clifford_thornton

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.

I like Harold's response; probably I would say I like 'em at the end for jazz, and in sequence with folk, blues and rock recordings. It might also be nice to make people pay more by including a second disc of alternates, right?

Legendary trumpeter, composer and scene-maker Bill Dixon turns 80 today. Please wish him a happy birthday here!

Personnel apparently the same as on the Born Free set, which excerpts this entire performance of "Unity First." Might as well share: LB, Frederic Rabold, Herbert Joos, Michael Sell, Manfred Schoof - trumpets, flugelhorns Albert Mangelsdorff, Paul Rutherford, Gunter Christmann - trombones Joachim Kuhn, Dieter Scherf, Michael Thielepape - altos JJ, Gerd Dudek, Heinz Sauer, Alfred Harth - tenors RM - bass sax Gunter Hampel - bass clarinet Axel Hennies - flute, piccolo, tenor sax Gerhard Koenig - guitar MF, Peter Stock, Claus Buehler - contrabasses Rainer Grimm - percussion Jeanne Lee, Karen Krog - vocals Including the intro by Bowie, it's about 37 minutes. It's good. PM me if you want a copy.

Vic's lesser-known vibes-playing brother, I presume...

Gunter Hampel "The 8th of July 1969" (original Birth "Natural Jazz" pressing, with the natty loose paper pseudo-cover). Not the watershed I used to think it was, but still a fascinating listen. Gotta love that Steve McCall, too...

Or maybe it was a Roscoe story...

Great Newk story, Chuck. Thanks!