relyles

I picked up Master Of The Art last week at my local independent retailer. For some reason he did not receive the other one from his distributor, otherwise I would have purchased both. I have not put the CD on yet, but I have owned both of vinyl for years. My recollection is that the music is very strong, but I recall the sound quality not being as good as I would have preferred. I could be wrong about that. I will try to put the CD on in the next day or two.

First Disc 1. The tune itself is familiar – I believe it is from the Les McCann/Eddie Harris Montreux recording. The performance is played with the requisite amount of soul/funkiness to bring to mind that recording. Solid upbeat track to get started. 2. Two basses. The bass on the left channel has someone of a rubbery sound, but that could just be the recording. I prefer the sound of the bassist in the right channel. The trumpeter sounds familiar – a little bit of Don Cherry I think, but I can’t identify him/her. The alto saxophonist is a little bit in the background. Neither soloist knocked me out, but overall the track was interesting. 3. Solid tenor conjuring up the Coltrane vibe. I have actually been listening to Coltrane the past couple of days, so it may be a bit unfair to have the comparison in mind as I listen to this. At least the pianist avoided copping Tyner. Despite what seems like an obvious influence, the tenor has an appealing sound and it would be interesting to hear him playing something that at least for me is so reminiscent of Coltrane. Or maybe I just need to try it again on another day. 4. Electric piano, percussion, freedom vocals, wailing saxophone – the whole thing feels a little dated to me. Nonetheless it is a nice groove. Ultimately not something I am likely to pull off the shelf too often. 5. The trombone sounds very familiar. I like the combination of the trombone with guitar. I don’t feel like I hear that combination very often. I also think I have heard the guitarist before. I can’t identify any of the musicians. The tune itself did not do a lot for me, but I enjoyed the colors of the instrumentation and would like to hear them play something else. 6. This a tangoish feel to it. The vibist has a bright sound and is taking his/her time. The pianist is similarly restrained, which is appropriate for this tune. My first impression is that this is okay, but I did not hear enough to motivate me to want to hear more. 7. The tune is familiar – and the first solo is by a frail sounding trumpeter. Very interesting clarinet solo. One of the highlights of the disc for me so far – sounds a bit like Don Byron. Not sure how I feel about some of the shifts in the tune afterward – I don’t really respond to the shredded guitar effects. Overall an interesting multi-section performance. 8. This alto saxophonist has a tone that caught my attention. For whatever reason the tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts came to mind. Effective. 9. The opening sounds like it has a little Native American influence. Then something about the playing made me think of Horace Tapscott. Sounds like something I have heard before. I liked the piano. My attention wandered during the drum solo – but that is primarily my issue with drum solos as opposed to any statement on the quality of the drummer. Interesting trio performance. 10. The spacey sounds of the introduction did not hold my attention. The piece got better as it went along, but not enough to really interest me. 11. Interesting colors with the guitar and clarinet. I suppose I just like the sound of modern clarinetists, because I liked the brief statement by the clarinetist here. All the other soloists were solid, but I must confess that after a while the repetitive drum figure got a little stale. Overall a decent track. 12. Another clarinet and another good one. Could be someone like John Carter, but so far I have not heard enough of the trademark things I usually hear in Carter’s playing. The tune is kind of shapeless, but I am getting in to it. Just by playing long tones the soloists are conveying an effective feel. The tenor has a certain haunting tonal quality that I really like. Not much really happens here, but it has a quiet intensity/power to it. Would like to hear more from these musicians.

Thanks. I was not sure whether it was the specific OJC remasters or something about the K2 that is special

Hopefully not a stupid question, are K2 remasters on other labels held in the same regard as the OJCs?

pm sent regarding Bill Barron - The Next Plateau (muse MCD 5368) $12

I guess this is a benefit of my proximity to Mosaic's offices - the box set arrived on my desk this afternoon.

I agree 100% regarding Richardson and the two recordings mentioned. I have not heard either the Joe Chambers or Gregory Tardy recordings that I know he appears on, but his contribution to Michael Pinto's Inner Circle Music release, Prologue, is essential to the success of that recording. Richardson is a young artist I have decided to certainly keep an ear out for.

How much was it going for, if you don't mind my asking? I have no idea if it's exactly an in-demand collector's item, but, anyway, if you like this track & want a little more Sharrock or Stubblefield in your collection it's definitely worth seeking out. The lowest price used on amazon was about $5.00. I purchased a copy for about $7.00.

I let my impulses get the best of me. Just ordered a used copy of the akLaff disc.

In these tough economic times I really can't afford it, but why the heck would I let that stop me? I just ordered it.

Did you intentionally not include the details for track 3?

Thank you for the explanation.

I apologize if this is a stupid question, but what is a "K2"? I see it referenced frequently. I assume it is a reference to a particular issue or edition, but chronologically/qualitatively have no idea where it fits.

I almost picked up Palm Of Soul at the show last night, but I did not have enough cash in my pocket. Definitely something I will consider purchasing down the line.

Reading the article yesterday was actually the final prompt for me to order Kinsmen. I had seen it on several year end best of 2008 lists, but had not paid it much attention until reading the article.

One thing I have learned is that very often so called avant garde music is best experienced live. Last night I went to hear Kidd Jordan, William Parker and Hamid Drake at UMASS Amherst. Previously I had never been much of a fan of Jordan. I considered him pretty much a one trick pony with little variation in dynamics or sense of nuance in his playing. Last night I gained a greater appreciation of his playing. All the things I had not really noticed before I heard last night, including an appealing tone, ideas beyond screaming until his lungs fall out, and shifting dynamics. Parker and Drake, made sure there was always soemthing happening rhythmically to hold interest, and because of the frequent grooves and vamps played the music was usually somewhat grounded. Enjoyable set.

I picked up the new Teddy Charles release the other day at my favorite local independent retailer. I purchased it as much for the presence of Chris Byars as for my intigue regarding Charles. With the exception of one Mingus tune, all of the songs were written by Charles and all the tracks were arranged by Byars. Overall a worthwhile recording. On my first listen there were not many surprises, but the quality of the individual performances is high and the compositions/arrangements kept me interested. I am looking forward to listening to this one more.

Daniel is also very interesting on the Andrew Cyrille Maono recordings.

Now that was funny!

I have the two Assaigai recordings on LP. I have never seen either on CD.

I was able to cut and past the address and it worked fine.

I will have to revisit tracks 2 & 4 to see if any clues come to mind.

7. My guess is that this is a totally improvised solo guitar performance – at least there is no definite song form. The closest my listening experience has come to this is a couple of Derek Bailey live recordings. Well I can’t complaint about the rock influenced distorted guitar effects this time, but it is still not something I can imagine myself seeking out too often. At a minimum it requires a much more focused listen than I am able to give right now in order to fully appreciate. I have no idea who the guitarist is. 8. “Crazy Rhythm”. Solos by tenor, trombone, piano. Tenor had a slight pre-bop/rhythm and blues feel in the solo that was interesting to listen to. The other two soloists did not make a significant impression on me. Nothing familiar about any of the instrumentalists. 9. The “rock guitar” seems to fit on this track because the entire performance feels more like an extended rock improvisation other than a narrowly defined jazz/improve performance. The drummer certainly is not trying to deliver a 4/4 swing feel. I have very little reference to compare this against to form a qualitative judgment. Then after about six minutes the feel changes a bit. Something tells me this is the kind of thing most enjoyed in a live setting really loud as opposed to being an intellectually stimulating listening experience – at least for me. 10. An assortment of sounds – guitar, bass, violin and other stuff. I think I will have to come back to this one in order to have anything credible to say. 11. Something for everyone on a ND compilation. Now we have the swinging large ensemble Solos by trumpet, alto, trombone, tenor, piano all maintain the energy level. Nice energy and arrangement with solid solo statements. 12. The alto sounds familiar right away. What I thought was just going to be the introduction before the tune settles in lasted over four minutes. This was not a memorable conclusion to this disc for me.

I listened to the entire disc twice in the office before trying to make any comments. I had a couple of quiet minutes in the office tonight before I run out to hear Henry Threadgill at Wesleyan, so I decided to knock out a few of the tracks. 1. This suggests a Tristano influence – in particular the rhythmic feel and the playing on the head. The solos by the piano, trombone and tenor all told solid concise stories. There is nothing familiar to me about any of the soloists. Overall nice track to get things started. 2. This is an interesting track. I am not sure how I feel about the sound of the bass. In the extended opening it reminds me of some recordings from the seventies of Charlie Haden’s bass. Once the tune settles into somewhat of a groove it has an overall Ornette vibe to it. At times the first alto soloist sounds a bit like Mr. Coleman, but I do not think it is Coleman. I like the sound of both saxophonists. Very strong track. 3. Another track where the subtle bit of counterpoint and the steady rhythm brings to mind Tristano. Brief statements from trumpet, alto, bass, tenor and then guitar all seem to fit. The new album by Fred Hess comes to mind. I listened to it a few times and enjoyed it, but I do not have the information regarding the album with me here at work to confirm. In any event, this is my kind of stuff. 4. This on the other hand probably is not my kind of stuff. I should clarify that by stating that I think the saxophonist is interesting – in fact he/she sounds familiar for some reason. Appealing sound and an imaginative solo. I also liked the groove set by the bassist. The drummer’s solo – well it came across to me like a drummer’s solo – I have a hard time seeing how it relates to the rest of the tune unless I look at it as a segue to the guitar solo. And that is where this loses interest to me. Just not a huge fan of the rock influenced distorted guitar in jazz/improvised music. The saxophone solo following the guitarist does not have the same impact to be as the first saxophone – assuming it is different. Bottom line is that I started to lose interest in this one after the first saxophone solo. 5. Feature for a trumpet backed up by subtle strings and an ensemble. Trumpeter has a nice sound and a sense of confidence in his/her playing. Solid track. 6. The required organ track. Stuff like this always sounds familiar to me, but never enough to make definite identifications. It also does not require much effort to enjoy. Nice groove and impressive solos by tenor, guitar, and organ. Well played if not particularly distinctive. That is probably my max for one sitting trying to listen attentively. Time to go check out Zooid and maybe even the preconcert talk with Anthony braxton. I will be back with the second part when I get a chance.

Thanks for the updated Tom. I am glad to hear that. I know he missed out on a recent Enrico Rava tour in support of the New York Days release. Also thanks for the heads up on the Trotignon release. Turner seems to be one of those peope who really is willing and interested in playing with a wide spectrum of artists.