Joe

How about Peter Warren on those Jack DeJohnette Special Edition records? And another vote for the Diedre Murray / Fred Hopkins recordings.

Dusted Magazine review (by Derek Taylor)

Actually, that's an actor (Ko /Kou / Machizo Machida) portraying Abe. Keiji Haino, of course, plays his own oh-so-black self.

One of Japan's pioneering "free" musicians. The great bulk of his discography is posthumous, IIRC. Not well-represented in my collection, but I do have the DIW LAST DATE, which features Abe's work on both guitar and harmonica and is consequently somewhat less intense than, say, his collaborations with guitarist / feedback sculptor Masayuki Takayanagi (I've heard but do not own). Also, check out the film ENDLESS WALTZ (clip available here).

It would be nice to have UNDERWEAR (1971, with Arild Andersen and Jon Christensen) back in circulation. And, while it does not contain anything like Don Cherry's finest work, I've always liked Stenson's contributions to this session:

Bloom had not quite fully blossomed yet, but the 1982 Enja date MIGHTY LIGHTS (w/ Hersch, Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell) is worth hearing.

I can't quite articulate why, but this recording has never really clicked for me. I feel there's a certain disconnect between the soloists and the rhythm section, and Tucker seems really out-of-sorts to me. Its almost as if the musicians are having some difficulty really hearing each other. Its often edge-of-my-seat stuff, but not so much "edge-of-my-seat-engrossing" as "edge-of-my-seat-becuase-I-can't-get-comfortable-and-I-might-need-to-move-to-the-next-room-at-any-moment". Maybe the band needed more rehearsal time? Maybe its just lazy or tacky listening on my part. Like Hill's own POINT OF DEPARTURE (hmmm, similiarly configured, "all-star" band), CONFLICT is a recording I much more easily "respect" than "enjoy". Yet, like POINT OF DEPARTURE, its a recording I won't give up on. I have to say I prefer Woods' work (both as composer and soloist) on AWAKENING!!! and (as soloist only)on Joe Gordon's excellent LOOKIN' GOOD. A somewhat fugitive figure, Woods. I wonder what happened to him.

Hot diggidy! http://www.harkitrecords.com/titles.html#1

Among Abrams' more "abstract" recordings, IMO, but the title track is one of the most flat-out joyous things in his discography.

Apollo Anton Ohno Phaeton Dr. Ferdinand Porsche

Thanks for the heads-up. http://www.cryptogramophone.com/

Wire's first three albums, as recently re-issued:

The original Stuff LPs await proper CD reissue, but this compilation will do in a pinch:

What I've heard of Gospel sax fits that description, too. But it's not much. I don't think the Gospel sax tradition is well documented, either on records or in the literature of Gospel music. That makes it much more difficult to relate particular jazz saxophonists to Gospel saxophonists and the tradition. But I don't doubt that that relationship exists. MG Brother Vernard Johnson? Of a later, post-Ayler generation, but certaily worth investigating for his understadning of / contributions to the gospel saxophone tradition.

I love this record: As for Joe Bussard, anybody here sprung for this recent set? http://dust-digital.com/fonotone.htm

The title to the boingboing.net story says it all: Japanese R&B group in blackface http://www.gosperats.com/ Sponsored by Sony Music.

Hasn't our good friend Jordi Pujol had the Blackburn / Hill material out for some time on one of his imprints (Fresh Sound)? If so, I'm presuming that said issue was sourced from vinyl. Very, very, very happy to see those Gil Evans recordings back in circulation. I wonder if we can expect any significant sonic upgrade? I'm skeptical, given the general state of Dick Bock-produced masters, but one can hope.

well I'll be dipped...

The Bee Hive material issued by Columbia. Yes, the sound is rough, but the playing... this is "Brownie Meets Sonny", for all intents and purposes. Vinyl only, but you won;t let that stop you, will ya?

Yes.

Joe, that's a hometown label--in fact, I know the owner from the days when we were both part of the Kirkwood Avenue record-store-clerk community. Talking to him this Thursday about a possible "Profiles" program on him for WFIU... Secretly Canadian is a really happening enterprise. David -- very cool. Let me know if that comes together; I'd like to listen in.

Hey, I like Unrest too... they were just perverse enough for me. Clementine is right in the Laughing Clowns material though. And I think it is now all handily available in a 3-disc box set. Joe Bob sez check it out. P.S.: the Secretly Canadian label -- http://www.secretlycanadian.com/home.php -- has recently reissued the first two LPs by the brilliant Swell Maps. If you dig Stereolab, check 'em out.

"Big" Ernie McCracken Tripper Harrison Jason Voorhees

Donald Byrd – Royal Flush Its about time. IMO, Byrd's finest recording as a leader.

Not sure why, but I waffled on plunking down the old hard-earned on this until Jim and I talked about it a couple of weeks ago. I guess maybe I was a little concerned about the importation of an youngish arranger. or unfamilair names in the band, or some other stupid excuse. Rest assured. I am. Arrangements largely by Johnson (didn't he arrange big chunks of Fathead's "comeback" dates on Muse, late 70s / early 80s?), and they are peaches. As Jim notes, the centerpiece here is "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing". The way Newman plays here -- there's a tranquility, but also a feeling of unfolding. Its beautiful but it doesn't insist on being beautiful, if that makes any sense. Still, to me the most appealing aspect of this recording is that it finds Newman revisiting some interesting material by some of his old DFW cohorts (Claude Johnson and Roger Boykin), material first heard on one of his more or less so-so late 70's dates, FRONT MONEY. Admittedly, that's something of an "extra-musical" appeal. But the tunes themselves are strong and given very nice settings as well as solos, especially from Fathead, who seems to really be enjoying himself, not just picking his ways through the changes, but "telling stories". And I have to admit that I have not sat with a contemporary "jazz" record in a long while and felt the pleasure that comes from hearing a good story or two. Not that I always want that pleaure. I have to acknowledge though that sometimes its nice -- not to mention important -- to be reminded of what I've been missing. (And, yea, the version of "Goldfinger" that kicks off this record is pretty damn hip.)