Rabshakeh

I listen to this first Live one every so often. Obviously it’s a rehash of what went before, but Herbie is more confident and Wayne is on another journey by this point. Downsides are Ron Carter’s awful bass sound and Freddie Hubbard not being in his prime. In the Late 70s rechauffee stakes I’d probably pick Old and New Dreams as my choice long before VSOP, but It’s worth it every so often.

Darius Jones Trio - Big Gurl (Smell My Dream) (AUM Fidelity, 2011) It's not my favourite of Hutcherson's performances, and his playing does colour the album as a whole, I guess. Hubbard seemed to get everywhere at that point, including places that he probably could have stayed out of. But I think he's good here, certainly compared to the lost soul on some other records from the period. VSOP - The Quintet (Columbia, 1977). This album's a bit like a school reunion. Everyone is a bit heavier and balder, but you quickly remember why you were friends originally. Wayne in particular seems to be relishing his day out away from the family.

Really?! I prefer some of his other records, but I'm not sure this is exactly fair. I'd still put this above almost any Sun Ra record, cute kitsch or no kitsch. Not necessarily by a long way, but... come on! It hasn't dated a minute.

Warne Marsh Quintet - Jazz Exchange Vol One (Storyville, 1978).

Was there some sort of air of mystique then, such that you would have purchased a Blue Note record if you saw it? Or was the Blue Note of the 60s just seen as a just another label until the reissues got underway in the 80s (noting the fact that Blue Note had a life of its own in the 70s)?

As someone who wasn't there, I'd be interested to know whether jazz fans at the time were actively chasing Blue Note in comparison to other labels of similar vintage like e.g. Prestige. From the point of view of the '90s, when I started to listen to jazz, Blue Note was the king - it was the great era of reissues, hip hop tie ins (Guru etc.) and coffee table books. If there were Blue Notes crowding the bins in the mid 70s then I suppose that must not have always been the case.

Thanks! Not suitable for family listening I guess.

Intrigued by this. I’d heard there are a couple. S there a YouTube clip for this particular one?

I know that a couple of people on the board are a bit lukewarm about it. I always saw it as one of my favourite cases of four very different stylists being put together and clicking. It's got more of an energy than most of those Prestige jam sessions, at least to my ears. The only downside to it as far as I am concerned is that Coltrane's not yet really at his best. I don't know Summit Conference but I'm excited to listen to it. Five of my favourite players.

I'm a big fan of Tenor Conclave with Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims and young John Coltrane.

I was listening to this today too, off the back of this week’s sad news. It’s probably my favourite of his solo piano albums. Funny how countrified it sounds.

Operation Rhino - Fete De Politique Hebdo This one has a unique sound for the mid 1970s french scene that I think looks ahead to some of what went on in the electro/acoustic edge of the improv world in the early 00s. The late Itaru Oki is on it somewhere in the mix. I can’t pick him out though. Henry Franklin - The Skipper One of my favourites from Black Jazz, with a nice edge from the horns, which get pretty furious at times. Kenny Climax is a great name for a guitar player.

The bagpipes are good on that record, and it's one of my favourites of his overall. His solo bagpipes record is ... as advertised.

If anyone rates any of them, let me know.

Some interesting looking new archival releases of duos between Japanese and European musicians seem to have come out from NoBusiness recently.

Jim Hall / Ron Carter Duo - Alone Together (Milestone, 1972) A weird but lovely one. I find Jim Hall's playing substantially developed from his more well know '50s sideman dates. The duo's not a combination I would have expected to work but it really does. Carter and Hall are really sympathetic to each other's style. Donald Byrd - Kofi (Blue Note, 1972) Probably my favourite Lew Tabackin ever on record. He, Horace Parlan and Frank Forster make this record really good. I find that the decline in Byrd's powers was already getting obvious by this point, but I like that he keeps it simple and gives others the space.

It looks like The Flam is about to be reissued, or at least new copies are popping up suddenly in online shops.

Currently listening to A Tribute To Stuff Smith by Billy Bang, which has Sun Ra playing second to Bang's fiddle. I don't normally associate Mr. Ra with other people's records (well, at least not post-Swing era). Nor does Wikipedia apparently: it doesn't even have a "sideman" section for his discography. Can anyone think of any other examples of Sun Ra playing in an accompaniest's role on another musician's record?

I came across this old thread today whilst looking for something else. It was funny how comparatively undiscovered the Black Jazz catalogue was only a few years ago. These days, even pretty tatty LPs are going for crazy prices.

I have just received an email updating me on the launch, along with a "thrilling" video giving a "sneak peak" of the lacquer cutting session in September.

You must be getting close to the end. How many more weeks' recaps do we have to look forward to? I will miss them.

Just ordered.

Thanks! I'm definitely ordering this one.

Its a good one. Right up there with Hearinga Suite in my view.

Very sad. A really unique musician.