Д.Д.

couw, I don't have your majic ability to judge the music without hearing it, so I will go for it. No trial, no fail, as you know. I was not mocking the music but the way over the top review. No majic needed. It promises us the reinvention of the wheel and I'm not much for such worshipping blahblah. I listened to some shorties online just now and I am pretty underwhelmed. Sound yes, music maybe, the future? no. at least, not for me, listening to this show now... Oh, I think the review is very much tongue-in-cheak. But I am intrigued (and I have this Judy Dunaway "Balloon Music" disc the reviewer refers to, and I like it quite bit).

couw, I don't have your majic ability to judge the music without hearing it, so I will go for it. No trial, no fail, as you know.

He-he, talkins about music for balloons (from DMG newsletter): RICARDO ARIAS -- Musica Global (NurNichtNur 102 12 02) Balloons are the future of music. Only a person in the severest grips of denial could listen to these solo balloon pieces and resist the revolution. After you hear this miraculous music, you will sell your instruments and/or record collection and begin a new life of ecstatic rubbing. About six years ago I read an article in Experimental Musical Instruments written by Ricardo Arias that gave an overview of his work with balloons. Intrigued by this idea that I hadn't previously encountered, I immediately inflated a balloon, moistened my fingers and discovered for myself what this South American prophet was so passionate about. To put the matter bluntly, balloons offer a wider range of timbres and more phrasal complexity than any other known instrument; a single, ordinary balloon is like an entire orchestra in itself. Having seen Arias perform solo and with the likes of Pascal Boudreault, Hans Tammen, Jack Wright, and Michel Doneda, I can attest to his authenticity as a real-time improvisor in tune with the aesthetic zeitgeist of experimental non-idiomatic improvisation, not just a maverick of instrumental concepts and sound. This is not a minor point, as it distinguishes his work from Judy Dunaway's comparably brilliant explorations. Dunaway is the only other artist to extensively pursue balloon music thus far, and released the seminal 1998 CD "Balloon Music" on CRI. Where Dunaway's work has been distracted by esoteric investigations of pitch relationships, ditties (think Hans Reichel), electronics, compositional strategies, and other semi-obsolete concerns, Arias offers the raw, mind-blowing sound world of balloons in its naked state and most favorable context of free improvisation, especially on the first 11 pieces of this CD, the best public recorded representation of balloon music in history so far. He also includes 5 multi-tracked compositions that pose new questions about texture, density, and the boundaries of rhythmic perception for humans, without relying on any conventional structures. The middle segment of the disc is a series of 20 very brief tracks that function as a catalog of balloon techniques in the manner of Ami Yoshida's "Tiger Thrush", ideal for "shuffle" mode on a CD player. This is a monumental exposition of balloon music by a virtuoso who's spent decades refining his art, and it even comes in a damn cool metal box just like other NurNichtNur releases (e.g. Hans Tammen's solo endangered guitar disc). This is not a CD to file away with others; it's something to create a whole new section of your shelf for, conspicuously displayed close enough to your stereo to be quickly grabbed and played with obsessive frequency. Balloon music is the future. You can get with the program now or face the future onset of debilitating regret. You've been advised. - Michael Anton Parker NurNichtNur label

Paul Desmond's "Skylark" one is beautiful. Jim Hall's Concerto is pretty phenomenal as well. One my favorite Hall discs. And Joe Farrel's "Moon Germs" is at least interesting.

Leo Records' website is updated with new releases: http://www.leorecords.com/?m=catalogue&release=2004/06 Will buy them all. Very much looking forward to Wally Shoup trio.

6 months or so, if it goes the way it does now. Did you end up ordering any of the Italian stuff? ------------------------------------------- BTW, new solo Brötzm. is phenomenal. I will elaborate later, but everybody here should do himself (or herself, he-he) a favor and get it. According to (good) Steve Lake's liner notes, this is the best of 5 (!) Brötzmann's solo CDs.

Sorry Matthew, but we can't count that post toward your total. Moreover, we will actually deduct a penalty point.

Another beautiful one (and also dirt-cheap from Amazon.fr; 2003 reissue):

Got Twins (for €7 or so at Amazon.fr). It is indeed a typical red-black Atlantic Masters digipak reissue made in Germany. The sound is actually quite good - much better than Atlantic Master reissue of Free Jazz, for example. The music is phenomenal. The other one I got is this one: Great stuff! Pretty adventurous playing from everybody. Say what you will, but I hear a lot of Brötzmann in Hawkins' playing.

No, not yet. I'm guessing you would recommend this disc? Yes John, you are guessing correctly Absolutely.

Welcome dangme!

Let us know how you like it. I haven't checked any of Cecil's Leo releases yet. Carlos Ward is one of my favorite alto saxophone players (he also plays some mean flute... and is an excellent composer). He is excellent on two live discs he recorded with Ed Blackwell on Enja, and on duo reocrd with Karl Berger.

I would have loved to buy from Okka (I try to buy either from artists or labels directly), but they don't accpet neither CCs not PayPal. The guys (guy? - I assume Okka is also a one-man company, as most of them...) are stuck in XX century! Talking about Okka, I assume everybody here (particularly Back Together... fans) already purchased Fred Anderson / Steve McCalls Vintage Duets?

I think I have this one. Insect music with two acoustic guitars. Very nice. In general, Victo is a very good label.

It took quite a while for me to "get" this disc, primarily due to Bergman. This is the only disc of his that I have and I really had to work a bit to apreciate its beauty. I don't have too much either - lethargic (and incredibly boring, IMO) solo piano Meditations (Tzadik) and fast furious (and incredibly boring, IMO) duo with Evan Parker (Black Saint).

Cannot get Bergman. Get bored every time I try to listen to him. Sounds random and unstructured to me (he is sometimes compared to Cecil, but Cecil to me sounds totally opposite - there is a great degree of logics and structure in place). --------------------------------------------------------- Drske would have probably sounded great with Jaki Byard...

This is a beautiful one. IN general Oliva is a very interesting pianist - he has a nice trio (reinterpretation of the mksuic of Bill Evans) on Owl. I am also interested about his Tristano duo with another piranist (forgot the name) on Emouvance. Also in this series, there is a very lyrical solo Steve Kühn. These CDs are available as indivudual CDs outside of the box (I got mine from themusicreource, I think).

This on is probably the best: SunRa covers a lot of ground here - from touching reading of standards to fairly free pieces. All played with humor, melodism and great imagination. The sound is not perfect though. It's on Leo Records.

Have you heard any of his earlier solo discs? The "new" one was actually recorded in 1984. Still haven't listened to it.

Let us know what you think of this one. I have ambiguos feelings about it. I think Braxton is playig beautifully, but I find Blake playing simply annoying and totally non-cooperative.

I don't have this oner, but I have The Catbird Sings(Black Saint) by the same band, and it is excellent. I had a feeling there is quite a bit of blowing though (as opposed to written material). Ochs is a great musician indeed. ----------------------------------------------- Got the new solo Brötzm. on FMP. Will report later.

I don't, but it seems some think her intonation sucks. NOT ME THOUGH! Don't you mistake me for "some"! Or you will be immediately de-capitated by my royal troops! ubu I am deifinitely this very some. Sheila Jordan ruins this Rudd disc for me (and I am not a vocal-hater in general, as other some here). I will listen to it again (I bumped upon this CD recently, so why not listen to it - who knows when I find it next time?). Wow, give it another listen! I think that Sheila Jordan's rendition her of "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life" is one of the most haunting jazz vocal performances ever! Come on boys, what the fuck, is this some sort of a dadaist joke? You mean you really like it?!?!? I spent twenty fucking minutes looking for it, and now I am listening and just hate it. Masochist I am, I will listen till the end, but this will be the last time in foreseable future. So here we go, first track, "What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life". Jordan sounds to me like a middle-aged alcoholic fairy, who already lost all her majic abilities, but still tries to impress. Not enough character to be a witch either. Horrible intonation, no ideas (just repeating the same (bad) licks all the time), and just no range (we are not into chops here of course, but come on, some minimal level of technical ability should be there). All what's missing is substituted with cheapo pseudo-profound "meaning" ("I cannot really sing, but I feel it very very deep"). Some highlites of the first track: 1'30'' - low notes (I understandm this is some sortt of interplay with Rudd's trombone) - she can't hit them ... "that you spend it with meeeeeeeeee" - sure, I will 2'00'' - "nickels and dimezzzzzz" - oh, this zzzzzz really REALLY emphasizes it (it will be repeated then in every subsequent line, so that you get a point) 2'24'' - thse wavering tones (is this an ENglish word? does it mean what I want to say? - I am so annoyed I am forgetting my English) "with meEeEeE" - come on, you can't do it, you don't have a voice for it, please. Also will be repeated IN ABSOLUTELY THE SAME WAY several times throuhg the song. 5'01'' And the best one for the very end - totally out of tune "with youOUouOUouOU". With me? Fuck... Now on "Maiden Voyage".. oh, solo... oho.. two ideas - let's bring them to absurd repeating them over and over...and all with such pathos and bombast... this one is actually better, but she just does not have the capacity to relise it. All this is nicely underscored by Altschul's high school band type of umtsa-umtsa drumming (5'06'') - is he in a sabotage mood (I wouldn't be surpirised)?... hey nice piano solo - just like 10,000 other piano solos recorded in the 60s... I see that everybody shines on this session... And where is Rudd by the way? Is he rolling on a floor laughing? Excused himself to the restroom? I have to read liner notes... they should explain what's going on... fuck, this is really bad.. Friends, I can't continue, I am sorry. This is one of the worst things I've heard over the last year. Oh, here we have the third track, Rudd is back... thanks. And singing, sure. Well, you can't do much worse than Sheila, so go ahead. Enough.

Thanks Alan. I actually will check it out.

I agree. It opens very strongly, but starting from second track it sets in the safe, pretty formulaic 60s advanced hardbop territory. In general, I have a bit of a problem with Oliver Lake. He is an excellent musician, but somehow I get tired of listening to him. Listening to CDs with Lake's participation (and I have quite a few of them) always seem to follow the same scenario: I totally enjoy the first couple of tracks, next two leave me indifferent, and by the second half I cannot listen to it anymore. I don't know what it is about Lake that I don't like (or rather like, but in limited amount)... Although there is one Lake CD that I am never tired of listening to - it is actually one of my favorite improv. CDs ever - Heavy Spirits (Black Lion), one Lake's earliest recordings. Masterpiece.

Listened to it again. Beautiful, beautiful stuff. Inspired and inspiring. Particular for altoist Alan Chase who brings a dose of lyricism to this quite intense performance. Louise Belongesis totally burns on tenor. Prima Materia also recorded a version of Ayler's Bells (also on Knitting Factory) - I have to get it.