clifford_thornton

Apparently Jack Bruce is on this rare Brit inside-outside piano trio from '67 (as is Hiseman), playing contrabass I presume:

Sidewinder needs to be on this thread... he's pretty hip on Winstone.

I think they sound nice; I don't get a digital "feel" from them at all, whether or not their initial mastering is digital. The Kings are better, for sure, but these sound less like CDs on wax than some previous (GRP for example) reissues. Also, pretty sure some of those Toshibas are pre-2004; I know I was buying some before that, though who knows if the mastering is any different on those.

No doubt. What the hell happened to Augustus? What happened to him? I was wondering more where the hell they found him!

The Waldron-Lacy is great, actually. No problems there. Also, it is rather well-recorded, a touch above some of the others in quality (it IS a studio date, after all). The Thornton, Certain Blacks, Emergency and the Wright are all other favorites of mine, as are the Rudd and Shorter. Of those, the Emergency has the most "misses" but that's part of it's charm. I've never been that fond of the Burrell, though I like a lot of his other work. With the first piece, I kinda wish they had faded out the piece after the mandolin-cello duet, which is the high point of the record for me. The stew after that is unnecessary or should have been edited down. But who am I to say?

A lot of what retired van Vliet was illness - he has MS, if I am not mistaken.

I saw Jandek this weekend in Houston, sitting in with Alan Licht and Loren Mazzacane Connors. Better when he played harmonica than when he fooled around with an electric bass, that is for sure.

Wonder how the recent Toshiba Japanese pressings compare? They're priced about the same.

I'm with Jim.

Five is rad-looking (especially the embossed UK sleeve); I've always liked side two over side one as Marshall seems a bit stronger support. Yeah, the abrasiveness of Dean and Ratledge on some of those live dates is pretty ear-splitting. Some of that had to do with experimental contact mikes Dean was using in the saxophone, which created a real tinny buzzing sound. Yuck. And if Ray Russell can't add anything to the music, you're right, it must be inherently flawed. The records he cut for CBS, RCA and Intercord are all absolutely insane and wonderful. Not so sure about his later more sound-library affairs.

I traded a NY USA Stereo of that Hubbard long ago; remember liking it, but not as much as Open Sesame! Maybe now I would change my tune, however... That is probably my favorite Andrew Hill record, by far!

Google the title with the phrase "CD" in it and see what comes up, I suppose, if there aren't already detailed discographies posted.

Google the title with the phrase "CD" in it and see what comes up, I suppose, if there aren't already detailed discographies posted.

Tes Esat is majorly heavy, but I agree that conceptually it has almost nothing in common with the Verve date. Still, that Windo-Augustus duo that takes up a chunk of side one is absolutely insane. I think as far as drummers go, he's actually more integral to the 'success' of the record than might be first let on. His sense of rhythmic suspension holds the music wonderfully taut, even as the proceedings seem to be beyond control. The Panther and The Lash is a motherfucker, probably next to the JCOA my favorite... uh... CT dates. I like all the Americas, but I am a bit surprised that they only chose to reissue one Shepp. The Coral Rock - Pitchin' Can sessions are mighty good, if a bit looser than Black Gipsy or the date with Philly Joe. Think I'm just reposting things I've said before about these, but they are all excellent, even the less excellent ones. Even if they were the "cheapo" alternative to BYGs when they came out in the '70s, I think a lot of the sessions jell a bit better than the Actuels.

HB!

Sometimes I feel that way about the Softs, too. Ray Russell is for me never a deterrent...

Those Americas, Blue Bird and Pithycanthropus Erectus, are actually pretty damn great. The title track to the former I used to spin all the time...

I claim no allergy to that shellfish!

Ornette and Lacy would make for an intriguing combo, whatever the rest of the band...

Happy Birthday Ornette! Guess I should swap out this McPhee for some O.C. (Mischa Barton not included...)!

That set with the Reverend that Boxholder issued recently is pretty fuckin' heavy as well...

Page has disowned her career as a pinup, right? Born-again, or something? Shit, I feel like I'm born again every time I see those pics!

Joe McPhee - Tenor - (Hat Hut original) early solos by one of the masters...

Strangely, as I like some other British fusion of the time, I've never really checked out Nucleus. Looks like I now have some good places to start. I don't remember much about hearing Jon Hiseman in Colosseum in terms of complaints, though I did like hearing his jazz work with Peter Lemer, and I guess he's on Things We Like, which I have yet to score a copy of. John Marshall is a lot to take, but overall his playing I enjoy even if it is a bit heavy-handed; Wyatt didn't really gel with the Dean-Ratledge group very well rhythmically (so I think), and I can't stand his singing so he's a bit out of the loop for me. Phil Howard is an interesting character; I felt on hearing his work with Dean and the Softs that he didn't have balance, but maybe that developed in other contexts.

I believe he was diagnosed with cancer some years back, but haven't heard anything about that since about six years ago. Obviously he was playing almost up till the end. RIP to one of the under-sung greats! From Byron Coley's liners to The Short Form (Eremite, '96/7): "Malik's notes skim up and across the bleeding surface of your subconscious like sharp flat weels of wrought iron." Very well put... time to put the wheels on and start spinning...