Guy Berger

I realized we don’t have a thread for this guy, who is still active and making creative music. He’s recorded a lot of music and even though I’ve heard about a dozen albums with him I’ve barely scratched the surface.

This would be amazing - would pay for it Anyway, regarding the original post, who cares. None of us will listen to this

The music is awesome and essential listening. The studio recordings from this period are great too but give little to no hint of how intense this band could be. Also - while I’ve (not totally successfully) tried to get my hands on every live recording of WR from 1971 through 1974, this one has a pretty unique sound - different from the 1971 concerts or the ones later in 1972

It’s great, but I like Interstellar Space and Stellar Regions more. Wish we had even more recordings.

The OP is not a fan of ideas introduced into straightahead jazz after 1960

Agreed

Don Pullen & Keith Jarrett

Lack of women in the LCJO was still an issue as of 2018: Link “To be fair” this isn’t a problem limited to LCJO… sexism is still pervasive in jazz culture

It’s a lot worse than crossing the street without looking in both directions, because it also endangers other people - unvaccinated people (unless previously infected by COVID) are much more likely to transmit the virus to other people. The proper comparison is probably to drunk driving.

I love this framing, it’s exactly right. IMHO it explains Ethan Iverson’s dissatisfaction with the other (July 1965) live version of A Love Supreme.

Let me add - vaccine-administering clinics aren't going to check whether you qualify as high-risk or not (you just check a box on a form). We don't have a vaccine shortage in the US, and lots of doses get thrown away. The efficacy of the vaccines is shown to diminish over time. No judgment from me if you decide to get a booster past 6 months, even if you're not in a high risk category. I think it is somewhat unfortunate the FDA/CDC didn't choose the Israeli strategy of offering boosters to everyone. Even if the vaccines aren't perfect at limiting transmission, it makes a big difference. I'm really shocked by how much death the US experienced over the past 4-5 months, almost all avoidable because people refused to take a free, widely available vaccine. Over 10,000 avoidable deaths in Florida alone.

Strongly agree on Silk & Salt Melodies being great. Sources is next for me. I’ve picked up a few other of Sclavis’s ECMs. Rouge is the first one he did back with ECM in the late 80s or early 90s. Very good, not classic. Asian Field Variations is a trio with violin and cello. Very “third streamish”, very enjoyable. Characters on a Wall is with a conventional rhythm section of piano, bass and drums. Enjoyable but if you find ECM to be too sleepy, this won’t change your mind.

I thought the Miles Davis 1963 Monterey concert that Concord released was great. The Monk was eh, but that's mostly because diminishing marginal returns on 1960s live Monk accrue pretty quickly for me. I dunno. They're made available because someone thinks it's worth $$$, and I don't see anything wrong with that. Ideally, that allows the performing artists to make some $$$ to. Otherwise, I'm fine just locating unofficial recordings for what I am interested in.

I often enjoy Iverson’s writing (and playing!) but I take major exception to this claim: But we should also remember that the original albums signed off on by Coltrane himself are the definitive statement. Coltrane died well before his time! A lot of classic music had no opportunity to tbe “signed off”.

100% The distinction between jazz and popular music that we have today is to some extent “retconned”. To a lot of the musicians (and audiences) of the time, the boundaries were probably blurry and, to the degree they existed, many musicians felt comfortable criss-crossing. Stanley’s one of my favorite BN saxophonists - thanks to this thread I’ll have to listen to him some more

Good call, I agree w/everything you wrote

From Losin April 2, 1959 (9 items; TT = 25:55) CBS-TV Studio 61, New York NY CBS-TV broadcast (B) Show chatter Miles Davis (tpt, flh); John Coltrane (ts, as); Wynton Kelly (p); Paul Chambers (b); Jimmy Cobb (d); Ernie Royal (tpt); Clyde Reisinger (tpt); Louis Mucci (tpt); Johnny Coles (tpt); Emmett Berry (tpt); Frank Rehak (tb); Jimmy Cleveland (tb); Bill Elton (tb); Rod Levitt (valve tb); Julius Watkins (frh); Robert Northern (frh); Bill Barber (tuba); Romeo Penque (cl, fl); Eddie Caine (cl, fl); Danny Bank (bcl); Gil Evans (arr, cond); Robert Herridge (ann) 1 So What (M. Davis) 10:29 2 Introduction (Robert Herridge) 0:27 3 The Duke (D. Brubeck) 3:29 4 Blues for Pablo (G. Evans) 5:46 5 New Rhumba (A. Jamal) 4:27 6 Announcement (Robert Herridge) 0:17 7 So What (reprise) (M. Davis) 0:34 8 So What (reprise) (M. Davis) 0:16 9 Orchestral fragment 0:10

I agree with one point here - some of the most extreme gender inequities have narrowed in the past two decades. That said, I wouldn’t assume that means that others don’t remain:

More: Friends & Neighbors, What’s Next 4/5 I bought this at the recent “stock off”. Solid “retro” free jazz, the kind of thing you expected from a meeting of American and European musicians in the mid/late 60s though I think these guys are exclusively Scandinavian Nick Fraser, Is Life Long? 5/5 really enjoyed this one w/Tony Malaby. I’m a sucker for saxophone and cello I suppose Vinny Golia, Sfumato 4/5 very good recording with Bobby Bradford, Ken Filiano and Alex Cline. Not as good as Take Your Time on Relative Pitch Dennis Gonzalez, NY Midnight Suite 5/5 this one is really great. Strong compositions. Gonzalez’s music has such a great feel. Dennis Gonzalez, Idle Wild 5/5 this one really benefits from the great Oliver Lake joining Gonzalez, love it! Dennis Gonzalez, No Photograph Available 4/5 not quite as great as the two other ones above Dennis Gonzalez, Dance of the Soothsayer’s Tongue: Live at Tonic 4/5 didn’t love this one as much as NY Midnight Suite. But dang, this group could even sound great while asleep up next: Chris Lightcap, Epicenter

BUMP!

I love his playing on Tony Williams’s Spring - the 3rd track has a delightfully abstract solo. Also, not on Blue Note but his solo on “Mappo” (from Bennie Maupin’s The Jewel in the Lotus) is spectacular.

Looks like I’m in a minority! Folks who disagree with me - what do you think about Cannonball Adderley’s pre-1962 work?

The 1954 date is my favorite pre-1956 Miles, EASY. Imho the reason the Milt/Monk collaborations work so well is that Monk injects much-needed grit into Milt’s effortless, slick bluesiness

I’d be interested in why he dedicated the album to those 5 musicians.