sidewinder

The tracks there were previously issued on a couple of GermanAustrian CDs which are difficult to get hold of (and which have been the subject of discussion on this board). Radio material from ORF but of a very good quality and well recorded. Wallen Bink were offering these 3 sets as a ‘discounted’ bundle. Updated to say just put in my order too as I had my eye on these. The ‘bundle’ purchase option (in fact all purchase options ) have for some reason suddenly disappeared from the WB site. May be a glitch, a temporary restock/repress or WB on holiday perhaps but not taking any chances so HJ via Royal Mail it is. Those SABA singles they have put out look pretty cool too.

Yes that’s right, it was ‘76 to ‘78 when things picked up, at least as I remember it. The Blakey album I remember from that time over here getting airplay was ‘Gypsy Folk Tales’ on Pye. Prior to that the previous release I recall domestically was that ‘Bop Session’ and ‘In Walked Sonny’ on Sonet, not with the Messengers - more low profile. Those Dex Columbia releases (‘Homecoming plus the one with the larger group, ‘Sophisticated Giant’) were also well received and indicative of the positive momentum. Also on the plus side around that time there were more jazz vinyl specialist stores opening up here, especially London. Odd, as the economy sucked !

A good prompt to get that set out and give it an overdue ‘airing’. That was a good time, when the likes of Beehive and Xanadu were putting out all those modern/mainstream releases after the drought of years before.

Tone Poet - love Kenny Dorham’s Playing on this one - there again, when did he never deliver the goods? Another winner from messrs Harley and Gray.

Cuneiform CD

Personally, I miss the old print edition Jazz Journal with the decent covering of more mainstream styles and less pandering to the ‘latest and greatest’. Sadly, that critical contingent (Alun Morgan, Max Harrison, Barry Macrae et al) has mostly left us now and those days won’t be back. ’Jazzwise’ does have some decent articles by the likes of Stuart Nicholson but it is very much padded out with advertising, I find. I recall him reviewing one of Chris Albertson’s ‘Gay Jazz’ compilation releases back in the 70s (not sure of the label, Stash maybe) and it kicked off one heck of a rumpus in the letter column for the next few months. Graham Collier wrote in with a cutting letter of objection. I have those issues in a bound folder - will have to check them out.

Could well be. I think there were only 25 or so in that series, maybe that’s all that survived in recoverable condition? Sad, in any case as this was a fine label endeavour by Schlitten. At least Rowles’ ‘Heavy Love’ with Al Cohn got a CD reissue in that Master Edition.

Yes, it is good. I wonder if this is one of the ones where the tape was damaged by the hurricane?

If my memory is right, it was left of the stage at the end, on one of those ‘steps’. Pretty close to Art though ! It was the band with Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison, early 1983.

I can confirm that Ronnie’s was packed out with ‘believers’ of all ages in those comeback appearances late 70s/early 80s (remember having to sit on the floor on one of them). The reputation was, as Mark says, largely from the 50s and 60s work.

Yes, Ray was also a producer for Decca and Major-Minor. As well as covering jazz, he also produced for Anthony Newley. I have several LPs from his collection. Steve Voce still writes for the on-line Jazz Journal. I remember him getting into a bit of a spat about banjos in that publication several decades back !

I’ve got a bound full run of Jazz Monthly from 1961 through to 1970. A useful resource. Not sure exactly when Jazz Monthly stopped but by 1974 when I started listening to jazz only Jazz Journal seemed to be being published. Had to put a special order in with my newsagent to subscribe. I’m not aware of any online resource for JJ but the current online-only site does publish some items from its archive.

Dire cover art even by 32 Jazz’s standards !

Muse Affinity. Saw this very lineup - but Sal Nistico was in place of Junior Cook I think.

UK white label test press

Came and went fairly quickly as I recall. Worth picking up if you can find it. Organissimo connection too as Arno Marsh is on some of the tracks.

I’m sure there is a video of one of those German shows from 1988 or thereabouts - I’ve got it on DVD. I wonder if it was the Fabrik show?

Don’t need this on vinyl - or CD for that matter. Unless prices revert to norm, ‘I’m out’. My money will be going to Mosaic.

The sort of set Mosaic does so well.

Isn’t there a Jazz Messengers branch there ?

Bootleg series - enjoying this box again.

Wow, this is priceless. For once, the camera was in the right place to capture this discussion - thanks for posting. No Al Foster though on the panel but thank goodness Mtume, Henderson and Roney participated. Was aware that Henderson had contributed to a myriad of sessions but what he confirms here at such a young age is incredible. I remember that jazz critic hostility to this stuff which Mtume mentions at that time - it was pretty divisive on the whole.

Mtume, Lucas and Cosey are all no longer with us, sorry to say. Mtume’s passing was quite recent.

Vertigo - of it’s time, mellotrons set to 11 !