Rabshakeh

Sam Yahel Trio - Truth and Beauty (2007) Would this be the VJ record you most recommend? There was some talk on here recently about his influence on the British saxophonist John Butcher.

Thanks!

Great list. Bumper crop.

Is this a remix of the original record of that title or something wholly new? We’ve called Jan and Terje. They’re on their way over.

MILES DAVIS AND THE LIGHTHOUSE ALL-STARS: AT LAST ! First time I've heard this one. No one's best. The high point is those shirts, I think. Given its all recorded on one live date, and there are two tracks with two trumpets - Davis with Rolf Ericson, it seems odd that there is no track with both Baker and Davis.

Earl Anderza - Outa Sight (Pacific, 1963) If anyone knows a more hard swinging harpsichord player than Jack Wilson, then let me know. It's just a shame that he doesn't play it more.

Michael Richard Abrams - Things To Come From Those Now Gone (Delmark, 1975)

Anthony Braxton - Four Compositions (1973) (Denon, 1976) The rare Avant Garde jazz record that really does sound a bit like Messaien. Having just finished this one: JD Allen Trio - I Am I Am (Sunnyside, 2008)

Given how many and how lengthy Mr. Braxton's standards releases are, is the growing view that this is one of the very best?

Pat Thomas, John Butcher and Ståle Liavik Solberg on Fictional Souvenirs (Astral Spirits, 2017)

Surprisingly enjoyable. I like it more than I did then now that the hype is long gone. Agreed, re Crosby.

The Jazz Warriors - Out of Many, One People (Antilles, 1987)

Three Blind Mice records in particular go for eye watering prices sometimes. I see that there was a 70s Japan thread: I see that it covers many of the classics, including Kosuke Mine and his associates, who are currently being streamed pretty regularly over at chez Rabshakeh's.

Mind you, that cover photograph...

I only know Sonnet and Spanish Flower, which I enjoyed without necessarily falling in love. Like many other Three Blind Mice records, they are on the borderline between electric post bop and fusion. The group had Masayuki Takayanagi on guitar, which is less explosive than you'd expect in the circumstances, although his playing is unusual. The bass playing sometimes gives the group a slightly more prog rock sound than some other Japanese groups in the fusion-ish space from the time, which I confess to not really enjoying. My view is that they are good records, but, given how fertile the Japanese scene was at that time, not necessarily stand outs. I've been listening to a lot of records from this era recently, and had been thinking of starting a thread when I get the time. There's such an embarrassment of riches there.

Al Di Meola?

How did Stitt react to that? I've seen videos of Stitt getting pretty irrascible.

I'm always surprised at how rarely this approach is audibly adopted, not just for old "Standards" (capital S) but also by groups or players like The Bad Plus (whose Mr. Iverson started all this) or Vijay Iyer when they pick new tunes by Nirvana or Radiohead or whoever, and then just treat them as a bunch of chord changes, but with updated harmonies.

Berrios always equals magic.

Does anyone know the cause of Perry's death?

I had never made that connection!

I don't know this one. Another one to check out. I'm currently on 1973's Astro Black. Not the greatest Sun Ra release (is there one?) but in some way the most characteristic.

Who else has recorded it? The version on the Turrentine album of the same name is incredible, in line with the rest of that, severely underrated, album.

That sounds correct. Pleased to hear that you were there.

Hilton Ruiz - El Camino (Novus, 1988) I love the contrast between the brass section and Sam Rivers.