Rabshakeh

I've never come across it. One to check out. And I suppose there's not a total blank on improv: there's the Mule and his Visi-Sonor in the Foundation books. But it's not clear how hard he swings, so I'm not sure whether Wynton would have approved.

April in Paris was one of the turn offs for me for some reason. Perhaps I need to revisit it, but it didn't feel like it had the huge energy of Live at Newport. It seems closer to Atomic in style to me - emphasis on arrangements. Probably I am wrong though as I am no expert on Basie (as my question above shows).

That's true. A good shout. The closest that we have got so far to a science fiction writer who even mentions jazz. It's a weird blank point. Perhaps jazz was not where it was at during the genre's flowering, but I'm still surprised that there's almost noone there in the sci fi firmament who refers to jazz or draws any sort of parallels to improvisation.

I always love the text that accompanies the web version of the episodes. So much in there. Thanks.

Sam Rivers - Crystals (Impulse!, 1974)

Thanks everyone for the excellent recommendations. I've got my basieness cut out for me with all these records. Better get basie, etc. etc.

I've been a lifelong Basie enjoyer, but not much more. Like a lot of people I basically concentrated my Basie listening on the Old Testament stage, which I really enjoyed largely from a historical viewpoint, and on the Hefti Atomic record, which I never really got close to. I recently listened to Live at Newport for the first time, and it clicked for me oh so very hard. What I like most about it is that it is basically a blues record of an incredibly exalted sort: big band ammo; all these incredible players; Rushing and Williams; strong enough production values that I can hear everyone. It's got everything that Big Joe Turner has plus everything else. There's various Basie threads on here (plus from time to time the Listening To... thread might as well be a Basie thread (or it will if @HutchFan keeps going at this rate)), but I'd be interested to know which LPs members would most recommend for next steps, noting the above.

Keith Jarrett - Shades (Impulse!, 1976)

Steve Lehman Octet - Travail, Transformation, And Flow (Pi Recordings, 2009)

I confess that the 1:45 of "WW5" passed me by completely.

I feel like this is a genre that doesn't get its due.

Is this a new one? I haven't seen it advertised or mentioned.

Barre Phillips, John Butcher & Ståle Liavik Solberg - We Met - And Then (Relative Pitch, 2021)

Big news!

Seems to me that there are almost no significant (whosever that term is used) science fiction books or writers that are inspired by, linked to or even feature jazz. That's in sharp contrast to the wider literature and to other areas of genre fiction such as crime. Can anyone think of any?

I wish that I owned this one. It's surprisingly hard to find, even with the resources of the internet.

And now on Adam O'Farrill's Black Sand, which I'd recommend highly to anyone who likes Afro-Cuban post bop. It's got all the late 70s percussion greats on, plus O'Farrill does a good job.

Chick Corea - The Leprechaun (1976)

Hugh Masekela - Home Is Where the Music Is (Chiesa, 1972)

It’s not just the music. They’d been playing in stadiums. Different kinds of tricks go down.

I like that. Fusion-brained.

I'm not sure if it's the place or time, but my main memory of Dr. Smith's music is driving down the motorway blasting out Afro-Desia completely lost in the moment, only for both of my kids to suddenly get explosively car sick, followed by my wife too. The car never recovered, and a year later I am still not allowed to play Dr. Lonnie Smith in the house because my wife is so traumatised. Anyway, RIP to one of the greats. There are few jazz players who could completely hypnotise me with their solos in the way that Smith could.

This is a breakfast. I frittered mine away with a Binker Golding record. What's the Hal Singer like? Now on: Miyasaka Takashi Quintet - Soul Tomato (Aketa's Disk, 1982) Similar in feel to those 70s vamp heavy bop records like the Hutch/Land combo, perhaps leaning a little more into fusion territory.

Movement in the City - Black Teardrops (1981) Having just finished: Boston Duets (1992) by Oliver Lake & Donal Leonellis Fox

Thanks!