clifford_thornton

Got a copy of the original Munich "Body and Soul" (guess it is a de Graaff record after all!) and according to the liners, de Graaff composed "For Hank." I suspect it's actually "For Henk (Haverhoek)" but I could be wrong...

He's playing tonight in Minneapolis, granted in an entirely different context, and probably less sinus-clearing... Thanks for the disc, Chuck!

It's been a while and my Steelman custom road is in storage (yipes!). What is that, a Merlin?

A bit belated, but Happy Birthday - and Thanks!

Hey, I'm moving to Texas next month to start a Master's in Library and Information Science (Archives and Preservation) at the University of Texas, Spring semester. This will be a big move for me, as well as a return to the academic life - something I'd been missing up here in Minneapolis. I'll be laying over in Houston for a month with my folks and making trips up to Austin to scour for an apartment, and of course I haven't packed a damn thing at this point. Not that I really have much to move other than records and books, but still... Anyway, wish me luck and hopefully I'll be seeing some of you very shortly. And yes, Jim, I'll be bringing that copy of "Deuces Wild" so if you come down to Austin, it's all yours! Cheers, Clifford

Ditto. FWIW, those are two of the most prime '60s Ra sides in my opinion. I like "Cosmic Tones" a hell of a lot, but of course "I" play on the second one.

I could swear I saw a CD of the George Russell at some point, probably on the Dusty Groove site... Edit: A recent issue, in digipak form. Not the GRP.

Spun this weekend an interesting piece - Jack DeJohnette "Have You Heard" (CBS Japan pressing) Apparently this is the original version, with a black and orange gatefold cover. Got it off the net for $40 and I'd never seen this pressing of it before. Anybody else have this version? Definitely a significant improvement sound-wise over the crappy Milestone issue - and a damn fine session, I might add.

It was a great gig - one of the better Brotzmann gigs I've seen. They're well-matched, for sure... can't wait for BRO 5! CT

the John Betsch Society hurts my feelings somewhat, even if it isn't all that great...

Joe Maneri's "Paniots Nine" opens American Splendor. What a weird, great tune to start a film with!

Man, this is going to require some serious thought... Arthur Doyle on Milford's "Babi" Alan Shorter on Archie Shepp's "Four for Trane" Sonny Sharrock on Pharoah's "Tauhid" Joe Henderson on Andrew Hill's "Black Fire" Roy Haynes on Andrew Hill's "Black Fire" John Gilmore on Paul Bley's "Turning Point" Andrew Cyrille on Cecil Taylor's "Nuits de la Fondation Maeght" Milford Graves on Sharrock's "Black Woman" ... and of course Cecil Taylor on Gil Evans' "Into the Hot."

Guess I better get it.

It's booted from an LP. I, too, would like to hear that record very much. Saw it for $70 the other day but that seemed a little steep for my pocketbook.

Smiley's awesome; that double LP on Arhoolie is great (erm, CD). There's also another from the same period on CD that Bert Wilson put out, Memorial Quartet, and it smokes... Barbara and Sonny are on the Oublies Du Jazz LP ("That Ni--er Music"), which is funky and free and in demand as those sorts of things often are. Never had it, but it's probably interesting. Back to you, Jim...

The only one I've spent time with is the Norbotten Big Band one, but I think that one's great. There's a review I wrote of it up somewhere on AAJ.

Alice Coltrane "A Monastic Trio" (Impulse), the piano side...

I'd love to hear the Rollins quartet stuff with Prince Lasha - apparently there was quite a bit of it, I believe with Cranshaw and Higgins. Wasn't there a Columbia warehouse fire too, at which point the infamous Sunny Murray orchestra tapes were lost?

That is a formidable duo. Can't wait to see 'em in Minneapolis next week.

I got a burned copy! It is really good, though Shadow Wilson is rather boring. Trane is obviously finding the music quite a challenge here, and as a lot of people (myself included) have been saying, it sounds like a much more mature Trane. I mean, when he was recording for Prestige around this time, his solos seemed to show very little of what they are here - you'd have to wait until his Atlantics (at least) to get this Trane again.

True, true, and the Arkestra were loyal not just to Sunny but to a philosophical belief and state of being that go beyond just the music. Same with the Art Ensemble of Chicago - the band has carried on without Lester or Malachi, though I guess it's up to debate whether the group is still relevant or musically interesting... Jimmy Lyons was with Cecil Taylor from 1960 until his death, pretty much straight through, though he did record sans Cecil on his own a fair share.

I generally do not like either, but I did see a very good set by Happy Apple once, with French baritone player Francois Courneloup sitting in. It sounded like John Surman meets the Soft Machine, which is certainly not a bad thing...

While you're at it, check out the link to Hans Dulfer's website: Hans Dulfer He is Candy's dad, and has a long history in Dutch jazz. His 1970 LP "Candy Clouds" is one of my absolute favorite jazz records EVER.

Umm... back to the original post, ahem. I still have yet to undertake the task of transcribing a five-hour interview from August... he certainly called me to task in the process, and for that I respect him. As mercurial as he might be, I can't say he isn't one of the most interesting conversationalists and true intellectuals of this music that I've met.

It was "Monoceros" by Evan Parker.