clifford_thornton

Johnson was on the scene for about ten years or so, right? He cut a couple of fusion-y sides in the 70s, iirc.

It's a real mellow side and vary tastefully arranged. I found it a bit too "poppy" for my tastes, though McLaughlin does play nicely on it. Not "essential" but it fills a gap in the shelves, right?

Well, there are Pavone's Shodo and Digit on Alacra, the former featuring Naughton on marimba and Pheeroan Ak Laff on drums. I think Emmett Spencer might also be on it, but I'm not at home and can't look. Tom Chapin also has an Alacra record, The Bell of the Heart. It's a bit "light" but still a nice date. Features Pavone, George Alford and, iirc, Nick Makros is on tenor. I seem to remember a solo Dwight Andrews LP on Otic as well. Guitarist Allan Jaffe has a record called Soundscape that has a CMIF-culled lineup, I think Ak Laff is on it. It wasn't really as rewarding a spin as I'd hoped, but I do regret not buying the last copy I saw. He's in fine form on that CMIF orchestra LP. I've got tapes of reedman Phil Buettner leading a band with Alford, Pavone, Fonda, and Yohuru Ralph Williams in 1980 at New Haven's Dwight Chapel, where I believe a lot of these CMIF activities took place. It's excellent stuff, though the influences ('70s Braxton, especially) are fairly obvious.

There are some seriously great Japanese drummers out there, though I've not heard Hino's brother. I can recommend: Yoshisaburoh "Sabu" Toyozumi Toshi Tsuchitori Masahiko Togashi ...for starters. FWIW, I really like the cover of that '69 Hino on Columbia. I'd almost say it hurts my feelings. Almost.

That Francis date looks interesting... My memory is now calling up some mid-80s leader date. Date: August 1986 Location: Air Sound, Boston, MA Label: L.C.U. [Lost Cosmic Unity] Al Francis (ldr), Al Francis (vib), John Neves (b), Joe Hunt (d) a. a-01 Rogue's Dilemma - 05:19 (Al Francis) b. a-02 D. D. L. J. - 05:59 (Jaki Byard) c. a-03 Wha Love - 04:46 (Al Francis) d. a-04 Albizu - 06:11 (Al Francis) e. b-01 Blues For Booker - 04:39 (Al Francis) f. b-02 Village Nites - 04:40 (Al Francis) g. b-03 Sweet Beginnings - 05:21 (Al Francis) h. b-04 Lonely Town - 05:04 (Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, Adolph Green) All titles on: - L.C.U. [Lost Cosmic Unity] LP 12": LUC 0251 - Jazz Bohemia Revisited (1986)

The Haunt is very good, spare New Haven CT improvisation. It was released on Naughton's Otic imprint, I think cat. # 1005. Other great titles on Otic include Understanding, which was reissued by Japo, and includes Mark Whitecage and Laurence Cook (ca. '71) and Nature's Consort, which is very hard to come by. And then there's the whole CMIF/Alacra scene, which is just as hip.... Naughton was a former dirt-track motorcycle racer and musician who found free improvisation, and showed a very impressionistic but concentrated approach by way of the AACM and Steve Lacy. He was part of the whole New Haven Creative Improvising Musicians' Forum in the '70s and into the early '80s. I've heard great stories about his homemade explosives, too. Not sure whatever became of him, though.

No, 'cos you missed by n-3 joke!

I'd always seen it as "Prince Roland Haynes." Do I stand corrected? Indeed, he passed away unexpectedly in his sleep while in Switzerland. Tragic.

Right, Communication is the name of the JCO Fontana. Kenyatta doesn't solo. More notable, in fact, is the storming tenor solo on side two by Bob Carducci (whatever happened to...?) and some outstanding interplay between Shepp and Graves on side one. I did mention the Dixon RCA earlier, Chuck - you think I'd leave that record out?!

Nice segue - though I didn't know Francis was on anything other than the Ellis.

Dauner is the shit, but van't Hof has his moments of brilliance. He's done some great work with Manfred Schoof, for example.

I like the Free State Band LP on America, reissued on a Musidisc CD (not Free America). Funky, and reminiscent of the Byard Lancaster on Vortex - but maybe a bit less goofy. Kenyatta also has his own Vortex session, Until, with Mike Lawrence and Horacee Arnold, and Lewis Worrell and Roswell Rudd on one track. Kenyatta worked frequently with Bill Dixon in the '60s, and it would've been great to hear THAT small group. Unfortunately, the only document of their work together is Dixon's Intents and Purposes on RCA. Dixon was very disapproving of the commercial dates Vortex had Kenyatta and Lancaster on. I think the ECM has its moments, as does Until, but for me the only one that's stuck so far is the America.

This lineup is absolutely retarded, if I may say so: Danny Carter (tenor sax) Charles Tyler (baritone sax) Charles Stephens (trombone) Hassan Dawkins (soprano sax) Kappo Umezu (alto sax, bass clarinet) Richard Dunbar (french horn) Melvin Smith (guitar) Ahmed Abdullah (trumpet) Ted Daniel (trumpet) Richard Pierce (bass) Steve Reid (trap drums) Tatsuya Nakamura (percussion) When I'd seen the disc mentioned before, it only dropped the few 'big' names... the smaller ones is what it's all about, though!

My assumption also. As in, Experiments with Pops doesn't have Lennon or McCartney actually "on" the album.

I sort of have to quit looking at that lineup on the first Daniel CD - it's giving me the shakes!

ITM also issued the Kent Carter String Trio's Wilisau Suites, since reissued on Emanem. That's a beautiful record...

I'd like to get In the Beginning; don't have it. I bet it's great, though. I have the (legit) reissue of the Sextet, and it smokes! Ted Daniel Review at AAJ Edit for Head Man's post: Definitely got to get In the Beginning - those bands are out of control! Umezu is the shit...

Wasn't hinting at rumors, just my own opinions...

Apparently, according to the Bill Dixon book. Reference is made to all Cellar concerts, including groups of Bley with Pharaoh in '64.

Thanks for posting these, Mark. I always find myself cranking up the bass on Henry's old ESP's - that thrum is monstrous! Still, I understand Clem's point and also have my own battery of opinions on the whole thing. I'm saving them for the right thread.

The easier way to get it... I go from a different medium, sorry! Speaking of intense Lacy, there's a super-firey Lacy-Potts lineup on Esthilacos (Guilda da Musica, 1971) which I believe is Potts' first recording with the group. Lacy's screaming like a banshee on this one - more slabs than snips, I'd say...

If I had Olio, I would put it with Teddy Charles LPs (I keep Collaboration West in that area, for example). My jazz LPs are organized contextually, for the most part. That can be who's played with whom; by country; by instrumental approach - whatever. Mingus and his regular companions are grouped together. Cecil, Sunny, Lyons and Silva are together. New Haven musicians (and Leo Smith) are together. Paul Flaherty and Louis Armfield are together. European records are by country (as with my ethnic albums), and that's fairly geographically accurate: French --> Swiss --> German --> Belgian --> Dutch , etc. Within country, they're grouped contextually. The rock records are alphabetical by artist and chronological by album, mostly because I don't collect rock or give much of a shit. Same with the few classical records I have.

Barrage is a pretty unique one in his discography, but I think it's a fun jam... Too bad Bley's groups with Giuseppi Logan or Pharoah Sanders weren't recorded!

Kaoru Abe/Sabu Toyozumi - Overhang Party - (Alm-Uranoia original)

He's on other Lacy recordings from the '74-'75 period, including "Flakes," "Dreams" and "Scraps." He's quite good!