About Yesterday’s and Today’s Ezz-Thetics

[cliffpeterson]

https://daily.bandcamp.com/label-profile/hat-hut-records-ezz-thetics-label-profile

 

 

[clifford_thornton]

Interesting piece, though it does leave out a fair amount of the label's history -- it was actually founded to release music by McPhee in Europe, and then quickly shifted to encompass other music. McPhee and Craig Johnson were involved with Hat Hut and handled distribution in the US early on (Johnson), as well as A&R (McPhee). Craig had started CjR to document McPhee, and Nation Time is what inspired Werner to start Hat Hut.

[cliffpeterson]

Yeah, recognized the history was not complete. Didn't realize it was sold this past summer.  On a different note, I understand that the single cd reissues of what were originally 2 Hat Hut lps did not contain all the music that was on those 2 lps. 

[colinmce]

Time will tell I suppose, but the label seems to be headed in a fairly wan direction now. I'll certainly keep my eye out, but it's been quite awhile since they've released much of interest to me at least. 

[Late]

On 11/6/2025 at 8:20 AM, colinmce said:

...it's been quite awhile since they've released much of interest to me at least. 

Agreed. It seems like if any label would release the complete 1965 Coltrane Half Note recordings, it would be Hat. (There is that bootleg soundboard recording out there, but still. Be nice to have "Creation" out there for a wider audience.) Some Hat wishes:

• Jimmy Giuffre 3: Tübingen, 1961
• Steve Lacy — any unreleased Hat titles
• Sonny Simmons: It Is Revealed
• Ric Colbeck: The Sun Is Coming Up

I think the Ayler is well is fairly dried up. But maybe not Don Ayler?

What I don't get is why Hat is reissuing Blue Note and Prestige stuff when they could be so much more creative with their choices. The Atavistic Unheard Music Series was a model in this regard.

[colinmce]

I could be wrong, but it doesn't seem like they are continuing the Revisited series (and frankly the last many, many entries have been total bullshit). And after getting a start with Cecil/Braxton/Lacy/Ran Blake with "First Visit" it also seems like they are also just going to be releasing new sessions under this banner.

but I'd love to see any of those you listed come out!

[Late]

On 11/12/2025 at 10:27 AM, colinmce said:

... it doesn't seem like they are continuing the Revisited series ...

I think you may be correct. 🫥

[Pim]

On 11/12/2025 at 4:50 AM, Late said:

. The Atavistic Unheard Music Series was a model in this regard.

Oh yes that was a great series

[colinmce]

On 1/3/2026 at 7:58 PM, Late said:

I think you may be correct. 🫥

Caught this in Squidco's Upcoming section. No other information online, but looks to me like a new WXU venture in this vein:
 

Mike Westbrook: The Piano In The Room And The Blues
ALAY  (thingamajig 2503)

Louis Armstrong Hot Five & Hot Seven: At 100
ALAY  (thingamajig 2-2502)

Albert Ayler Quintet: Copenhagen, Bordeaux 1966 & Newport 1967 Live First Release
ALAY  (thingamajig 2501)

 

[Late]

1 hour ago, colinmce said:

Caught this in Squidco's Upcoming section. No other information online, but looks to me like a new WXU venture in this vein:

Albert Ayler Quintet: Copenhagen, Bordeaux 1966 & Newport 1967 Live First Release
ALAY  (thingamajig 2501)

 

[colinmce]

Any new Ayler on disc is worth it even if it means buying the (fantastic) Newport set for the third time!

[Late]

From hatology to ezz-thetics to revisited to first visit to thingamajig. 🤔 

[romualdo]

AlAyAG (was Hat Hut Records)

 

alay.ch

https://www.alay.ch

 

 

 

AlAy are the first two letters of the late Albert Ayler. The new name of my company was chosen to pay tribute to and in great appreciation of the saxophonist/ ...

[clifford_thornton]

color me confused about all these Hat-derivations.

[Late]

So Hat Hut is no longer Werner. That's news indeed. I reached out to Melanie Imhof (the new owner of Hat), and she promptly wrote me back. It sounds like she and her husband (co-owner) are figuring out how they're going to move forward with the catalogue they've inherited. My impression was that they're going to focus on new recordings for the immediate future, and address their back catalogue after they've come up with a reissue plan.

In the meantime, it looks like Werner—via AlAy—is going to issue Ayler concerts on compact disc. It'd be cool if he could find/issue the Don Ayler session made for Amiri Baraka's Jihad label:

Donald Ayler (t), Noah Howard (as), Don Pullen (p), Reggie Workman, Sirone (b), Muhammad Ali (d)
[unknown titles] • New Jersey, March [1968 or 1969]

[clifford_thornton]

yeah, that Don Ayler is one I'd like to hear as well (if it survived).

[JSngry]

Imagine the (justifiably) insane prices they could get for a vinyl reissue program that replicated the original packaging!!!