Rabshakeh

I think you've hit the nail on the head. A strange record that I really enjoyed. Murray was as you say at that weird point in his career where he was dropping a new random album every week, and I think he may be the weakest link here. The music is so rhythmically strange that he comes across as tin eared at times. He just plays through them and can't adjust. But luckily there is enough going on (new to me) that the record comes off. Ferenc who I don't know is a big part of uniting the different styles. I'd appreciate any recommendations that you have for either cimbalom music or this type of records featuring Ferenc, who I really don't know.

He apparently recorded the tracks in 2013. So it is really was just timed for the Met Gala. I imagine Andre 3000 found an old USB at the back of his sock drawer, and decided it would be fun to use the recordings as part of a four dimensional Met Gala costume. As you say, the critical plaudits which it has received have been more concerning than the actual music. Iverson's record has a series of extracts from glowing reviews of what is essentially a quality-free vanity release. Glowing from both fans and legacy critics. That lack of discernment, and lack of interest in even appearing discerning, is dangerous for culture.

David Murray, Gipsy Cimbalom Band Balogh Kálmán Featuring Kovács Ferenc

Some good mentions recently. Cortex is another one. I recently listened to this one: Birdland – In A Temple Of Silence Yugo bonus points although they recorded in Switzerland. Despite the name and the artwork it is shredding Mahavishnu type stuff. A little indigestible maybe.

Some cool stuff in there.

TwinKeys – Tarkus And Other Love Stories Carrying on a day of bad listening. This looked like a fun concept of two pianists handling prog rock themes, but it is pretty dull.

Snarky Puppy - Immigrance My cousin loves these guys so I periodically check them out. Hard to see what is good about it. It seems to be just sequencer music, with musicians playing their parts to a ticker. So there's no tricks of phrasing or rhythmic interplay or anything much really. The tunes are just pastichey. Why you would listen to this rather than e.g. MPS big band jazz funk records or something bewilders me. Let's see how her collaboration with Matthew Shipp goes first.

We can only hope. Imagine the crossover appeal.

Masayoshi Urabe - What Hasn’t Come Here, COME! Real hack work from a Kaoru Abe imitator, in my opinion. Abe could be one dimensional and silly at times, but Urabe needs to learn more than my one pattern on the saxophone. At least the harmonica is competent. Why would you even set out to imitate Abe so slavishly? I love Kaoru Abe, but he wasn't a musician who enriched the vocabulary. He's loved for his intensity and the details of his life.

Henry Cow - Leg End

Is this good? Interesting line up

Looks amazing. Good luck with the event. Is your book out now, by the way?

The Jamal is madly overpriced. I really don't think it is his best save for the echoey dubby effects on side two which are cool. For avantgarde jazz I am One In / One Out at the moment, and the axe has fallen on Drum Dance and Lester Bowie's The Great Pretender. I can't claim to truly love them, so better to create space. For whatever reason my seven year old really likes Don Cherry. He keeps playing Brown Rice to his bewildered school friends. We recently went to a museum in Exeter and the kids got dragged into some sort of marimba and flute happening designed for kids that really did sound like Eternal Rhythm, so that's got the kids obsessed with Cherry's music again. Sadly Eternal Rhythm is one of the few records my wife won't tolerate so it only gets spun when she's having a lie in. The Roach was my late father in law's. I like Roach's music generally but it is not my favourite of his. But still enjoyable enough and nice to keep as a memory. I didn't actually listen to it though: my one year old has taken to "helping" me to chose records, and the record that he was throwing on the floor and jumping on this time was the Roach record, which I then put safely out of harm's way.

Those would be my choices probably, although Gentle Giant album by album only.

King Kong

Its one of the few actually creative prog records. Its hard to think of other records that sound like that.

The Modern Jazz Disciples – The Modern Jazz Disciples

Area – Maledetti (Maudits)

I'm not sure this one qualifies as fusion or jazz rock - Canterbury scene for sure but at the more art rock end of it, maybe? But it is such a great record, and one that I always forget, so thanks for reminding me to dig it out.

I was thinking of them. A strange mixture of Roxy Music and jazz rock. I didn't know about the Lacy and Lytton connection.

This record is a weird one. Kraan is regarded as one of the jazzier German rock groups, but I could never really hear it. It is rock music to my ears. Having said that, it is good rock music. This live record is one of the greats. I like it a lot more than Embryo etc.

Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm Decided to lose a Khan Jamal record Drum Dance To The Motherland which I never really listen to, so reputation restored

There's something happening here.

Orquesta Porfi Jimenez – Porfin Porfi The 1 year old is pretty taken with this one.

I missed the Herbie thing. Sounds undignified.