Steve Reynolds

Glad you are into two of my favorites You would be well served to get Tensegrity - a 4 CD box of Barry Guy's Blue Shroud band in small formations. Evans is prominently featured and his spots are spectacular. of course Mats is all over the 2 previous small formations boxes of Guy's New Orchestra - Mad Dogs (5CDs) & Mad Dogs on the Loose (4CDs). These feature more well known mostly veterans of the scene (Evan Parker, Trevor Watts, Paul Lytton, Johannes Bauer, etc.) both ensembles include the great pianist Agusti Fernandez and his work with Gustaffson is priceless. There is a set with Parker-Guy-Lytton with Agusti added that is amazing. Both earlier boxes have great Tarfala sets - Mats with Guy & Raymond Strid at the kit. For my $$$ this is Gustaffson's sweet spot and the set on the earlier box is my favorite set I've ever heard him play. all 3 boxes on Not Two records - for me they are the best free improvisation releases of the past 10 years. Best sounding, best editing and the musicians are clearly focused and relaxed. Plus look at who is playing on the first two - and the younger players on the later discs that I was unfamiliar with are wonderful. There are a couple of saxophonists and multi-instrumentalists that stunned me with their abilities. I think Mad Dogs on The Loose is available for decent $$ as is Tensegrity. The first box looks to have become a bit pricey. An aside from before about "rudiments" Or and idea that free jazz dudes don't know even the rudiments was laughable 25 years ago, today writing that is a parody of some sort. One wonders if some have ever even listened to what some of these people are doing/playing. I attended the Tomas Fujiwara Double Trio shows a few weeks back. Rudiments indeed!!!

I've been listening to the Ware trio shows from October 2010 with Parker & Warren Smith. As has been said above, the influence from Ayler et al is obviously unmistakable yet his sound is almost timeless if you contrast it with Birth of a Being from 76/77 (an astounding trio with Cooper-Moore & Marc Edwards). However he is really more out of Rollins than Ayler and certainly the Coltrane influence is less than many/most of his contemporaries. the alternate downtown thread with people like Berne, Malaby and now Rainey, Maneri's, Kris Davis, Darius Jones, Ches Smith, Mary Halvorsen and many more is many moons apart from the late 60's free scene. In addition the wide range of music being made by these people and others is astonishing and mostly wildly creative and surprising. I'll say the same for the musicians from Chicago I've heard like Tameka Reid, Jamie Branch, Mike Reed, Jason Stein and many others. I think Vandermark's large ensemble music of the past 20 years is thoroughly undervalued and underheard. The Territory Band and Resonance Ensemble recordings are in most cases spectacular or close to it. as far as the Euros, I tend to enjoy the free and abstract music that has existed and continues to thrive even more than the vibrant creative music being played here. next Friday Tony Malaby with Daniel Levin & RANDY PETERSON in New Haven, CT

Not going to list recordings but here are some of the living pianists that have piqued my interest (bedsides the well known names I like/love like Cecil Taylor) Cooper-Moore Kris Davis David Virelles Alexander Hawkins John Escreet Lucien Ban Craig Taborn

I see this sort of Jazz often but Berne's Snakeoil is unique. Ches is one of a kind and Berne's compositions are challenging. I just saw them 10 days ago. I brought a good friend who had never seen a jazz show, let alone a somewhat 'out' band like this. He loved it, bought the CD and is going to see them again on 12/1 in New Haven. He is also going with me to see Tony Malaby, Daniel Levin & RANDY PETERSON. If he loves THAT band, his life will change forever. Berne was also hilarious and did a 30 minute sit down talk/Q&A and he told some cool funny stories.

I hope this is the case next year. No reason to muck up the greatest music in the world with the "resistance" movement. I did attend a show earlier this year sponsored by similar movement/people and I chose to leave while the "poet" booked in between 2 great bands spewed some vile cop killing nonsense. Plus even if I agreed with him, he wasn't any good. A whole slew of other "poets" were booked throughout the weeks long event and I'm sure the content was similar.

Ugh nothing like politicizing the music/festival to take all the spirit out of it

I'll be there by 7:15 or so. Show starts at 8:00. I hope that's early enough.

I've never noticed. I'll be checking tonight.

Tim Berne's Snakeoil At Atlas Studios in Newburgh, NY bringing a good friend who has never seen or heard this sort of music.

I think I'm going to the Newburgh NY show on 9/14. Only ~40 miles and a nice change from NYC:)

Thanks to this thread being updated, I put on the year 2000 recording, "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out". Although not as strong as it's awesome predecessor, "I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One". Much better than the more recent 2006 & 2013 releases which fell very flat to these ears.

I'm also going to Allentown on 11/11/17:)

The main NYC clubs list everyone - Village Vanguard, Birdland, Blue Note, Jazz Standard. The smaller places I usually go to (more avant-garde, etc.) also list band members. One time I didn't check the day of or the day before for Kris Davis' group called "Capricorn Climber', they replaced Mat Maneri on Viola with Christopher Hoffman on cello. Now Hoffman is fine but you know me regarding Mat Maneri. Plus no Ingrid Laubrock so NO saxophone!!! It was the reason I chose that show over another one the same Saturday night - which was a fine sax-bass-drums set (I think with Matt Nelson, Henry Grimes & Ches Smith) and a set with Ches, Tyshawn Sorey & Randy Peterson - yes 3 drummers - yes I missed it!!! I looked it up 10/4/2014. I'm still aggravated I missed that. I heard it was great and I'm sure Tyshawn played some piano, trombone & vibraphone so I'm sure it wasn't all 3 drummers!!!

Very odd they don't list the full band at that famous Boston jazz club, Kevin

Recent buys of the Jazz kind: Jaimie Branch: Fly or Die / first listen extraordinary 35 minute suite Chicago/London Underground: A Night Walking Through Mirrors - Lordy Lordy Nu Band: Live in Geneva (quartet with Mark Whitecage, Thomas Heberer, Joe Fonda & Lou Grassi) Clifford was at their fine show earlier this year in NYC. Look forward to listening to this soon. On Not Two records City Fall: live at Cafe Oto: Evan Parker with Trzaska, Edwards & Sanders Last Seen Headed: Joelle Leandre with Francois Houle & Raymond Strid - as great as the earlier 9 Moments Edward Ricart Quartet + Paul Dunmall: Chamaeleon BassDrumBone: The Long Road Red Trio + John Butcher: Summer Skyshift - extraordinary plus a whole slew of recordings featuring Hamid Drake all care of Hamid:)

Same here. Great to see Ronald & Clifford. Second set took the music to a different level. It might be that it took me time to get acclimated but to my ears Cooper-Moore was pederestian (for him) during the first set but played some stuff during the second set I'd never heard before. Total and thorough improvising of the highest order. He is like no other. For me very glad William dumped the red bass for a fine sounding instrument. I thought his arco playing was stronger and more inventive than ever - especially in the very high registers - beautiful almost elegant in his approach at times. Hamid also found a stronger groove/pace during the second set once the first piece/section broke through it's too rigid/limiting structure. Rob Brown played better and more concisely than I'd ever heard him. Great structure to his improvising.

William Parker's In Order to Survive with: Rob Brown: alto saxophone Cooper-Moore: piano Hamid Drake: drums @ shapeshifter labs in Brooklyn 7:30 & 9:00

I have the CD - gift from the drummer. First spin and it's burning. Jeb Bishop was great in a small yet highly defined role in Harris Eisenstat's 9 piece band I saw in May.

Same here as I know we about the same age. Despite being broke (and broken) a while back (now maybe more than a while back), I would like a chance to chill out and retire maybe in 10 years or so. on the subject at hand, it seems ignorant on many levels to pay what might. E excessive administration personnel using that as an excuse to potentially remove a truly great man from his position. Although I'm not connected at all, I would imagine that the giving and plusses Roscoe has provided the community far surpasses whatever monetary salary he's received over the years. Just so ignorant. Based on the history I read about above on Mills, if any place should know better it should be Mills. This coming from someone who probably doesn't agree philosophically or politically with most people here on what should be supported and by whom. I simply believe that's what right and smart and beneficial to all is to keep Roscoe Mitchell there as long as he wants to be. I simply do not understand how anything other than this makes any sense at all.

I am also a proud Luddite with my only concern being that when I trade in my leased car for a new model next Spring that the new 2018 Mustang I'm planning on re-upping to from my 2015 Mustang will still have a CD player. If not I'm going custom installation before I do anything fancy with FLAC files, down loads, I Music or whatever else I heard about from somewhere!!

Of course you probably figured out that Mary is playing on 9/1 with a group at The Stone and then for 2 nights on 9/29 & 9/30 at The Stone at The New School 55 West 13th Street. Not sure who and what you might plan to be seeing/hearing as far as music goes but a show that stands out (most shows/clubs not yet listed for September) is a Mark Dresser led band on Friday the 15th at The Store which is a quartet with Jane Ira Bloom, Denman Maroney & Michael Sarin joining the great bassist. my very tentative plans was/is to see the 7 piece Dresser led band on Tuesday 9/12 (also at The Stone) which includes Marty Ehrlich, Nicole Mitchell & Jim Black. what I'm still aggravated about is that there is now only 1 set/night (8:30) rather than the traditional 2 sets @ 8:00 & 10:00. Sure there was 2 charges but I have no problem with that but with only 1 set/night, I haven't been to The Stone all year. However there are numerous very strong bands/groups/musicians coming up this year that I will make the trek a few times even for 1 set.

What days will you be in NYC?

Perusing the No Business web-site I found at least 10 releases I would buy right now if I was in a buying mode. The ones that might be next for me will be the aforementioned Peter Kuhn 2 CD set featuring among others, the *great* Denis Charles, a new trio disc with Rodrigo Amado (The Attic), a new release - something called "Before the Silence" which features the very strong drummer Gabriel Ferrandini and a saxophonist I'm unfamiliar with, a new Evan Parker trio recording with John Edwards & Steve Noble, a trio recording with Darius Jones & Adam Lane, a trio with Martin Kuchen, a Quintet with Schlippenbach and more. All look like top shelf releases.

The recent releases are all too expensive for now. I've been waiting as the prices come down on Amazon as time goes by. I've yet to get the recent Amado, Nu Band, Dragonfly Breath or the second Brotzmann - Swell - Nilssen-Love live recording. I would also like to get the Leandre box. I strongly recommend all the Ken Vandermark Resonance ensemble releases, especially the 2 CD release. Plus of course all the Rodrigo Amado releases plus the great Jones Jones CD (Ochs, Dresser & Tarasov). not a fan of clean feed as the sound quality is far below labels like Not Two, No Business, Nessa, Intakt or Emanem, but the recent Red Trio plus John Butcher contains an incredible set of free jazz. Butcher at his most expressive.

Thanks for posting. I'm still buying and listening to new music. Been meaning to get a Ballister recording or two. Rempis has been killing it. the strongest catalogue/label for me is Not Two. I do have a couple of great recordings from No Business, Rodrigo Amado's The Freedom Principle and Max Johnson's The Prisoner. Not cutting it with most jazz listeners. Tensegrity is my favorite new release of the past year. Barry Guy's Blue Shroud band in small formations. As strong and more unique 4 CD set even than the incredible Mad Dogs boxes. Maybe 1 or 2 people here might have even responded to comments on these incredible sets. Recordings that in an alternate universe someday be considered legendary recordings but alas, not happening. At least I get to listen to them.