mjzee

Double albums are too long. Single CDs that are double-album length are too long. I had to laugh when I saw the latest (this month?) release from Anthony Braxton: 11 discs worth of Charlie Parker compositions. Did Charlie Parker release 11 discs worth of his compositions in his lifetime? Yet this is seemingly a month's work for Braxton. Can anyone listen to Braxton's output alone and still have a life? I also remember the complaint that Swedish filmmakers had about Ingmar Bergman during his lifetime, that Bergman was sucking up all the attention and money available in the (not too big) Swedish film industry, leaving nothing for others to create. So albums should max out around 40 minutes, with tunes maxing out around 6 minutes. No twenty-minute freak-outs, with the first 10 minutes just getting around to stating the point. Make it pungent. Hire an editor. And include some standards, to help people understand your point of view.

I'd love to see a box containing all of Concord's "Maybeck Recital Hall Series" releases. What a compendium of styles! And great sound quality too.

I didn't realize it's a different transfer. The one song that's longer on birdeyes is only longer compared to the Electra Musician LP, but the Blue Note CD has everything. Here's Plosin on the Washington date: http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=530222, and on the "Machito" date: http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/BirdSessions.aspx?s=500519b.

I obtained some Bird's Eyes volumes from Import CDs. I am very disappointed with Volume 22. It consists of material from 3 dates: 1) Cootie Williams Orchestra, 2/12/45: Per Plosin, Parker solos only on one track out of 8. 2) Machito's Afro-Cuban Band, 5/19/50: Per Plosin, it's disputed whether this is really Parker (or Machito). 3) Bird, Club Kavakos, Washington, DC, 2/22/53: All of which is available in better sound on Blue Note's "The Washington Concerts." Ah, well.

Happy happy, Jim.

Release date June 15:

Nope, and a Google search didn’t turn it up. Thanks for finding it.

Philip Roth, the American novelist who penned the celebrated “Portnoy’s Complaint,” died at the age of 85 on Tuesday. https://nypost.com/2018/05/22/award-winning-novelist-philip-roth-dead-at-85/

I liked the article; thanks for posting (although I subscribe to the magazine, and would have seen it eventually). It's good to shine a light on someone who isn't discussed very often. Considering how many albums she's put out, I suspect the reason she isn't discussed (at least here) very often is that her music doesn't have much of an impact on us. It can be "appreciated," but if it were missing, I wonder whether people would notice. One problem with an article like Iverson's is that it's largely hagiography. And that's understandable: Iverson started out loving Bley's music, she granted him time with her, so he's not going to be dismissive or coolly analytical. Instead, the problems are elided or glossed over: "there are stretches of later Bley where competent soloists are given a lot (of) space and just don’t have the grit to lift the material into immortality." Someone who doesn't have skin in the game would say these performances were perfunctory and unmemorable, and perhaps some of the blame can be attributed to the compositions. So I hope this article begins a discussion on Bley as to what works and, honestly, what doesn't. I know what I've heard of Bley has been largely forgettable.

I listened today to one of my favorite CDs, Jackie McLean's "Nature Boy." Cedar Walton is so good on it, and I got to wondering what he's up to. Checking Wikipedia, I discovered that he passed away in 2013. I don't think it was ever discussed here. Now's as good a time as any to celebrate his work.

Does it have the long version of Bluebird?

The first ECM LPs in the U.S. were Polydor pressings, which were crackly, noisy, warpy, etc. Around 1976, Polydor switched to Columbia pressings and quality improved. But then ECM moved to Warner Bros. distribution, and pressings were amazing.

Listening now to "Further Explorations By The Horace Silver Quintet" and started thinking about Teddy Kotick. Not much has been written here about him. He seemed to be everywhere in the late '40's - late '50's, was said to be Bird's favorite bassist. Had a big sound and nice sense of time. Thoughts here about him? Favorite sessions? Also found this weird little mention here, where Hod O'Brien mentions "playing a set with Dizzy, Ornette, Ed Blackwell, and Teddy Kotick." Huh? Trying to imagine what that sounded like...

I received an email this morning from Tri-Centric Foundation, and at the end of it is this: On June 1, 2018, Sony Music Entertainment's Legacy Recordings will release a curated 16-track compilation digital album culled from Anthony Braxton's Arista catalog. Please be on the look out for Essential Anthony Braxton – The Arista Years on various streaming and download platforms. Timothy J. Smith, Digital Catalog Research & Development's Director of A&R at Legacy Recordings, has this to say about the release (interview conducted via email): "In the current age of audio streaming as a primary mode of commercial music consumption – our role as curators of the Sony Music Entertainment back catalog is to look at our Artists repertoire and adapt and deliver those discographies to digital service providers in a cohesive manner. As a majority of Mr. Braxton’s Arista catalog was previously unavailable at digital service providers – we found the vibrant original album catalog remasters (by the esteemed engineer Mark Wilder at Battery Studios - 8 nominations and 4 Grammys) provided to Mosiac for their 2008 box set ‘The Complete Arista Recordings’ the ideal sources to base our download and streaming versions upon. ‘The Essential’ compilation we are releasing serves as more of an ‘Anthony Braxton 101’ for those entry level listeners who may seem daunted by such a vast catalog. With the help of very insightful fans of Mr. Braxton’s work on staff – the most resilient representations of AB’s Arista career were culled for the focused 16 track 2+ hour collection." Questions: Are they phasing out physical boxes? What else are they planning to release? Can't someone spell Mosaic correctly?

Happy birthday, Larry! You'll have to give us a review of the festivities.

Sounds interesting!

Tom Wolfe, famous for works like “The Bonfire of the Vanities,” “The Right Stuff” and “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test,” passed away in Manhattan on Monday at age 87. His agent confirmed the news to the New York Times on Tuesday. He had been hospitalized with an infection. More here: https://pagesix.com/2018/05/15/novelist-tom-wolfe-dead-at-87/

"Compositions I Know" don't consist only of GAS, but rather melodies and songs people can recognize. The Bad Plus have made a cottage industry out of this. The (rather obvious) point is that a performer, especially a new performer, releasing an album of only original compositions is probably not going to appeal to a lot of people. Expand your appeal by meeting the audience halfway. Playing a standard (or a recognizable tune) opens a window onto your conception. (Album produced by Michael Cuscuna)

I remember way back when, maybe in the BNBB era (but making the point a few times since then), making a comment that new jazz musicians today should not put out albums consisting of only original compositions, and that are 70+ minutes. Rather they should include a few standards on each album, so the listener can relate to what is being played, and understand the musician's style better (because the listener already knows the compositions). I remember getting a lot of shade in response, accusations that I was trying to stifle creativity, etc. Today's Mosaic Gazette linked to an interview Cuscuna gave in 2011, and he echoes what I said: I'll tell you what I miss most from the LP era, is the lack of burnout. When you bought an LP, or just pulled it off your shelf, rarely did you play both sides. If you played one side, you'd play an 18, 20-minute program of music. When you get a new CD you pop it and when I see 74 minutes pop up, I think woah this is unbelievable. And unless I'm listening to a set that I'm working on, I've never gotten through a whole CD of anything! It's just a different way of listening now, and more exhaustive. I think a lot of young musicians don't help themselves. If I've never heard of you, but I heard something on the radio that I like, don't give me 74 minutes of originals, brand new music, with no anchors to compare you to someone else and get a fix on. Give me 60 minutes and make 20 minutes of it compositions I know, so I hear how you deal with something that I know.

26 Sharp Nine titles. 59 Video Arts Music titles. 329 Timeless titles.

86 Reservoir titles. 8 Xanadu titles.

64 AUM Fidelity titles. 144 Jazzwerkstatt titles - Charles Gayle, Max Roach, Steve Lacy - Mal Waldron, David Murray, Bob Berg, Andrew Cyrille, John Tchicai, and a lot more. 24 Firehouse 12 titles. 133 Les Disques VICTO titles. 514 New World titles.

To answer my own question: yes. The following tracks remain unissued (not rejected): Bamu bamu l'ayr (I have the strength to sing), and Toni omo re (Loving your child).

Isn't there more of the bonus session that remains unreleased?