clifford_thornton

Kurdish Folk Songs & Dances - (Ethnic Folkways Library)

I see him playing in Union Square quite often. He fumbles a bit sometimes but the tone is still there. Have had some interesting conversations with him. Personal problems have definitely taken their toll, but he's still with us and trying to get through it all. The LPs on Delmark and his late '70s/early '80s albums on Baystate, Trio/CMC, Kharma, Black Saint and Cadence are all good. I wasn't super into a more recent set of CDs (trios with tuba and percussion), though my ears might just not have been "there." He recorded with Allen Lowe not too long ago (who can probably share more anecdotes). Anyway, I wish him well and hope that he can get some work and a little footing in the years to come.

Nice finds. I believe the original issue of the Wynton Kelly LP actually had his name misspelled in the title: Kelley Great (fwiw).

Oof. I mean, wow!

I shall. Also, a real review will be running in the Spring issue of Point of Departure. ICP box review will - I believe - be in an issue of the NYC Jazz Record later this spring.

Yeah, well, that is an entirely different story.

I've got one. I feel good about it. Let's just compare this with the ICP set. You get over fifty CDs of music including some clinkers, a couple of CDs that were duplicated and one that was supposed to be included and is missing. Then there are the badly done needle-drops. The book has cool pictures but there is no essay. It's shockingly diffuse and hard to handle as a "piece." I love the ICP and their music but am disappointed in how this set was executed. It should have been split into three or four smaller-scale sets. The NYAQ set is cheaper by a little, has an incredible hardbound book with deep essays and reproductions of archival material. It's housed in a sturdy wooden box and has five LPs that are pressed wonderfully and exacting audio restoration has been done (the WBAI set is a little crumbly but manageable). It's focused and clear, and really gives one a picture of one ensemble at an extraordinarily fertile point in the music's history. They also pressed nearly 700 copies so it'll be around while you decide. The Cecil is still in print, too, fwiw.

Well the "Pad" is a Herbie Nichols tune. I don't know about the "Dad."

Thanks.

Sad to hear. I interviewed him years ago and it was a treat. Even if his more recent music isn't my cuppa, he's done so much great work over the years. Wish that Trib article didn't have so many firewalls!

Re: doping, I doubt much has changed since Lance's reign over the TDF. Contador's "contaminated meat" and Franck Schleck's similar story are pretty suspect. Wiggins is full of shit, in general. Personally, as I've said elsewhere, my jury is still out on the whole thing - doping in cycling is a complex problem that is nearly impossible to root out.

Yeah, that Art Farmer record is really strong. There are a couple of others (right?) from that band that I still need to grab one of these days.

News here. He was quite young. I had the pleasure of seeing him with Tony Hymas and some of Michel Portal's Minneapolis: We Insist crew in Minneapolis years ago. It was odd (musically) but memorable. He seemed like a nice guy - very quiet but gracious. May he rest in peace.

I should hope not at that price! Reviewer's set, so a bit cheaper. It is indeed out and probably winging its way across the pond to brownie!

Ach. RIP, Butch.

That's an awesome story!

Stay tuned. I have to now FIND his number (got it from Phill Musra).

Sorry to hear of these travails. My albums and my friends rarely mix, thankfully.

Oh, it's gone for more than that! It's an excellent album - really - but I can think of many things I'd rather do with that kind of cash. I don't know anything about Ruff. John Jamyll Jones, who organized the Worlds' Experience Orchestra (and the later band called simply Worlds') resides (or did, last I heard) near El Reno, Oklahoma and runs/ran a recording studio there. I should call him up sometime - I do have his number. He would probably be able to provide pertinent information.

Same here.

Great!

It is. He still has copies available on vinyl and is making digital downloads available (his words were that the CD market just isn't viable).

New York Art Quartet - call it art (LP 5) - (Triple Point Records) so far, no complaints.