Д.Д.

The ECM releases not produced by Eicher have always been much more interesting for me - whether this century or previous one. This ⬆️ album is one of those non-Eicher productions (IMHO, the album is weak by the standards of the participants, but it definitely is a step aside from the regular modern ECM routine). Kudos to supposedly dictatorial Eicher for allowing his associate producers (Steve Lake previously, I don't know the names of the more recent ones) to stray quite far from his preferred aesthetics often in decidedly commercially non-viable direction (remember those Hal Russell records?). Of the few recent-ish releases I skimmed through, I liked this one (produced by Sun Chung) quite a bit. Barre Phillips solo one was not that great (I am not sure Eicher / ECM are to blame here). This might have been the only recent ECM CD I bought (I love Barre Phillips!), but I sold it pretty fast. But really, with a cornucopia of excellent music released on other labels these days, I don't see a point of following what ECM does. For me at least, the label is essentially irrelevant.

I think I remember an interview with Bowie from mid-'90s where he specifically says that AEoC is not financially viable. Maybe he was referring to the US. I saw Bowie live in Paris with Brass Fantasy in 1999, just days before he died. It was a club date (New Morning, if I remember correctly). It was full, but it was still just a club (and not a very big one). In Easter Europe in early- to mid-nineties he would probably play concert halls. I am not implying that commercial motive was the main driver here, of course not. But it must have been a thrill to play with excellent young musicians to large enthusiastic audience. Btw, here is another fun record from mid-ninetees with Lester as a featured guest: https://www.discogs.com/release/5168591-Lorenzo-Gasperoni-Mamud-Band-Feat-Lester-Bowie-Amore-Pirata

Well, it's three records, two of which were recorded live. Please note that '90s were a very strange time in the ex-Soviet block. Newly liberated proletarian masses had great, albeit short-lived, enthusiasm for anything "new" and "unusual". Both Milosc and Bowie could gather large crowds even in provincial Polish towns, resulting in surprisingly good (relatively speaking, of course) earning opportunities. This could partially explain Bowie's repeated visits to Poland. And they fit really well together. I think the studio album and the second live one are fantastic with some of Bowie's best playing of the decade (I have to say I don't care much for most of AEoC and Brass Fantasy output, and definitely not in the '90s).

I listened to the stream of The Quartet, and, to my surprise, enjoyed it greatly. First of all, Brötzmann plays a lot of alto, which I really like (I remember at one of his concert I attended he played blistering mean alto behind the closed curtains during warm up only to play no alto at all during the concert itself). Second, possibly thanks to physical limitations, he is more concise that usual and less prone to falling back on repetitive licks. Adasiewicz's vibes add a melancholic tinge, and Noble is just fantastic. Good stuff, I might get the CD in honor of the great Mensch.

Otoroku is releasing Brötzmann's last live gig: https://peterbroetzmann.bandcamp.com/album/the-quartet

It's streamable too:

Today I was revisiting this Parker / Tracey duo live record on Psi: https://www.discogs.com/release/1333058-Stan-Tracey-Evan-Parker-Crevulations and it's truly phenomenal stuff. Parker is playing tenor only, which is a plus as far as I am concerned, and the way he and Tracey develop ideas together is fascinating. I listened to this album three times in a row (don't remember when the last time this happened was)! Psi label is no more, so I encourage everybody to seek this record without delay. There is an earlier studio recording by the same duo (also on Psi), which is definitely good, but this live one is the real deal.

This solo record is great (as long as you don't mind your solo bass a little bit over-the-top https://nobusinessrecords.bandcamp.com/album/irvins-comet

He's dead.

20% discount with a code Conspiracy### https://moved-by-sound.bandcamp.com/album/conspiracy-2

Never heard of this one. Will check it out, it's already on Spotify:

Ayler Records is offering a 55% discount on all its digital releases at bandcamp with a promo code olderwiserme . This works when you buy the (already deeply discounted) full catalog as well, so you can get the label's complete output (165 albums) for €140 (+ taxes). https://ayler-records.bandcamp.com/

Very sad, hers was a unique voice. Have had a couple of her albums in my bandcamp wish-list for years, will go ahead and buy them now. Susan Alcorn's bandcamp: https://susanalcorn1.bandcamp.com/

Karl, thanks for starting the fundraiser and sharing the information here.

😄

Would you care to share an example of an '80s Chet Baker performance "reeking of con"?

Pim, a junkie is not in control of his life, that is for sure. That does not necessarily make him "sad" in his own eyes. Also, "control of one's life" is a fleeting and relative concept anyway. A health issue, random accident, a war or even a loss of job can deal a swift and decisive blow to the "I control my life" illusion.

Oh, the Chet sad, Chet tragic thing... What is exactly so "sad" about Chet? That he was a junkie? That he lost his youthful good looks? Might be sad for someone, but I just do not see Chet ever being "sad" about it. On the contrary, I see Chet as a guy who lived his life just as he wanted and, in objective terms, he somehow faired much better than most (definitely better than any junkie musician I can think of). In the '80s he earned better than the vast majority of the musicians of his generation (the guy lost count of Ferraris he bought) and definitely did not suffer from the lack of touring and recording opportunities or recognition (contrast this to another contemporaneous junkie trumpeter, Woody Show, for example). He played as well as ever and produced some of the best jazz albums of the '80s. He was surrounded by friends (no, not everybody in his circle was a drugs enabler) who doggedly took care of him when he needed it - even when he himself was completely unreliable. Ladies flocked to him (so much for the worn-out looks). Even health-wise, he was surprisingly robust for his lifestyle at the time of his death (I remember reading that the examining coroner estimated his age as "mid-thirties" in the pathology report). Regarding the circumstances of his death - most likely this is neither a murder, nor a suicide, but an accident. Sad fact, for sure - but not a sad life.

Yes, you got it right. The most-streamed "jazz" tracks on Spotify are by-the-numbers tunes churned out in hundreds by anonymous musicians who are contracted through low- or no-royalty deals (unlike tracks from "real" artists where Spotify has to pay out around 70% of the streaming revenue as royalties to rights' holders). Read the article by Liz Pelly that Gioia is referring to - it's a good piece of investigative journalism. At the same time, I find the whining tenor of the Gioia's article annoying and childish - there is always "somebody else" to blame. No, it's not "industry" or "labels". It's the listeners. The majority of listeners (i.e. the people who consume music in a very different way compared to organissimo forum posters) really DON'T CARE. They start a ten-hour "jazz in the background" playlist at Spotify and it is good enough for their purposes. The listeners generate millions in streams of this muzak. The comparisons with radio payola are sort of lazy - with streaming, listener has a choice what to listen to. And how about this exhortation from Mr. Gioia's article: "our single best hope is a cooperative streaming platform owned by labels and musicians". Sure, cooperation between labels and jazz musicians for the common benefit - how can this possible not work?!

https://mikebullock.bandcamp.com/album/at-home-benefit-album Gorgeous.

https://tonybevan.bandcamp.com/album/everybody-else-but-me

In Memoriam of a truly great musician

Bandcamp HR will reach out to you shortly.

At this point, with full-tracks streaming available, I do not see any value in music reviews for me. Instead of trudging through randomly stringed pet hyperboles, I would be more happy with a simple list of albums by a person whose taste I trust. I can take it from there myself. When reviews influenced my record-bying decisions I really enjoyed the ones by Eugene Chadbourne and Dan Warburton.

Yeeey, the list game. That Burning Ambulance list does not suck. Here is what I would put for the albums recorded (not necessarily released) in 1974: Lee Konitz - "Lone-Lee" Amalgam - "Innovation" Earl Hines - "West Side Story" Mine Kosuke - "Out of Chaos" Toshiko Akiyoshi - Lew Tabackin Big Band - "Kogun" Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky; Konrad "Conny" Bauer; Ulrich Gumpert; Günter Baby Sommer - "Synopsis" Ella Fitzgerald - "Fine and Mellow" Zoot Sims; Bucky Pizzarelli; Buddy Rich - "Nirvana" Toshinori Kondo; Kazutoki Umezu; Toshi Tsuchitori - "Live Concert Tokyo 1974" Fred Frith - "Guitar Solos" Hans Koller - "Kunstkopfindianer" Dewey Redman - "Coincide"