Leeway

Globe Unity Orchestra ICP Orchestra Brotzman Chicago Tentet Evan Parker Acoustic-Electric Ensemble (or is it Electro-Acoustic? can never remember) William Parker fronts some large ensembles that I think qualify as "big band."

I don't know that record. She's great elsewhere on any number of albums IMO. Love that record - including her singing. Different strokes, I guess. Very true. Normally I would give it another listen to check my initial reaction, but I could barely make myself flip the LP over to side 2. There are a couple of strong tracks, but stretched out over the entire album, I found Lee's performance tedious. Better as an appetizer than a main course. I dug what Lyons was doing though.

Art was the musician that got me into jazz. Even though I have moved further away from "mainstream" jazz (for lack of a better description), I still really enjoy Art's album. There are very few Art albums I do not like to some degree or other. I like early and late Art. "The Trip" is one of my somewhat guilty pleasures from Art's later catalog. Anyway, his passion and honesty (in his music anyway) always grab me. Glad I had a chance to see him perform.

I happened to listen to Andrew Cyrille's NUBA, with Jimmy Lyons and Jeanne Lee, today. Frankly, I thought Jeanne Lee ruined the album. I kept thinking what a cool album it would have been with just Lyons and Cyrille. The worst I can say about her singing (vocalizing?) is that it was boring--and that's a bad place to be.

Chris, CDs received in fine order. Beautifully packed! Thanks much.

I'll be up there for the latter part of the festival. Surprised nobody mentioned the Brotzmann night (he is the festival's honoree). Am also very much looking forward to the Evan Parker/Matthew Shipp set.

I will take the Lacys off your hands.

Pls hold: Brotzmann Love poems Hooker; Mindfulness Lacy: work Monologue: exile Munoz: radiance

In the last quarter of 2010 I ordered CDs from England and they arrived within 10 days. In December I ordered a book through Amazon USA from an English z-shop seller. Book arrived 45 days later. Seller and I figured it had been lost. Arrived in nice shape but clearly spent a lot of time in transit. Yes, I do believe seller shipped promptly, as I got amazon shipping notice .

I really dug this interview with Ornette by the famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) French philosopher, Jacques Derrida. http://www.ubu.com/papers/Derrida-Interviews-Coleman_1997.pdf

The interviews were the most valuable part of the magazine. They lost me when they went to the new format, which cost about $16 an issue. Still, sorry to see them go away.

I totally agree. It must certainly be one of the outer rings of Hell in which otherwise nice folks buy endless reissues of the same Blue Note titles they already have. I know this is very much a minority opinion, and certainly folks can spend their money however they want, but ----how about venturing into some new musical paths?

That facial expression on Big Joe so perfectly matches the title of the album! Whatever it is they did, it wasn't pretty.

Saw Jayne Cortez and the Firespitters at last year's Vision Fest, and it was one of the highlights of the show. I love her fiery rhetoric and poetry. In concert the band stretched out more than it did in this 1980s album, but the music here is tight, funky and commensurate with the spoken words. Keeing the fire burning with Albert:

So what's your less technological solution? My guess would be: don't play his records/CDs. Perhaps we are taking the wrong approach here. Instead of filtering out KJ's moans and groans, perhaps we should isolate them, play them backwards and/or at slow speed. I bet there is a secret message there. Could it be The Walrus?

Prices are postpaid, media mail, delivery confirmation. Paypal for payment please. PM for instructions. If you like an item but think the price is a bit too, let's say, ambitious, I'll take offers after January 2nd. Thanks. 1) "George Wein Presents Toshiko: The Toshiko Trio." Toshiko Akiyoshi, Ed Thigpen, Paul Chambers. Japanese reissue of the Storyville Records album. TKCB-70681. Seems to be pretty scarce. A bit of rubbing to the digipack sleeve but nice overall. The OBI strip is present. $45.00. 2) "Clark Terry: His First Album"-- Verve Elite Edition. Near fine in original slipcase. $25.00 3) "Quiet Music" -- Ellery Eskelin. Double CD on Prime Source label. Pretty much mint. $11.00 4) "Companions"-- Raphe Malik Quartet. Eremite label. New in shrinkwrap. $11.00

My New Year Resolution this year is to keep better track of the concerts I have gone to during the year But what comes immediately to mind is, as always, Vision Fest in New York City, in June. Premier DC event: Cecil Taylor at the French Consulate. Honorable mention to Joe McPhee and Trio X at Joe's Emporium.

Allen, Maybe you could devise one for Jarrett himself, to filter out all audience coughing, squinting, sneezing, breathing, and other bodily emanations that seem to disturb him so much.

I hear nothing egregious in this clip. I think some allowance has to be made for the band playing outdoors in downtown Manhattan--buses driving by, traffic noise, etc--so Roy may have been trying to get a liitle bit "big" to make sure he was coming across. Damn, I hope I'm still alive and listening to jazz at 85, let alone fronting a jazz band.

I'll take the 2 Schlippenbachs. Add the Evan Parker. IMPROV and the Spearman to the list. Thanks.

Headed up to NYC for the Jazzwerkstatt Festival. Taking a bit of a flyer on this one, but one does not get too many opportunities to see and hear Umpert, Sommer and company.

Hey Bertrand, good to see you there. Sorry couldn't get a chance to hang; maybe next time. Ditto Mr. Frog.

I had a chance to ask Wadada Leo Smith (I assume we are talking about the same Leo?). He recalled the percussionist as Jumos Santos, and the guitarist as a Ghanaian by the name of "Quatry"-- strictly phonetic spelling.

This past Wednesday: Cecil Taylor at the Alliance Francaise in Washington, DC. [say what you will about the French, they honor great artists. They treated Cecil like one of their own]. Beautiful performance: great articulation, and a wonderful sense of power but also calm in the performance. Cecil seemed to be in a relaxed, happy mood; mingled at the after-performance reception. Next up: Ingrid Laubrock & Sleepthief in Baltimore.