Д.Д.

Wasn't Archie Shepp's relatively recent CD "St. Louis Blues" (with Sunny Murray and Richard Davis) released on Jazz Magnet as well? Will chekc when I get home. That disc was not too bad, by the way. nope, that one is on PAO indeed, not too bad at all Dug it out - oh yes, this is a good one! Mainly a duo for Shepp and Davis (Murray is only on a couple of tracks and is somewhere far far far in the background) - both in very good form. Shepp's playing (tenor only, thankfully - cannot warm to his soprano) is just superb here - rich sound: relaxed, but not lazy or sluggish; good ideas. No screaming, but quite explorative at times. Davis is very prominent here, and he delivers. Interestingly, he sometimes sounds more aggressive here than on his classic earlier recordings - also stretching quite a bit on a couple of pieces (some very impressive arco playing as well). Shepp is singing on "St. Louis Blues" and "God Bless the Child" and, I htink he is quite effective as a blues singer. Overall, very few cliches, and no impression of tiredness or routine - these are two masters thinking and still focused on creating. Nice work. Now I am getting interested in hearing Shepp's duo with Mal Waldron on Enja ("Left Alone Revisited") - looks like wrote off Shepp way too early.

I ahve another disc by this star trio (forthose who are not recognising the musicians - Oliver Lake, Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille) on Lake's Passing Through label, and also didn't like it too much (to my surprise) - still not sure why. Will have to listen to it again.

I insistently recommend the trio disc of Pierre Dorge-Khan Jamal-Johnny Dyani "Three" (also on SteepleChase) - relaxed, melodic spirited playing. Sometimes a slightly too much on the lite side, but exceptional musicanship (Kahn Jamal is the man! Not to mention this Dyani guy...) and obvious joy of playing together emanationg from the music more than compensates for it.

Wasn't Archie Shepp's relatively recent CD "St. Louis Blues" (with Sunny Murray and RIchard Davis) released on Jazz Magnet as well? Will chekc when I get home. That disc was not too bad, by the way.

What label is it on? Have you had a chance to listen to Free America Lacy ("The Gap") - some wild stuff there - much more so than his later works I am mostly familiar with. I liked it. Steve Potts is such a powerful player (Lacy is more intense here, though!). Irene Aebi on cello only (doesn't add much - but, more importantly, doesn't hurt either). Surprisingly good sound quality (woudl have preferred if wonderful Kent Carter was recorded more upfront, htough).

Hmmm... A bit heavy handed, wouldn't you say? POUND! POUND! POUND! I think it's a nice POUND! POUND! POUND! You know, I've been listening to a lot heavy metal today. I guess "heavy-handedness" is intended here, and I assume the expressive pallette of the music on the rest of the disc is somewhat wider (they sound too tight, disciplined and GOOD to be only what we here in this sample). The pianist and composer of the band Bettina Kee is only 24 years old, btw. Impressive.

Not I. And at $22 a pop, Bevan's likely to remain unknown to me. ($16 each from Cadence, though.) It'd be nice if sound samples were available on that site. Here is a label with sampes for you: Chief Inspector. Listening to MOP 54 now - very impressive!

Tony Bevan's Foghorn Records. Anybody heard Bevan?

they will ship abroad, although some may be reluctant to do so. BUT amazon charges you with something like 16 (SIXTEEN) euros for the transport to the US, if I remember correctly. The private sellers will also only have to be paid postage for each CD, whether they mail them individually or not, making larger batches less interesting. To send one disk complete with jewel case to the US from Germany will cost 4 eur. At the same time, amazon.de will subtract VAT for non-EU destination - i.e. the price for a Sonet CD will be jnust €6.70. If you want to buy several CDs at once amazon.de probably makes more sense than market sellers.

I liked it a lot. This is a sparce trumpet-bass-piano session, recorded in what seems to be very relaxed atmosphere in a a library (!). There is a picture from the session - Chet sitting, legs crossed in a huge leather armchair, beer glass beside. This might have stimulated Chet for some pensive, explorative and wise playing. He takes his time, and lets his ideas develop. The (good) bass-piano tream is mainly at the background, putting no pressure on CHet, letting the man think aloud through his trumpet. Chet sings on several tracks, and he is in good (if not top-form) voice. The beginnig of the disc is particularly strong - the second half feels more meandering to me, but still good. There is also a track of recorded conversation of Chet with Red Mitchell, but Ihaven't listened to it yet. Good sound.

I listened to it only once, and didn't like it too much - seemed too sterile for my taste. Will have to listen to it again, oif course.

Like this one as well (but haven't listened to it all yet - after all I have it only for three years ), but my favorite is Commodore Recordings double-CD set.

Likewise I've been going back in time lately and largely neglecting my rat studies. (...) Hmmm... Sounds like a few of us are on the same page. I've been listening to the Billie Holiday Verve box and the Shelly Manne live Blackhawk and Manne Hole sets. Have been listening to a lot of Chet Baker recently (thinking about it, I might have more Baker's CDs than Brötzmann's) and Joseph Haydn. And Thad Jones Mosaic.

Don't have this one, but I do have hte trio's earlier release on Leo - Fussilades and Lamentations and it is one of my favorite 2003 releases.

One of the most important "free jazz" labels is, IMO, Leo Records: www.leorec.com Ofhe smaller ones, I really like what I've heard on Potlatch: www.potlatch.fr

I wish RCA had a stable reissue program that would let this one see the light of day on its own outside of the box... Available as French BMG digipak reissue; 24-bit remastering.

Daniel Carter - Steve Swell - Federico Ughi "Concrete Science" (577 Records). Sound samples sound excellent to me: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/577records6

Nice little label from Norway: Jazzaway.

As far as I know, Ortega is alive.

I have a disc by this (or very similar - not sure about the drummer) rocking combo on In Situ label (I think it is called "Periferia"). I tired to listen to it once and thought it was very static and sluggish - no development whatsoever. Will give it another listen soon. On the other hand, the duo of Daunik Lazro - Carlos Zingaro "Hauts Plateaux" (Potlatch) is stunning - one of my favorite releases of ... whichevcr year that was - and quite dynamic and even vilent at times (and hauntingly beatiful at other times). You know what, I'd better re-listen to this one, if you do not mind. --------------------------------- Tony, surely you are working on some highly-sophisticated statistical analysis at the moment? I was wrong, wrong, wrong on Periferia! Not only the band is different: Daunik Lazro, alto and baritone saxophones; Carlos Zingaro, acoustic violin and electronics; Sakis Papadimitriou, piano; Jean Bolcato, double bass and voice. - but also the music is wonderful! I am only a mid-way through the disc, and when I am done with it, I'll post my thoughts here. Dan Warburton's review from Paristranslatrlantic: Peripheria Daunik Lazro / Carlos "Zingaro" / Sakis Papadimitriou / Jean Bolcato: PERIPHERIA IN SITU 164 Recorded at Vandoeuvre just two days before "In the Tradition" was "Peripheria", a killer quartet consisting of Daunik Lazro (alto and baritone), Carlos "Zingaro" (violin), Sakis Papadimitriou (piano) and Jean Bloat (bass). Lazro, one of the first important French free (as opposed to jazz) players, and "Zingaro" have been frequent playing partners since the mid-Seventies (and are still active as a duo: check out 1998's "Hauts Plateaux" on Potlatch P 498), and their interplay is formidable — never forced nor violent, but always emotionally charged. Anchored in Bolcato's solid bass and gently underpinned by Papadimitriou's filigree piano work (his solo "Piano Cellules", IS 010, is an unjustly overlooked landmark album of extended piano techniques), this 47-minute set is pure magic from start to finish. Once again the tape was rolling at the right moment: and Didier Petit had the foresight to release the resulting recording for the rest of us. So whether you're shopping in Paris (in which case feel free to ask for addresses of the best record shops: there ain't that many..) or ordering through In Situ's North Country distributor, I can recommend the above titles (and just about everything else on the label) without reservation. French improv is flourishing, and Didier Petit's label is certainly one of the reasons why.

Phillip Johnston's website lists the tracklist forthe new Fast 'N'Bulbous (Captain Beefheart music project) Pork Chop Blue Around The Rind Suction Prints - (4:20) Abba Zaba - (4:24) When I See Mommy I Feel Like A Mummy - (6:02) Evening Bell - (1:52) Pachuco Cadaver - (4:57) When It Blows Its Stacks - (7:28) A Carrot Is As Close As A Rabbit Gets To A Diamond - (1:33) Sugar 'N' Spikes - (2:18) When Big Joan Sets Up - (2:44) Dali's Car - (1:19) Veteran's Day Poppy - (5:29) Kandy Korn - (4:08) Tropical Hot Dog Night - (5:22) Three sound samples are also available: Phillip Johnston's website. Will be on my next order.

I've heard a story abour torn blood vessel on the neck. A lot of violent mythology surrounds this Brötzmann guy. Did you like the Dried Rat Dog?

One Final Note "best of 2004" lists Integrated List with mini-reviews Haven't heard many of those, but frankly only Günter/Halliwell/Wastell “+minus [first meeting]” (Trente Oiseaux) really piques my curiosity. The rest, I can more or less imagine what they sound like. Probably Doneda/Wright/Nakatani "From Between" (Soseditions) as well. Also, on OFN - this looks interesting: Malcolm Goldstein & Matthias Kaul duo.

Let us know about it. I heard jkust a little it of Vladimir Miller and he sounded like an academic version of Cecil Taylor, which I didn't find particularly inspiring. If there are more Leo Lab titel, look out for thsese ones: The most "jazzy" Mat Maneri I've heard, and Randy Peterson's drumming is just scary (not for nothing he is on the cover) Excellent piano trio (a bit Hill-influenced) with another monster drummer -Rashid Bakr. I like it more than Karayorgis trio (which is also good). THis one I don't have. It's OOP and should be good. One more good piano trio. Dark, melodic, free. Flute like you've never heard it before. Gies is not only a terrific saxophoneist, but also a very talented composer. These are mostly very short duo pieces - lively and diverse. One more great solo saxophone records. Fei was Braxton's student, and some influence is aparent, but in general this is very original stuff. Very interesting project with string quartets, (good) opera and improv vocalists and extremely strong writing (and some impressive energetic saxohone soloing by Geis). Denzler/Pfammatter duo. Nearly as good as Y?

Late, I have 3-4 discs with Lazro, but no solos. Indeed a very interesting musician with unique vision. I have his duo with Joe McPhee, though (on In Situ label, might be OOP now), which I haven't listened to for years (this was one of my first "jazz" CDs -bought in Paris for about $2, confused me quite a bit back then) - I will get back home next week, will listen and report here. Lazro's duo with violinist Carlos Zingaro on Potlatch Hauts Plateaux is a record of stunning beauty, and is my favorite Lazro (AMG review; Potlatch Hauts Plateaux page). Got my copy at themusicresource.com for $12.75.