Rabshakeh

Yes, but no-one is seriously questioning whether he might be right. At least, I hope not.

What do you mean? Is Judith Butler notoriously wordy? I have never read Butler's work. Braxton is not so much wordy as idiosyncratic, I think.

This is an interesting take. I have often wondered with Braxton, for example, whether his curious terminology is a result of his having had to put everything together for himself. Some of the "scholarship" that Braxton refers to and leans upon is definitely on the outlying edges, albeit with Braxton it feeds back to an intriguing and unique humanist viewpoint, rather than something unpleasant. But Evan Parker is hardly an autodidact. I thought he studied biology at Birmingham Uni. Also, after the reference to Ezra Pound it took me a minute to puzzle out which "EP" you meant.

Grand Old Fish of his tiny pond he might be, but I can't believe there is anyone who is having their heads turned by what he is saying, particularly given that he is not even saying it directly. The Wire's article criticising him is doing more to publish those views than Parker himself is.

A nice one. Lehman is one of the artists whom I am most looking forward to seeing when touring resumes.

I'm all in agreement, but Parker is not a UKIP spokesperson! He has barely publicised his views on Brexit. Thanks. I have it on my shelf and will have a look. But, again, Shepp is not a high profile anti-Semite using his fame to publish his beliefs (Baraka might be a different story). It's not even something you can find easily from a Google search. It isn't the old Celine/Pound conundrum of whether you should or shouldn't enjoy hateful art, because hateful content in either Shepp's or Parker's work is lacking.

Agreed. He's a musician, not a politician or a pamphleteer. He's not writing songs about how Brexit is great, like Van Morrison is about his views. If you didn't read about his personal views you could listen to his music for 100 years and remain none the wiser.

No doubt he will develop some exciting new circular breathing techniques. It might liven up the next solo release. Oh. Thanks. I wish I didn't know that. It shows you should be careful what questions you ask. Edit: It still won't make me throw out my Shepps though. I still don't understand getting upset by a musician's views as long as it doesn't come across in the music. Parker remains safe in my house, next to the Soft Machines and the rest.

What's Shepp's choice of discourse?

It's a lot better than the rather generic reissue.

Currently listening to this hot one: Reggie Workman - Summit Conference

Okay. What about Jouk Minor? Is he a soft giouk or a hard yook? And is it short for something? I actually asked a French friend these questions a year ago and he acted like I had gone insane and claimed that there was no such name, which I felt was harsh.

Now got this one going: Masahiko Sato and Attila Zoller - APath Through Haze (MPS, 1972)

Ralph Peterson presents the Fo'Tet (Blue Note, 1990) Surely one of the best mainstream releases of the 1990s, and sorely in need of a reissue. Before that I listened to: Lee Konitz in Rio (M.A, 1989) Not a winner, but it has its moments. The mix of samba, cheap synths and rather overachieving alto doesn't really work for me.

How many Sun Ra discs have you listened to so far today? At what point did you achieve total consciousness?

Yes! The whole thing just sways and claps. It’s an incredible album. Pure gospel science.

This might be a European viewpoint, but I typically associate this sort of intensely technical vocabulary with arts institutions, because it is the type of vocabulary that is required when submitting requests for funding (e.g., here in the UK, requests for funding from the Arts Council). This scientific / technical style makes it easier for the person with the purse strings to justify allocating the grant. I always assumed that the reason for the growing prevalence of this sort of garbage language is a reflection of the increasingly institutionalisation is of the music - not in itself a good or bad thing - with an accompanying “creep” into press releases and other sorts of non-specialist publications as it increasingly begins to be seen as the appropriate language to use when discussing the music in general. I should add that the above is based on experience of visual arts and the museum/gallery sector in the UK, so may not reflect wider circumstances or the music world.

Everyone has their sweet spot.

I listened to this one earlier today: Tony Williams Quintet - Native Heart (Blue Note, 1989) Good playing, but it feels like a revisiting of past glory rather than something new. I think that there is a bit of a contrast to what e.g. Wayne Shorter was doing, which felt more like progression.

Sherman Irby - Big Mama's Biscuits (Blue Note) I always have space for any record with a front cover that has some top shelf, red hot, food-on-gingham action.

That was one thing that made me ask originally.

Cheers. Just finished this one: Anthony Braxton - Donna Lee (America, 1972) From previous listens, I generally think of this record as Exhibit 1 in the evidence in favour of the arguments of the "tin-eared Braxton can't play standards" camp. I don't belong to that camp (I think that there are some great Braxton standards/tribute records), but I can see the argument is justified at times, particularly here. What strikes me about it when revisiting years (and many many standards sets) later is that, quite aside from the usual contraversy, it is also an uncharacteristically "normal" record. It is mostly shredding, rather aimless, energy music of the sort that would sit easily in ESP's or BYG's catalogues. Now playing: The Poll Winners (Contemporary, 1957)

How would you rate this one against other later Cubers?

Just finished: Joe Maneri - Let The Horse Go Now on: Sir Roland Hanna - Maybeck Recital Hall Series Volume Thirty-Two

Just finished: Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky - Selb-Dritt (FMP, 1981) Now on to: Shadow Vignettes - Birth of a Notion (Sessoms, 1985)