Steve Reynolds

Thanks so much. I forgot and after posting I’m sure Carrott is much younger

Very sad one of the great ones - too bad he had such a rough ending over the past 20 years the silkhearts should be legendary thank you Dennis RIP, sir Worshippers Come Nigh, baby

In believe we both saw him in 2018. Same night as the Nu Band with Mark Whitecage? Or a different vibes player? William & Hamid also played that night with 2 trumpeters IIRC

Listened again to the new Kuzu tonight. Stunning. listened again to Strandwal with Rempis, Wooley, Niggenkemper & Corsano it’s 2 shortish CD’s (each just over 40 minutes) - these 2 sets have a few dry spots but the peaks both softer and louder are as good as with any improvised jazz group that exists today. Wooley with Rempis is a magical combination and the bass/drum tandem is beyond words. I really want to know if Dave picked the best show / if they played like this on multiple nights or most nights that blows my mind. Like 99% or even 100% of Rempis’ releases it’s freely improvised so there is nothing to fall back on. That being said with live free improv I’ve always been amazed at the hit rate for these type of small groups. Speaks to their brilliance is my conclusion. Fwiw it’s always better in the small rooms.

All the Intakt recordings sound great. I streamed it on Tidal HD which = CD quality sound

I’ve never seen her use anything else except the grand piano. She’s a master at getting amazing sounds from the inner works of the piano. Only one listen but this is my favorite recording I’ve heard from her. Too bad we don’t have a worthy recording of Capricorn Climber, her group with Ingrid Laubrock, Mat Maneri, Trevor Dunn & Tom Rainey. Again the only release is a substandard clean feed CD. This trio recording care of Intakt *sounds* wonderful. It’s so important with subtle musicians like Davis (and Crump) as their *sound* is so critical to the music.

Probably true. For years I’ve been upset that Mat Maneri’s various small groups that I’ve seen live never released any recordings. Overall some of these trios thru quintets were the best live sets of music I’ve seen over the past 10 to 12 years. The group with Oscar Noriega, Ed Schuller, Craig Taborn & Randy Peterson is one example. Another was the group co-led by Lucian Ban with Tony Malaby, Bob Stewart and various drummers. I saw them 4-5 times and they were incredible. Last show was with Randy Peterson and it almost imploded due to his power but it ended up being off the chain. Other great combo(s) that never released anything was Malaby’s group(s) with Ben Gerstein, Michael Formanek with Billy Mintz & Randy Peterson. Some other variants of that group and they all were mind blowing long form improv. Malaby’s best playing has never shown up in record. When he played with Formanek & Waits they melted the walls and yet clean feed put out a dull studio recording with William Parker. Huge missed opportunities. Plus someone should have recorded some of the live sets of the 9 piece with Kris Davis. Again all we have is a boring studio release on clean feed.

Btw Borderlands Trio with Kris Davis, Stephen Crump & Eric McPherson is excellent Right up my alley / I love long form abstract stuff 4 improvised pieces over 2 CD’s - almost 2 hours of music On Intakt

Very curious why you pay attention to who is visible or who isn’t?

I did hear JBL live 3-4 years ago in a group with Kidd Jordan @ Vision Fest. I guess I’m in the minority here. I’ll make another effort to “hear” what I’m missing. fwiw I think Tomeka Reid is one of the most exciting of all the current jazz musicians/improvisers. Pre-Covid I saw her play live a number of times and every time her playing was transcendent. The 2 recordings of her quartet with Mary are wonderful. I sure wish I didn’t skip their 2 sets @ Jazz Gallery in 2019. I figured I’d catch the next show in 2020:( The “scene” in NYC is understandably dead right now. I’m starving for live music. None of the great NYC players have anything close to any profile at all. It’s really all about the live shows anyway for most of the really great ones. Missing seeing all my guys & gals madly - Randy, Tony, Mat, Mary, Tomeka, Ingrid, Rainey, Cleaver, Wooley, Lopez & all the rest:(

I don’t know much about them but the saxophonists on Barry Guys last 2 Blue Shroud Band box sets are wonderful. Julius Gabriel is awesome especially on baritone. Also Torben Snekkestad, Per Texas Johansson & Michael Nieseman. Snekkestad stands out as he’s the most radical. I’ll say again that “Tensegrity” & “Intensegrity” are among the best jazz/improv releases of the past 15 years. yes I’ve started “hearing” Michael Foster a bit better “Bind the Hands that Feed” with Katherine Young and the *great* Michael Zerang on relative pitch is incredible. I have not warmed up to James Brandon Lewis. Something too direct and much too non-oblique for me ears. Seems he needs to widen his scope / sounds like he’s never heard the insects flying. Sounds like he wants to be up front. Ugh. Add Steve Bazscowski / he must be under 60. saw him right before the pandemic with Lopez & Cleaver. Incredibly unique. Loved the vibe / part of the 2 sets released on relative pitch but something was lost in the transition to disc. Ingrid keeps growing on me. Still a bit too mannered and her soprano playing isn’t very strong / plus she often peaks in similar ways. saw her at the one show this summer I saw and she was terrific. With Kris Davis’ Capricorn Climber. But Kris, Mat Maneri and especially Tom Rainey stole the show if you will. Mat non-surprisingly didn’t play anything like he did with the band 7-8 years previously. It was all the in between and transitions connecting everyone to each other. Trevor Dunn was of course magnificent. Sorry for the diversion / hoping for a show by the summer:) As far the guys getting older, Toby Delius has it all. Have not heard much new from Ab Baars or Michael Moore but I’ve loved them forever especially Michael. Always overlooked. gorgeous melodic player.

Rempis might have a fine ear - unless these groups play this good every night as every one of his releases are very very good. Some of them are extraordinary like Apsis, Icoci, Cochonnerie, Perehelion, Strandwal, Of Things Beyond Thule volume 2, From Wolves to Whales & Sud Des Alps. There definitely is not too much. He’s that good and he plays only with great improvisors. Musicians such as Haker-Flaten, Wooley, Niggenkemper, Lopez, Stadhouders, Baker. And drummers like Ra, Rosaly, Daisy & Corsano. That doesn’t even cover the Kuzu recordings or Ballister (which for me despite Lonberg-Holm) can be a tough go at times due to Nilssen-Love’s pounding style. plus the supreme sound quality and cool esthetic only adds to the attraction for me. Who else is putting out such high quality purely improvised music of this sort? As far as saxophonists go I can only think of Rodrigo Amado as a comparable figure. They are both among the best jazz horn players of the past 10 years in my view.

Purple Dark Opal from Kuzu is also great. Can never have enough Kuzu. Dorji is awesome.

Kuzu Rempis, Dorji & Damon All Your Ghosts in One Corner Recorded right before lockdown 3/12 & 3/13/2020 @ Elastic Arts in Chicago & Sugar Maple in Milwaukee greatest power trio in the world. Wish they recorded and released the whole little shortened tour that started on 3/8. Post Covid I’m seeing this band. Plus as always the recording/remastering from Dave Zuchowski is better than almost anything else released by anyone. Plus Rempis is the real deal. A bit overstated but that’s his way. He’s almost too good but it still fires me up. This group does know how to build and become elastic so it never is too much. Aerophonic records

Deserved his legendary status his analysis in his early years was exciting and vibrant hated the Raiders back then but I never hated John Madden

Breadwinner & Air Supply for erstwhiles in general don’t miss “Between” from Rowe/Nakamura if you’ve never heard it. Stunning 2 CD set. So many other great ones but these 3 are good starts

I was at this show. Too bad it’s not on CD.

Just starting in on them. Some think Rodrigo Amado isn’t what I think he is. I think he’s endlessly inventive within a certain “limited” scope. Maybe it’s his dry sound. Love it. My first listen to The Field was captivating. I’ve not always been thrilled with recent Schlippenbach stuff but his playing here is gorgeous. Excellent recorded sound. The 2 relative pitch recordings are great. Almost all of their releases are very unique. I always find them interesting to hear. fwiw the newer erstwhile releases I’ve listened to over the past 3-4 years are as amazing as some of the older wonderful recordings. They still sound fresh & new. Hole in my Head, Green Ways & Everyone Needs a Plan are 3 of the new ones I’ve listened to. I’m all in. my suggestion might be the group of Lambkin/Lescalleet recordings released over the years if you’ve not heard them. But there are many many exciting (to my ears) releases from the past 5-8 years. Jon only releases stuff that meets high standards - and he’s got good ears for this stuff.

She learned to love the Grateful Dead except for the crazy abstract feedback type jams

Too many to count for me best new listens care of Relative Pitch, Astral Spirits and Grateful Dead archival releases special mention to my friend Kevin Reilly for what he has built with Relative Pitch - vibrant visceral stuff that has a huge range yet somehow has a label vibe & signature. He has great ears and doesn’t release tripe. Plus he’s doing it without the ultra active in person scene that generates many of these combinations. Much of what happens on this label are unique combinations of musicians from different geographic and musical scenes. plus I’m now listening to an unheard batch of erstwhile CD’s - very very refreshing so far special mention to Fred Frith trio plus Lotte Anker & Susana Santos Silva added on disc 2 - on Intakt. I will say I’ve found most of that label’s newer releases too staid for my tastes

A bunch of CD’s: 2 relative pitch - John Butcher trio including the great Barre Phillips plus a crazy duo CD 4 erstwhile - all newer releases / first listen to a couple of them reveal a very vibrant artform still - a bit far removed from the great releases of 10-15 years ago. 2 no business - Rodrigo Amado Motion Trio + Alexander von Schlippenbach: The Fields & Mats Gustafsson duo with Sabu Toyozumi Joelle Leandre 3 CD mini-box on Not Two Wilco 6 CD live at Capital Theatre 2014

Joelle Leandre: Beauty/Resistance 3 CD set with Mateusz Rybicki on clarinet & Zbigniew Kozera on double bass (both new to me) plus Rafal Mazur & Zlatko Kaucic disc 1 quartet all except Mazur disc 2 very short duo with Kaucic (worth all I paid right here) disc 3 duo with Mazur Every time I think I have enough from Lady Joelle I realize I’m badly mistaken / she might be my favorite improvisor on the planet. She gets better with age. I knew these were short performances and the price was high. First listen and I’m thrilled and of course moved emotionally - recorded Autumn of 2019 in Krakow before the world of this music ended. Still not back. It really only comes back when we are free from the thoughts and whispers. This music demands that in a live setting. This is the next best thing. peace and blessings on this Christmas morning - this thread needed to be added to (I have 9 other new CD’s from my stocking - 3 from No Business, 2 new ones from Relative Pitch & 4 from erstwhile records This one on Not Two records

The Dead’s first 4 albums sold little as well. Peaking at 73, 87 & 73. First one to make any impact was Live/Dead released in late 1969 and that peaked at #64. even the now acknowledged classic studio albums Workingman’s Dead & American Beauty only reached 27 & 19. The next 2 live records (2 LP Skull & Roses & 3LP Europe 72) also only hit the mid 20’s. That group of 5 albums is now looked on by many as an all-time sequence. That they existed and that the band kept playing live set the foundation for the largest grossing live act in the history of music. At least it’s acknowledged they played for more people than any other band. Imagine if Warner’s dropped them before WD & AB? even the reunion shows without Jerry sold out 3 stadium shows in 2015. All because the label supported them when they were impossible to deal with in 1968-69. They even let them use the FIRST portable 16 track machine to ever be used in January thru March 1969 to record Live/Dead. Then look at the track list. First Side: Dark Star Second Side: St. Stephen>The Eleven Third Side: Lovelight Fourth Side: Death Don’t Have No Mercy>Feedback> We Bid you Goodnight Feedback was 7:49 - I think it’s great but this is on a major label release / it’s closer to abstract improvisation than it is to anything else Only thing close to something commercial is St. Stephen

I’ve heard of more people getting covid in the past 3 weeks than the total I heard about from March 2020 until the first week of December this year. None of the people I know over the past few weeks have gone to the hospital including my 70 year old best friend and his immunocompromised 69 year old wife. This might be anecdotal but if in a week the hospitalizations here in NJ don’t follow the explosion of cases (up to 18,000 today - was 4,000 a day a week ago) we will know the answer to the severity of the omicron question we have all been speculating on. Sooner than I thought earlier today I guess. My educated guess is 70% plus less severe. Many learned people agree / of course other learned people are less optimistic. We can simply follow the data and the numbers.

Cake is baked. What’s gonna happen over the next few months is gonna happen.