clifford_thornton

I don’t know anyone who is lukewarm on Takayanagi — you either think he’s brilliant or can’t stand his music. I’m obviously in the former camp. It took time and a lot of close listening to understand some of what he was up to, but the respect was always there even if I didn’t get it at first. There are multiple approaches at work across his discography. One is the Bauer/Tristano-inspired concept. Another is Mass Hysterism. Mass Projection and Gradual Projection are others, and then there’s Action Direct (which is loop-heavy and minimal). And I think there are a few more beyond those. Blank Forms put out a bunch of translated interviews that are a great read, very informative and very intense. The man certainly had opinions and was exacting with respect to how they were put out into the world.

Yes. Actually, Billy Bauer was part of his language even into later years -- definitely audible on the Cool Jojo & Lonely Woman (solo) LPs, and New Direction Unit covered "Subconscious-Lee."

not "jazz" exactly, but this hard-to-find CD is getting the deluxe LP treatment. It's insane and fantastic. https://masayukitakayanagi.bandcamp.com/album/mass-hysterism-in-another-situation

no hurry, it'll be there when you're ready! Glad you dug the podcast...

https://www.jazzrightnow.com/review-singularity-codex-matthew-shipp-by-clifford-allen/

Rapped a bit about the book & related matters for The Music Book Podcast with veteran underground music scribe Marc Masters: https://themusicbookpodcast.buzzsprout.com/2120946/13380170-015-clifford-allen-on-matthew-shipp Also, if you are in NYC on 7 September, Matt, Yuko Otomo, and I will be doing a talk on the book & LES art/music/culture at Village Works on St Marks -- moderated by critic & historian Carlo McCormick, it is free and starts at 7 PM.

There are some excellent piano-Togashi duos: those with Kako, Yamashita, and Beirach come to mind. re: Y. Takahashi, Distant Voices (w/ Lacy & Kosugi) and the Satoh/Takahashi duo are both superb.

Right, that's a good one as well. Side two of Twilight is amazing in my opinion.

I like Twilight a lot but don't think of it as a jazz or free jazz recording.

I've seen it. It's borderline unwatchable but the music is great, and there's some footage of the AEC in performance and at leisure.

What do you mean? It was pressed numerous times between 1970 and the 1980s -- issued by EMI Pathé (FR), EMI Odeon (JP), and Nessa (US). Then Universal Sound/Soul Jazz reissued it (over 20 years ago now), plus there are some random EU bootlegs. It's an in demand record in its original/early forms and pricey, but not rare, and that consistent demand is due to the funky opening track, which is a masterstroke. The whole album is great and should be heard beyond "Theme de Yo-Yo."

Totally. Finally saw the film on Criterion and while my patience is strong for lesser-known French (late) new wave, this one didn't quite hold my attention... I'd think Zabriskie Point would be another, as would Pink Floyd's More soundtrack. The collection of Can soundtrack music (called Soundtracks) is also far more well-known than any of the experimental films that used the tunes.

Not much to add to Colin's post, which definitely points out where I'd go. The Claxon octet records (& related) are very good, including Quick Step, and I don't think the "chamber improvisation" tag really captures the entirety of what they are about. Hadn't seen these videos with Joling before. A friend of mine (performance artist & photographer) was Altena's girlfriend in the 1960s/70s and has some interesting stories.

Oh god. I have about 6,500 LPs and 3,000-3,500 CDs (I think), so let's say around 10,000 physical pieces of media. I have 255 GB of audio files -- various things I've downloaded, some of which I used to own physically and much I never did. As for streaming, I don't use Spotify and never have. I download things from Apple Music and Bandcamp; the former, mostly punk/indie/hxc I used to own and wanted to hear again... YouTube I used to use a fair amount at my old office, mostly for the purpose of checking things out I might want to get physically or digitally. Or if I felt like listening to something I own at home on CD/LP (for example, if I was in a Shepp mood while working on checking metadata).

+1

I mean, errors happen. It would be great if they didn't, but they do. I have found three in my own book (or 2 and a half) and I'm sure there are others that have escaped notice. But making broad assertions off of something that is at its foundation is erroneous is another matter. And no, I haven't read the Chambers book but I'm very Twardzik-curious so it's on my list (even if it's got a fair amount of looseness).

yeah, that tracks - the ~100 painted and 2-300 gold is the number that seems to make the most sense.

Yeah, common situations where the rights holders are like, "no, we aren't going to reissue it and nobody else can, either." I suppose the argument is it costs them more to lift a finger than it does to just sit on it, unless it's a surefire seller.

Yeah, albums like those are what streaming is for. I don't need to own 'em but they're good records and foundational for so much that came after (some of which I like, most of which is... not for me). no Band, no Jayhawks (just one of a million examples).

That is true about Big Pink. I have taken a gander at it and took a few photos some years back -- was a rainy, dreary day, so kinda perfect. The Levon Helm Studios concerts are very expensive, so that keeps me out.

Unfortunate news indeed. Now that I live Upstate and near Woodstock/212, that group is pretty unavoidable and so much a part of the cultural fabric. I actually didn't keep any Band records but should revisit them. Really beautiful songs that transcend ubiquity.

Was just looking at that Chambers book on DT online... still might check it out, and keep a healthy jar of salt nearby.

Yes. You can't expect to hull down for years, make great art, and yet somehow avoid playing that publicity game in order to be recognized.

Aha! Yeah, this show is a peek inside the composer's mind. Great programming, sir.

right, well, Moncur and Shepp could also walk the line between straight-ahead and free; Silva didn't really do that (although some of his post-Seasons orchestral works had modal and swing sections), and Wright didn't until the 1980s. Thornton, like Wright, had bands that were inside/outside though he was in no way an "inside" player. But it's not entirely about what's being played, either -- it's something else, and we see that today just as much as people did 50 years ago. I suppose one could attach it to press as well -- Milford and Shepp were in the magazines and contributing articles back in the '60s. Milford had an awareness of the avenues in which his ideas and craft could be presented, and not every artist has that approach boiled down.