Д.Д.

Great one, even though it seems to me Roach and Braxton do not interact with each other that much here.

I like Ellen Fullmans Long String Instrument. That's some cool shit. Friends, I listend to Ellen Fullman's "Body music" (XI)... three times in a row. Enjoyed it immensely. So much sound. Music to get transfixed by. Would love to see her performing live, but I doubt she travels too much with this monstrous Long String Instrument thingie. Found a sample here. ---------------------------------- Listening to Fullman's disc (yes, for the fourth time), I realized I have heard spmething somewhat similar on Stephen Scott's "New music for bowed piano" (New albion) (smaple avilable here as well).

Loose Torque

This would appear to be a good sign: ~~~~~~~~~~ New San Diego based label, as announced on the European Free Improvisation Pages: Henceforth Records Incidentally, just yesterday I ordered the Sound on Survival disc - after checking out the samples here.

Who said life isn't tough? Well, over here we are used to these prices! These really are great records. I succumbed. Me too. Thanks David. Where did you mange to get this disc I'm having trouble understanding the site with the link did you get it elsewhere? Gary, I got my copy at the concert - but you should be able to get it from Kilogram records - send them an e-mail to the address posted here.

Sorry to quote myself (he-he) Very true. There are more "free jazz" moments here than at the concert I saw, and indeed (seamless and organic) transition from minimal to expansive imporvisation is fascinating. It was interesting to compare Leimguber's fire-music deviations to similar (and somewhat less successful, IMO) forays by John Butcher during the festival. Which reminds me that I still haven't written about the most interesting part of the TMM festival (including Cecil Taylor / Tony Oxley duo). I am looking forward to hearing Leimgruber-Phillips-Demierr's earlier disc on Victo.

Okay for the Madonna's too. My daughter (13 years old since last week) will be delighted and thinking that I get some sanity at last. But I didn't know that you listen to that stuff yourself. Maybe you kept it for brothers, neviews or girlfriends, what'll explain the all things. No, no, no - for girlfriends I have a stock of the following:

Friends, I would like to give unconditional thumbs up for Leimgruber-Demierre-Phillips disc on Psi It is similar to a concert of this trio I saw last month in Berlin - my inarticulate discription of it is somewhere above. In the "best of the year" top-whatever list. ------------------ Also, I still need to tell you about phenomenal concert of Mikolaj Trzaska I saw a couple of days ago. And his disc with Brötzmann's Nefertiti trio is really good - some of the better latter-day Brötzmann playing I've heard (but Trzaska sounds better here, IMO).

John Butcher

My first Parker LP. Just wonderful. Even better than that. I wonder where I can get it. You may have ear it with MICHAEL MOORE in the "Jewels & Binoculars" band. I'll check it out - was plannig to get more Moore anyway. I like the two previous FINN. I don't know that one. Don't throw it in the can. Better send it my way. I'll give it one more chance. If it does not work, it's yours. I have some Madonna CDs as well, if you are interested. I have another disc of this trio called True live walnuts (Splasc(H)), and it's pretty boring. Salis plays the piano there mostly.

Might be forgivable, given that the list was complied in 1995 and the disc was released in 1997. It may be news to you but before music was available on CDs (and probably before you came to this world!), there were those objects called vinyls. Wonderful objects! My vinyl copy of 'The New Vilage on the Left' dates from 1977. I have loved this album since that time! Hmm... well... I can only redress my shameful mistake by ordering The New Vilage on the Left immidiately (never heard (of) Melis).

Might be forgivable, given that the list was complied in 1995 and the disc was released in 1997.

I finally listened to this disc, and it is really good. Somewhere in the terrotory of Evan Parker solo soprano discs, but with critical (for me) differences: slower, more economic and with ideas being very clear. There is a sense of direction and an underlying wise symplicity somewhat similar to what you can hear in folk music (I was listenig to some Armenian duduk music yesterday - and I hear some similarities). Also, between two bads, I would always prefer alto to soprano (his alto sound is qute beautiful, actually - and nicely recorded). Nice to hear a solo reeds disc where musicin is not determined on showing absolutely everything he can do an an instrument. Will return to this disc quite often. Check the samples out.

His solo For Olim has one 20-minute piece, and sever short pieces.

No way am I reading a review this long. Meanwhile, listening to the disc which actually pointed me towards this Trio Caveat thingie: Jonathan Moritz Trio Xanadu (J.A.S. reocrds, 2000) Jonathan Moritz - tenor saxophone Lieven Venken - drums Lindsey Horner - bass Some good stuff, I say. Fairly traiditinal trio, Moritz here being quite a bit Henderson-influenced. Nice tuneful melodeis, singing bass (where have I heard this bass?) and very sensetive drumming (reminded me of less insistent Blackwell). All very light, tasteful and relaxed. Not unlike Philip Greenlief's more mainstream (and better ones) projects. Got my copy at indiejazz. Moritz has some samples at his website. ------------------------- Before that listened to James Finn "Plaza de Toros" (Clean Feed). Third attempt. Total bullshit. Quite a disappointment after all this hype. The guy has technique, but just no original ideas - boring endless forced wailing and runs up and down. No thinking. Nothing that hasn't been played many many times before during last 50 years. And he has a fitting partner in Dominic Duval, his bass playing being close approximation of Finn's mindless noodling. Drummer (Warren Smith) is also so-so. Stupidly recorded as well - all too upfront and aggressive. Complete fake. I haven't thrown away any music for years, but this one is likely to be a trashbin pioneer.

What do you say, not bad, ah?

Hey, good reminder about Fullman - I've been meaning to check out her music since I've read that article about her in STN. Will order some of her CDs.

Priceless! and that goes for the music, too! ← Just realised Tony 'Batman' Ortega is a sideman on Zappa's "Grand Wazoo"...

Friends, I listened to it today for the first time - it is great! I had to check the the sleeve to ensure this was recorded in mid-60s - the music is so advanced, really like nonthing elese recorded at that time - and the sound quality is just superb.

Friends, this one is highly recommended: Rent Romus' Lords of Outland! with John Tchicai ADAPT... or DIE! (Jazhzeads, 1997) John Tchicai – tenor saxophone Rent Romus – alto & sop. saxophones Jon Birdsong – sousaphone Dave Mihaly – drums This is some easy-listening music that would not scare out even an Exploding Customer fan. Most of the music is infectiously groovy modal free-jazz stuff (that I am normally not in a mood to listen to these days), but not of formulaic sort - it is cleverly designed music with some quirky melodies and unexpected tempo/mood turns. Romus has HUGE sound on alto (I am not that much of alto saxophone sound fan - I listen to quite a few alto saxophonists of course, but rarely enjoy their sound per se - but Romus' sound is a sheer pleasure for me.. a bit like John Handy's, I'd say). One could call Romus a fire-breathing type of saxophonist if his playing did not sound so easy - fire is there, for sure, but not that much of screaming. He also plays alto- and soprano- simultaniously (well), but not going into gimmicky side too much. Tchicai is present on half of the tunes, and he is definitely good (btw, I was listeing to this disc right after I listened to some field recordings of Burkina Faso folk music and it stroke me how much African folk music feel there is on Tchicai's playing - these short repetative phrases without much ornamentation, vocal cries, rhythmic feel, etc. - amazing), but compared to Romus here he sounds clumsy and less diverse, IMO. Very basic but tasteful support form sousaphone/drums (having a sousaphone is a nice idea - makes music more fluid than with bass). Good good stuff. Revewis, ordering info and sounds sample (this is the least successful track, IMO!) here. Gotta get me more Romus.

~~~~~~~~~~ I posted on this above but was wondering if anyone was intending on sampling: Hope Street Starting in September 2005, to celebrate their 25th anniversary, the Nato and Chabada catalogues are gradually being re-issued on CD, in special digipacks, under the Hope Street imprint. HS10047 The Melody Four On request HS10049 Kazuko Hohki/Steve Beresford Chante Brigitte Bardot HS10050 Denis Colin & Les Arpenteurs Etude de terrain HS10051 Steve Beresford/David Toop/John Zorn/Tonie Marshall Deadly weapons HS10052 Lol Coxhill Before my time HS10053 Francois Mechali/Beb Guerin Conversations HS10054 Tony Coe Les voix d'itxassou HS10055 Steve Beresford L'extraordinaire jardin de Charles Trenet Anyone know if these are available yet stateside? ← I submit to pressure, and place an order for two of those (Coxhill and Mechali/Guerin) at amazon.fr. I wonder if the older (heh-heh) guys (brownie and P.L.M. that is, if they didn't get the hint) could comment on these Nato disc - I am only vaguely familiar with many of these muscians.

Try getting in touch with Paal directly.

I ordered both Nilssen-Love discs. These two put him up to 12 discs released so far this year. Not bad, but he'll never catch up with Vandermark. DD - Have you heard the Eye Contact or Lotte Anker discs on Utech? If so, would you recommend them? I love the first Exploding Customer Disc and immediately pre-ordered the new one when Jan posted the offer. That is a fantastic price for an Ayler disc. ← John, based on samples I decided to skip the Eye Contact disc. I have the Lotte Anker one, but have not listened to it yet. Did you count the discs with Nilssen-Love as sideman? - you might easily get to 30 or so. His Personal Hygiene (Utech) with Lasse Marhaug is excellent, while the other one, with organ, seemed rather dull on first listen. I will also probably get the new Exploding Customer disc - I did not find the first dis to be particularly revelatory, but the potential was there. Gret price also.

From Utech Records newsletter: Available now: STEN OVE TOFT "Sinners' Virtue" [021] $11 Sten Ove Toft (Ryfylke, Waffelpung) initiates a repeating bit of static for several minutes before laying down the harsh noise Norwegian style. Inside the remainder of this single track is a texturally rich landscape that allows for an occasional break in the chaos to seek atonement. Recorded at Landmark, Bergen, Norway. Hand assembled and numbered. Edition of 100 cdr. PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE/ANDERS HANA "AM/FM" [023] $11 Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) and Anders Hana (electric guitar) approach their instruments as if transmitters of sound and fury. Dichotomy slowly becomes a unified colossus and back again, a lovely furor resounding then drifting away to silence. Recorded at Numusic Festival, Tou Scene, Stavanger, Norway, 8/21/04. Hand assembled and numbered. Edition of 150 cdr. PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE "Twenty Seven Years Later" [024] $11 Solo drums and percussion. This release completes our four part survey of recordings from Paal-Nilssen-Love. Recorded at Molde International Jazz Festival, Forum, Molde, Norway, 7/20/02. This performance finds Paal playing in the same building his father (also a drummer, now a painter) had played 27 years earlier. These unique pieces of music tell of Paal's dedication to and masterey of his craft. Hand assembled and numbered. Edition of 150 cdr.

This is the impression I got from the video snippet of their performance posted elsewhere.