What a long, strange trip ...

This blog is now in its tenth year, started back in February 2007 by Sotise, our correspondent from down under. Bundles of people have contributed over the years, some gone, others holding on and yet others joining and putting their distinctive mark on the contents and direction of the blog. Currently we have about half a dozen active posters and some very generous followers, judging from inputs to our contributions section, but we're always willing to recruit more. Potential authors can get in touch with us c/o our Blogger email addresses. We've had contributors from three continents, with a preponderance of Europeans overall.

The emphasis has been on the free/improv/experimental side of jazz, but with excursions into contemporary and classical music, from Europe and beyond. There are no rules, however; the blog is whatever the posters make of it, and we'd like to keep it that way. We focus on posting out of print material with the objective of drawing attention to music which otherwise might have remained out of sight and out of mind. Due to spam and some past experiences of personal attacks, we 've had to institute a moderator system, so comments may not appear right away, but they will be published.

With these few words, heading on ...

Contributions

Anything our readers and followers would like to contribute goes here. That may include recommendations, reviews, recordings, you name it.

The earlier contributions thread was unfortunately deleted, but we have managed to recover about three years of the last five years of posts. The recovered posts have now been moved to separate posts in the new thread. All links to files are working at the time of writing. If there is anybody out there who has found that their contributions are missing, feel free to repost them or if anybody has downloaded files when they were still available, the same thing applies.  Of course, we welcome any new contributions from our followers, anything that we and you should know about.

Requests

Requests, broken links, re-ups and related topics go here. It may be easier for admins to be attentive to these topics if they are put here and not under the individual posts. There's no guarantee that we may be able to respond to everything, but we'll give it a try.

I've deleted the previous 'Requests' post as it was becoming a bit unwieldy.
I shall start the requests with the last one from the previous thread.

Free form

Anything else goes here. Observations on the general state of the universe and its overall direction are particularly welcome, but also on more mundane matters as you may see fit.

NEW LINKS FOR OLD POSTS

Hi , Heres a new section , which will feature links to the Original posts of things that are just being, or have recently been re uploaded..
the Contributions and request sections are too cluttered , making it difficult to keep track!
comments will be disabled for this section!

Please help us out, if you see comments asking for a re-upload, and you have the files!!
(preferably use only file hosts accessible to free users,do not use these files to make money!)
Please do not ask us to re upload records which are generally available, or have been recently reissued, whatever the format!!

Surely it goes without saying that all views expressed on this Blog , be they impressions  delusions
reveries, political statements, opinions are ours and ours alone , Music stimulates the imagination, so switch off y'r TV,listen ... make up your own minds.

So here goes, Ill start with a few I have recently re uploaded

Update May 11, 2017 -
We've shortened the list (again) for users' convenience:

Nébu - Nébu
Licorice Factory - self-titled
Vesala/Sermilä/Hauta-Aho/Honkanen/Helasvuo - Ode To Marilyn
Globe Unity Orchestra & London Jazz Composers Orchestra - Köln 1989
Vinko Globokar -  Echanges / Res/As/Ex/Ins-Pirer / Discours IV
Manfred Schoof Quintet - Suite
Bernd Alois Zimmermann - Die Befristeten, Improvisations & Tratto - Wergo 1969
Polly Bradfield - Solo Violin Improvisations
Keshavan Maslak - Humanplexity
Frank Wright Quartet - Live In New York City Summer 1973
Bob Reid - Best Of Emergency
Frank Wright & Andrew Cyrille - Live Soundscape NYC 1981
Francois Couturier, Andre Jaume, Fred Ramamonjiarisoa - Nadia Salana Resaka
Michel Pilz - Celeste & Jamabiko
Stockhausen - Aus den sieben Tagen
TTT featuring A.R. Penck - 3 x 2 = xxxxx
Charles Tyler Quartet - Definite Vol. 1
Philippe Maté and Jef Gilson - Workshop
James Newton Trio/Quartet - Binu
Bob Degen Trio - Celebrations
Charles Tyler Quartet - Definite Vol. 2
TTT featuring A.R.Penck - Catch the Dollar
Charles Tyler Ensemble - Voyage from Jericho 
Ian Brighton-Colin Wood-Frank Perry-Radu Malfatti-Phil Wachsmann - Balance
Frances-Marie Uitti - The Second Bow
Michael Smith - La Musique Blanche
Kent Carter - It Will Come
Key - Key
Anthony Davis and Douglas Ewart - live in Verona '79
Michael Smith - Reflection On Progress
Sei Miguel - Portuguese Man Of War
Ivo Perelman - William Parker - Rashied Ali - Live
Kazutoki Umezu - Shin Myong
Michael Smith - Geomusic
Michael Smith - Totality
Karl Berger/Woodstock Workshop Orchestra - Live At The Donaueschingen Music Festival
Frank Wright - live in Ulm 1990
TTT - Be cool in Munich
Barry Wallenstein - Taking Off
Company - Trios
TTT - Isle In The Ocean
St-Jak - Oeuvralgique
Amalgam - Play Blackwell & Higgins
Dudu Pukwana and Zila - Live in Bracknell & Willisau
Schiano/Mazzon/Schiaffini/Geremia/Tommaso/Rusconi – The Unrepentant Ones (link still active!)
Karl Berger Total Music Ensemble (1968)
Arthur Blythe - The Grip & Metamorphosis
Michael J. Smith - Elvira Madigan...And Other Dances
More TTT - Live Konzert Basel 
Carman Moore (feat. Sam Rivers) - Five Movements for a Fashionable Five-Toed Dragon
Joseph Jarman - Sunbound
SME - Karyobin
NDR Jazzworkshop No.65 - Howard Riley & Tony Oxley - Convolution
Steve Lacy Sextet - The Wire
Billy Harper Quintet - Live in Rome '81
Peter Kowald - Gianluigi Tovesi - A.R. Penck - Free Jazz - Konzert in der Kunsthalle, Bern
TTT - Aspects of The NY NY NY Situation
Eugene Chadbourne & Polly Bradfield - Torture Time!
Okay Temiz & Johnny Dyani - Witchdoctor's Son
Neighbours with Anthony Braxton
Itaru Oki - Shirasagi
Itaru Oki Trio - Trumpet In Modern Jazz
Phil Wachsmann - Writing In Water
Ali Haurand - Solo Bass
Tony Oxley Quintet - London 1981
Helen Merrill - Sposin'
Derek Bailey + Evan Parker - Compatibles
Yuji Takahashi - Real Time 2
Yuji Takahashi - Real Time 3
Franz Koglmann with Steve Lacy -  Flaps
Burton Greene - Zephyr
François Tusques / Serge Utgé-Royo ‎– Ça Branle Dans la Manche
David Rosenboom - On Being Invisible
Rex Stewart and his Dixielanders feat. Herbie Nichols
Luther Thomas - 11th Street Fire Suite
MUJICIAN TRIO - Live in Bristol. 1992. Part2
MUJICIAN TRIO - Rare Music Club 14 Aug 1992
MUJICIAN - 100 Club, 1991
TONY LEVIN TRIO  - Leicester,1991
PAUL DUNMALL/BRIAN WAITE QT - Bristol 1984
BERND ALOIS ZIMMERMANN - Requiem für einen jungen Dichter (Lingual 1967-1969)
ELTON DEAN / ROSWELL RUDD / PAUL DUNMALL / KEITH TIPPETT / PAUL ROGERS / TONY LEVIN / ANNIE WHITEHEAD - Vortex, London. 1996
PAUL DUNMALL - 60th Birthday Gig
ELTON DEAN'S 50th Birthday Gig
ELTON DEAN SEXTET feat Roswell Rudd - set1 Vortex
Didier Levallet Octet - Scoop
Günter Christmann - Solomusiken für Posaune und Kontrabass
Christmann - Schönenberg + Bojé - Köln 1976
Andrew Hill Trio feat. Sunny Murray - Paris 1999
Manfred Schoof Quintet/Sextet - Köln & Montreux 1967/68
Leo Cuypers - Theatre Music
Leo Cuypers - In Amsterdam / Live In Shaffy
Leo Cuypers - Brull Band
Leo Cuypers - Corners
Ron Pittner - Ivory Mirror And The Ivory Dot
Baden-Baden Free Jazz Meeting 1967 and more
CCMC - 1 and 2 and 3
Keith Tippett - The Unlonely Raindancer
Aalan Praskin - Encounter
Hirokazu Yamada - Kozan
Evan Parker Trio - Karlsruhe 2004
Parker - Fernández - Guy - Lytton - Vancouver 2008
Evan Parker Trio - Aubervilliers 2005
Baden Baden New Jazz Meeting 1973
Parker, Guy, Takeda, Onnyk - To Whom It May Concern
Evan Parker & Barry Guy - Tai Kyoku
Paul Dunmall Octet - Desire & Liberation Live in Birmingham 1997
Albert Mangelsdorff - Hot Hut
Jazzgalerie Nickelsdorf - 20 Anniversary Album
Hans Kennel - Audience
Urs Blöchlinger / Thomas Dürst - Il Faut Boire
Urs Blöchlinger - Cinema Invisible
Ron Pittner - Out From The Edge
David Murray Quartet - Bristol 1992
Steve Lacy Trio - Stalks
Jean-Louis Méchali - Cine Club
Jean-Louis Méchali - Tie Brake - 2nd Set
Mico Missiom Trio - Glucose Confectionnerie
Steve Potts - Musique Pour Le Film D'un Ami
Robert Wood - Tarot
Masahiko Togashi - Scene
Michel Portal Unit - Live in Lovere '79
Bengt Nordström - Natural Music
Leroy Jenkins Trio - Live in Florence '79

Ahmed Abdullah Sextet live at Ali's Alley, NY, 1978

Yet another repost, from early 2013, this one with reference to another loft turned performance space in NY, Ali's Alley.

Following on from the former posting of the Group live in 1987, here is an older date from 1978 with some of the same players. As I said in that post, some of the members of the Group emerged during the loft movement in the 1970s. This was a musicians' initiative to create their own spaces for players to express themselves and interact with others. Perhaps the most well-known was Sam Rivers' Studio Rivbea, and another was Ali's Alley, run by Rashied Ali who was the drummer with John Coltrane during his last days, before launching a solo career with his own group. Ali made a duo record with Frank Lowe in the early 70s and the latter can also be heard on this date.

As I said in the former post, both Abdullah and Bang emerged as major players on the loft scene during the 70s and Frank Lowe was very much a part of that scene as well, having cut his debut record for the legendary ESP label, "Black Beings" with, among others, Rashied Sinan on drums who is "coincidentally" also on this date. So it's all interlinked.

Close to two hours in all here with music, though tending towards the free side, that still has a strong rhythmic pulse and melodic core. Lively, propulsive, energetic, thorougly enjoyable. Dig in!

The sonics on this recording may not be the optimal as this clearly is an audience recording, also capturing the ambience of the space in which it was performed. But don't let detract from the joyous and uplifting music on display here!

The facts:


Abdullah Ahmed Sextet

NYC, Ali's Alley

July 12, 1978

Ahmed Abdullah - tp
Frank Lowe - ts
Billy Bang - viol
Jay Hoggard - vb
Jerome Hunter - b
Rashied Sinan - dr

No set list given, so if anyone can help out, it would be appreciated.

Jay Hoggart is here on vibraphone and today teaches music at Wesleyan. Jerome Hunter, the bassist, has played with Sun Ra, among others, another common link.

Abdullah is still active today, educator, curator and musician and writer, though his book on his years with Sun Ra still remains unpublished. He maintains his own web site which can be accessed here:

http://www.ahmedian.com/

His curatorial work in later years has been linked to thia place:

http://sistasplace.org/

which is in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, one node in a network of community organising. A place to check out for jazz-loving brooklynites and newyorkers?

There'll be more posts on the NY 70s/80s club scene, so stay tuned!

The Group live in Cambridge, Mass. 1987

I am reposting this one from late 2012 because it very much ties in with the theme of NY loft/club jazz in the 70s, although this specific one was later.

There has been jubilation in jazz circles about the release, after 26 years, of a live recording by the Group at the Jazz Center of New York on 13 September 1986. The tapes had languished in Ahmed Abdullah's possession ever since until the Nobusiness record label out of Vilnius, Lithuania, was told about them and expressed an interest in releasing them. The cd (and an lp) is now out in limited circulation of 1000 copies so readers are advised to rush out and get a copy before it disappears. However, it is not the only recording in circulation. In the course of the short life of the Group, up to the end of 1987, they also gigged around the East Coast, including a date in Cambridge, Mass., on 21 January 1987. This is briefly mentioned in Abdullah's liner notes to the cd release. There is no mention of the gig being recorded, so this is in all likelihood an unofficial audience recording.

Who was the Group? It was a collective composed of five members, some of whom had cut their teeth on the NY free jazz scene in the 60s (Brown, Cyrille) and others who had emerged as part of of the loft scene in the 70s (Bang, Sirone, Abdullah). After the loft scene had pretty much subsided, there was a scramble to look for new opportunities for players on a NY scene less hospitable to innovative jazz than before and to look for new collaborative models to work from. So, in that spirit, there was no leader of the Group and each member was encouraged to contribute their own compositions, even though the repertoire made room for covers of standards. As Abdullah writes, there have been several revivals of the Group, buth with the passing away of Brown, Bang, Sirone and also of Fred Hopkins (who is on the cd, though not on this gig), replacements have become a duty of necessity.

In the pic above (a flyer for their very first appearance, courtesy of the Nobusiness website), all five members are present and these are the five you will hear on this Cambridge date.

The Group
Cambridge, Mass. (USA)
1369 Club
January 21, 1987


Marion Brown as
Ahmed Abdullah tp
Billy Bang violin
Sirone b
Andrew Cyrille dr

1) 16:47 Assunta
2) 08:47 Warm Valley
3) 14:16 Fortified Nucleus
4) 06:21 La Placita – cut -
5) 17:39 cont´d - La Placita
6) 17:18 The Glow Of Awareness
7) 12:13 The Music In Us
8) 08:12 I Remember Clifford
9) 21:43 Restore Africa

This is a historical recording of five great musicians. I'm not going to single out anyone in particular, though I would like to say that anything that has Marion Brown on it is pretty much essential. All five should be familar to followers of the blog (and parenthetically, I should try to find more from Abdullah).

Two hours of goodness for y'all.

Dave Holland Quartet with Sam Rivers, Anthony Braxton and Barry Altschul at Studio Rivbea, 1 December 1972

Getting started with the many live recordings by "orchiddoctor", we might begin with the oldest tape which was recorded at Studio Rivbea in NY in 1972. The place was set up as a performance space by Sam Rivers,  seen above with Joe Daley at Studio Rivbea in 1976. The establishment of this space set the beginning for what was to become known as the NY loft scene.

What we get to hear here is the David Holland Quartet which released a wonderful album entitled Conference of the Birds in 1973. This album was recorded on 30 November, the day before  the concert at Studio Rivbea. Naturally, the repertoire is to a great extent taken from the album. After listening to the album and to this concert, what we hear is the following, first a statement of the theme of See Saw, then Q & A, then Four Winds, then Interception rounding out the first file. The second file starts off with Now Here (Nowhere) and ends with a tune that is not on the album. I invite suggestions as to what it is.

Sam Rivers is on tenor sax and flute, Anthony Braxton on alto (and contrabass clarinet), Dave Holland on bass and Barry Altschul on percussion. It's really great to hear the interplay of Rivers and Braxton and their strongly individual styles of playing. Very recognisable and not to be confused. As it's a concert, the tunes are considerably longer than on the album, and considerably wilder, too, not hemmed in by the atmosphere of a recording studio.

More to come!

Art Ensemble of Chicago live at the Empty Foxhole, Philadelphia, March 1976

This is a repost of a post originally published here in October 2013. The reason for reposting is basically to draw attention to the list of amateur recordings made by "orchiddoctor", mostly in the period 1975-1980. Listed by "carville" in the comments section, this is a huge collection of live concerts by the Art Ensemble of Chicago and various spinoffs as well as other bands active on the loft jazz scene in NY and outside in those years. All together, it provides an invaluable insight to a scene that is not well documented. I have now the entire set, courtesy of carville, and the idea is to post all this material in the weeks and months to come. Needless to say, this is a huge project, but one well worth doing for the historical record.

What follows is the original post with all the comments from then:

This post was inspired by a comment from reader and follower "santos curser" who went to see the AEoC at the Empty Foxhole in Philadelphia in 1980, a performance which was somewhat "interrupted" by a young amateur saxophonist who wanted to play with the band. He was eventually escorted out of the venue. It occured to me that I did have some archive files of the AEoC at the Empty Foxhole in 1976. Two consecutive nights, 12 and 13/14 March. These were recorded by "orchiddoctor" and posted on the Dime torrents site by "carville". There were 67-68 concerts posted in all, basically coverning the 1975-1980 period, many of these recorded in snall clubs in NYC and beyond. For me and other AEoC fans, invaluable historical documents. When it comes to the AEoC, critical faculties are permanently suspended. It's all good.

What we have here are two performances, two sets each, both lasting close to three hours in all. There were some dicussions at the Dime site about the exact location of these two gigs. I can't add anything to it, never been to Philly and certainly not then. Listening to these two performances, it seems obvious to me that they were not recorded in the same place. The acoustics of the 12 March performance sound as if the recording is from a small club, closer, more intimate. The 13 March performance is from a much larger locality, spacy, roomy sound.  So my guess is that the 12 March gig is at Geno's Empty Foxhole, located in the basement of the Saint Mary's Church on the Uinversity of Pennsylvania campus. The 13 March sounds as if it was recorded in the actual Church which would explain the acoustics. Reportedly the band was delayed by a snowstorm, so what we're hearing was performed from four in the morning. Must have been quite atmospheric!

The lo-down:

March 12 1976
Empty Foxhole
Philadelphia, PA

total time 177:21
1st set 88:22
1 improv including Ohnedaruth and Tutankhamen (tape flip) 44:44
2 cont'd 43:38
2nd set 88:59
1 improv including Dreaming of the Master (tape flip) 57:15
2 cont'd 31:43


March 14 1976
Empty Foxhole
Philadelphia, PA

total time 170:51
1st set 88:51
1 improv (tape flip) 61:20
2 cont'd 27:30

2nd set 81:59
1 Reese and the Smooth Ones, Odwalla (tape flip) 39:56
2 cont'd 42:03

Much more from where that's coming from. I estimate my AEoC collection runs to about 200 performances, so I'll sprinkle a little now and then.

Collage c/o the 2nd First Look website.

Enjoy!

The Reform Art Unit - For John Coltrane And Pablo Picasso (Voves 1996)

The Reform Art Unit live at the Museum of 20th Century in Vienna, April 25, 1969. An instant composition in 3 movements by Fritz Novotny.


Fritz Novotny - Flute, Soprano Sax, Percussion
Muhammad Malli  - Drums
Sepp Mitterbauer - Piano, Trumpet
Toni Michlmayr - Double Bass

1 - For John Coltrane And Pablo Picasso: One         13:11
2 - For John Coltrane And Pablo Picasso: Two     16:15
3 - For John Coltrane And Pablo Picasso: Three     12:40

Bonus track: Human Closely
Reform Art Unit Extended, live at the Alte Schmiede in Vienna, 5 January 1995.
featuring Sunny Murray. An instant composition by Paul Fields, Karl W. Krbavac, Sunny Murray, Fritz Novotny

4 - Human Closely            29:14

Paul Fields - Violin, Alto Sax
Karl W. Krbavac - Viola Da Gamba
Sandro Miori - Tenor Sax
Sepp Mitterbauer - Trumpet
Sunny Murray - Drums
Fritz Novotny - Clarinet, Flute, Soprano Sax, Percussion
Mario Rechtern - Sopranino, Alto, Baritone Sax, Oboe, Selfmade Instruments
Reinhard Ziegerhofer - Double Bass
Helmut Schiefer - Percussion

"For John Coltrane and Pablo Picasso" was produced in 1969 as RAU 1002 but released here for the first time.

Voves Productions, Voves CD 90001
 A Reform Art Unit Production , RAU 1002
Austria, 1996

MAX EASTLEY - STEVE BERESFORD - PAUL BURWELL - DAVID TOOP "WHIRLED MUSIC" (QUARTZ!, 1979)

Didn't know that I have this rip (since at least Sep. 2011) but found it several weeks ago.
Thanks to the original uploader.




Performed by David Toop, Max Eastley, Paul Burwell and Steve Beresford

Audience Side
A.     Untitled

No Audience Side
B1.     LMC (a)
B2.     LMC (b)
B3.     LMC (c)
B4.     Butlers Wharf
B5.     Suffolk (a)
B6.     Suffolk (b)
B7.     Tennessee


AUDIENCE SIDE
Recorded live in performance at the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham; 7th October 1979.

NO AUDIENCE SIDE
Tracks B1 to B3 recorded at the London Musicians Collective in 1979 using a stereo UHER reel with 2 AKG 224s.
Track 4 recorded outdoors on a UHER reel with 2 Sennheiser ND441s.
Tracks B5 and B6 recorded outdoors.

Quartz Publications !QUARTZ 005
(vinyl rip)

Lester Bowie, Malachi Favor, Roscoe Mitchell - Live March 31, 1979 Verrona Italy.

Here is a live recording by three totally unknown musicians.

One long improvisation with appearances of some tracks that may be familiar for some of us. Played in the fall of the seventies this music is in fact more close to the early spirit of those musicians at the time when Lester was recording number 1 & 2, at the time when the band’s name was the Roscoe Mitchell Art Ensemble.

March 31, 1979 location unknown to me except Vienna Austria.

4 HORSEMEN - 2 NIGHTS (UNDERWHICH EDITIONS, 1988)

A1-4. Night 1

B1-5. Night 2


Rafael Bareto-Rivera, voice
Paul Dutton, voice
Steve McCaffery, voice, contrabass clarinet
bpNichol, voice


Recorded at The Music Gallery, Toronto, in the "Within Limits" jazz program on 9-10 October 1987.

Underwhich Audiographic Series - No. 37

Cassette Rip

Musica Elettronica Viva - Ferrara, 2002

Here is a recent find from dime - a superb concert from Musica Elettronica Viva in 2002. Many thanks to tricko, durian1 and Owombat for making this available, and also to htakat for the great artwork. 

This music has made a strong impression on me - it unfolds in a series of tableaux, which are quite different in style, with references to several of the group's known themes, and more - at times, it could almost sound like a remix of Luigi Nono. The whole thing is held together through a strong programmatic propulsiveness - the effect is not dissimilar to reading Joyce's Ulysses.

The break about halfway through is to allow the whole piece to fit onto two CDs - if, like me, most of your music is stored on a hard drive and CDs have become more or less redundant, the two pieces can just be joined together.

Musica Elettronica Viva

Ferrara, Italy - 9th June, 2002

Alvin Curran - piano, keyboards, shofar, live electronics

Frederic Rzewski - piano

Richard Teitelbaum - keyboards, live electronics

Garrett List - trombone

Steve Lacy - soprano saxophone

George Lewis - trombone, live electronics

PHIL MINTON QUARTET "UP UMEA" (BLUE TOWER, 1969)

Phil Minton, trumpet, voice
Lars-Göran Ulander, alto saxophone
Lars Gunnar Gunnarson, bass
Sten Öberg, drums


1. Day     8:31
2. Blue Reading I     10:06
3. Wood Song Five     5:00
4. Up Umeå     7:40
5. Blue Reading II     6:41


Recorded in Umeå, January 1969, at the Swedish national TV studios.

Blue Tower Records BTCD 07 (1999)

Exiles - The Only Cure ( 1984)

Zelenka and Mills began their collaboration as part of the Human Art Ensemble.
Since 1979 they have been working as Exiles.
They seems to keep a low profile on the net, I found no many personal info , but they have -or partecipate to- a label :
http://freedoniamusic.org/


Greg Mills - piano, melodica, prcussions, drums
Jay Zelenka - flute, alto sax, vibes, percussions, drums


A-1 Perihelion    
A-2 The Only Cure    
A-3 Burning Bridges Variations I And II    
A-4 Contours    
A-5 Cosmophaney    
A-6 Invocation    
A-7 Invitation    
B-1 Sanctuary    
B-2 Sonaire For The Dawn Of Time    
B-3 Jugalbandi


Esfoma Recordings - ER52
Cassette, 1984

COMPANY. 1991 Broadcast.

DEREK BAILEY - guitar
VANESSA MACKNESS - voice
JOHN BUTCHER - saxophones
PHIL WACHSMANN - violin
LOUIS MOHOLO - drums
THEBE LIPERE - percussion, didgeridoo

1. LM.TL   6:19
2. DB.PW   4:31
3. VM.JB   7:21
4. DB.LM.TL   11:21
5. VM.JB.PW   11:03
6. DB.VM.JB.PW.LM.TL   10:41

BBC Radio 3.  Music in Our Time. March 1991  

A.R. PENCK ‎– CONCERT KÖLN x DRESDEN (MARA RECORDS)

1. Brecht Die Macht Der Tyrannei - Karstatt - World War 2 - Lale, Lale


A.R. Penck, piano
Helge Leiberg, trumpet
Annette Jahns, vocals


Mara Records ‎– 15

CR Rip

Douglas R. Ewart & Inventions Clarinet Choir - Red Hills

To introduce this post, a small note intended for those who are only able to bring criticism but nothing more, you are not obliged to download content if for some reason you do not like it. 

Here is a rarity.

Douglas Ewart is one important member of the AACM since the early seventies. He have played with almost all the musicians of this association and you can find him on records by George Lewis, Muhal Richard Abrams or Anthony Braxton to name a few.

In the early eighties Ewart started is own record company: Arawak and the two first releases were tapes. Here is the first one probably recorded in 1985.

Douglas Ewart b-flat bass clarinet, contrabass b-flat clarinet, b-flat soprano clarinet, endblown flute (on Jamaican bamboo)

Edward Wilkerson b flat soprano clarinet (not on whale song)

Mwata Bowden e-flat soprano clarinet, contra alto clarinet, e-flat sopranino clarinet, b-flat sopranino clarinet

J.D. Parran contra alto clarinet, e-flat alto clarinet (only on whale song and red hills)

1. ofo

2. whale song

3. red hills

4. Jamaican bamboo

Instruments are listed in the order they are played.

The music is deeply soulful and spiritual. The meaning of the title is in relation with Martin Luther King’s speech pronounced on August 28, 1963. Here are the words:

« I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaves owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. »

With the « Invention Clarinet Choir » Douglas Ewart have made a second record:

https://www.discogs.com/fr/Douglas-Ewart-And-Inventions-Clarinet-Choir-Angles-Of-Entrance/release/3190101

It seems that Mr Ewart still have some copies of this cd, that includes more guiding lights of the AACM.

…and for those who still understand that it is important to pay for getting music, for the present of the musicians and the future of the culture you can purchase two recent releases featuring Douglas Ewart, both are great:

https://thebridgesessions.bandcamp.com/album/sonic-communion

https://thebridgesessions.bandcamp.com/album/four-views-of-a-three-sided-garden

Arawak 002 cassette rip.

MiLAN SVOBODA & PRAGUE BiG BAND - Reminiscences (Supraphon 1980)

 

Similarly to Karel Krautgarter a decade earlier (unfortunately not very well documented on records), Milan Svoboda was relatively interesting presence in a field of big band jazz in former Czechoslovakia during late 70's and early 80's. Born 1951, composer, pianist and graduatee of the Organ class at Prague Conservatory (and a cousin of saxophonist Jiří Stivín), he started first big band in 1974 with his colleagues from jazz rock area on purely enthusiast base. During the next few years, Prague Big Band established itself as main attraction on Czech big band scene, aside of long-standing names as Czechoslovak Radio Jazz Orchestra and Gustav Brom Big Band.
First PBB album "Portarit" was released in 1978, followed by "Reminiscences" in 1980, with leader's compositions exclusively. Last album of original PBB is "Poste Restante" from 1982, reissued on CD by German label Aurophon in 1994. CD of "Reminiscences" was issued by former label Supraphon in 1995, but is OOP for long time now. This rip comes from CD release, while I was trying to enhance the sound slightly and to repair huge bug in the beginning of first track. In the group line-up, Svoboda is credited as leader only, but he plays also piano on track 3 at least. Overall sound is a bit fusion tinged, with occasional use of electric keyboards and bass guitar.

Live footage of Prague Big Band from 1980

Since early 80's, Svoboda leads also his own small groups, mainly quartet sized. During 1984 he studied at Berklee College of Music, where he recorded live album with international big band, consisted of his College schoolmates. Back at home, he did one album of Czech-Polish Big Band, released as Nr.5 in "Interjazz" Supraphon series, and in 1990 he started other big band named Kontraband, with mainly younger jazz players. Aside of his other musical activities, Svoboda leads new version of Prague Big Band (sometimes presented as Milan Svoboda Big Band) since 1995 until now. 

Something more recent from Czech big band scene
 

DAVID UU ‎– VERY SOUND (UNDERWHICH EDITIONS, 1984)

David UU & The Avalettes

A1.   Mountain Air
A2.   Bing's Cherry -- Take 1
A3.   The Celestial Summer Of Doctor Dog -- Resurrected
A4.   Dog Byte
A5.   Whale, In Memoriam John Coltrane
A6.   Stompin' At The Dada Ball
A7.   Bing's Cherry -- Take 2
A8.   Solar Mass
A9.   How I Wrote Certain Of My Books

The Avalettes

Phil Morgan, bass
Gregg Simpson, piano, percussion
Bob Coleman, vocals
Ingrid Harris, vocals
Patricia Garrett, vocals


David UU And Gregg Simpson

A10.  Zen Haul/Western Skies


David UU

B1.1. Variations On Themes 1
B1.2. Variations On Themes 2
B2.   Toronto
B3.   Song For A Beggar
B4.   Auditory Liturgy
B5.   How Can I Touch You Now …
B6.   Try A Little Tenderness
B7.   Songs For A City: 1
B8.1. Vercussion 1
B8.2. Vercussion 2
B9.    Auditory Two
B10.  Red Rose Red Rose …
B11.  Don't Give Up The Ship Ive Got The Oar …
B12.  For D.A. Levy
B13.  Corn Plasters & My Heart
B14.  Breaking Open …
B15.  Salmon River Soliloquy
B16.  Salmon River Soliloquy II
B17.  Portrait
B18.  Is There Blood On Your Finger Yes There Is …
B19.  Cloud Shit Hung Down Fold Over …
B20.  The Glory In The Heavens …
B21.  Rhyme
B22.  Chants From Tas:mania
B23.  Chant From Embalmination
B24.  Song Of Childhood (Memories Of The Baptist Church)


David UU, voice, vocals

Ed Varney, Ingrid Harris, vocals (B23)


Recorded at The Studio, North Vancouver, BC, 1972 (A1-7).
Tape compositions with 'live' content performed & composed at 136 West 1st Street, North Vancouver, BC, 1972 (A8-9).
Live at the Art Gallery of Ontario, 1973 (A10).
Recorded at 141 East 27 Street, North Vancouver, BC, 1983 (B1-24).
Except recorded at Mahon Street, North Vancouver, 1970 (B22).


Underwhich Audiographic Series – No. 18

Cassette Rip

Gil Mellé - Waterbirds 1970

Gil Mellé is famous for is late 50’s recordings on Blue Note and later for his superbe Tome VI that includes electronic processing over acoustic instruments. This one have been reissued in Japan some years ago and still can be found. From the start of the seventies Mellé will concentrate on compositions for movie or television. His soundtrack for « The Andromeda Strain » is considered as a landmark music in the field of electronic. Here is « Waterbirds » that is probably his last jazz album. In fact this lp is a compilation of themes composed between 1969 to 1970 for various télé series.

A1 Waterbirds (Pt. 1) 7:37

A2 Waterbirds (Pt. 2) 6:34

A3 Walkin' Down The Gloomy Streets...Alone...Broke...Depressed...Gonna Kill Myself Blues 4:55

AA4 Little Big Horn 9:24

AA5 The Love Song 1:28

AA6 My Sweet Charlie 6:34

AA7 Charlie Chaplin 4:10

Bass [Fender] – Dave Parlato (tracks: A2, A3, AA4 to AA7)

Composed By, Arranged By, Conducted By, Conductor, Soprano Saxophone, Other [Special Electronic Musical Instruments] – Gil Mellé

Drums – Fred C. Stofflet

Guitar – Art Johnson (tracks: A2, A3, A5), Joe Cinderella (tracks: A1)

Piano [Fender] – Pete Robinson (tracks: AA4, AA6, AA7)

This album is superbe and show the strong ability of Mellé as a composer. The listen gives a unified feeling despite the fact that each title have been composed independently from the rest.

I have remastered and edited this album from a mp3 version.

This lp has been edited for the first time under the reference:

Nocturne Nrs 702

and have been reissued by Jazz Chronicles in 1977 under the reference Jcs 702

THE WERNER-ROSENGREN SWEDISH JAZZ QUARTET ‎– BOMBASTICA! (JAZZLAND, 1960)

A1. Bombastica
A2. Dancing In A Country Summer House
A3. Living Up To Life
A4. Latin Beat
A5. Sergel

B1. Bombastica (Up-Tempo Version)
B2. Drottningholm Ballad
B3. Too Late
B4. Happiness Beans
B5. Sweet Summer


Torbjörn Hultcrantz, bass
Sune Spångberg, drums
Lars Werner, piano
Bernt Rosengren, tenor saxophone


Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden; June 30, 1960

Jazzland ‎– JLP 926 - this is the mono pressing

LP Rip

HOWARD RILEY TRIO "BBC STUDIOS, LONDON, 1975"

Howard Riley, piano, electronics
Barry Guy, double bass, electronics
Tony Oxley, drums, percussion, electronics

1.    Gambit (H. Riley)     15:04
2.    Introduction (Riley)   00:45
3.    Splinter (H. Riley)     10:30


Recorded at the BBC Studios, London, December 1975.

UPCOMING + RECENT RELEASES VI

 

No Business Records will release five LPs and two CDs in the second half of August.

For me the most anticipated release is Ton-Klami's CD. They did release two recordings in the 90s on Crown Records which are both OOP but worth seeking out.  No Business Records

You might also take a look here. 

For the upcoming Steve Lacy CD on Emanem Nick has already reproduced the label's info in the third comment. (somehow I published this post accidentally before it was ready)

Roger Turner and Fred Van Hove - what a pair - this release scheduled for August 4 on Relative Pitch Records is very high on my want-list. And what a nice 1950s design and typography. Should be amazing...

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PAUL RUTHERFORD "in Backward Times" (1979-2007) Emanem 5045

Four very different concert settings featuring sensational performances by trombonist PAUL RUTHERFORD:
two festival solos - one from 1979 with electronics and the other from 2004 without;
a 1988 duo with PAUL ROGERS (double bass) a few months before their ROGUES CD;
and from 2007 a trio with VERYAN WESTON (piano) and MARCIO MATTOS (cello & electronics)
- a very promising group, except that this turned out to be Rutherford's last public appearnance.
All previously unissued. 76 minutes.

 

The above release of Gruppo Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza is actually a reissue of a two CD + one DVD release from Italy's 'Die Schachtel' (2007),

Ten years later we'll get 4 CDs or 5 LPs plus a DVD (and a 64p. booklet in LP format) or both.

The DVD contains a German documentary (b/w) on the group. Filmed in 1967 the documentary is an unknown classic. Do they still produce films like this one?

 

I've encountered the above release a month ago.

It's Agustí Fernández, Peter Valsamis and two canadian musicians previously unknown to me (shame on me). Wonderful free improvisation with a saxophonist who according Stuart Broomer might have had Lee Konitz as a role-model. But Yves Charuest and bassist Nicolas Caloia are all their own on this highly recommended CD/download.

The CD "Stir" was also the reason I discovered this 1988 Vancouver recording on  bandcamp - download only.

 

Last year I got an email from ECM. They've 'found' a wealth of LPs from their early catalogue believed to be OOP, in their vaults. Immediately I've ordered about 100 items from several groups/musicians for the shop (Among the treasures was f.e. the first pressing of Jarrett's Köln Concert. I've ordered all remining stock - about a dozen LPs - sold after a few days).
For myself I took 'Endgame' with John Stevens, Barry Guy, Trevor Watts and Howard Riley.
But at home I discovered that the vinyl was beyond repair - so to say. I knew they had only 7 items of this release. Two were sold at our shop, one (mine) was defect and four remained - or were they gone?
After a quick telephone call with ECM the rate of my heart's rythmn dropped considerably.
A few days later I went to ECM's headquarter at the outskirts of Munich. After climbing to the first floor I met Steve Lake. Among other things I asked him wether he's producing "something" new.
He mentioned a Roscoe Mitchell Nonet (or tentet..) - and here it is.
Already on my list for >Best of 2017<.

Marching Song vol. 1 + 2 are a classic of British creative Jazz from the 1960s. This three CD box-set not only offers remastered versions of the two LPs but also sextet/quartet renderings of some themes of the greater line-up.
From 1966 and 1970 with Surman (sextet only) and Mike Osborne. Also added a rare 7" with Norma Winstone and the Concert Band. Includes a very informative booklet.

As the sub-title suggests 'Cappuccini Klang 2' is the previously unreleased second part of a 1992 recording session. It was offered as download only on bandcamp somewhat unnoticed in 2013.
The original CD was edited by Splasc(H) Records which - BTW - is active again.

Some of the above mentioned recordings are not 'Upcoming + Recent' releases. But I do not care as long as the music is as original and revelatory as on the double CD "Retrospective" by the Al Neil Trio.
Al Neil was unknown to me before Nick posted Neil's solo LP on this blog.
Many words but only one necessary step > Get it! Get It! as long as the one time pressing lasts.
My highest recommendation.

BERNT ROSENGREN BIG BAND - FIRST MOVES (EMI, 1977)

A1. Manhattan Reflections
A2. You've Changed
A3. My Song Is Blue
A4. Felicidade

B1. First Moves
B2. Det Finns (So Many Things)
B3. Beat Me Again
B4. Meaning Of The Blues
B5. Give Me Peace


Gunnar Bergsten, baritone saxophone
Torbjörn Hultcrantz, bass
Lars Bagge, bassoon, horn
Lennart Jansson, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano, alto and baritone saxophone
Johnny Martinez, congas
René Martinez, congas
Sabu Martinez, congas
Lars Färnlöf, cornet, flugelhorn
Leif Wennerström, drums
Bernt Rosengren, flute, alto and tenor saxophone
Tommy Koverhult, English horn, soprano and tenor saxophone
Okay Temiz, percussion
Claes-Göran Fagerstedt, piano
Bobo Stenson, piano, electric piano
Anders Lindskog, tenor saxophone
Jan Jansson, trombone
Janus Miezek, trombone
Lars Olofsson, trombone
Lennart Löfgren, trombone
Sven Larsson, bass trombone
Björn Borg, trumpet
Bertil Lövgren, trumpet, flugelhorn
Maffy Falay, trumpet, flugelhorn
Nannie Porres, vocals
Bennie Svensson, vocals


Recorded April 12-15, 1977, at EMI Studios, Stockholm, Sweden.

EMI ‎– 7C 062-35428

LP Rip

THE ARTISTS' JAZZ BAND ‎– DOUBLE ALBUM (ISAACS GALLERY & MUSIC GALLERY EDITIONS, 1973)

A. Looks Like Snow

B. Is It Addicting? (A Love Song)

C. Raynershine

D. Markle-O-Slow

from Cafe Le Hibou Recollections; Denis Faulkner

Gordon Rayner, art director

Terry Forster, bass

Jim Jones, electric bass

Michael Snow, piano, celeste, flugelhorn, trumpet, whistling

Nobuo Kubota, soprano, alto & baritone saxophone

Robert Markle, tenor saxophone, electric piano

Graham Coughtry, trombone

Harvey Cowan, violin

Photo: John Reeves, 1965

Recorded June 1973 at Eastern Sound, Toronto, except "Mark-O-Slow" recorded live at the University of Windsor, March 1973.

Isaacs Gallery & Music Gallery Editions, no number

LP Rip