clifford_thornton

The Blue Note is excellent, but quite a number of his releases on other labels are equally fine. I do have a soft spot for the record on HSM YouTubed above, though it's in a different mode.

You guys passing means that I can get two more copies!

I think I knew he had passed, but didn't remember what else he did. That's pretty cool.

ha, only have the files of that one - though IIRC it was CD only.

Masayuki Takayanagi - Lonely Woman - (Three Blind Mice, JP)

hah, one can be both, either or neither!

ugh, don't say it's already July...

Produced by Lowe himself. Alan Bates was "Executive Producer" which could mean anything from putting up the money to serving as the conduit by which Lowe got his session released, I don't know. That term has never had a specific meaning to me. What strikes me most immediately about that record today (and to some extent then) is how much of a "St. Louis" (that is to say, BAG) record it is in terms of personnel. So I guess the question is what was Lowe doing in that circle at that time that precipitated that being the band, because let's face it, making a record, especially a self-produced record, is as much about social connections as it is business ones. The answer lies in the liners, that Lowe had recently formed a group with Joseph Bowie. It's been my assumption that this was the group that appears on Fresh, or at least the nucleus of it did. Out Loud (actually would have had another title) was recorded for Bates/Freedom first, then shelved and they went back in the studio to record Fresh. Both versions would have used some material from the Memphis Four - would be interesting to compare the originally-intended album and what exists as Fresh. Bowie is on the Out Loud sessions, and Lowe had also sat in with the AEC by that time (apparently). Lowe is interesting for being at the crossroads/confluence of the relocated AACM, BAG, Bay Area free improvisers, and the post-Coltrane NYC milieu, at both a personal and aesthetic level - kind of a microcosmic figure for how streams were converging at the time. Definitely the Memphis/St. Louis connection is worthwhile but Lowe also spent time out west and had tried New York before (Sun Ra experience, apparently). So he was somewhat itinerant for a while.

Have not heard that; my reference point is HLP and Our Kind of Sabi, etc.

"weird" is not a negative term in my lexicon, fyi. also, though it's an expensive set, the missing link between the earlier Black Beings/Exchange torrents and Fresh is heard on Out Loud. As with a lot of things, the shift wasn't turn-on-a-dime abrupt, it just wasn't on record until posthumously. And I want ep1str0phy and Sngry to edit all my articles from here on out.

Huh. Makes sense that wealth should be ascribed to those with bigger horns...

It's nice one from the early days of Ocora. More ritualistic than musical than some of the other African recordings from that period, but really fascinating. yeah, the ritualistic stuff is where it's at.

nice - I'll have to pick up the next reasonably-priced copy I encounter.

Good question. Louiss was seemingly influenced by LY, at least from my perspective on hearing his records.

Nice Ocora - I don't have that one.

good one.

Black Records? Shouldn't it be Black Jazz Records? I would really dig seeing this if I were anywhere remotely nearby. Seems like everything is better in England!

Ah yeah, the old 'pops and clicks' story... seriously though, I've had some ALM pressings that sound glorious and some that sound cruddy. Who knows...

Fresh is a weird record. Out Loud, a quartet with Joe Bowie, is also weird but more paint-peelingly rambunctious.

ah yes, indeed on the Threadgill - I don't have the duo with Muhal. Man, so much music I haven't listened to yet - I did give a listen to one clip of African Children and it's pretty strong. Although on the used market, it's one of the more expensive Horos. The only one I've actually forked over on thus far was the MEV.

Saw her with Archie Shepp years ago and it was strong stuff. AACM member from fairly early on, appeared on Kalaparusha's first LP, a great duo LP on Leo with Pheeroan Ak Laff, solo piano work honoring Marion Brown on Sweet Earth - lots of essential music. Thanks mjazzg, for whatever reason I've never liked trying before I buy via YouTube or downloads, though sometimes I guess you've gotta...

Those are presumably his DJ racks. I'm sure the top shelf rarities are elsewhere.

hah, good to know. I'd like the Larry Young, actually.

how is the Horo?

Bummer that these don't exist on CD as well, because my dad would really love to have copies (and he gave up on records decades ago).