Steve Reynolds

I guess we are the only ones. Also Joe Maneri, John Law, Jon Lloyd, Denis Charles, Brotzmann Tentet and Die Like a Dog quartet, John Lindberg's great black saint recordings, Mujician's classic recordings, etc. But I wonder how many people here have even listened to much of the great 90's music. Not many I think. Too busy realistening to the next issue of whatever No Try No Fail, baby

I dunno - I SAW Joe Maneri live 5 times and he could play like Joe Maneri at least in 2002 at 75. Plus I saw Benny Carter at 90 and he was almost as good as Al Grey was that day was at 72. And both Joe and Benny sat down. And not because Joe Maneri is just about my favorite musician of them all, I think it's very important to realize that seeing great musicians live is wonderous no matter how much of a legend to the general public or to some sort of self-appointed experts they might be. So I'm only going if they can play as live music for me with the opportunities I have to see brilliant creative vibrant musicians - I'm going to see the brilliant, vibrant creative musicians first and foremost every single time. Get Ready to Receive Yourself

Thanks for wording succinctly what after reading that piece I felt was the bottom line of it if you look at it reasonably. I doubt any of those "feds" at any time ever said "We're gonna shove some methanol-poisoned alcohol their way to teach them a lesson when they drink it". It was those who misused that stuff for making bootleg alcohol who were responsible. Like JSangrey said, if you are dealing with illegal/illicit substances from illicit sources, you are running a BIG risk at your very own peril. Like those in even lower strata of society did with "canned heat" and the like. Probably the key problem of this responsibility of substance abuse is that nobody probably ever fored the abusers at gunpoint at any time to drink or shoot until they became addicted in the first place. It was their very own decision. And then, at some point it became hard if not impossible to turn around and head back. But the original, initial responsibility that led them up that path remains with themselves, not with any third parties. Which to this day remains the key problem of addiction and how to get the addicted out ouf that vicious cycle. For sure addicts are responsible for whatever damage they do to themselves and others when they are using. However, none of us know when the real or imaginary line gets crossed from social drinking/using into addiction. Most of us believe that we could even be addicts at birth and once we started using, there was no turnng back. I know that once on the path the total destruction through drug addiction even if at the "early" or "initial" stages, there is no turning back. The progression is under way and the only ends are what we know they are. What is correctly pointed out above is that the only person responsible for ending that viscious cycle is the addict. The problem remains similar to what has always been. That same addict needs to break through denial and self diagnose themselves, stop using and then find something greater than themselves to help them stay clean. At least today there are more options but the reality outside of questionable drug replacement therapy for heroin addicts like methodon and seboxone, a relative small amount of addicts stay clean for any period of time compared to the amount of using addicts. The reality of drug addiction is that it is not easy to deal with or recover from but it is doable. The most difficult questions are some if the ones raised on this thread regarding responsibilities and those questions will always be difficult to deal with. What do you tell a mother who still suffers the guilt of bring a young daughter to bad neighborhoods and leaving them unattended on the street or I a car for hours many years ago - and they did that often - and yet they might be clean 10, 15 or 20 years? I know what I believe but it is hard for society to buy that an addict didn't choose that life - and it is very understandable that they won't or can't.

Just to be clear, those are my suppositions, not Randy's. And you're probably right. OTOH, having spent the majority of his life as a jazz musician, I'm sure that Randy has run across more than a few addicts and alcoholics, though "to know" is not necessarily to understand.

The two musicians in the world that I have been unable to see live that I most want see live are John Edwards and Louis Moholo-Moholo

If I had a plane or a ticket or the time, there would be nowhere I would rather be than to experience all of the above as well as the Barry Guy New Orchestra dates. Alexander - you do realize you are blessed - and a marvelous musician to be part of this. I can't imagine being on stage with the monster that is Edwards/Moholo-Moholo. Well especially since I can't play piano!!!!

If I heard Tony correctly, they recorded with the band I saw last night

I need to replace my long gone copy Other Brothers, baby

I just finished it and it was very well written and the best book on Miles I've read. It inspired me to do much listening to Miles over the last few weeks.

Before the last piece of the second set (each of the three compositions of the second set were between 17 to 25 minutes, I think), he tells the band to "take their time getting to it". Fwiw first set was a hour straight through going through probably three compositions as well. I think they actually rehearsed yesterday which is pretty unusual and I think they also just recorded in the studio - one hopes that the sound guys can capture this very unique and difficult to pigeonhole ensemble to some effect somewhere or anywhere near what they sound like from a few feet away. The take it slow and find one's way approach is fairly common method for Malaby's music where the material seems to morph out of nowhere and the resolutions are not always apparent or often may not happen but when they do, it can be magical and seemingly spontaneous. The music this band and a few others in NYC play are melding composition and improvisation in detailed and complex ways that really has never been done this successfully. The band last night used restraint and a no hurry approach to great advantage as they are capable of playing knock down, soaring grooving jazz/free bop/post bop with two fine drummers - and they could come right out of the box and impress and please easily the majority of the crowd but they play for something way more than that - and as far as the two drummers I think maybe one great one in Billy Mintz (first time for me and he was a pleasure), but they resist the easy way. They then find excitement and tension in the small intense concentrated improv as well as the floating almost pretty melodic passages. And although the intense loud ripping music does happen, it doesn't come off as inevitable or rote. There was a long section during the middle of the first set with Opsvik soloing (if you will with both drummers on brushes and this went on for a few minutes and it seemed subs a bit too long but by the time I caught myself it had morphed into something only made possible by the progression and the drummers played almost as one - as one if the guys said when they play with Nasheet, it is almost like two drummers - and when the two drummer guys were eventually going at it, it was a beast unleashed. And as Mintz said after the first set, they loved it when I asked him if it was fun. Loved it. Maybe more than me but tough to imagine that. And as far as the leader, he looked nice with a buttoned blue shirt albeit untucked and for some and for me maybe most importantly he played his soprano and tenor saxophone as if possessed. He had it ALL going on. Cliche free, soft loud and a few sections with or without the mercurial Gerstein that had anyone there with a pulse stunned or maybe just amazed. Giants Walk This Earth Standing on a Whale Fishing for Minnows

Great with this band. Lots of reverberating lines and a few soaring solo/improv spots. Very melodic but deep and heavy before one realizes.

Malaby on tenor and soprano Eivand Opsvik on bass Ben Gerstein on trombone Ben Monder on guitar Dan Weiss and Billy Mintz on drums Snapshot comments: Malaby very focused, band tight and ethereal. Gerstein and Malaby are remarkable with both ensemble interplay and intense growling, sailing and wailing improvisations. And the two drummers with a combination of sticks, brushes and mallets - Lordy fucking Lordy. First set as powerful a presentation of Malaby's vision as can be heard. They build towards his intricate and gorgeous compositional elements sometimes very slowly and organically. Space and dynamics were a theme. Second set more beatiful with a long balladic piece centering the set followed by the piece that opens the Novela record.

My initiation to some of this sort of thing started with a very small amount of WKCR playing Evan Parker in 1994 for his 50th birthday. Hated it I thought but heard something and 4 or 5 years later I saw the great man with Dresser and Previte and then it was some SME, lots of AMM and subsequent Rowian inspired improvisational music and a newer opemindedness to listen to more of everything but free improvisation is where my greatest interest still remains. Thanks for posting the article.

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. Cornelia Street Cafe I'm wondering how they gonna set both the drummers up on that little stage. Yes I very much like Gerstein. Great energy and he is a very precise and intense improvisor. Malaby loves him and warned me about what he does with this band.

Tony Malaby Paloma Xtra with: Malaby on tenor saxophone Ben Monder on guitar Ben Gerstein on trombone Eivind Opsvik on bass Dan Weiss and Billy Mintz on drums

My original thought but I am continuing to try to make a point.

Jazz: 90's & 00's

I forgot Mingus at Antibes, Monk Big Band & Quartet and Ayler's Vibrations Let alone Far East Suite and another batch of Coltrane albums - Plays...., Transition, A Love Supreme, Crescent and maybe Interstellar Space

A whole slew for my birthday including: Carter / Bradford quartet recently issued Bradford with SME Roscoe Mitchell Quartets DKV trio Wels and Chicago to replace my lost discs Three Dead Dicks Picks boxes Mat Maneri/Randy Peterson: Light Trigger Fred Anderson Trio on southport with Favors And a couple of others

Just ordered the Roscoe Mitchell quartets with Philip Wilson which I've never heard so my quick list below night not be compete: Eric Dolphy - Live at the Five Spot volume 1 John Coltrane: First Meditations Peter Brotzmann: Nipples Hank Mobley: Workout Wes Montgomery: Full House Or add one of Miles Smiles or Filles De Kilemenjaro Impossible to pick - and I'm not as big a listener to 60's jazz as I am of 90's onward. Plus I love fasstrack's picks My favorite Rollins are Alfie plus the later impulses Damn I need to get a new copy of Wes' At the Half Note - I used to play the hell out of that one Another two would be Inner Urge and Idle Moments

Added number 7 as well I think 4 is May 1970 with the acoustic set. 7 & 12 from 1974, I think which might be my favorite year

Ordering Dick's Picks 4 & 12 later today for my birthday I think those are the ones I picked out

Good but not great bassist, very good melodist and a fine small ensemble band leader. Some of themes hold up well over time and in another world some would be jazz classics Agree with your commentary on his large ensembles. Messy and aimless - at least they were 10 years ago or so when I stopped trying

Best release of 2013 The first CD Inscape/Tableaux is a mind bender

Tempted to take off work and fly there Despite Gustsfsson not being there - but Trevor Watts live for the first time would be quite the treat. Never seen either Guy large band. Number one musical dream