Guy Berger

So, if I were to take Teachout at face value**, would jazz fall into the "high art" category or the "popular culture" category? **I think this essay is mostly (though not entirely) BS.

Question about the George Adams box - I have the two excellent Village Vanguard albums already in single-disc form. So far I've been inclined to not pick up the box because I've heard the other three albums (which I haven't heard) are not on the same level. Agree? Disagree?

Haven't heard the whole Abrams box (though I finally picked it up recently) but BLU BLU BLU is a must hear, and THE HEARINGA SUITE is also really really good. Amazing writing + performers.

I was just listening to this specific clip as well... amazing music, amazing man.

Do they play any post-1964 Cannonball stuff?

Hasn't this show been circulating for quite a while? Or is this a genuine new find? I assume the former.

RIP, Chico. Loved his 50s group with Buddy Collette and Jim Hall, and also the 60s group with Charles Lloyd and Gabor Szabo. And he helped vault Eric Dolphy into national prominence!

Small Places is really good too. Obviously the ECM sheen may turn off some, but for anybody who doesn't mind that, it's just no-nonsense post-bop with some avant edges.

Wow. Sorry I missed this earlier, but glad she is doing better.

Like this one a lot! Just picked up Small Places (the sequel, with the same lineup) as a result, excited to hear it.

Recently picked up both of the Snakeoil albums during their performance at the Jazz Standard. So far only listened to the 1st one. Very good

Yes... love his work on this instrument - the ballad "Past Is Past" on TJitL.

Agreed with Bev. At first I was underwhelmed with the Remember Shakti albums (I've only heard the 2-disc and The Believer) - they are more reflective, less in-your-face than the self-titled live album - but they grew on me a lot.

The arms race of ever-high-alcohol beers is not really surprising given human nature, but I would guess this novelty doesn't taste particularly good.

Silly question, or maybe not. I have been itching to pull the trigger on the Muhal Richard Abrams BS/SN box for a while. But on Amazon it is consistently more expensive than nearly every other box in this series. For example, a new MRA box can only be purchased for $43.08, whereas a new Dixon box can be purchased for $31.72, a new Braxton box for $28.40 and a new Pullen box for $24.87. Is there any place to get the MRA box for a lower price?

The difference is you save your money to buy something else which does go to the artist or a high-quality reissuer.

The new one is as good as the best by him: Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street. I recently listened to this one for the first time (I bought it from the now-extinct yourmusic.com a long time ago). Wonderful record. Probably not for those who want "jazz".

Time Out was one of the first straight-ahead albums I ever got. But assuming we're excluding that, as well as stuff like Birth of the Cool, Way Out West, Mingus, Getz's West Coast Jazz, JImmy Giuffre's Free Fall and the MJQ, my first full-on encounter with this music was the Chico Hamilton Mosaic. After that I picked up the Mulligan/Baker 2CD set and a few Shelly Manne OJCs from the early 50s. I like everything, or almost everything, I've heard from this scene, though I'll also admit few if any of these fall recordings fall into my "top top top favorites" list.

I buy some of these sets, so I'm probably just honoring in the breach, but I am 100% behind this sentiment. Especially when it comes to PD labels who put out a low quality product.

Jon, I think it's a tribute to the quality/worthiness of your reissue program that you've encouraged friendly bickering among board members about what you should reissue next!

I finally read John LeCarre's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, which I loved, and naturally jumped to Night Soldiers next. Fantastic. The section in Civil War wracked Spain was particularly amazing. Now onto Dark Star. And it looks like, per Bev's recommendation, I should also check out David Downing.

Agreed. I'll take the Miles albums (and unofficial recordings) recorded with Wayne during 1964-69 over the Wayne BNs, easy. But I like the latter a lot too.

Life's too short to watch a video of this guy. Can some kind soul share the text of whatever idiocy came out of his mouth this time?

I had to check the calendar to make sure this wasn't an April Fool's joke. I will still assume this is a joke until confirmed otherwise. (Though, given the creation of Restoration Ruin and Spirits, not entirely surprising if this is not a joke.) OK: apparently, the forthcoming existence of this release is not a joke, whatever the jokiness of the musical contents.

I doubt there is any new music on the new box sets (though wasn't there a screwup where they cut off the beginning of "Rotation"?). But people craving more from this group should search for their unofficial recordings.