Rabshakeh

He's the first! But he is barely interviewed. He almost refuses to engage with the questions and just slides off hip and meaningless answers. Like Griffin's rage and Blakey's alternative answers, Gordon's polite indifference stood out to me whe. I read it.

That is interesting. Budd Johnson is a particular favourite of mine.

Will try to do both in the near future. Whether Texas will depend on where the wind blows.

My problem with Notes and Tones is that the questions seem to me to be geared towards getting the response the author is seeking. As a result, there's not really a range of responses. I thought that the few who do give alternative answers like Gordon (barely answers), Blakey or Griffin (who, if nothing else, stands out for sheer rage) were noticeable. Otherwise I found it samey.

Thanks! Will check it out.

Roosevelt Sykes – Dirty Double Mother (Bluesway, 1973) This one's been showing up recently on my socials. I initially assumed it was just another guy with the name Roosevelt Sykes. A great funky update on one of the very earliest blues sounds.

I am currently reading (albeit slowly due to time constraints) this book for the first time. I am quite amazed at how good it is. Extremely exciting. It makes me want to stop reading and put on records at every point then plunge back in, which is surely what a good book on jazz should do. Plus, it is in the musicians' own words, and apparently without the glaring leading questions that, for me, ruined the more famous Notes and Tones. Very strange that it is not among the first books recommended on jazz, and that it is not in print in a glossy edition, but is just the same old tatty thing from ages ago. The contrast to the stodginess of the main jazz histories like Ted Gioia's is very marked. Unless there is some sort of catastrophic collapse in quality coming around the corner, it is the book that I would give to a young jazz fan, without reserve. Any other views on it? Feel free to tell me I am wrong or that there is some gruesome history to it that keeps the book out of the To Read lists.

The Vandermark 5 – Burn The Incline Vandermark could really write. Now on to this: Slim Gaillard And Bam Brown / Meade Lux Lewis – Opera In Vout / Boogie Woogie At The Philharmonic Someone recently posted a video of Slim Gaillard and Bam Brown singing Dunkin' Bagel to Twitter and Instagram, which on the one hand set off the usual run of half chewed political takes, but on the other reminded me to play this.

Gary Bartz / Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge – Jazz Is Dead 6 Really enjoyed this one. Makes me wonder what other records in this series I've missed.

The magic words.

I've never heard of it. Let us know once you've listened to it.

All the signs are there.

There is going to be a terrible accident.

Spyro Gyra – Spyro Gyra Secretly great fusion record. Blachman Thomas Meets Al Agami & Remee – The Style And Invention Album Not a secretly great jazz rap record.

He's really good on that record. I thought the same.

I really like them! Extremely clever and subtle visual puns aside, what is going to happen to that train? This cover is so bad that it has a weird nightmarish memorability. There aren't many contemporaneous bop comps that reach those heights.

I'd missed this. Will have a listen tomorrow. Is it on any podcasters for download? Or would one need internet?

Good one. This is one the Young Lion micro-heresy records I actually enjoy.

Looks great! About as glowing a review as you can get. I had not realised you were writing this book. I have a long term sentimental attachment to Shipp’s music, so I shall definitely pick this up.

Anthony Braxton - Seven Compositions 1978 This is one of the Braxtons that I saw recently in the wild. Kicking myself for not getting it now, because it's good. From the more direct and visceral side of Braxton, similar to the Arista classics and the George Lewis group.

So it sounds broadly legit? I had a look at the website, and it seems to mostly be content involving some sort of musician in the plotline, rather than about jazz per se, but clearly it isn't just a website with nothing behind it.

Very different to some rock concerts, where there is any choice of t shirt as long as it is black and XXXL. Maybe jazz musicians could sell bow ties.

Bill Cosby Presents Badfoot Brown And The Bunions Bradford Funeral & Marching Band Really surprised how great this record is.

Kenny Baker – Kenny Baker Presents The Half Dozen

I recently bought a great Brotzmann t shirt, white with the cover of Balls reproduced. There has also been talk recently about the Uniqlo Blue Note t shirts. These look great, unsurprisingly, given that jazz is well known for its imagery. But for whatever reason, there doesn't seem to be much of a jazz clothing merchandise culture. When one goes to rock concerts, there is always a merchandise stand selling t shirts. As I understand it, it is one of the main ways that bands make money these days. You have the same stalls at jazz gigs, but it's just CDs and vinyl. I'd love to wander around with a moody Mal Waldron t shirt or a super-colourful Decoding Society thing. But it's hard to find these things, even on the internet. Not much a question here. It's more befuddlement as to why jazz artists don't sell t shirts.