Guy Berger

100% agreed

I’ve heard the first 5 albums on this box. imho the two Changes albums are must-hear. Don’t love everything on them, but a lot of it is classic music and the band is great. The best 1970s studio Mingus I’ve heard, by far. I’d rank Cumbia Jazz Fusion next. It’s fun, though not classic level. Mingus Moves and Three or Four Shades of Blue are fine. Nothing bad but I would be ok with not hearing them again.

Yes, spectacularly good set. Among the best jazz I’ve heard from that period.

The Pi albums are an exceptionally strong run. This would be the 11th, right?

I had COVID for the first time back in December. My symptoms were unpleasant, but not the end of the world. Like a mild flu or an extremely bad cold. I was tired, slightly feverish, cough and congestion. Was able to manage symptoms with regular strength advil. My wife didn't get it. My kids did; my older one (5) had symptoms like mine for 3 days and then rebounded, my younger one (2) was asymptomatic the whole time. I did take paxlovid and it was a miracle drug while I was taking it (almost entirely eliminated the symptoms) but I was unfortunate to get the "paxlovid rebound", which happens to 20-25% of the population (my symptoms returned after I took it). I don't know if I would do it again unless I was higher risk. (But if I was, I would definitely take it, even with risk of a rebound.) I had only a minor metallic taste side effect. My vaccines were fully up to date - I had the bivalent booster back in the fall as did my wife. My kids both had the under 5 vaccine. Vaccines don't 100% prevent you from getting COVID, but they almost certainly reduce your chances of getting COVID in any given circumstance. Especially if you're up to date on boosters. Recent prior infection, especially with omicron variants, also has this effect. This just isn't true. Vaccines and prior infection provide some, albeit imperfect, protection from infection. Unclear whether it's more or less than a good mask, but it's much better to be "up-to-date vaccinated but not masked" than "masked but not up-to-date vaccinated". (And a lot of masks people wear are not particularly effective - it's really silly to see people wearing surgical masks or cloth ones. You need a well-fitted N95.)

This is… a fair assessment of his strengths and weaknesses? He’s great at a lot of things but wasn’t well suited for WR’s post-1972 music. Also a fair assessment (along with “serial bullshitter”)

Listening to this on Spotify. Was not what I expected - fairly adventurous freebop.

There is at least one track with a spoken word section. But it’s brief and I like it!

Listen to the music on Spotify or another music sharing service - that way NimbusWest gets at least some of the money. NimbusWest should consider asking people to “donate” money for releases they’ve purchased….

What mjzee said. Wayne’s playing with WR in concert was generally more robust than that on the post-1972 studio albums, at least on the 1973-75 concerts I’ve listened to. We’ve talked a lot about Wayne’s solo albums, his work w/Blakey and Miles, WR - I want to call out his work on McCoy Tyner’s albums Expansions and Extensions. “Message from the Nile” has one of the greatest soprano saxophone solos I have ever heard.

Finally got around to listening to A Night in Copenhagen. Good stuff. Lloyd’s playing was really strong in the 1980s and early/mid 1990s - assertive, less noodly

The guy that comes to mind when listening to Lewis in this context is David Murray - though “cerebral technique” is a bigger part of Lewis’s style than Murray.

He plays on Henry Threadgill’s Double Up Plays Double Up Plus

I caught James Brandon Lewis’s trio at SFJazz (it was an event in the Noise Pop Festival). He was backed by an electric bassist and drummer who had a strong punk (and occasionally funk) vibe. Great music though very loud!

Just discovered Sankt Gerold. Damn - this is really good stuff

That’s a real Scarsdale Surprise

I’m having trouble copy-pasting from Instagram, but apparently this spring they are releasing an album of new music from Henry titled “The Other One”. It’s written for a 12 piece ensemble and dedicated to Milford Graves. additionally, in May, an autobiography titled “Easily Slip into Another World” will be published! Link

Another example of why the Chambers bio is bad

Imho Lloyd in his stronger moments is a more interesting instrumentalist than Mann.

Haven’t seen “Hat and Beard” mentioned! Sacrilege Honestly there are so many good ones “Back at the Chicken Shack”, “Cool Struttin’ “, “Zoltan”, “Message from the Nile”, “Passion Dance”, “Inner Urge”, “Idle Moments”…

Discovered this recently and am really enjoying it. Not for people who love subtlety in their free jazz.

I’ve been enjoying this. Not a classic by any means but I’d rank it above Motian’s Garden of Eden or Time and Time Again. Stylistically in the same ballpark.

RIP. I love Blow by Blow and his work with the Yardbirds. (Though I am pretty indifferent to the Yardbirds aside from his playing.) on the minus side, he helped vault Rod Stewart to stardom 🤢

100%

Some more I’ve been listened to: Lightcap, Epicenter 5/5: amazing album, maybe the best I’ve heard from this label Steve Lehman, Manifold: 3/5 some good music on here but wasn’t passionate about it. Will revisit. Jonas Kullhammar, Basement Sessions Vol 2 4/5: solid, relatively straight ahead saxophone trio