Д.Д.

Great news (if it is really relased)! I will send an e-mail to Gebbia and see what the status of the CD is. If and when it is released, I hope it will end up at indiejazz website.

I saw them in concert about three weeks ago... and? ...and it was an excellent concert. Thanks for the review Alan! And post your sketch when it's ready.

Don't forget, Tony - Ned Rothenberg -"The Crux" (Leo).

I HAVE to get all this Koch stuff. ubu, keep me in mind next time you visit this store. ----------------------------------------------- Now, our friend ubu gently but firmly insisted that I listen to Lacy-Cox-Humair CD called Work (Sketch, 2002), and man, is this a great work. Warm, humorous and imaginative music. And what a sound -this might be one of the best-.sounding CDs I have. Get it, if you still for some reason don't have it (indiejazz has it for $12: http://www.indiejazz.com/ProductDetailsVie...x?ProductID=91)

I saw them in concert about three weeks ago... and?

I checked Intakt website and well, Inscape-Tableaux has the same band, but with Marylic Crispell instead of Fernandez (anf thinking baout it now, they are pretty close in style, aren't they?): http://www.intaktrec.ch/guyneworchestra.htm Next purchase is a no-brainer, he-he.

It was muscular, but not overly so. There was some intricate and varied writing, incluing solos (I assume solos were 80% scripted). I don't have any of the other Barry Guy large band projects (neither do I have anything by London Composers Orchestra, which was (is?) directed by Guy). But I know that soon I will have A LOT of Guy's CDs...

And yeah, for the annals of the Funny Rat: historical meeting of king ubu and Д.Д. (Д.Д. on the right, ubu even more on the right).

Gratkowski was a slight disappointment, particularly against the backdrop of his excellent releases on Leo (Spectral Reflections and Facio). There was quite a lot of blowing (as opposed to compositions which Frank is so good at) - with Gratkowski playing very effective alto (with rather harsh sound, reminicent of Keshavan Maslak) - virtuosic, but not too original. Wierbos, who is an excellent trombonist, did not have enough space to stretch, Hemingway's playing was hit-and-miss (an annoyingly boring solo somewhere in the middle - some brilliant playing five minutes later), bassist was good but not particularly memorable. There was some interesting playing in the middle on what ubu and I decided was a contrabass clarinet (some ugly stuff.. and ugly sounds). I think that Gratkowski is most strong in composition - and he played one of his good compositions (#3 from Spectral reflections, with this (loud and short) note-silence-note-silence-note-silence pattern... sounded powerful live). Overall, it was still not bad - andI am looking forward to hearing more of Gratkowski's work. ubu, did he play any bass clarinet, btw? - I remember he played it (well) a bit during the soundcheck, but I am not sure about the concert...

Oh yes, we did. Believe it or not, but it was also the best concert I've ever attended. Barry Guy band's performance started with some incredible bass clarinet playing by Hans Koch. I mean, first it started with his heavy breathing through the instrument, and I thought - "o-ho, some more minimalist type of sound creation", and prepared to look intellectual, and then the man started blowing... no, he started BLOWING!!!! So I couldn't look intellectual anymore - I was grinning like a mildly dangerous maniac for the rest of the solo...and for the rest of the concert - because what followed (often at the same time) was pretty unbelievable - some very impressive writing with excellent tension-relief patterns; elephant mating calls by Bauer (simple but very optimistic); lyrical tenor solo by Parker (with beautiful accompaniment fom Fernandez and Guy); mindblowing baritone wailing by Gustaffson; Ferdandez out-Ceciling Cecil (Fernandez was a revelation for me - Cecil's school but mpore lyrical and supportive of other players; speed and clarity of his playing were simply unbelievable); Gustaffson on flutaphone - well, this has to be heard (and seen, as Gustaffson is very animated when he plays) - this is so fast and so clear (an so strong - surprisingly powerful sound!), it seems absolutely beyond human physical capacity (well, and Gustaffson looked like he was about to have a heart attack); and the most terrific drummer tandem I've heard - Lytton and Strid (latter one was particularly amazing, I would say) - fast, furious and very very clever - never in the way of other musicians, but pushig them to show their best. Musicians seemed very pleased with themselves after the concert, and that's a good sign (particulalrly for musicians of this caliber). When it was over, ubu and I, as two highly knowledgeable conosseurs of imporvised music, immidiately started analysing it: "Fuck!" said I, "Oh yeah!" said ubu. Hope this music gets released.

I think we should hook Mr. Purves up with Ms. Dunaway. Tony, you can manage them in the Western hemisphere, and ubu and I will take care of the Eastern one.

I am impressed by your proactive approach - I assume you bought yourself an alto balloon already?

Totally agree. Fred Hopkins is amazing on this record. And Brackeen has a truly unique voice.

Hopefully, these were just a couple of bad days. Braxton was in good spirit and fine condition about a month ago when I saw him in Geneva. Was telling me that he's got quite a few projects in the pipeline, including a DVD release.

Tony, since Berkshire shipping rates to Europe are outragious, I will have to load you a bit with American composers, if you don't mind. I have only one CRI release: a lady playing rubber baloons. Forgot her name. Not for fainthearted, but prety interesting, believe it or not. OK, I found it: Judy Dunaway "Balloon Music"

I think I will try some nperign CDs. The little Bhob Rainey that I've heard left very positive impression, but Greg Kelley I don't know (although I should have his Trumpet somehwere...unsealed).

Any recommendations for Twisted Village label releases, btw?

I've been listening to recently-released double-CD Persian Surgery Dervishes (Felmay), and I've been vewry impressed. These are solo organ improvisations performed by Riley in early 70s. Dark mesmerizing stuff. Very good for long rides in the night or bad weather (I'll be probably listening to it on my way to Zurich tomorrow). And I never knew that Riley was such a mighty player! More information here: http://www.felmay.it/6715en.html

I'm especially interested in the Gratkowski, it certainly "looks" good, hopefully it will sound OK too. This one is not bad, not bad at all. Porbably even better than Spectral Reflections... New solo Paul Bley did not inspire me too much.

Geoff, do you have foreign improv musicians coming often to Australia? I remember you posted your pictures of Parker, Dunmall and Kenny Wheeler, so looks somebody does manage to come - but how often it happens? And how rich is your local imporv scene?

Nice releases from Polish Not Two lable: http://www.nottwo.com/Plyty.php?Typ=NT&W=0&Od= Glad to see that Sirone is active. Also, how about Ornette's compositions performed by bass solo: http://www.nottwo.com/PelnaPlyta.php?Id=1&W=&Od=&Off=

New Charnett Moffett release: http://www.piadrum.com/For_the_Love_of_Peace.htm Could be interesting. Charnett is a phenomenal bassist, and his brother COdy is a very tasteful drummer.

Anybody heard this one?

The problem is in situ stuff is impossible to find. P.L.M., have you heard Zingaro/Lazro duo on Potlatch? - this one is mesmerizing -I haven't heard anything like this...

Got Cecil's Nefertiti today (together with some Joe Henderson stuff) - bravo CDConnection! Ubu, the import thing we discussed worked perfectly fine.