Rabshakeh

I think it might be the one that is discussed in Notes and Tones, dismissively, if I recall. On the Edit: See below. Not dismissive. Not effusive.

What a great cover it has. Now listening to: Wadada Leo Smith - Ten Freedom Summers (Cuneiform, 2012) Someone told me this is the highest ranked record of all time on Metacritic. That makes sense, I guess, because it is really really good, but I am trying to imagine the average music listener coming across it.

Nice one. I'm hoping with the new BAG film out there might be a bit more of a focus on Carroll and... maybe even some reissues...?

Bush Baby (Adelphi, 1978) by Black Arthur Blythe, as he was billed on the cover. Coming off the tuba chat of the last few days, really. My favourite of the earlier Blythes. It strikes me that, if ever asked what the term "Loft Jazz" refers to, one could hardly do better than to just put this record on.

It seems odd, doesn't it? If you have a tuba, why not use it? It's not like there was no history of tuba in jazz. I wonder whether part of it was imaginative / aesthetic resistance to the New Orleans revival, which I suppose was still going at that time and might have been something with which a younger player in the '50s might not have wanted to be associated.

Thanks. I actually knew the Dr John record, but had never stopped to check the cast out.

I'd never heard of this one until this weekend. I've played it a couple of times since - this and the Live in New York duet with Mr. Wadud. It's really fantastic stuff.

New Horizens by Sounds of Liberation (Dogtown, 1972). Inspired by the Byard Lancaster chat a few weeks back. One of his and Khan Jamal's best. Sadly, not on the original vinyl (I'd recommend a stiff drink before checking that one on Discogs).

I like that Black Beans and Rice album. Quite different, as you say. What Dr. John and Brother Jack McD records is he on? Those had passed me by.

Helluva lineup on that one. Looks good.

Two things strike me about it: First, that this is some of Mal Waldron's best playing for Prestige. He does some really exciting and unique (to my ears) stuff. Possibly one of his best pre-breakdown showings? Secondly, it seems to me that there is still a sense of slight awkwardness around the idea of jazz tuba in a small group bop context on this record. I guess that "bass" wasn't so prized in the 50s, so the huge extra oomph that players like Joe Daley and Theon Cross bring to their groups isn't there. At the same time, the tuba isn't really allowed to take the bass player's role or to supply counterpoint (save for at one nice point where Draper enters his solo before the end of Webster Young's trumpet solo). It ends up with Draper mostly soloing, sometimes a little shakily, given the tempos. Perhaps it is telling that the discussions above in this thread mostly focus on tuba players who reached their prime in the 70s onwards, when new ideas had emerged. As someone mentions up-thread, going by the London scene in particular, the tuba has since re-emerged as one of the main jazz instruments in a small combo, and as perhaps the key to helping the the group sound bass heavy and contemporary. Ha ha. Yes. You beat me to it. I like it as well. But it is perhaps half brilliant half shaky, often during the same tracks. I hadn't realised how young Draper was.

Listening to this one right now, Tuba Sounds by Ray Draper (Prestige, 1957).

Snap! I was just listening to this one. It’s got some of my favourite of his flute playing on. Lots of rock influence in the rhythm section's playing too, which I guess makes it a little different.

My vague recollection is that the three of them didn't get on particularly well by the end.

Did anyone watch the Village Vanguard livestreams of Tyshawn Sorey, Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano this weekend? https://villagevanguard.com/event/tyshawn-sorey I didn't, although I enjoyed the wrestling style promo Lovano cut in advance. Jazz Twitter seems very impressed with it, though, and is making it out to have been one of the gigs are the last few years. I've got a sharp sense of FOMO and am thinking of downloading last night's one. Apparently they are available for 24 hours afterwards.

It looks like an interesting one, although I've never been all that into Frank Wess' playing.

I was wondering whether Live At Dreher was going to be handled singly or by way of the original releases. I have always seen it as a single whole.

Thanks everyone. I realised now that I mistakenly had turned down a couple of those LPs that I saw in the wild. Something to look forward to when normal record shopping returns.

That makes sense. I had actually gotten my chronology mixed up and mistakenly thought it was recorded before the Vanguard sessions, whereas I see it is three years before. Certainly I agree with your view on that album. It is fantastic.

That's a good one, and a nice description. Helluva record. Cutting out the piano seems to set Booker free. Ted Curson is another, connected, player who also never gets his due amount of love. I always need to be reminded to listen to him. Anyway, time for some Mingus At Antibes...

Looking back over this (rather contentious) thread, I can see quite a lot of attention paid to the Periodisation of Pepper. Folks seem agreed on two periods: (1) the earlier work, and then (2) a later Trane-influenced period (which is apparently typified by Blues for the Fishermen and the Vanguard sessions). There is a bit of discussion over preferences, with a few people suggesting that the borrowed Traneisms were a little awkward and shallow; others love them. However, a couple of the above-quoted responses also suggest another later period in which Pepper moved past the slightly awkward Traneisms that he had initially borrowed and found an integrated sound. Are there any recordings that are considered to capture that third and final stage? For the record, I like late Pepper a good deal, I'm just asking out of interest.

It feels like there is always more Sun Ra to discover.

The Quest (New Jazz, 1961) by Mal Waldron You can't argue with Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Mal Waldron and Charli Persip! Always thought that the cover made Waldron look like some sort of mystic sage. Now onto: Matana Roberts' & local hero Pat Thomas' The Truth. The last gig I saw was these two with Peter Brotzmann and John Edwards in December 2019. I assume that this was recorded that week whilst Roberts was in town.

This was the one.

What are the duo records? I know of Live In New York (1976). Are there others that I have missed? Missed this one completely. I had thought his first was Dogon AD. I'm looking forward to it.