clifford_thornton

Yeah, that looks swell. Mostly familiar players but I doubt I have these performances elsewhere.

Ah, great news! Love Free Jazz and have heard at least some of the INA stuff -- albeit later and credited to Beb Guérin. This'll be a real treat. I think I mentioned in the INA/Resonance thread how ridiculous it was that labels have access to that treasure trove of stuff and choose to put out the most obvious things one can think of. Avant-garde music from Barney Wilen or Joachim Kühn that few have heard? Meh, pass...

yeah, as far as I know those Universal/America CDs are still oop. To be honest it's usually cheaper to buy the LPs at this point!

I'm not sure about "out of character" but at the very least Art Taylor's appearance on a session led by Frank Wright for America Records in 1970 is pretty intriguing. The date produced Wright's "Uhuru Na Umoja" and Noah Howard's "Space Dimension." Taylor acquits himself very well in this context and the music is quite free. The expat Parisian scene around that time was pretty interesting and also resulted in Shepp and Mobley collaborating on recordings for BYG, for example, and Philly Joe's interest in the avant-garde (resulting in dates for BYG, America, and Vogue), the latter seeming to be at least partly of a political nature.

Annette Peacock & Paul Bley - Dual Unity - (Freedom UK orig)

Detail - Okhela: To Make A Fire - (Affinity UK)

Yeah, my understanding is that they came out a couple of years after the original versions hit the racks. I have the Art Ensemble 2fer, which looks quite nice.

^ Now, coincidentally: Archie Shepp - Steam - (Enja, GER)

I wish I had that Tasque Force single, even if I can't stand 7"!

Green River - Come On Down - (Homestead, US)

yeah, I've had issues with Gearbox pressings before so this isn't new news...

Mine has a bit of groove distortion from a bad cut.

It's Emanuele Pinotti, who ran the Qbico and Sagittarius A*Star labels. Has also booted up rare LPs and sold them as originals. I wouldn't want the guy to get any money from this.

It's okay. I don't find it all that riveting, but by the same token I am not the world's biggest Lateef fan...

Thanks -- glad y'all dug it!

I never go to this because it happens around my birthday, which usually involves a party somewhere in my neighborhood.

nice -- I only have Funky Donkey (and some appearances within BAG groups). Oh, and that great Moers thing he did with Joseph Bowie and Rasul Siddik.

Okay, thanks to all -- especially corto maltese -- for participating and working through these twelve cuts. My goal was to represent a number of different countries and try not to be too obvious, while also sticking close to my tastes (which hew towards free music and go well beyond the qualitative cornerstones of the genre). I think it succeeded in that, even if some more tasty cuts could've been used here and there. Perhaps next time I'll actually have my transfer game improved and they'll sound a little better. 01. Denmark: Hugh Steinmetz "Nisshimbo" (Nu! Debut 1148) Steinmetz, tp; Niels Harrit, ts; Karsten Vogel, as; Per Aage Brandt, pno; Steffen Andersen, b; Bo Thrige Andersen, d. Rec. 1966. A really fine example of the Danish modern/avant-garde scene in the mid-Sixties -- Cherry is a valid reference, in fact -- and a band that combines somewhat the modern-leaning Steinmetz-Vogel group and the freer TCJQ (The Contemporary Jazz Quartet/Quintet). This release has been reissued on CD as well, by Steeplechase, and should be easy to find. 02. Austria/former Czechoslovakia: Karel Krautgartner "Song of the Young Goose-Herd" (Boleraz Boleraz, Amadeo 9251) Krautgartner, cl; Rudolf Wilfer, p; Toni Michlmayer, b; Pavel Polonsky, d. Rec. ca. 196?. Picked up this mid-60s gem at the last WFMU record fair, and I'd never seen or heard of it before. Czech-rooted reedist Krautgartner led the ORF big band and I quite enjoy his command of a loose, folksy post-bop situation here. No problems with the drummer here, at least for me, and I kind of dig the choppiness of the backing ensemble, which also features Toni Michlmayer, a mainstay on the 70s Vienna 'free' scene. Assume this record is from 1965 or so but there's no date on it and I can't find more information at this point. Lovely album on the whole. 03. Australia: Bernie McGann "Rhythm-a-Ning" (Modern Jazz at Wayside Chapel 1966: The Australasian Jazz Avant-garde, Sarang Bang 028) McGann, as; Kim Paterson, tp; Andy Brown, b; George Neidorf, d. Rec. 1966. I always liked McGann's playing from his later Emanem LPs, but this archival recording which came out a couple years ago is a real treasure. Clearly Ornette-inspired (they also cover "When Will The Blues Leave?"), it's a dip into a corner of the world for which the modern jazz landscape is sorely lacking in examples, at least from the classic era. Perhaps a bit amateur, but given the context, what else would one expect? McGann seems to be the one who took it furthest and longest of the group's members. 04. United States: Allen Lowe "H.W." (For Poor B.B. and Others, Fairhaven Records 001) Lowe, ts; Bob Neloms, p; Phil Hoffman, b. Rel. 1985. Part of the reason I put this on here is because I know Allen and love his music, but get the feeling that a fair amount of board members haven't spent time with his work even though he's quite active here. Beyond that, the chewy "Frank Lowe goes traditional" aspect of this early date is right up my alley, and Neloms sounds beautiful here. 05. Sweden: Staffan Harde "Electrification" (Staffan Harde, SJR 2) Harde, el-g; Lars Sjösten, p; Lars-Urban Helje, b, perc.; Bengt Berger, perc. Rec. 1972. I was hoping this might get a little more traction but understand that this kind of music isn't for everybody and drifts a bit. Harde only cut this one LP which has recently been reissued on CD (by Corbett vs. Dempsey), mixing elements of free music, Swedish folk tunes and a spiky, rockish appeal. There's a glorious solo guitar work that didn't make the cut here, but is well worth hearing (should I have used it?). My impression is that SJR was something of an "amateur" label, releasing records by younger non-professional Swedish musicians (though Sjösten and Berger were/are fairly well-known). Nevertheless, their first release was dedicated to Bernt Rosengren's music. This is certainly not fully cooked but an interesting temporal toe-dip into what was happening on the DIY end. 06. Japan: Evolution Ensemble Unity "Bone" (Concrete Voices, EEU-001) Takagi Mototeru, ts; Kondo Toshinori, tp; Yoshida Morio, b. Rec. 1976. Figured a Lacy cover might throw some for a loop -- I find this small ensemble quite fascinating and their music stirring, especially considering the drummerless ensemble and the Parker-ish push of bassist Yoshida. Kondo and Takagi are a bit more well-known and very different players from one another, which makes this combo even more intriguing. Certainly a rather little-known slice of Japanese free music, across two sides they draw from Lacy, Monk, the AACM and 'energy music' to craft their own brew. 07. France/USA: Philly Joe Jones avec Jef Gilson "Espagnolade" (Philly Joe Jones avec Jef Gilson, Vogue CVLX 357) Jones, d; Gilson, p; Jean-Louis Chautemps, ts; Luis Fuentes, tb; Jean-Charles Capon, cel, voc; Guy Pedersen, b. Rec. 1969. Again, was trying not to be too obvious here since there are some other French jazz heads on the board and am surprised that Philly Joe wasn't recognized, though perhaps the context and transfer didn't do him justice. It's an interesting record -- Philly brushily charging underneath textural, often spare arrangements. I'm a fan of Capon's cello (especially on this cut) and Chautemps is quite a strong player, if a little "mixed down" on this record. 08. Italy: Giorgio Gaslini "Il Fumio Furore" (Grido, Durium 77199) Gaslini, p, cond.; Eraldo Volonté, ts; Gianni Bedori, as; Bruno Corvetto, b; Carlo Milano, b; Gianni Cazzola, d; Sergio Fanni, tp; Emilio Soana, tp; Dino Piana, tb; Giancarlo Romani, tb; Manilo Palumbo, hn; Alessandro Ferrero, hn; Sergio Rigon, bs; Glauco Masetti, as, ss. Rec. 1968. It's hard to slice out several minutes of a larger big-band exploration but this gives you an idea, and certainly George Russell was not a bad guess -- an influence on Gaslini indeed. Steve Lacy sits in on the title cut, but is only briefly heard and not necessarily a reason to favor him above the other players, most notable names in Italian modern jazz, though Lacy is featured on the cover. 09. Germany: Modern Jazz Quintet Karlsruhe "The Devil is Green, Blue, Yellow" (Trees, Excenter 21003) Herbert Joos, flh/cnt, perc.; Willi Eichhorn, ts; Helmuth Zimmer, p; Claus Bühler, b; Rudi Thielmann, d. Rec. 1968. First record by this little-known South West German free jazz outfit, cooperative but essentially helmed by brass instrumentalist and visual artist Herbert Joos (minus Bühler they recorded as Fourmenonly). Joos has recorded heavily since although the other musicians are quite obscure -- for me, the blend between raucous West European freedom and an Americanized insistent clamor gives the band and this record a vibration that I find unique, and those "nascent steps" are personally appealing. 10. England: Balance "Cogito Ergo Slum" (Balance, Incus 9) Phill Wachsmann, vln; Colin Wood, cel; Ian Brighton, g; Frank Perry, perc; Radu Malfatti, tb. Rec. 1973. Less jazz-rooted than some of their (older) brethren like Bailey, Parker, Oxley, Stevens and Wheeler, the London Musicians' Collective orbit that resulted in a number of self-produced LPs on Bead, Quartz, and other labels is punkish and fascinating. Balance is an early example and draws in the trombone of Swiss improviser, conceptualist and composer Radu Malfatti. Only one LP exists though Brighton's excellent "Marsh Gas" on Bead is a related companion. Figured the English skullduggery would be noted and am glad this one was recognized! 11. Belgium: Thomas-Pelzer Ltd. "Think On Me" (aka "Jesus Think Of Me") (Thomas-Pelzer Limited, Vogel 003) René Thomas, g; Jacques Pelzer, fl; Henk Haverhoek, b; Jean Linzman, el-b; Han Bennink, d. Rec. 1974. Thomas has been a sleeper favorite of mine for ages -- I love the Jazzland record and have enjoyed some contemporaneous, harder-to-find sides as well. This one was recorded shortly before his death and features a fine Dutch rhythm section (Rein de Graaff appears on other tracks), with Bennink mostly subdued here. It's a beautiful rendition of this George Cables tune, and Thomas' guitar slices through perfectly. I'm not as well-versed in Pelzer's music, though perhaps I should be. 12. Holland: Soulbrass Inc. "H&H" (Live at the Bohemia Jazzclub, Stichting Jazz Werkgroep 6201) Hans Dulfer, ts; Henk van Es, bs; Herbert Noord, org; Arjen Gorter, b; Rob Kattenberg, d; Steve Boston, cga. Rec. 1969. Dulfer and company are, to me, the other side of Dutch creative music often neglected by the focus on ICP and Breuker (both of whom I also love deeply). But the Shepp-inspired, often dirty and ribald tear through blues and free jazz Dulfer cultivated was certainly appreciated by composers like (saxophonist) Theo Loevendie, who used him in a variety of settings, as did some Dutch beat groups (Groep 1850, notably). Van Es is a real treat on this, just bizarre bull-in-a-china-shop mouthiness, and the B3-based rollick behind them is quite spirited. Lovely private-press album that I'm glad to have in the collection.

I'm quite fond of that one as well. Lucked out on a nice original in the nascent years of eBay.

Is that organissimo holiday album still around? 'Tis good.

Yessir! Soulbrass Inc., Live at the Bohemia Jazzclub on Stichting Jazz Werkgroep. The track is called "H&H" and the band features Dulfer on tenor, Henk van Es on baritone, Herbert Noord on organ, Arjen Gorter on bass, Rob Kattenberg on drums and Steve Boston on conga. I've long been a fan of this album.

Ah, great -- yes, you got 3 right! It's Bernie McGann with trumpeter Kim Paterson, bassist Andy Brown and George Neidorf on drums recorded in Sydney, 1966. Lovely LP! So just to recap, tracks 1, 3, 4, 6 and 10 have been guessed. That leaves 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12.

Yeah, you're right: it's an excerpt that appears again in the ten-minute track on side two. Good ol' Dogtown. Speaking of Lancaster discographies, I'd really love to get a copy of this book somehow: http://www.worldcat.org/title/albert-ayler-sunny-murray-cecil-taylor-byard-lancaster-kenneth-terroade-on-disc-tape/oclc/10988964

wow.

Thanks Thom! I thought you might like this one. I'll get the reveal together in the next day or so.