GA Russell

Yesterday being Cinco de Mayo, I recalled that it was the anniversary of Cal's passing, so I put on Cuban Fantasy. For music not released until 25 years after its recording, it's a great album! edit for typo

Next up for me is Blue Mitchell - Boss Horn. I've been curious for many years to hear something from Chick Corea's time with Blue Mitchell. Not so curious as to shell out for the Mosaic box, but wondering nevertheless. It's been a while since I got a 60s Blue Note, so now's the time.

I've probably played Herbie Mann's recording of Footprints from his Windows Open album than I have any of Wayne's recording of it.

Patrick, I had a similar thought. Of the four acts mentioned to give the reader an idea of what the two companies have to offer, I have heard the music of only one (Madonna)!!!

I don't think that Concord/Fantasy has contributed anything to BMG/Your Music since Concord acquired the material. I don't count on seeing new Fantasy material there anymore.

Weizen, the first DVD-A issued was Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band - Swinging for the Fences. I don't have that one, but I have the follow up called XXL. I enjoyed it quite a bit when it came out two years ago. I play it on my computer. I have no opinion of the quality of the sound for your system, but I bet it's pretty good because apparently the company takes it seriously. I believe that I have read recently that the record label has now issued a two-sided disc of XXL, with CD on one side and DVD-A on the other.

I don't think it was a joke. Robert Wyatt was a Communist who later recorded Stalin Wasn't Stallin'. By the way, perhaps you know that the French for Soft Machine is Machine Molle; thus anglicized into Matching Mole. There's the joke!

Here's Gauthier's bio: The Jeff Gauthier Goatette “Gauthier's compositions are quirky and offbeat, bubbling with unexpected rhythms and occasional warm lyricism.” – Don Heckman, L.A. Times One and the Same is violinist Jeff Gauthier’s fourth CD as a leader. He calls his ensemble The Jeff Gauthier Goatette to institutionalize the lifelong humiliation of his childhood nickname. Gauthier’s musical universe was exploded at an early age by influences as diverse as J.S. Bach, Igor Stravinsky, Olivier Messiaen, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Ralph Towner, John McLaughlin, and King Crimson. The core of the Goatette has been together since 1991, and Gauthier has been performing and recording with brothers Nels and Alex Cline since 1979. This new CD features works by Gauthier, Nels Cline, Bennie Maupin, and former band member Eric von Essen. Violinist, composer and producer Jeff Gauthier has been named a Downbeat “Rising Star” as both an instrumentalist and producer for the last two years running. He has worked with many prominent musicians in a variety of creative contexts during a career that has spanned over 20 years. As an improvising violinist he has performed and recorded with Yusef Lateef and Adam Rudolph for Meta Records, The Alex Cline Ensemble for ECM, Nine Winds & Cryptogramophone Records, the Cline Gauthier Stinson trio for Cryptogramophone and Nine Winds Records, and The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble and Quartetto Stig for Nine Winds Records. His own ensemble, the Jeff Gauthier Goatette has recorded four CDs including Internal Memo and The Present for Nine Winds and Mask for Cryptogramophone. Gauthier has also performed in ensembles with bassist Mark Dresser (Banquet) and drummer/percussionist Gregg Bendian (Bone Structure). As a founding member of the ensemble Quartet Music (with Nels Cline, Alex Cline and Eric von Essen) in the late 70s, Gauthier recorded four albums, received two NEA grants, toured with the California Arts Council touring roster, and performed twice as soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony. Gauthier also founded and produced the Cryptonight and Inner Ear new music concert series in Los Angeles. In demand as a producer of jazz and new music recordings, Gauthier has worked with such jazz luminaries as Alan Broadbent, Nels Cline, Mark Dresser, Peter Erskine, Bill Frisell, Lou Levy, Bennie Maupin, Myra Melford, Jimmy Rowles, Stacy Rowles, Alan Pasqua, Don Preston, and many others, having produced CDs for Cryptogramophone, Delos and Nine Winds Records. In a former life as a concert violinist, Gauthier has performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Music Center Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Long Beach Symphony, the Oregon Bach Festival and the Carmel Bach Festival. He performed on the 2000 Grammy Award winning CD Credo, by Krzysztof Penderecki with the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra and Chorus. Gauthier is a graduate of California Institute of the Arts.

Here are the liner notes: One and the Same by The Jeff Gauthier Goatette One and the Same is violinist Jeff Gauthier’s fourth CD as a leader, and features guitarist Nels Cline of Wilco. Gauthier has been named a Downbeat Critics Poll Rising Star for two years in a row as both instrumentalist and producer. One and the Same features music by Gauthier, Nels Cline, Eric von Essen, and Bennie Maupin. “Gauthier and his group show how it should be done, rooting themselves solidly in the jazz tradition while at the same time extending and revitalizing it.” -Bill Tilland, BBC Online. Notes on the compositions: 1. Ahfufat – for Wan - This piece was written by Jeff Gauthier and is dedicated to Naomi Xinwan, Padma Cline, the lovely 3 year-old daughter of Alex and Karen Cline. When Wan, (as she is known) was younger, she called Gauthier “Ahfufat,” which was her way of saying “Uncle Jeff.” The composed part of this piece harkens back to a sound reminiscent of the band Quartet Music (1979 – 1991) Gauthier’s ensemble with the Cline brothers and bassist Eric von Essen. The piece begins with an “A” section that is rhythmically displaced to give an open, improvised impression. The “A” section is stated again, only straight through in time, and then the “B” section which develops the ideas stated in the “A” section, is introduced. A “space-jam” ensues highlighting the electronic improvisations of guitarist Nels Cline, and keyboardist David Witham. This breaks down to a free duo-improvisation between Gauthier and drummer Alex Cline. The duet evolves into more “space-jam” involving all of the musicians until the “A” and “B” sections of the tune are played again. 2. Solflicka – This piece is by the late Eric von Essen, the great composer and original bass player of Quartet Music, and the Goatette. It was one of the pieces discovered by Gauthier after von Essen’s death, and was considered for inclusion of The Music of Eric von Essen series on Cryptogramophone. Von Essen spent the last 2 years of his life in Sweden where this tune was written, and Solflicka means “a ray of sunshine” in Swedish. The “A” section of the tune justaposes a two-chord vamp in 4/4 time which moves through some interesting modulations, with a running eighth-note figure that extends the underlying harmony in interesting ways. The bridge is in 3/4 time and is repeated twice. It features a rhythmic and melodic anticipation that imparts a feeling of breathlessness, which is resolved when an abbreviated “A” section returns. The solos alternate between improvisations on the intricate chord changes, with open blowing on the vamp. 3. Water Torture – This piece is by bass clarinet legend Bennie Maupin, and was featured on the album Crossings by Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi band of the early seventies. This band was of particular influence to all the members of the Goatette, so much so that Gauthier organized a performance of the albums Crossings and Mwandishi in Los Angeles in 2004. Since then some of the material has remained in the Goatette’s repertoire. This piece is an excellent vehicle for improvisation featuring the electronic effects of Gauthier, Nels Cline, and David Witham. These improvisations alternate with statements of the head. Of particular note is an improvised bass/violin duet by Gauthier and Hamilton. Echoes of the original recording can be heard by those familiar with the album Crossings by Herbie Hancock. 4. Don’t Answer That – This Nels Cline composition was offered for the session to fill the need for another “blowing tune”. Here’s what Nels says about it. “Don’t Answer That is intentionally playful, an excuse to attempt some free soloing/counterpoint, with a little vamping thrown in for good measure.” 5. Heart Wisdom – for Thelma - Heart Wisdom came into being as a duo improvisation by Gauthier and David Witham. It emerged almost fully formed one day while Jeff and David were improvising and rolling tape. All that was required was to add a few repeats and create a form around it. It is dedicated to Thelma Cline, mother of Alex and Nels. We thought about her a lot during the recording session, and her loving presence was felt by all. 6. Rina Pt. I – This is an Eric von Essen piece that was part of Quartet Music’s regular repertoire. It was recorded by QM in the late 80s for a now out of print CD on Delos entitled Summer Night. When the Goatette became the ensemble in residence at the Cryptnight series at the Club Tropical in Los Angeles, they started playing Rina because it seemed well suited to the electric piano that they were forced to use for the lack of a real piano at the club. The tune fit so well with the group, that it is now in the regular repertoire of the Goatette. Interestingly, those gigs at the Club Tropical were where the new, more electronic voice of the Goatette was discovered. 7. A Corner of Morning – Nels Cline says of his music: “In my dreams, this piece has something to do with the music/compositions of Keith Jarrett in the mid-1970s. It also has a lot to do with the players involved: their styles, their predilections, their sensitivities. It endeavors to be both wistfully poignant and rather uplifting, just as those moments between darkness and dawn can be delicately intoxicating and/or slightly scary. Mortality in all its awesome fragility.” Liner Notes I would like to thank the lads o’ the Goatette: Alex Cline, Nels Cline, David Witham, and Joel Hamilton. Alex, Nels, and I have been playing music together since 1979. I’ve played with David since 1991, and Joel since 1994. I could not ask for any more accomplished musicians, or more supportive friends. This recording was truly a group effort. Listening to it in the context of our three previous releases, I’m amazed at how the overall sound of our group has changed and grown over the years, while our individual voices have become even more our own. Special thanks to Rich, Walter, Bennie, Denny, Tyler, Crouch, Etan, QC, Catherine, Carlos, Thelma, Naomi, Karen, and my 98 year-young Aunt Helen, who was my very first violin teacher, and who continues to inspre me today. JG Produced by Jeff Gauthier Recorded April 9-10, 2005 at O’Henry Studios – Burbank, CA Recorded and mixed by Rich Breen Mastered by Dave Collins Paintings “connections” by Deanne Belinoff Photo by Yvonne Suter Graphic design by Gareth Jiffeau

At the same time that I was given an advance copy of the new Bennie Maupin album, I was also given an advance copy of another Cryptogramophone CD by The Jeff Gauthier Goatette entitled One and the Same. Gautier is a violinist. In the 70s I got a couple of Jean-Luc Ponty things, and in the 80s a couple of albums by Didier Lockwood. But it's been that long since I've heard a new violin record. The personnel is Gauthier on violin, Nels Cline on guitar, David Witham on piano, Joel Hamilton on bass and Alex Cline on drums. It took me a few days to remember what this reminds me of, and then it clicked. In the early 80s I was a regular customer of a mail order house called Wayside Music, which was operated by Steve Feigenbaum. Today Feigenbaum is known as the head honcho of Cuneiform Records. At that time, Wayside dealt solely with cutouts from the last half of the 70s of either jazz or prog rock. But the jazz was not fusion or anything that I have seen rereleased since. It was by bands of young white musicians who apparently were being marketed to those who liked Soft Machine, Caravan and the other Canterbury prog rock groups. By the way, as I recall many of these LPs were on major labels like Atlantic and Arista. One and the Same fits right into that mold. It is jazz without much blues or black sound. There are seven songs totalling 72 minutes of music. Some of the pieces have a little of the non-ethereal ECM sound from the late 70s and early 80s. But much of the album has that Wayside Music sound. I like it. It's laid back without being tranquil. Much of its appeal is in the harmony provided by Nels Cline on guitar, or in the interplay between Gauthier and Joel Hamilton on bass. Those of you who are Blue Note hard boppers might not go for this, but those who would like something different would probably enjoy it. Like the Maupin album, this goes on sale May 9. CD Universe says: List Price $17.98; Their Price $14.29; Pre-Order Price $12.59.

I received an email today which makes clear that the five LPs are on three CDs, and the eight new sides are on a fourth CD.

This board is my #1 source for recommendations of people whose taste I trust. For example, I have seen Vijay Iyer praised elsewhere, but I decided to pick up his latest CD because of what I read here. Much of my purchasing is from Your Music, and I found out about that here, although I would have seen it elsewhere had I not visited here. But here we have a couple of threads devoted to Your Music, and I have found the discussions helpful. I wish more people would post about their new purchases. I'm always on the lookout for artists whose work I don't already have, and judging from the What Did You Purchase Today thread, there are many of you who are buying albums I am unaware of, but not posting comments or recommendations about said albums. I enjoy posting mini-reviews about my new CDs, and I appreciate all who comment on the albums and the artists in the threads I start.

Happy Birthday!

My most played album since the first of the year has been the Coltrane Prestige Profiles.

Stop the presses! I agree with Chris about something. The Concord Music Group now operates many labels. Concord is an adult pop label, while Concord Jazz handles the sort of music we might be interested in. As long as Concord Jazz puts out good stuff like the new Karrin Allyson Footprints, I won't care if Concord sells lots of pop that doesn't appeal to me.

It's been only seven months since Without a Song (The 9/11 Concert) came out. If this was in the works, I'm surprised they bothered to go through the hassle they apparently did to get that one out. I guess Sonny was really behind in his contractual obligations.

I noticed last week that BMG is now carrying Jackie McLean's Consequence. Has that been noted here yet by all you Jackie Mac fans?

Here's the Cryptogramophone bio of Maupin: Bennie Maupin is best known for his atmospheric bass clarinet playing on Miles Davis’ classic “Bitches Brew” album, as well as other Miles Davis recordings such as, “Big Fun” “Jack Johnson,” and “On the Corner.” He was a founding member of Herbie Hancock’s seminal band The Headhunters, as well as a performer and composer in Hancock’s influential Mwandishi band. Born in 1940, Maupin started playing clarinet, later adding saxophone, flute and, most notably, the bass clarinet to his formidable arsenal of woodwind instruments. Upon moving to New York in 1962, he freelanced with groups led by Marion Brown, Pharoah Saunders, and Chick Corea, and played regularly with Roy Haynes and Horace Silver. He also recorded with McCoy Tyner, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Jack DeJohnette, Andrew Hill, Eddie Henderson, and Woody Shaw to name only a few. Maupin’s own discography as a leader includes a well-received recording for ECM Records, “The Jewel in The Lotus” (1974), “Slow Traffic to the Right” (1976), “Moonscapes” both on Mercury Records (1978), and “Driving While Black” on Intuition, (1998). The instrumentation of Maupin’s current group The Bennie Maupin Ensemble, harkens back to the tradition of great saxophone-bass-drum trios, such as the group led by Sonny Rollins with Wilbur Ware and Elvin Jones. While echoes of the great John Coltrane can be heard in Maupin’s work, one can also discern the influences of Yusef Lateef, Sonny Rollins, and Eric Dolphy, as well as Maupin’s contemporaries like Wayne Shorter and the late Joe Henderson. Maupin’s approach to his music is intentional and profound, yet alive in the interpretation of the moment. He maintains active performing and teaching careers in Europe, and the US. Bennie Maupin currently resides in the Los Angeles area. The Bennie Maupin Ensemble came about as a result of Bennie’s continuing musical association and friendship with drummer/percussionist Michael Stephans. Internationally renowned bassist Darek Oles was a natural addition because of his open approach to interpretation and improvisation, as well as his masterful bass playing. In early 2003 world class percussionist Munyungo Jackson joined the group, and the Bennie Maupin Ensemble was born. Penumbra -. Woodwind player Bennie Maupin has recorded with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Lee Morgan, Jack DeJohnette, Andrew Hill, and Eddie Henderson, to name only a few. His highly personal bass clarinet sound has helped define such important jazz albums as Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, Jack Johnson, Big Fun and On the Corner, as well as recordings by Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi band, and the Headhunters. Penumbra is a profound musical statement by an important jazz artist who is at the pinnacle of his artistic powers. Penumbra is dedicated to the memory of Lyle “Spud” Murphy.

Here are the liner notes: In this day and age of homogenization, compartmentalization, and relentless labeling of the musical arts, those among us who need the comfort of a “genre” or a “style” in order to say something like, “Oh, he’s a bebopper,” or “an avant-garde player,” can be easily confounded. Some of the best and most forward thinking of today’s young musicians clearly find ways to avoid being locked into a stylistic corner by self-proclaimed mavens of jazz and improvised music. Here on the left coast for example, guitarist Nels Cline in a single performance, can pay beautiful mellifluous homage to Jim Hall one minute, venture into the outer realms of Derek Bailey the next, and conclude with a searing, Hendrix-styled inspired burner (check out his wonderfully eclectic work on Cryptogramophone to see what I mean). Such eclecticism has to come from somewhere. Two of the major breeding grounds for this kind of imaginative diversity were and are, of course, the many musical odysseys of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Both were restless seekers, never satisfied with the status quo, always reaching beyond themselves for new and uncharted improvisational geographies. Both men, each in his own way, sounded a clarion call for musicians and listeners alike to wake up, shake off their complacency and, as J. Krishnamurti would have said, free themselves from the known. It’s safe to say that among those who were first to hear the call was woodwind virtuoso and master improviser, Bennie Maupin. To be a seeker in any art is a full-time thing. As a creative musician, one never stops listening, testing the waters, pushing the envelope, expanding the language. Bennie Maupin exemplifies the best of such things, and has embodied the spirits of both Miles and Coltrane as he forges his own unique sonic path and musical vision. His friendships and tutelage with Yusef Lateef, Sonny Rollins, and ‘Trane helped shape his musical personality; and the amazing breadth of his experience is reason enough to immerse yourself in his musical offerings. Bennie has played and recorded with a wide variety of musical icons, including trumpeters Davis, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard; pianists McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Andrew Hill; saxophonists Lateef and Marion Brown; and drummers Roy Haynes, Jack DeJohnette, and Lenny White - to name only a few. He has played in all manner of musical settings and configurations, from solo performances to large orchestra concerts; from chamber recitals to Broadway shows. There is simply nothing the man can’t do and do brilliantly. Early on in the metamorphosis of the Ensemble, Bennie began exploring the trio format, and we were aided by some great bassists; however, once Darek Oles entered the picture, Bennie was certain that his was the voice that would enable the compositions and improvisations to breathe in a way that would illuminate the music and take it to another level. Darek is the core of so much of what we do. His dark, beautifully resonant sound moves around and through the musical tapestry, warping and woofing, creating lovely and always intriguing harmonic and rhythmic counterpoint. Malleable and intensely creative, Darek is a joy to make music with, and brings so much beauty to Bennie’s vision. As if there were no end to his gifts, Darek is a gifted composer as well, as evidenced by his debut disc for Cryptogramophone, Like a Dream. Munyungo Jackson is a wonder, a wizard of sound and feeling, a virtuoso percussionist, and an empathetic, endlessly inventive musician. His deep and abiding musical and personal relationship with Bennie spans at least thirty years, and he has been a member of virtually every one of Bennie’s groups since the mid-70’s. Munyungo is an affable, worldly man whose persona and music are so irrepressible that he could play the air and make meaningful music. Everything has musical potential to him, from the conventional families of percussion instruments to thunder sheets and water glasses, to vox humana. Whatever sound source or rhythm Munyungo chooses to play, is realized in the most musical way. His improvisational sensitivity and lyricism make him one of the most sought after percussionists playing today. To bear witness to Bennie’s remarkable musicality as a listener is a wondrous thing. To be an intimate part of its creation and flowering is a gift and a blessing. I have been playing with Bennie for almost a decade, and the journey has been challenging, inspiring, and deeply rewarding. Bennie’s music and his approach to group playing have allowed me to expand my own musical lexicon, and it has afforded me the opportunity to better understand the notion of interconnectivity, both in music and in life. To play the drums in Bennie’s ensemble is to transcend playing the drums. One leaves one’s ego at the door, so to speak, and becomes a musical presence, focusing inward and outward simultaneously, always in a state of becoming. The Ensemble continues at this writing to grow and thrive. We play concerts in museums, churches, galleries, and universities, and we conduct master classes. We even play for elementary school children, giving them their first real exposure to improvised music. Yet, no matter where we play or who we play for, we invariably go where the muse leads us at that moment. And each time we play, we breathe together, as though we were one body. Thanks to a common aesthetic, mutual trust, and like-mindedness, the Ensemble has evolved to the point that we no longer play the music; the music plays us. It has been a truly remarkable experience. And like Miles did with his great bands, Bennie is the metaphysical glue that holds us all together. His clear vision shines brightly as we traverse these musical landscapes. For us, this organic music is a four-way conversation among old, dear friends. What could be better than that? -- Michael Stephans Bennie Maupin - bass clarinet, tenor & soprano saxophones, alto flute, piano Darek “Oles” Oleszkiewicz - bass Michael Stephans - drums Daryl Munyungo Jackson - percussion Track Listing 1. Neophilia 2006 4:31 2. Walter Bishop Jr. 6:32 3. Level Three 3:15 4. Blinkers 1:20 5. Penumbra 7:01 6. Mirror Image 1:14 7. Message to Prez 6:02 8. Tapping Things 5:35 9. Vapors 4:44 10. One for Eric Dolphy 2:33 11. See The Positive 2:48 12. Trope on a Rope 3:48 13. The 12th Day 2:52 14. Equal Justice 7:15 Total: 60:30 Album Credits All music by Bennie Maupin (Benpin Music BMI) except “Penumbra” by B. Maupin (Benpin Music BMI) D. Oleszkiewicz (L.A. Jazz Quartet Music BMI) M. Stephans (Endemic Music BMI) & D.M. Jackson (Djembe Music BMI). Produced by Bennie Maupin Executive Producers: Bennie Maupin & Jeff Gauthier Recorded by Nolan Shaheed, June 16,17 2003, at No Sound Studios, Pasadena,CA Except for “Equal Justice” - recorded by Wayne Peet, December 11, 2006, at Crypto Studios, Los Angeles, CA, and mixed by Rich Breen Mastered by Rich Breen Graphic Design by Alex Cline and Gareth Jiffeau Cover Art - “Penumbra” © 2006 by Martha Castillo (www.marthacastillo.com) Black and white photograph by Barbara DuMetz Color photograph by Dietmar Halbauer

Happy Birthday!

Happy belated Birthday!

CD Universe says: List Price $17.98; Their Price $14.29; Pre-Order Price $12.59.

I'm sorry that race is part of the picture. Let's suppose she was white. I don't think a stripper with that history should be able to ruin the reputations of college students.

I've listened to it every night since I opened it up, and with each listen I like it more.

I'd like to tell you about a new album I'm very excited about. Of all the albums (both new and reissues) I have opened up since Christmas, this is my favorite. It's called Penumbra by The Bennie Maupin Ensemble. I was given an advance copy. It goes on sale May 9. The group is a quartet with Maupin on bass clarinet, tenor and soprano saxophones, alto flute and on the last track piano. The others I am unfamiliar with: Darek Oleszkiewicz does a great job on bass, with Michael Stephans on drums and Daryl Munyungo Jackson on percussion. The sound is very 70s ECM. Ethereal. I haven't noticed any overdubbing. Jackson provides more in the way of interesting sounds than he does rhythm. Like most of my ECMs, I prefer to listen to this late at night. It's quiet. The 14 tracks total 60 minutes of music. It is on a label I have never heard of before called Cryptogramophone. I've been busy with work and haven't had a chance to search the internet about Cryptogramophone, but I'll get back to you on that. I suspect that AAJ will have in its archives some press releases about the label. I'm confident that Maupin will forever be remembered as the clarinet on Bitches Brew. Not to fault him, but I never liked him on that record. I thought the clarinet sounded out of place. I have a Mike Nock record called Almanac that he is on, playing tenor sax, and I like his work on that one. I'll plan to top this thread as May 9 approaches, to remind you to consider pre-ordering this one.