SEK

I sure hope the Pistons win on the road... Ben is doing his job.

A turntable is still a necessity, if one wants to hear the fine LPs that might not ever be released on CD. I think that NAD's little inexpensive phono stage module sounds quite nice. I've heard it several times, most recently with a NAD C370 integrated amp., a Music Hall turntable (with a Shure cartridge, I think), and Vandersteen 2Ce speakers. I happily used a B&O RX2 turntable for 15 years (with a now-old NAD integrated amp. that had a built-in phono preamp). With its low-mass arm and line-contact cartridge, it could track almost any record with ease, warps and all, and it had a full and lively sound. I now only play CDs (and CDRs of my not [yet?]-reissued-on-CD LPs). I occasionally miss the extra depth that vinyl could sometimes impart, but I don't miss the extra maintenance, the groove noises, and the inevitable wear and added percussion (pops and clicks) that were also part of the LP experience.

I'm looking forward to that Uptown release.

Though I thought that I had seen "Metropolis" a few times before, seeing the restored version last night on TCM was like watching that cinema classic anew.

Today I received, from Dusty Groove, Randy Weston's "African Rhythms" ("African Cookbook" and "Niles Little Big") CD, a very nice recording on the French "Comet" label from 1969. Two other recent acquisitions are very recent releases on Michigan's "Entropy Stereo" label: "Ashirai Pattern" by Faruq Z. Bey w/ Northwoods Improvisers (I'm really enjoying this one) and Griot Galaxy's "Live at the D.I.A. 1983" (I think I'd like this better with a little editing/fading of the crowd noise, but, as it is, it documents a good Griot Galaxy concert with decent sound. Also I think that with the continuing resurgence of Sun Ra's popularity and with certain current Chicago trends that get a lot of buzz, having some Griot Galaxy in print is great and should be eye-opening for many.) Faruq Z. Bey continues to grow, creating compelling music with the support of the Northwoods Improvisers and some longer-time musical collaborators. I've heard that the Faruq and Northwoods concert last weekend in Ferndale (which included 3 additional saxophonists in the ensemble) was rather spectacular and very well received. Unfortunately, I could not attend...

Some of what I've been listening to during the past few weeks: Charles Lloyd- "Canto" Orchestre National de Jazz- "Charmediterranéen" Anouar Brahem- "Conte de L'incroyable Amour" Abdullah Ibrahim- "Matsidiso", "The Mountain" Miles Davis- "ESP", "Miles Smiles", "Bitches Brew", "Nefertiti" John Coltrane- "Lush Life", "A Love Supreme" (live and in studio), "Coltrane Olé" Billy Harper- "Soul of an Angel", "The Believer", "Love on the Sudan", "Knowledge of Self" Roscoe Mitchell- "Snurdy McGurdy and Her Dancing Shoes" Art Ensemble of Chicago- "Rarum" collection Henry Threadgill Sextet- "When Was That", "You Know the Number" 8 Bold Souls- "Last Option" Yusef Lateef- "Eastern Sounds", "The Centaur and the Phoenix", "Morning" McCoy Tyner- "Sama Layuca", "The Greeting" Bobo Stenson- "Rarum" collection, "Serenity" John McLaughlin- "My Goal's Beyond", "Inner Mounting Flame" Jemeel Moondoc- "Revolt of the Negro Lawn Jockeys" Trevor Watts- "Innovation", "Prayer for Peace" Faruq Z. Bey with the Northwoods Improvisers- "Ashirai Pattern" Griot Galaxy- "Live at the D.I.A.", "Opus Krampus" The Northwoods Improvisers- "Branches" Herbie Hancock- "Mwandishi", "Crossings", "Sextant" Elmo Hope- "Trio and Quintet" Bud Powell- various Blue Notes Jimi Hendrix- "Band of Gypsys", "Axis Bold as Love" John Abercrombie- "Gateway" Gato Barbieri- "The Third World" Archie Shepp- "Four for Trane" Jackie McLean- Mosaic box Frank Zappa- "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" Randy Weston- "The Berkshire Blues", "African Cookbook", "Saga" Charles Mingus- "Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry", "Live at Antibes" Dexter Gordon- "Go" Thelonious Monk- "Thelonious Himself" Charlie Haden and Egberto Gismonti- "In Montreal" Karl Berger- "Around" Vinny Golia- "Slice of Life" Go Pistons!

My favorite Charles Lloyd: "Forest Flower"- still holds up rather well; a remarkable band. I like the pairing of it on CD with "Soundtrack". "Canto"- the best and most cohesive of his ECMs; one of my favorite recordings of the last decade. Beautiful.

I think that Sun Ra and his Arkestra's "Greatest Hits: Easy Listening for Intergalactic Travel" (Evidence ECD 22219-2) is a fine compilation and overview of (and a relatively gentle introduction to) the music worlds of Sun Ra. I own several Sun Ra recordings. "Jazz In Silhouette", "The Magic City", "Space Is the Place" (Impulse version), and the "Greatest Hits..." compilation get the most play these days.

I liked "Black Market" pretty well when it first appeared in the mid '70s. I think it was probably the best Weather Report record since their first few offerings (and better than their recordings that followed) and featured glimpses of the greatness that once had been Wayne Shorter along with some earthy (for Weather Report) sounds and rhythms. But it wore thin and "lite" relatively quickly for me (I kept it for about 2 years). When I upgraded/improved my stereo a couple of years ago, my enthusiasm for electronic "jazz" - especially late '60s-early '70s Miles, Herbie's Mwandishi band, Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, and some early John Abercrombie - was reinvigorated. So I checked out what had been my favorite Weather Report recordings again. I still was generally underwhelmed and did not hold on to any Weather Report recordings for very long. However, I'm enjoying reading the passionate and thought-provoking impressions shared in this thread (and it's great having Jim Sangrey back). Weather Report's "Black Market" is certainly proving to be a fine topic for discussion.

Me too.

Monk did it best, but I've always also been moved by the cool drama of the version on Miles's "'Round About Midnight".

At Dusty Groove - Now: Art Ensemble Of Chicago -- Americans Swinging In Paris -- The Pathe Sessions (Les Stances A Sophie/People In Sorrow) . . . CD . . . $11.99 (Item: 57754) EMI (France)

While I love Threadgill's music with Air, New Air, and with his mostly acoustic "Sextet", I've been much less enamored with most of what he's released since. His Pi records have their moments, but I could not get past their synthetic sheen and soon sold them. I still admire Threadgill's spirit and listen often to my Threadgill favorites.

Gotta love them Pistons!

Thanks, Dmitry. I hope for peace in Iraq and the kind of "peace dividend" that includes projects like the rehabilitation of the marshland and its people.

Wow! I never heard of "Reasons in Tonality". I'll have to look for that one. And thanks for reminding me about "Repetition". I haven't listened to that nice session in quite a while.

If I had to be limited to having just one Clifford Jordan recording, it would definitely be his "Glass Bead Games" CD (originally released on 2 LPs). I can listen to that any time. It's soulful, uplifting, reflective, and resonant - one of my very favorite recordings. I also often play my old, battered "In the World", now copied onto a CDR. It is a super group that includes Julian Priester, Kenny Dorham, Wynton Kelly, Roy Haynes, Wilbur Ware, Richard Davis, Ed Blackwell, Roy Haynes, and "Tootie" Heath. Don Cherry makes prominent contributions to the tracks that he plays on. This unique Clifford Jordan session deserves to be reissued on CD. (A somewhat similar-sounding session was "Tootie" Heath's "Kawaida" that included Cherry and Blackwell [but not Jordan] in an octet). Other Clifford Jordan favorites include "Night of the Mark 7" which is like part of "Glass Bead Games" done live by his "Magic Triangle" group; "On Stage, Vol. 1", my other favorite by Jordan's "Magic Triangle"; Richard Davis's dazzling "Now's the Time (Recorded Live at Jazz City)" (another one of my very favorite recordings.); and that Andrew Hill recording, "Shades" is a nice one too. I also enjoy his recordings with Mingus, especially on "Right Now: Live at the Jazz Workshop" and some of the concerts recorded with Eric Dolphy. I've never been able to get very enthused about that Blue Note session with John Gilmore, though I've enjoyed Gilmore elsewhere, especially with Sun Ra. And I've somehow bypassed Clifford Jordan's other Blue Note recordings as well as those sessions now available on OJC. So much music, so little time...

Today's an ECM day: Bobo Stenson- "War Orphans" Keith Jarrett- "Survivors' Suite" Paul Motian- "Tribute" John Abercrombie- "Gateway" Ralph Towner- "Solstice" Later, I'll start on the Keith Jarrett Impulse 1973-74 set I just sprang for, starting with "Backhand" and proceeding back from there.

Today: Archie Shepp- "Four for Trane", "On This Night" Oliver Lake- "Edge-ing" Bobo Stenson Trio- "Serenity"

Johnny E, I've seen you fighting the good fight: truth, Justice, and the Human way. I didn't know that you are a musician too

"Freak Out", "Absolutely Free", and "We're Only In It For The Money" were amazing, indeed startling, when they first appeared, and I've been digging Zappa pretty much since then. The first time I saw him and the Mothers was at a Peace and Freedom Party benefit in Laurel Canyon in the late '60s. Another time, I ran into Zappa off/back-stage at Hendrix's last concert at the L. A. Forum in 1970; while Hendrix was playing the concert of his life, FZ was trying to score (I forget if it was acid, weed, or what). The last time I saw him perform was with George Duke, Ruth Underwood, Napoleon Murphy Brock, the Fowler brothers, Chester Thompson, et al in 1974 at the Santa Monica Civic. I sure wish they recorded that concert; I remember thinking that his live recordings from around that time were a relative letdowns (but I like them now). I soon moved from L.A. to Endoftheearth, Texas and then to rural Michigan. I never got around to seeing Zappa again. I own several Zappa recordings. In recent years, I've listened most often to "Freak Out", "Weasels Ripped My Flesh", "Apostrophe", "Roxy and Elsewhere", "One Size Fits All", and "Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar".

Ray Anderson- "Right Down Your Alley" Mark Helias- "Split Image" Bobby Previte- "Pushing the Envelope" Tony Williams- "Lifetime" Ahmed Abdul-Malik- "Jazz Sounds of Africa", "Jazz Sahara", "East Meets West", "Eastern Moods" 8 Bold Souls- "Last Option" Kenny Dorham- "Una Mas", "Afro-Cuban" Sam Rivers- "Dimensions and Extensions" McCoy Tyner- "The Real McCoy" Gary Bartz- "Uhuru"

I'm enjoying the Ahmed Abdul-Malik twofer verrry much. I've been awaiting the reissues of these sessions for decades. Not only am I ecstatic about the music, I think that the sound is uncommonly fine, natural, and balanced. Now all I need is "Eastern Moods". I have a CDR of an old cassette of a worn LP.

I usually get to sleep very late (3-5 a.m.) and try to get 8 hours of sleep after that. I reside in Michigan but I guess I live on Hawaiian time

I am currently reading Central Avenue Sounds: Jazz in Los Angeles (University of California Press, 1998), edited by Clora Bryant, Buddy Collette, William Green, Steven Isoardi, Jack Kelson, Horace Tapscott, Gerald Wilson, and Marl Young. It is comprised largely of the autobiographical narratives of several important Los Angeles musicians who were active in the once-vibrant music scene that was on L.A.'s Central Avenue from the 1930s till the '50s. These narratives - collected, transcribed, and compiled by U.C.L.A.'s Oral History Program - offer a lot of insights and anecdotes that illuminate a seminal, though too-often forgotten or neglected, period in Los Angeles cultural history, and is deepening my appreciation of Los Angeles's key role in the development of jazz. It's also reawakened a sense of pride and connection for me with the city where I was born and raised. The list of contributors is impressive and includes Marshal Royal, Britt Woodman, Buddy Collette, "Big Jay" McNeely, Melba Liston, Art Farmer, Horace Tapscott, Gerald Wilson, and several others. They give a real feeling what it was like working, living, and often coming of age in L.A. during those times. They share intimate reminiscences of familiar figures, such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Parker,Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon, Eric Dolphy, and many others, as well as many now less-known, though no less important, people, personalities, and institutions that played vital roles in the development of the music. Central Avenue Sounds is a wonderful book that I enthusiastically recommend.