JSngry

I dunno, man. It's kinda like "speaking in tongues", I guess. You get something in you and that's the only way it can come out. Ain't no other way. Ayler's like that for me too. Call it ecstasy, maybe. I do know that it's an easy technique to fake, but I can feel it when it's real (at least when it feels real to me, which is a BIG can of worms, I suppose, but that's life, I suppose), and it feels real to me here. There is no "logic" to it. If anything it's "anti-logic", which can be a slippery slope if one is not fully equipped to step into that zone, but I definitely think that Larry, at this moment anyway, was. Late Trane, Hendrix, Ayler, Larry (and Good Lord, if MOTHERSHIP wasn't enough, there would soon enough be LOVE CRY WANT, which makes MOTHERSHIP sound like BobRalston...), a lot of cats were getting into what Trane called "the upper partials of energy", which defintiely has a spiritual/metaphysical implication to it. Of course, spirituality and such is where you find it, and again, it's easy to be duped if you're not adequately grounded in "conventional" reality into believing that anything that goes out is somehow more "spiritual" than that which does not. But I also think it's dangerous to ignore the link between advanced physics and spirituality. In the end, both deal with "vibrations" and interconnectedness on a macro scale. In that sense, music like this can be seen as a "splitting of the atom" in a way, a way to. or at least an attempt to, "breakthrough" conventional 3-D reality, perceptions, and thought. The success of it all is about as subjective as anything can be, so what can you REALLY say about it other than "I get it", "I don't get it", "I like it", "I hate it" or something along those lines? There are no wrong answers until everybody knows what the RIGHT ones are, and that seems to be a perpetually ongoing process. The one thing I think can't be argued is that there's always "more". What and where that "more" is though, well, I can't tell you that. This kind of thing was Larry's "more", at least for a little while, and if I can relate to it, that only means that I cna relate to it, if you know what I eman. Claiming more than that, an enthusiastic empathy, ain't too cool in many MANY ways. So, did I not answer your question?

I knew a guitar player in college who once pulled out a bunch of ECM albums w/pictures of John Abercrombie on them. "Look at this cat", he said. "Every f--kin' thing he wears is wrinkled all to hell. But it's all new and it's all expensive. THAT'S the secret - if everything you wear is new and expensive, it doesn't matter HOW wrinkled it is!" He said this with the enthusiasm of a man who had just discovered something obvious yet heretofore unknown. Having not solicited ANY of this (ECM, Abercrombie, or clothes), I was more than a little, uh, taken aback by this sudden turn in the conversation, but as the initial shock wore off, the point began to seem sound, and it grows more sound every year. The "expensive" part I compromise with as much/little as I have to, and the "new" part varies in direct conversion to the "expensive" part, but the "it doesn't matter HOW wrinkled it is part" remains a staple of my esthetic. Get good stuff, take good care of it, and the wrinkles will indeed become a "look" that, with a LOT of personal confidence and proper attitude and posture, almost anybody can pull of with style and elan. Here's to ya', John Abercrombie. Your fashion sense reached me in a way your music never did!

Got mine in and spent a few hours listening to it. Still gets the big thumbs up from me, and enthusiastically so. First things first - this CD sounds different than the LP. The LP gives a credit for "rerecording" to RVG, and I think that basically meant adding reverb to give a more "typical" (of the time) Blue Note "sound". I don't hear that reverb on this CD, and I like that. Also, there's no hiding the fact that the piano used for this session is not a quality instrument (and I'm being VERY polite here) and that it is not recorded/EQ'ed/whatever worth a damn (ditto). But Vince Bennedetti is NOT a bad player at all. His few solos are very nice, and his comp is right-on. He and Philly hook up QUITE nicely in a more than a few spots. But if you can't get past a bad sounding instrument not at all well recorded... Also again, Alby Cullaz is...uh.... Ok - Alby Cullaz is not a primary contributor to the overall grooviness that otherwise permeates this date, how's that? But folks - Hank is ON on this date, walking that rhythmic/tonal tightrope so characteristic of his later period. He's constantly poking and prodding the time and using that "passive agressive" tone of his that sounds so smooth on the outside but is absolutely SEETHING on the inside. Hearing this CD reminded me again why it's long been a favorite of mine amonsgst Hank's recordings. He sounds like he's loaded but not fucked up, and that's the way you want Hank to sound. At least I do. And speaking of Loaded, Philly is DEFINTIELY loaded, and might even be fucked up. There's a moment or two where he ALMOST veers into chaos. But he's HOT on this record, kicking everybody in the ass, pouring gasoline on the fire whenever it looks like it might even slightly be beginning to lessen. This is not the "disciplined" Philly of the "classic" era, this is the looser, less disciplined Philly of the mid-60s and beyond. If you're not familiar with it, you might be shocked at first listen, but stick with it and feel the heat. It's there, and it's GOOD! Dizzy and Slide are both in excellent form too, Dizzy really reaching harmonically in spots, and Slide playing with effortless mastery throughout. America's loss was definitely Europe's gain for as long as these two were over there. The writing is SUPERB. The title tune is a REAL "flip of the bird" not-quite boogaloo, more a "shuffaloo" or a "boogaluffle". But the players dig in deep. The rest of the material is in the classic Mobley mode, lyrical, hip, sophisticated, and very specific in mood and content. The guy was a master (but who am I trying to convince HERE? ) The arrangements are really well written and played too, very full and rich. The removal of the reverb from the LP give them a degree of clarity heretofore lacking. "Snappin' Out" absolutely BURNS in a "Recuerdo Bossa Nova" vein, the horns blending perfectly on the shout chorus. The same thing happens on "Feelin' Folksy" - it sounds like 3 horns, but it FEELS like more. No tricks, no gimmicks, just perfect voicings executed the way they need to be. The form of what is here called "Early Morning Stroll" (but which fans of BREAKTHROUGH probably insist on calling "18th Hole") seems to trick up the rhythm section and maybe all the soloists except Hank. Another take might have gotten it, but the circumstances might not have allowed for such. This album definitely has an "off the street" feel to it, and it feels to me as if what some people were doing before they came in off the street might have led Mr. Wolff to leave well enough alone, if you know what I mean. Not a "masterpiece", way too much "roughness" for that, but still one of my more favorite Hank albums overall. I like the way it feels. It feels raw and real. It feels "straight, no filter", coughs and all. It's Blue Collar AND Blue Note. I'd not recommend it to anybody who is a stickler for excellent (or even good) overall recording quality, nor to anybody who gets a little nervous about a bit of "roughneck" vibe in their jazz. But otherwise, I say go for it. It's the sound of Hank in France, hooking up w/Philly Joe again (and doing God know what in the process), and they sound like they're diggin' the shit out of each other's company from start to finish. The spirit seems to have been contagious, because other than the unfortunate Alby Cullaz, it sounds like a splendid time was had by all. Like the man says, HELL YEAH!

Sorry, I have neither the time nor the inclination to go through every track and give a breakdown. My major observation was that of an overall sense of "near-comfort" throughout a lot of the album, and that's a feeling I know personally from having played in groups that perform original & challenging music. There comes a point when you're almost there, and that can still make for good listening and fun playing, but the NEXT step is when you fully absorb the music and it comes out more fully formed becasue the intellect takes a less forward role in the performance process and intuition comes to the fore. Inevitably, if you got good material and good players, when that next level comes is just a matter of time, which is why Blue Note's legendary pre-recording rehearsals (in the old days) paid such handsome results. But time is also a luxury, especially in a situation where it's a large group doing a session for an artist that had not been having the best luck getting "releasable" results for some time. That's just the reality of the business. It's something I feel, not something I can intellectually break down into specific descriptive terms (at least not without going TOTALLY over the edge of common sense). Suffice it to say that I know it when I hear it, and I don't hear it here. But it's SO DAMN CLOSE! I know that feeling too. I'd imagine that most of the musicians in this forum do too, as does most anybody who participates in an activity where the "gel" factor is there to be had, albeit oftimes elusively so. I can't stress enough that NONE of this is meant as criticism of this release, not even slightly. It's a historic document in more ways than one, and as such is what it is. I'm LOVING this album. My frustrations, such as they are, are not so much with what happened and was documented, but rather what COULD have happened with this music, and that involves a helluva lot more than the specifics of the record. It involves Hill's career (and occasional lack thereof), the changing fortunes of Blue Note at the time, the entire jazz scene of the time (these were VERY dark days for all but the most commercial jazz, remember), it involves all sorts of things, but it does not involve an attitude of "I'm disappointed in this record". PASSING SHIPS is not fully realized a word as, say BLACK FIRE, but that in no way means that it is less enjoyable on its own terms, and it DEFINITLEY does not lessen its value as a document. I personally think it's a very major document, a significant release, and I've been recommending it to all who ask. This is music that deserves to be heard by any and all interested parties, and the fact that it's not "perfect" in either feel or execution doesn't alter that one whit. All I'm saying is that knowing what COULD have been is a bittersweet experience, one that is in no way limited to this album, either. ANY endeavor one undertakes that ends up really good, but not as good as it could have been, It can be something as "mundane" as painting your house and having to quit before you have it just right because of time, weather, money, anything. People will compliment you on what a nice job you did, and you can take pride in the job but you know that with a little SOMETHING extra, the job could have been EXACTLY what you wanted it to be. That's what we're dealing with here, I think. Not enough time, money, whatever. Beautiful, TRULY beautiful, results nevertheless, but what could have been is a question that lingers.

Fair enough, but if you think you might have even the slightest appreciation for Taylor's "piano as 88 tuned drums" (more w/the Bosendorfer) concept in the right setting, this is it. Max and Cecil duet with complete understanding of each other and on fully equal terms. You might think that Cecil's legendary indefatigable energy might wear Max down eventually, but if amything, the opposite happens (although it's not a matter of "wearing down" as much as it is shifting gears) I know several people who have no real use for Cecil Taylor who really dig this album. I think it's because of the percussive element. Cecil can be intimidating for some people when they try to listen to him in traditional "song" terms, but in this context, there's no such expectation by either listener or players. It's just pure percussion, pure drumming, only one drummer's drums are fully pitched. Also, you KNOW that Max is going to swing, maybe not in treaditional "ching-chinga-ching" style, but with a groove you can't miss nevertheless. Cecil's groove is totally locked into Max's and I think that's another reason why some folks dig this one who ordinarily run screaming from the room if anybody even THINKS about Cecil Taylor. Not trying to change your mind necessarily, Just letting you know what it's like and what some (and I stress, SOME) other like-minded folks' reaction to this album has been so you can be more fully informed as you decide for yourself .

Let's not get too excited. 5-1 could end up 5-11, doncha know. I'm VERY eager to see what happens the second time through the division (and the FIRST time we play the Skins. I think that Spurrier's gonna be loaded for bear against Parcells, given the start to which HIS team has been off. Just a hunch...). But I'd be lying if I said I'm not excited too.

That's funny you mention that Al, 'cuz I remember Jim having almost a completely opposite opinion regarding Carter on that session. Substitute "totally" for "almost" and you got it!

Those Hermeto tunes are gorgeous. Both as pure compositions and specific performances. Hermeto's one of those guys who takes totally incongruous harmonies and makes them work, gives them a logic. I love stuff like that because the simultaneous shock of the incongruity and the subliminal comfort of the logic is a real rush, like finding a way to violate a law of nature and have it not backfiring on you. I can definitely see why Miles did them.

I have it. Highly recommended. It's not a Denon date, thopugh. I have it on a Marge (France) LP, and I've since seen it issued on different labels. The Denon stuff was available in the US on LP ca. late/70s/very early 80s, and then again in the early CD days, but I don't know if the Harper stuff made it to CD or not. That was a pretty interesting, if uneven, series of releases. I think Reggie Workman was the A&R guy. Interesting trivia - Billy recorded the inaugural albums for the Black Saint & Soul Note labels both. BLACK SAINT has it's fans here obviously, but how about the Soul Note date, BILLY HARPER QUINTET IN EUROPE. That's another great one. Killer version of "Priestess".

Oh, I'm fine once I get woke up. It's getting there that is a challenge. All the sleep I thought I could do without the first half of my life is coming to stake a claim on the second, so it seems... As for REAL household chores, it's a no-brainer for me - doing windows and doors. My wife insists on doing'em every spring ("so the sunshine can come in" ), and I'm sorry, but it ain't me, babe. We got one of these "newer" houses (built in 1991) that's damn near all windows and they're all like 8-feet tall. The go damn near all the way around the house, and they're a major pain in the but to get truly clean, thich is how she likes'em. No, no, no. No.

You are of course correct as it pertains to the Red Sox season-long game plan. I was referring to the cliche of sticking with your "big guy" in critical championship situations, no matter that the immediate plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face reality clearly dictates otherwise. It's such a cliche and such a buying into of the whole Romantic notion of athletes as super-humans that it's doomed to fail far more often than it succeds (otherwise darn near EVERY great player would be wearing a championship ring). Little's post-game comment that Pedro was the best pitcher on the team leads me to believe that he bought into the cliche rather than confronting the reality. It doesn't matter who the "best" pitcher on your team is, what matters is who is the best pitcher (or quarterback, or point guard, or whatever) at that moment (hardly a unique observation at this point, eh? ) When face with a make-it-or-break-it moment, Little fell back on the cliche os Superstar as Superman, whereas Torre, wjo like I said learned his lesson the hard way in several seasons managing Atlanta, kept a clear head, saw Roger Clements for what he was, a future Hall of Famer who was having a crappy day, and got him the hell out of there before the game was beyond salvation. Hero worship is for kids. Making clear-headed decisions in clutch situations is not. I'm the type of sports fan who enjoys the action at least as much for the human drama as for the actual game. Competition can and does quite often create dramas worthy of Shakespeare (well, Mamet, anyway ), and this was no exception. We saw a man's mnanagerial mettle tested, and this time, he failed the test due to a "classic" character flaw - blind hero worship. (Which is not the same as Blind Hero worship, which would have resulted in a starting rotation of Charles, Wonder, Shearing, & Feliciano or some such ) It's this tendency to fall back on the cliche of an unrealistic (and probably unconscious) "hero worship" in a point-of-no return situation that I was referring to, not the regular season Red Sox game plan. I definitely think that Little deserves to keep his gig, IF he does the requisite soul-searching about how he handled this situation. Really, if he had pulled Pedro for the 8th and the bullpen still blew it, you KNOW he'd be getting heat for taking his ace out when the game was on the line. But the facts of the moment would support that call a LOT more than the one he made, which for all the world looks to me like he got into a big-time-crossroads situation, got stars in his eyes, and saw Pedro as a Saviour rather than a guy who was basically out of gas. In other words, the manager turned into a starry-eyed fan, and that, of course, is not his gig. So yeah, he screwed up, big time, and on a pretty fundamental level. But people can learn from their mistakes. I hope we have a chance to see if he has or not in next LCS, and then the World Series. Same for Baker, but he's been to the crossroads more than once, and from what I hear, this buffet is NOT all-you-can-eat...

Nor have I. Come to think of it, I don't know anybody who has, except for the cat who reviewed the album for down beat, and I never really "knew" him, doncha' know. In order to be TRULY complete, they could have included a DVD of the movie.

Count me in too. That's a GREAT record. His other Denon, KNOWLEDGE OF SELF, is also excellent, but SORAN-BUSHI just has a vibe to it that makes it EXTRA special.

Enjoy!

1. Max Roach Trio featuring The Legendary Hasaan - essential 2. Drums Unlimited - near essential 3. Speak Brother Speak -essential 4. Scott Free - save it for later 5. Streams Of Consciousness - don't know it, curious about it myself 6. Birth & Rebirth - essential 7. Live At Vielharmonie Munich - don't know it 8. 1 In 2, 2 In 1 - near essential 9. Long March - good, better get it while it's in print 10. Parisian Sketches - part of the Mosaic, which you'll want to get eventually I see you don't have MEMBERS DON'T GET WEARY & HISTORIC CONCERT on your list. They should be. Essential. Also essential, but so far available only on old vinyl: THE LOADSTAR, LIVE IN TOKYO, & FORCE. Keep in mind this is all just my opinion.

Waking up.

Sorry, but you either read the vibe right or you don't. Little didn't. That's not to say that if he had pulled Pedro that whoever he brought in would have aced it, because there's no way to say that. But he obviously stuck to the changes on the chart rather than listening to the what the rhythm section was feeding him. Baseball requires improvisation, not studio work. Wanna be a bureaucrat? Fine. Just don't do it and expect to win pennants.

I hated the Cowboys all through the Landry/Schramm era. They were sanctimonious hypocrites (trust me, the Cowboy's "problems" w/cocaine and such didn't begin with Michael Irvin, not even remotely...). When that bunch left and the Junes/Johnson regime took over, I became a fan as they systematically went about dismantling the legacy of their predecessors. That was a short-lived honeymoon though, as Jay-reh soon proved imself to be a pompous ass without a clue (or is that a redundancy). Still, I can loathe the owner and still like the team, and that's where I'm at now.

Gimme a place to preorder and I'm there.

Niners.

Here's wishing you the very best, with or without Dena DeRose.

Teo's wrong.

Yeah, Holland and Chick locked in tight. Can't overlook DeJohnette's madcap antics either. The guy was to Tony what Tony was to Philly Joe - a radical but logical extension, and a total maniac (in a TOTALLY positive sense). The whole band was like that - a radical but logical extension of the Second Quintet, one that went on ahaed and made blatant (the rock/free jazz/electric mix) waht their predecessor was already but only just hinting at. And they all played like maniacs (in a TOTALLY positive sense). Wayne just went on ahead and cut the tether. No wonder he went on to minimalize. It was the only remaining option. Pretty mind-bogglin' stuff. It needs to be made generally available.

That would be nice, but KNTU doesn't really play "out" music, and especially if you don't have a "name". Quartet Out hit them THREE times w/promos, by mail and in person, even stressed the fact that 3/4 of the band are UNT alum (their current obsession, seemingly), and we never got played ONCE. They say we don't fit in with their "format". I think the station has kinda gotten under some control by the Lab Band department over the last year or so, because you hear a LOT more big-band than you used to, ESPECIALLY the older UNT bands, and like I said, they take every opportunity to point out each and every player on any given record who's a UNT alum (which apparently means having gone to a class once - they called Norah Jones a UNT alum!). It's a nice list, but you gotta wonder what the point is. Could be that they're streaming on the Internet now ( www.kntu.fm ) and recruiting worldwide. Sour grapes? Maybe, but not really, it's a school-sponsored station and if they want/need to function as a recruiting/propaganda arm for the NT Jazz Education program and its vision of jazz, that's their right. They still a lot of play good stuff of the more traditional type, and I still listen regularly. But there are definite programming/philosophical/musical parameters in place, and apparently Quartet Out falls outside them, as will, I suspect, Monktail. But give it a shot anyway, Johnny. You're half a continent away and pose no immediate threat to the Pedagogy Police, so ya' never know...

No.