Д.Д.

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.

Good to see a critical note about Brötzmann. I've been hearing "mindless clichés" in his playing for some time now (even in quite a few of his older efforts), and I thought it was me... ← Hans, my opinion of Brötzmann's music became much critical after I heard his discs which were simply on the different level compared to everythng I had heard from him before 14 love poems and Live in Berlin - '71. Both of these are among my favorite CDs right now, and here you can hear Brötzmann at his very best - diverse, creative, thoughtful and challenging himslef. Many of the other Brötzmann's discs sound like little bits were sampled out of either of the twoe records and looped for 45 minutes... Thinking of it, I thought No one ever works alone by Sonore (Okka) from last year was really good. ← where does 'live at the 'bottle' fest 2005' fall for you? Its one of the year's better releases to my ears. ← Haven't heard it.

If you are willing to ship international, I'll take it.

Good to see a critical note about Brötzmann. I've been hearing "mindless clichés" in his playing for some time now (even in quite a few of his older efforts), and I thought it was me... ← Hans, my opinion of Brötzmann's music became much critical after I heard his discs which were simply on the different level compared to everythng I had heard from him before 14 love poems and Live in Berlin - '71. Both of these are among my favorite CDs right now, and here you can hear Brötzmann at his very best - diverse, creative, thoughtful and challenging himslef. Many of the other Brötzmann's discs sound like little bits were sampled out of either of the twoe records and looped for 45 minutes... Thinking of it, I thought No one ever works alone by Sonore (Okka) from last year was really good.

I was having a search for Brotzmann & this post came up & I noticed your last comment John. It looks as if it has been a relatively quite year for his releases .Am I right in thinking these are all of this years new releases ? The Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet Be Music, Night (OD12059) peter brötzmann & nasheet waits live at the 'bottle' fest 2005 brö A peter brötzmann & han bennink still quite popular after all those years brö 4 ← There is one Brötzmann release on Kilogram records: North Quartet - "Malamute" Peter Brötzmann - alto & tenor saxophones, metal Bb clarinet Mikolaj Trzaska - alto & C melody saxophones & bass clarinet Peter Friis Nielsen - bass Peeter Uuskyla - drums An (14 minute!) MP3 here sounds GOOD (don't take this praise coming from me lightly - I have been severaly over-Brötzmann'd recently, growing less and less interested in his recent output: his solo "Petrogliphs" (Long Arms) is total bullshit, and his playing with Eneidi's trio on "Live at the Spruce street Forum" (Boticelli) is all just an exercise in mindless clichés).

Tony, if you liked this Butcher/Edwards duo, you might enjoy Butcher / Edwards / Dunmall "Hit and run" (FMP). Half of the disc is Butcher/Edwards duo, and the other half is Dunmall/Edwards (with Dunmall playig bagpipes mostly. Mayhem!). And there is one short track with all three playing together.

Total Music Meetin, Berlin, day 2 1. John Butcher (ts, ss) Gino Robair (dr, perc, live electronics) Excellent, as expected. Interestigly, RObair did not do much drumming per se but mostly focused on producing high-pitch dronin sounds from percussion (including a long secion of "bowed cymball"). Clever music with a lot of listening. 2. SOLO-TOMBAK (IRAN/D) Mohammad Reza Mortazavi (tombak, daf) Good one. Mortavizi is a traditionally-trained Iranian drummer who went into extended drumming techniques. I felt that he still was very much entrenched in the tradition, going into groves quite often (the audience loved it). 3. MAYAS / NUTTERS / OLSEN / GALVEZ QUARTET (NL/Norway/Spain) Magda Mayas (p) Carlos Galvez Taroncher (bcl) Koen Nutters (b) Morten J. Olsen (dr, perc) Nothing special - typical piontillistic European academic improv. Well played, but dry and boring. 4. TOUCH THE EARTH - BREAK THE SHELLS Wadada Leo Smith (tp, flh) Barre Phillips (b) Gьnter ґBabyґ Sommer (dr, perc) After disastrous Wadada Leo Smith solo concert the previous night, I was apprehensive about this one - and rightly so, it turned out. Nothing interesting happened during the first 20 minutes (with Smith being the main problem, IMO), so I left. Went to a disco and enjoyed it immensely.

I thought Leimguber looked OK. Whilte playing he seemed extremelly concentrated. Little I've heard of Schoof and Dudek on record I like (Schoof on Waldron's One-Upmanship, Waldron's best disc, IMO and DUdek on excellent trio session Open with Vesala andd Nebeirgall reissued recently by Atavistic, and on some good mainstream disc on Konnex) - but yesterday they were just going through the motions. Dudek was totally overshadowed by Canneloni.