Д.Д.

Holiday-10 10% discount till January 1.

Yes, his disc on BS (or SN, I forgot) is good (and quite unique).

You can buy them cheap from the Back Saint website directly. I think they dropped prices further after they were purchased by CAM Jazz. One needn't listen on computer speakers. I find emusic's mp3s more than acceptable for the cost. And in the case of BS/SN discs, I can barely find/buy them at any price.

I am pretty sure this is Frank's home, not his parents' .

Zappa treating his sidemen badly is a common unfortunate misconception - if anything, I have not heard any other band leader being talked about in such revering, admiring and superlative terms by his sideman - there are dozens of FZ sidemen interviews available online. Original MOI contributing to FZ compositions is another myth (repudiated many times by the Mothers themselves). Financially they were actually treated quite well during their time with the Mothers. Since Ellington was mentioned, here is an appropriate FZ quote: FZ in "The Real Frank Zappa Book" (1989): "In 1969, George Wein, impresario of the Newport Jazz Festival, decided it would be a tremendous idea to put the Mothers of Invention on a jazz tour of the East Coast. We wound up working in a package with Kirk, Duke Ellington and Gary Burton in Miami at the Jai Alai Fronton, and at another gig in South Carolina. The touring package did not carry its own PA - we had to use whatever speakers existed in each of the venues we were booked into. The hall in South Carolina was rigged with small jukebox speakers, set in a ring around the building. Useless, but there we were - we had to play the show. Before we went on, I saw Duke Ellington begging - pleading - for a ten-dollar advance. It was really depressing. After that show, I told the guys: 'That's it - we're breaking the band up.' We'd been together in one configuration or another for about five years at that point, and suddenly EVERYTHING looked utterly hopeless to me. If Duke Ellington had to beg some George Wein assistant backstage for ten bucks, what the fuck was I doing with a ten-piece band, trying to play rock and roll - or something that was almost rock and roll?"

Please note that some of these are scheduled for reissue: http://www.hathut.com/home.html?content=up...ng-content.html

Eddie Jobson was Zappa's best violin player. He toured with FZ in mid-seventies. There are no official records featuring his violin playing (well, not soloing, at least), but there are a few bootlegs around. The short-lived 1975 (or 76?) band with him and vocalist Bianca Odin was a killer. Meanwhile, good news: ZFT is reissuing "We Are Only In It for the Money" and "Lumpy Gravy" with some bonus material later this year.

I have about 30 CIMP CDs and they mostly sound like shit. Drums are way up, shallow and boomy, bass is way down and colorless, reeds are flat. They do indeed sound like live recordings - but the ones done in a place really not suitable acoustically for music performances. What is equally disappointing is how mediocre the music itself is - the discs I have are among the weakest in discogrpahies of these artists. Among the discs I have, the only two I would recommend are duo of Mark Dresser and Ray Anderson, and duo of Dave Burrell with Tyron Brown. Perhaps the Harris Eisenstadt's "Jalolu" too. I like the cover art, though.

I like this one. I thought it was quite unique. I remember thinking it sounded related to some of the EAI stuff (I would have to revisit "De Tijd" to give a more specific example of Andriessen - EAI connection, though).

I LOVE THAT TUNE!!! Best one on the album, for sure, and for all the reasons you put so well... Don't know Mrwebi, sounds like it would be up my alley though. My favorite track as well (I don't like the rest of the album that much, frankly), and some of the best solos of Mitchell and Shepp I've heard.

New one: http://www.nocturne.fr/produit.cfm?id_produit=5697

Let me say it again... Haven't heard it, but after all I've heard I think I've been sold on a copy. (and another disc falls into the "always on the lookout" pile...) I concur, this is an excellent one.

Anybody's heard Curson's recent(ish) recordings? Is he still playing well?

New CD with Curson is coming out next month on Terronès group of labels (click on Blue Marge): Live in Paris at the Sunside Ted Curson & Alain Jean-Marie trio (Gilles Naturel et Philippe Soirat) plus Pierrick Pédron, Guillaume Naturel, July Saury, Sylvia Howard & the Four Voice Ensemble

No. But my Lacy collection is steadily growing, so I will get there.

Yeah, that was me commenting on Bobby Few overplaying. I am listening to his solo "Continental Jazz Express" (on Boxholder) to refresh my memory, and, well, my impression has not changed much - there is a lot of rather cheesy impressionistic 100-notes-per second up-and-down noodling runs. Pretty unfocused. Gotta relisten to those Center of the World (Wright, Few, Silva, Ali) recordings on Fractal - haven't listened to them for a few years now. I remember when I was living an Italy I once listened to Center in World disc late at night (2 or 3 AM) with windows open and the music blasting out. I then heard some noice outside, and when I look outside I see a young Italian drogato standing on the street right under my window, looking at the sky with a expression of horror on his face. I don't know how long the guy had been there. I turned the music off - didn't want him to have a cardiac arrest right there. As for the "unofficial" releases of OOP stuff: I will be most happy to buy them as legit releases. As long as they are not available as such, I will be buying these unothorized copies.

"On top of their game" is a very generous overstatement (at least as far as Mitchell, Braxton and Smith are concerned), IMO. I will try to catch them live, of course, but my expectations are not too high. Your smug attitude is sad. Please demonstrate the "degradation" of these musicians and explain your "expertise". Don't bother going to the gigs. Please detail your reasons for dismissing their current work. Chuck, my attitude is based on seeing all these musicians live in the last few years and hearing quite a bit of their work - both early and recent. My expertise is my ears only. I will elaborate some time later. I would be interested in hearing your recommendaitons for good records of/with Mitchell, Braxton or Smith recorded since, say, 2000. "Good" like in "on top of their games". I would be most happy to discover that I missed some of the masterpieces. I'll still go to the concerts, if you don't mind.

"On top of their game" is a very generous overstatement (at least as far as Mitchell, Braxton and Smith are concerned), IMO. I will try to catch them live, of course, but my expectations are not too high.

Your collection is larger than mine, in that case... I'm just only getting into it! This one is really good. http://www.amazon.com/Kar-Boubacar-Traor/d...5315837-0791254 Since you are at it, check this beautiful disc by Rokia Traoré out: http://www.amazon.com/Wanita-Rokia-Traor%C...TF8&s=music For kora, this one by Toumani Diabate: http://www.amazon.com/Kaira-Toumani-Diabat...TF8&s=music and this one by Ballaké Sissoko: http://www.amazon.com/Deli-Ballak%C3%A9-Si...TF8&s=music are great. My favorite disc of West African music is a masterpiece by Jali Musa Jawara titled "Yasimika", sadly OOP: http://www.amazon.com/Yasimika-Jali-Musa-J...TF8&s=music This looks like a good compilation of West African music: http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Music-Ma...TF8&s=music Get some good West African music (thankfully, quite a bit is easily avilable these days) and throw this Rudd's "Malikool" nonsense away. If you like Djeli Moussa Diawara's "Yasimika", you'll like these other albums he has out in France. http://www.amazon.fr/s/ref=nb_ss_m/171-389...=11&Go.y=10 Note Jali Musa Jawara and Djeli Moussa Diawara are the English and French ways of spelling the same name. It makes searching for his records just that little bit more irritating I think Diawara has done more than anyone to develop the use of the kora in contemporary Guinean pop music. I love his stuff. MG I have most of those, as well as (mediocre) Kora Jazz Trio - none is even close to "Yasimika". I guess I will just write an e-mail to Rykodisc pleading to reissue it.

Your collection is larger than mine, in that case... I'm just only getting into it! This one is really good. http://www.amazon.com/Kar-Boubacar-Traor/d...5315837-0791254 Since you are at it, check this beautiful disc by Rokia Traoré out: http://www.amazon.com/Wanita-Rokia-Traor%C...TF8&s=music For kora, this one by Toumani Diabate: http://www.amazon.com/Kaira-Toumani-Diabat...TF8&s=music and this one by Ballaké Sissoko: http://www.amazon.com/Deli-Ballak%C3%A9-Si...TF8&s=music are great. My favorite disc of West African music is a masterpiece by Jali Musa Jawara titled "Yasimika", sadly OOP: http://www.amazon.com/Yasimika-Jali-Musa-J...TF8&s=music This looks like a good compilation of West African music: http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Music-Ma...TF8&s=music Get some good West African music (thankfully, quite a bit is easily avilable these days) and throw this Rudd's "Malikool" nonsense away.

News from Innova: Innova has received a major grant from the New York State Music Fund to increase its activities in that state. Over 2007-8 innova will 1) release at least 20 CDs of music by New York artists, 2) do extensive marketing of existing New York artists' works on the label by placing nearly 2,000 CDs in school and public libraries in small towns across the state, and 3) establish an outstate touring network with travel subsidy for the artists to present their work to new audiences. The touring subsidy will allow each artist to present outreach activities and performances at our venue partners who include: Society for New Music, Syracuse; SUNY, Potsdam; St. Lawrence University, Canton; Deep Listening Institute, Kingston; Roulette, NYC; and several others. Artists included (subject to evolution) LaMonte Young (NYC), Cristian Amigo (Astoria), Rudresh Mahanthappa (NYC), Sean Noonan (Brooklyn), Amanda Monaco (NYC), Kiku Collins (NYC) , Neil Rolnick (NYC), Todd Reynolds (Sunnyside), Roger Kleier NYC), Susie Ibarra (NYC), Lukas Ligeti (NYC), Yuanlin Chen (Kew Garden Hills), Robert Een (NYC), John Morton (Tappan), Ushio Torikai (NYC), Ethel (NYC) plays Mary Ellen Childs "Dreamhouse", Michael Farley (Canton), Billband: "Ferocious Groove Monkey" (NYC) music by Bill Ryan, Esther Lamneck (NYC): Works by Cort Lippe, Robert Rowe, Dinu Ghezzo, Orlando Legname, Lawrence Moss, Zack Browning; David Del Tredici (NYC), Virgil Moorefield, Stephen Gosling, Tom Chiu, David Eggar, Tom Kolor, Michael Lowenstern, Thad de Brock (NYC), Brian Dewan (New Rochelle) The New York State Music Fund was created when the New York State Attorney General's Office resolved investigations against major record companies that had violated state and federal laws prohibiting "pay for play" (also called "payola). The fund is administered by the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

October 7, 2006: Thank you for visiting Drimala Records. After 10 years, 25 releases, and 32,546 customers in 47 countries, we have decided to take a hiatus from the music business. We have gone off to play out other dreams that are right for this time in our lives. So thank you to everyone that made Drimala possible and the ride of a lifetime. Be well and may you go in peace wherever your ears take you. We leave you with this quote from Keith Jarrett, ⌠Jazz is there and gone. It happens. You have to be present for it. That simple.■ -- The Drimala Crew Drimala releases are still available from indiejazz

This is really a rough performance of "Amnerika". I heard an MP3 from a (much) later performance of Ensemble Modern (they do Zappa programs from time to time) and they just nailed it there - I hope it gets released one day.

Good question. Despite my buying a lot of stuff in 2006, the list of most-listened-to CDs is more-or-less the same as in 2005. In the order of decreasing frequency of listening: 1. Rustavi Choir: "Georgian Chorales" 2. Prokofiev: String Quartets (mainly the first movement of the 2nd quartet) 3. Fela Kuti: "Zombie" 4. Bach: "Goldberg Variations (Glenn Gould)" 5. Frank Zappa: "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar", disc 3 6. Death: "Individual Though Patterns" 7. Dave Brubeck Quartet: "Jazz Impressions of Japan" 8. Faith No More: "Angel Dust" 9. John Coltrane: "First Meditations" 10. Kevin Drumm / Martin Tetreault: "Particles and Smears" 11. John Handy: "Live at the Monterrey Jazz Festival" 12. Andre Jaume "Peace / Pace / Paix" 13. J.J. Johnson Mosaic 14. Ustad Sultan Khan: "Sarangi. The Music of India" 15. Joëlle Léandre, Mat Maneri, Christophe Marguet, Joel Ryan: "For Flowers" 16. Jali Musa Jawara: "Yasimika" 17. Nicolas Simion: "Luca's Dream" 18. Pee Wee Russell: "Ask Me Now!" 19. Markus Stockhausen, Arild Andersen, Patrice Héral, Terje Rypdal: "Karta" 20. Subramaniam: "South India: Le Violon de l'Inde du Sud / Karnatic Violin"

This track with Brötzmann is avilable at Musik in Deutschland 1950-2000: Musik für Radio compilation: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00005B0SE...3123398-0312512 I have it, but have not listened to it yet (as well as Free-Jazz in DDR compilation from the same series)