Д.Д.

very excited about this one! the first "environmental improv" record? Envirinmental? You mean with cries of tortured endangered species animals recorded?

I think I have only one Silkheart CD, and it is a great one - Charles Brackeen "Worshippers Come Nigh". Powerful free-bop with Fred Hopkins playoin the bass like a wounded lion, and Brackeen delivering a fascinating and very origianal tenor works (and strong composiitons). And then there is one Andrew Cyrille on drums, and Olu Dara on trumpet. Great music. Just checked the Silkheart catalog - I feel I do need at least 80% of it!

To the list.

I've still never heard Dogon AD, but outside of that, Coon Bidness is easily his best, that version of Hard Blues kicks ass. and no, Dogon AD was never released on disc, Tim Berne tried really hard to get it for Screwgun, unsuccessfully in the end. I don't remember the details, but if you're curious, ask on JC, Steve Smith will know... Coon Bid'ness is great, and is indeed one of the best Hemphill discs, but the one I like the most is Hemphill's duo with cellist Abdul Wadud on Red label. This is also an early Hemphill recording, and Hemphill is playing like a superhuman there - not in terms of technique, but from the standpoint of confidence and abundance of ideas. All the later works of his that I have heard (including Roi Boye and Blue Boye - one is on Screwgun, one is on Sackville, don't remember which is which) failed to impress me this much. I still have to listen to his duo with Oliver Lake (Buster Bee, on Sackville) and his second duo recording with Wadud from a much later concert, on Music & Arts. Btw, if you enjoy Coon Bid'ness, you should definitely check out Oliver Lake's "Heavy Spirits" (Black Lion / DA Music) - recorded more or less in the same time and with many of the same musicians - and equally good (I probably enjoy it even a bit more than Coon Bid'ness).

Conicidentally, as recently as last week I was browsing through this page thinking which items to order. I am not too happy with the prices, so I am in the process of negotiting with Sundist the EU VAT deduction (the negotiations go like this - I send my requsts once in a while for a year now, and they do not respond). Out of these I have only solo Bennink CD on DATA Tempo Comodo, and it is a very enetertainig (and, what a surprise! - very energetic) music.

Our MIA friend P.L.M. considers this to be a major work, and kindly arranged for me to get a copy if it as well (for those who don't know, and the pianist Noah Rosen is the leader). I spent some time with it, but just cannot get myself interested in it. I thought it was incredibly static with very little of direct development - instead of a stream is seemed like a swamp to me. Melodies are anemic and somewhat formulaic (more like segments of compositions (and not of Rosen, but of Andrew Hill), instead of complete ones). An original style (although one can definitely hear Waldron, Hill and Cecil), but not a very attractive one to me. Out of Rosen's generton (35-50), I'd rather listen to pianists like Matthew Goodheart, David Bickerton or Uwe Oberg.

No, just the one listen, so far. Somehow I don't think that two additional listens will reveal the complex mysteries of this musical pearl. As I read somewhere: "you can't polish a turd." Sorry, but this one isn't going to get any better with time. We ate dinner without music, so my wife was spared. I was going to buy a birthday present for my father tonight. I think I might have the perfect gift already here... John, let me know if your father, his nieghbours or his dog need a present - I have Mirabassi's Avanti! already packed in a pink wrapper.

Definitely not a wall-of-noisy music. Marhaus sound palette is fairly limited here (think about battle scenes from the films on WWII), but he does manage to achieve quite a bit of dynamic vaariety. No silence, but no all-out aggresive noisy stuff either. All very focused and fairly reserved. There are even some snippets of "guitar" melody at the end, which he plays with. My knowledge of this sort of music is too limited to give any stylistical reference - so this is the best description I can come up with at the moment.

Tony, you are a sadistic, immoral individual. ----------------------- Gentlemen, I feel deeply offended - nobody ever accused me of listening to new age (well... hmm... Tony has these 30 Cold Blue CDs that somebody ordered using my credit card...). Next time I'll recommend some death metal CD - I'll see what you say then (hmmm... might not work - some death metal will sound like new age for this weird John B guy)! Could I have misplaced the CDs and have been listening to Taylor-Lyons-Murray CD instead or "ARP Music" all along ?

Tony, you could probably put Jon through directly to the lady - the disc might still be avialable. ------------------------- Started listening to Braxton's Donna Lee and got bored by the middle of track 2. I am not sure it sounds dated, but it does sound pretentious and supreficial. Braxton all over the place displaying his chops mrope than ideas IMO, and then there is this MIchael Smith guy with his romantic "profound" classical-leaning piano. Oliver Johnson on drums is great, though. Now, the solo Braxton Free America disc - Saxophone Improvisations Series F is another story alltogether - some of the best Braxton I've heard.

News from Utech Records: "A quick bit of news... the new solo recording from Steve Hubback "Trees, Rocks and Ravens" [uR-008] is available now on the Utech Records site. The release coincides with a piece on Steve in the May issue of Modern Drummer magazine. Steve talks with Michael Bettine about his music and metalsmithing. The article is nicely written and will hopefully introduce some folks to this deserving musician and artist. I will have a proper update with more new releases later in the month." ------------------------------------ As mentioned, of 4 first Utech releases I have, Lasse Marhaug is the winner, Frode Gjerstad I am not sure about yet, and Ras Moshe stuff... well, I'll give them one more try, and if it does not work out well, they will embark on a trip to Vermont - I have a feeling some people there might enjoy it more.

I have an EMANEM Freedom in the city 2001: small groups set, where Ms. Brand is featured on a couple of tracks - will listen to it later today.

Among other wonderful things upcokming on EMANEM, there is one that I think Tony will be definitely interested in exploring: Gail Brand / Tim Perkis / Gino Robair / John Shiuba / Matthew Sperry 'Supermodel Supermodel' (2002-3) My EMANEM collection is meagre (not more than 10 CDs, at best), and I should start exploring it more.

OK, I placed an order for it. Will post here after I listen to it.

Is this the Collection set on Ogun?

This prompted me to dig out Dick's novel Ubik and re-read it. Good stuff.

Anyone familiar with any of the Edgetone releases?

Could never really get into Maneri Sr. As I mentioned, my favorite track of his is the one when he recites a poem in an imaginery language. But I am returning to his discs (of which I have quite a few for whatever reason) from time to time.

Funny enough, this mornig I was listening to excellent Mat Maneri Trio - "For Consequence" (Leo, 2003) with Randy Peterson (and Ed Schuller). Peterson is one of my favorite drummers, probably. McLellan and Peterson are indeed somewhat similar, but McLellan sounds more pointillistic to me. This evening will listen to Joe McPhee / Hamid Drake duo (recorded just days apart from Grand Marquis(should be a totally different story, I presume(.

Received the new ESP Ayler's "Spiritual Unity" remaster. After very quick A/B-ing, it seems to me that the Calibre reissue (from 2001, I think - the one in a red cardboard slipcase over the jewel case) sounds better (although, possibly a bit "pumped up" - the new reissue has a gentler, more "relaxed" sound - but Ilike my Ayler "pumped up")...

Well, I've been also doing some of "this music" listening. Stilluppsteypa / TV Pow - "We Are Everyone In The Room" (Erstwhile) After a couple of listens, I thouhgt it was extremely boring and uneventful. More E I exploration to follow.

Upcoming on 482 Music: Rosenberg / Baker / Hatwich / Daisy: "New Folk, New Blues" (April 12, 2005) Scott Rosenberg (tenor and baritone saxophone) Jim Baker (piano, analog synthesizer, aluminum foil) Anton Hatwich (bass) Tim Daisy (drums) Surely looks interesting.

Friends, a VERY enjoyable release: The Lost Trio with special guest Adam Levy - "Live at Avalon & the Graves" (Evander, 2001). Adam Levy - guitar Phillip Greenlief - saxophones (tenor, moslty) Tom Hassett - drums Dan Seamans - bass A mainstream recording, basically - a set of standards ("Body & Soul", "Lush Life" and other stuff like this) played in a relaxed, unpretentious manner. Not something I would be interested in theoretically, but here it all sounds very refreshing. Greenlief (who is at the frontline) is a very impressive on tenor, rhythm section is excellent (and very coordinated) and Adam Levy has a very appealing warm Burrell-ish sound and his solos are understated and tasteful. Again, I couldn't resist comparing this set with Braxton's "Standards" set on Leo - same band configuration, also recorded live, and I think there's even some overlap of the repertoir. At the same time Greenlief & Co. manage to deliver some creative non-bullshit playing (even if within a very traditional framework) without pompous attempt to make an ARTISTIC STATEMENT or to prove something to somebody (which is quite ridiculous with the tunes that have been played superbly over the last 70 years) - and with tunes' heads played in tune. This double CD set is available at indiejazz.com for $14.

Yes Tony, I remembered your dislike for this disc from way back when. I think to some extent my opinion change could stem to from my better (although not at all exhaustive) knowledge of Evan Parker's ouevre. Hearing some examples of his good tenor playing (like on terrific Chicago Tenor Duets (Okka) with Joe McPhee) sets a good benchmark against which the comparisons should be made. Also, I feel that the more music I aquire the less tolerance for non-outstanding recordings I have - there are so many masterpieces in my collection already that spending time on merely good music has little value in it for me.