Rabshakeh

I like Jazz & Bossa and Round Trip, as well as his record with Kikuchi called Collaboration. I know Paysages too but will check out the others that you kindly mentioned. He's on El Chico by Chico Hamilton, too. That's a good record and it's interesting that he's on it.

Now, I'm returning to this one: Carla Bley - Social Studies (Watt, 1981) One of my overall favourite Carla Bley records, save for the middling cover.

Just finished: Jihye Lee Orchestra - Daring Mind (2021) I can't remember where it was recommended but I thought it might be worth checking out. It's a big band record featuring young NY musicians. It has the strong taste of something written by a student on a composing programme then played through by junior musicians. No doubt this is true for all recent big band records, but it shows here in particular: All of the section parts are in small little bits. Not that bad but I can't imagine I'll return to it.

I often wonder who listens to Sadao Watanabe's music still. He used to be the first name who was mentioned for Japanese jazz. I am sure that there are many gems in his back catalogue, but I never see recommendations. These days, I see more Masahiko Takayanagi mentioned than Sadao Watanabe.

I wish that more of these were released as single LP or CDs. I really struggle with box sets. I know that they're value for money, but there's something about having 17 hours of music presented with a "fill your boots lad" attitude that's a real turn off for me. The same goes for compilations of pre 1950s singles. There's nothing to hang your hat on.

I like those OTBs. Kenny Garrett being an obvious reason. I think that Blanchard has been poorly served by being portrayed as the second step after the Brothers Marsalisov. Thanks for posting these records as I'd like to investigate more.

I've never heard of or seen this one. Definitely one to check out.

Are the Yamashitas free? I know and love his trio stuff, especially with Sakata.

I love it! It looks like he's spotted a mark and is about to start some sort of pool table hustle.

That is really very incredibly hideous

Doh! Mudfoot is the answer. Completely forgot.

Thanks

I like it too! It. It might be my favourite record of his on Steeplechase. I just think he does sound oddly diminished in contrast to the Shepp of the mid-70s. It’s just a weird record, Now on: Golden Hearts Remembrance - Wadada Leo Smith and N'Da Kulture (Chap Chap, 1997) Some good use of tuba to provide some heavy ballast.

Are either of those good?

That's an interesting one. Are there any other documents of them together?

I forgot that one. It has Bowie in quite a lot of settings. A good call I think.

What Lester Bowie record would you okay to a straight ahead jazz fan to demonstrate his ability? I've been asked twice, apparently in good faith, in online interactions recently. It is quite hard to think of examples where Bowie plays music that would appeal to an open minded bop fan who nonetheless is suspicious of non-bop playing as somehow lacking technique. I guess The Great Pretender and the duet with Wilson, but would welcome other views. The latter certainly shows Bowie's range, but it clearly isn't bop.

Lester Bowie - African Children (Horo, 1978) It's a shame this wasn't two separate LPs rather than a double. I think that the tighter and catchier second LP might be my favourite by Bowie (and up there for Blythe), but the first LP has too much growling and squarking and not enough happening.

I don't think we have a topic on this. What in your opinion are the indispensable Miles Davis live documents? All eras welcome. The two Plugged Nickel sets would seem to be obvious contenders.

I was kept up by the fireworks all night. I understand that people wanted to celebrate, but I thought that the worldwide 'Malibu to Bali' laser show relay was excessive in these times of scarcity.

Charles Earland - Leaving This Planet (Prestige, 1973) Nice bit of rare groove on a Monday.

Whilst this may not be jazz's greatest era, I find it frustrating the way that so much jazz music since 1982 gets collectively forgotten (or "memory holed" to use the internet term). Jazz didn't stop developing in this time - even these Young Lion records aren't just recreations of the past - and there've always been good records released. It feels like stuff gets released, people get excited by it, and then it just gets forgotten. Not so much because it's not excellent, but just because everything after 1982 seems to be regarded as ephemeral, and, whilst there were clear leaders, groups and trends, they don't get names or recognition. It is so much harder to find out about good records in the last four decades except for the ones that have just been released. It seems crazy that groups and records like the Pullen / Freeman quartet or Ralph Peterson's Fo'tet, aren't well known, just because they fall on the wrong side of a really arbitrary date line. I started listening to jazz only a few years after these groups were operational and the result was that they were already largely forgotten and it took me decades of listening to even hear about these groups. (I only learned about the Fo'tet here.) Maybe this will change - 20 years ago jazz history seemed to have ended in 1970. In the past few years the 1970s has been fully rediscovered and jazz from that era is now prized.

Thanks. I see he was in Association P.C. too. I should have recognised his name. Great pic on the Wikipedia entry: Like a mad sea captain.

Archie Shepp and pianist Jasper van 't Hof- Mama Rose (Steeplechase) I sometimes wonder what the backstory is behind this one. Who was van't Hof? I don't think I've ever heard of him apart from this record. Was Shepp looks for some sort of Richard Teitelbaum partner? Was it meant to be a more "modern" corrective to his recent traditionalist exercises? Added to that is the fact that Shepp at this period really sounds thin and on edge, as if the 1980s had hit him hard. In the film Imagine The Sound from the previous year, he looks and plays like he's in the middle of some sort of terrible collapse and on the verge of tears (although that's true of everyone in that film except for Bill Dixon).

That makes sense. It's a fun record. I recommend trying it, even just through streaming the opening Ornette tune. It's really quite something. Russell I think was always a bit of a curious player, I think. He's backed by Marshall Brown on trombone and a good rhythm section, who keep him steady. It really works.