough gigs to survive. FJ: You recorded two sessions for the ESP label, Marion Brown Quartet and Why Not?, how did you end up recording for the now defunct label? MB: I found out where their office was and I started going by there and talking to them. So they basically became interested in seeing what I had and when he heard me, he liked me and so he gave me an opportunity to record. As a matter of fact, Fred, that very first album that I made for ESP is being reissued next month. FJ: Compared to the ESP dates, Three for Shepp, and Porto Nova, Afternoon of a Georgia Faun set in motion the inclusion of African rhythms and motifs in your music. MB: It is the performance of it because African music has as performers, not only the performers, but the audience and listeners as well. FJ: An example of that would be the Art Ensemble. MB: Yes. I did that with Leo Smith. He stayed in Connecticut when I was up there teaching. He needed a place to stay and I had a house, so I let him stay with me. We became friends and musical partners back then. I was teaching in elementary schools. I was teaching children how to make instruments and create their own music. FJ: What were some instruments you developed? MB: I made mostly percussion instruments and I made some flutes from bamboo. I played them with Leo Smith and for ECM on Afternoon of a Georgia Faun. FJ: Let's touch on your collaboration with Gunter Hampel, whom you worked with for almost twenty-five years. MB: I met him the first time in Belgium, Liege. We became friends and worked together and as a matter of fact, him and I played here at this place last month. FJ: As educated as you are, music is one of many options you could have taken, any regrets? MB: No regrets and I still don't because I'm a very well known musician and I met a lot of people. As a matter of fact, Fred, last year, I met Sonny Rollins, who is one of the most beautiful people that I've met in my whole life. Not only is he a musical genius, but he's a human genius. I would love to record with him. FJ: Your health has been a concern, how are you holding up? MB: I'm fine now, but for the last six years, I've been through some serious health problems. I had brain surgery. I had laser eye surgery, all of my teeth removed, and the last thing was that my left foot was amputated, so I have to walk now with a prosthetics. It has been a challenge. That is what they taught me to do at this place. FJ: How long of a period passed before you were able to comfortably walk? MB: Twelve weeks. It puts life in a perspective, but the perspective is more beautiful before these things happened because I've learned to appreciate God more. FJ: Any memories stand out? MB: Philly Joe Jones. He was an incredible drummer and a very incredible person. It was the night that I recorded with him first. I went into the studio and he was setting up his drums. So I walked over to him and said, “Hey, Joe, how you doing?” And he said, “Fine, Marion.” I said, “What are you going to do for me tonight?” And then he smiled and said, “I'm going to fry your little ass.” (Laughing) And he did. Yes, he did because the man could play four, five rhythms all at the same time, different ones and have them all clicking on the one. I played better than I had ever played before because he spun a carpet under me. All I had to do was ride it. FJ: And the future? MB: I recorded last year with a singer and that's about it. There is a new record out in Germany that I'm on.

I've actually had good luck with Django's when placing orders for Ra discs. All new Evidence titles are currently $13.58 there (single disc), and orders over $25 ship for free.

It's one of the few times — or perhaps the only time — I'd say it about an artist on a specific label, but every title on Evidence is worthwhile. It's just a matter of personal preference on which ones to pick up. Eventually, if you get hooked, you'll want them all. Then you'll be e-mailing Evidence, asking why there hasn't been a Saturn reissue in over 4 years. 4 years ... and still so much in the vaults!

What I want to know ... are there any recordings of Keane on two trumpets (or flugel and trumpet), a la Roland Kirk?

What do you think of the music of Marion Brown?

I'd actually flesh out the Evidence collection first, if you haven't already. The 2-disc "Lost Albums" set is a must. Some amazing Gilmore there. Also, searching out the 1978 Cosmos is worthwhile (if not top priority), and the hat disc is essential. If you want to check out Ra with vocal groups, I'd look to see if your local library has a copy of The Singles. Some tracks work and some don't, but the tracks that work ("Sunrise in Outer Space," "I'm Gonna Unmask the Batman," and a wonderful pre-rap edition of "Rocket Number Nine") work well.

Interesting article on Shake Keane, probably best remembered, at least here, for his contributions to the Joe Harriott Quintet.

This one, from 1967, has now made it Stateside: Looks to be more in the hardbop fold, but I'd bet it's interesting nonetheless.

Nice photo, John!

"Franck" -- didn't even notice that! Anyone have a link to any of the original covers? I'll probably be picking up quite a few of these — am most excited about the Rudd session with John Tchicai. Any guesses as to whether these will be jewel case or digi-pack? (Not that I'll be deterred one way or another.)

So you did like his stuff, say, with the New York Art Quartet? Or the New York Contemporary Five? You might be pleasantly surprised by this session, from the 70's: Though Pukwana probably steals the show, Tchicai does sound good on this one.

Tchicai (which I learned is pronounced chee-kigh; "kigh" rhyming with "sigh") strikes me stylistically as right between Jimmy Lyons and Marion Brown, while certainly putting forth his own plaintive sound on the horn. Fans? Favorite albums, as leader or sideman? Favorite live appearances? Share away! I missed out on a chance to see him live last year and also back in '95. Argh!

Here's a quote from Cuscuna, from the latest True Blue catalog: "Bob Belden and I have also been able to put together several sets from important live recordings by Miles from Carnegie Hall (1961), the Blackhawk (1961), the Plugged Nickel (1965), and The Fillmore East (1970). And we are by no means done. Bob Belden and Adam Holzman have prepared a 6-CD set of the Cellar Door recordings, and Antibes '69 still needs to be addressed. Then there's a vast amount of Miles from 1972 on." A "vast amount"? Hmmm ...

Thanks for posting! Just in time to spin this: ... other recommended albums with Graves?

Here's just a part of that Downbeat article, about practicing, that struck me the most: “These things are possible if you really want them, but you’ve got to pay dearly and you’ve got to sound terrible, so pathetic and hopeless and hapless for a long time until it turns the corner and starts to sound better. To go through those pains, not everybody wants to do that. But the difficulty of playing a thing like that gives it expressive power automatically. It has tension because it’s not easily won. It is per se dramatic because ... maybe you won’t be able to do it.” Steve Lacy

Interesting story, Spontooneous. (I would have wagered middle D!) Steve Lacy did the same thing, though between middle B and C (which interchanges the second and third fingers on the left hand), slowly going back and forth between them. In fact, he described the process in a Downbeat article a few years back. He did this at home for hours, virtually to the point of hallucination, until it felt like the pitches B and C, instead of being a simple half-step apart, were "worlds" apart, and he was traversing between them through the horn. Apparently, after this exercise/meditation, Lacy never viewed the horn, with all its chromatic possibilities, in the same way. What I wonder about Redman — how does he switch from "normal" sound production to that vocalizing affect he produces? My guess would be that he takes in more of the mouthpiece than usual, and then "sings" without making the reed vibrate. Regardless of how he does it, it's damn cool.

Maybe sometime in January, or February? If so, just tap! Dewey Redman: The Ear of the Behearer ... it's the first time I've actually liked listening to the musette, an otherwise torturous instrument.

Revisiting this album tonight with a pounder of Imperial Stout. Damn! What a fine, fine album. Just as the Ornette influence seems to creep in too heavily, Redman comes out with a track like "Boody," proving he's his own man on the horn. What an under-remarked saxophonist ... Highly recommended, this one.

Some great Joe Maini on this one ...