Rabshakeh

Whilst we are on Zappa and blues, does anyone know, from interviews or books, what blues musicians most influenced Zappa's own blues writing? His blues tracks generally sound quite similar to each other, but don't sound much like the standard Muddy Waters template that much white blues of the era starts with. (Not intending to say that all white blues of the 60s sounds like Muddy Waters, but, if it isn't MW, it is often quite easy to spot whatever the influence is, whereas here I find it harder. I may just not be familiar.) Howling Wolf's raspier records are obviously in there. Rhythmically I hear Billy Boy Arnold, maybe?

Who bought these? Surely some duck-tailed teenager hoodlum isn't going to suddenly buy a Claude Thornhill record just because it has "rock" in the title? And we're not yet at the post-Beatles stage where parents are buying nicely arranged instrumental versions of those loud rock and pops. Were these solely aimed at well-meaning uncles and grandparents buying mistaken Christmas presents, or something? I've had a listen and it's clearly still big band music, even if it now has a prominent guitar or baritone saxophone playing bass parts. It's actually alright. I weirdly quite like it. Boyd's shaken off Stravinsky, and it's a fairly gentle but danceable arranger's record.

Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition – Apti Revisiting this for the first time since it was released. I don't find that it makes much impression, despite everyone involved being talented. It never gets much of a pulse going.

Hal Stein-Warren Fitzgerald Quintet – The Classic Sessions

Baby Dodds Trio – Jazz A' La Creole

Steve Lacy, Yuji Takahashi, Takehisa Kosugi – Distant Voices

Robbie Williams – Swing When You're Winning Harry Nilsson – A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night A recent run of listening to Keith Jarrett and Anthony Braxton standards records, plus @Teasing the Korean 's recent post about Great American Songbook records has sent me on a popstars doing standards run. In the interests of science, mind. The Schmilsson's pretty good. Very much not a jazz album at all, though.

Yusef Lateef – Hush 'N' Thunder Revisiting this one. It's not his best, really. Lateef seems barely present on his own record. Kenny Barron seems to have written almost everything. Lateef's solos just fade out.

That's a strong recommendation... Thanks! This is the one that caught my eye.

My free jazz listening tends to be directly linked to when my wife needs a lie in.

Canadian guitarist. I know next to nothing about him. Does anyone have any suggestions for him as a leader or sideman?

I'm excited about this one.

Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath – Live At Willisau Another spin of this new acquisition. Disappointingly muddy sound but great music. Perhaps better on the old CD I had.

Noah Howard – The Black Ark The 2007 Black Ark reissue.

Riot – Thundersteel

Frank Wess – Yo Ho! Poor You, Little Me I haven't listened to this in years. What a great record.

Pound for pound, this might be my favourite Art Ensemble record. What's the story behind this copy?

Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus I've had terrible experiences with this one in the past. I bought a copy from Chiswick car boot that was a boot, gave it away and the bought another copy from Jazz Messengers in Lisbon, not realising that such a fancy and overpriced record shop would sell euro-knock offs. Nice to finally have a decent Candid, which sounds a lot better.

Please accept my apologies for what I have done.

I've heard it, but I don't own it.

Now on: One of my favourite Lee Konitz records.

Art Ensemble Of Chicago – Message To Our Folks Cheaper option Affinity pressing. I actually prefer to cover to the BYG original, and it sounds reasonable.

Has anyone had a listen to this yet? I generally enjoy Brian Blade releases, because you know you're going to get something with interesting shifting rhythms.

Just read this. Required reading indeed. So scungy.