Leeway

Damion Reid.

RESONANCE - Resonance Ensemble- Not Two LP.

When I last saw the Octet, I think they were already playing the material on the forthcoming album. Lehman talked about some additional performances and then recording it. I don't recall that electronics played a significant role at all in the performance; there may be more of it on the album. Just to go back to "Dialect" for a minute, I made the point it was "representative" of Lehman as saxophonist and composer. It sounds so much like him and contains the essential building blocks of his music. This gets a little lost or blurred in the octet. Now, as the projects continue to develop, maybe "Dialect" will no longer define Lehman, but I don't think that will happen. I do wish he used a different drummer on the album.

Cool find! I've flipped through a zillion LPs in dealer bins and never seen this one (but now that you've broken the ice, maybe it will happen). I don't know if it is indicated on the LP jacket, but the title is from a fine Jean Toomer poem. Thanks. I was lucky as the only bidder on ebay listing. The cover and insert's mostly in Japanese but I had no idea about the title's inspiration - I will investigate the poem this evening Doing my part for poetry November Cotton Flower BY JEAN TOOMER Boll-weevil’s coming, and the winter’s cold, Made cotton-stalks look rusty, seasons old, And cotton, scarce as any southern snow, Was vanishing; the branch, so pinched and slow, Failed in its function as the autumn rake; Drouth fighting soil had caused the soil to take All water from the streams; dead birds were found In wells a hundred feet below the ground— Such was the season when the flower bloomed. Old folks were startled, and it soon assumed Significance. Superstition saw Something it had never seen before: Brown eyes that loved without a trace of fear, Beauty so sudden for that time of year.

Cool find! I've flipped through a zillion LPs in dealer bins and never seen this one (but now that you've broken the ice, maybe it will happen). I don't know if it is indicated on the LP jacket, but the title is from a fine Jean Toomer poem.

CENTERING - William Parker - Disc 4 - "Big Moon Ensemble" -Jemeel Moondoc (alto sax), Daniel Carter (alto sax, tenor sax, trumpet, cornet); Arthur Williams, Roy Campbell, Jr. (trumpet); William Parker (bass, recitation); Jay Oliver (bass); Denis Charles, Rashid Bakr (drums). Great disc. First, long, track, massive blowout that somehow does not go off the tracks; the other two tracks more controlled, but just as intense.

Jim Beam Johnny Walker Jack Daniels

To put Bayley in perspective, try A N Wilson's Iris Murdoch As I Knew Her. Good suggestion. I have already started in on it. I picked up the Wilson book at the same time as the Conradi book, and read the latter first. I'll report back.

The 60s-- when I was a teenager and everything was happening and one could go to theFillmore for a couple of bucks and see great shows. Add me to the 2000s club-- there is some great music being made now; it will be somebody's golden age several decades hence. One decade that I consider a Dead Zone is the 80s. So much bad music. So much uninspired music.

I finished Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, but was unable to go on with more Burgess ( had already read about a half dozen of his novels at that point), since Burgess is so acerbic, it's hard to have a steady diet of his work. I expect to return to him. I then turned to an old favorite, Iris Murdoch, but before I did, I unfortunately read John Bayley's Iris and her Friends, which is misleadingly titled, since it is really about Bayley and his lack of friends. Bayley seems like a totally hapless, yet unpleasant, figure. I gratefully turned to Murdoch's An Unofficial Rose. Interestingly, this novel and A Clockwork Orange were published in the same year, 1962. Murdoch's novels invariably have some shocking or at least startling scene(s) that yet seem so aesthetically right. Not to abandon Burgess completely, I decided to read some Conrad to see what lines of influence there might be between Burgess' "Malay Trilogy" and Conrad's An Outcast of the Islands (1896). Well, there may be, perhaps not even intentional, but they are quite different in styles. In some ways, Conrad is shockingly, ludicrously bad, even though I count myself among his readers. Here the purple prose threatens to overwhelm the story; fortunately, it does not. I'm sure quite a few dissertations have been launched on Conrad's use of race, sex, and colonialism. Burgess is far more cynical; it is Malaya seen through a squint. Nevertheless, the themes essentially are the same, taken at different points in time. (I gave up on trying to post cover pictures, since everything selected was disallowed.)

I've seen Lehman a few times since my last posts in this thread, and I readily admit that I like his work, both composition and playing, now more than I did then. I also found out he has a sense of humor, although I don't think it shows up much in his work. I can see the Coleman aspect, and that's an interesting observation, although I have never heard Lehman mention it (not that that matters). The influence he mentions most is Jackie McLean, with whom he studied. He also studied with Braxton, and sometimes it seems his works is a negotiation between these influences. I think what attracts me in Lehman is the absolute integrity of his efforts and attitude. The album of his I like best is still, "Dialect Fluorescent." It seems most representative.

Went back and listened to the "Paloma Recio" CD and it registered again how good it is. Monder is OK on here. His solo stuff didn't work for me, but here, he helps set the tone and texture. I would love to have Gerstein in the group if it records again.

Caught a little bit of Record Store Day madness at a local record shop. Picked up: Sun Ra, "Outer Spaceways Incorporated." On "psychedelic" color vinyl. Also: Deerhoof and Marc Ribot. 7" split. And: Charles Lloyd, "Live at Slugs." On "opaque orange-colored vinyl." I was doubtful about this one but figured, what the heck. Almost forgot Fela:

Lil Boosie Ruth Buzzi Emerson Boozer

I knew I had Vol. I of the Tuba Trio laying about, wanted to play it with Vol. II, but simply could not find it, until I accidentally turned it up looking for something else: Now I need Vol. III.

"WALK-EEZE!!" "Orallies Men" " I am from Barcelona....I learned it...in a book!"

I can see that hook-up between Malaby and Gerstein being really strong. What's the word on Monder? Frankly, have never caught on to him.

Gruff the Crime Dog Brian Griffin Santa's Little Helper Simpson

Max's Kansas City KC and the Sunshine Band Sunny Ade

Interesting interview. Many thanks. Amusing to read that MD's road to Damascus and mine turned out to be the New Jersey Turnpike . My own conversion experience happened to be more sudden, although the fault lines were already there. Also rather amusing that one of the revelatory concerts for MD was one with Dave Burrell, and decades later, last month, I had a chance to listen to Burrell in two concerts, where he still provides plenty of musical interest. It's funny how these connections cross and re-cross time and place.

That should be cool. I'm back in DC, so no chance of going. Where's the venue? I just saw Gerstein and I like his way of playing.

ROKU009, Otomo Yoshihide's album on OTOroku, with Evan Parker, John Butcher, Sachiko M, Tony Marsh, John Edwards. Kind of a secret Evan Parker album. Found this scuffed-up copy for $3.00, but the sonics are still impressive- Prestige, Bergenfield, NJ label:

Paul, wanted to ask you what you thought of this album. I got a quick listen to it up in NYC and it struck me as rather tame and conventional, which was a huge disappointment. However, I did not have much time to spend with it (even though it is only one-sided). Your thoughts?

Happy Birthday Ubu! Hope you got lots of nice CDs and LPs for your birthday.