Lacy's ,Greatest Japanese lp (IMO, not that i've heard them all), and a very strong Contender for Best Lacy record period !
this was without a doubt one of his very best bands, the searing ecstatic almost unbearable intensity of most of this set ,is unusual and not often found in Lacys ouevre
Even on 'Free'classics like forrest and the zoo,and Roba, lacy is often restrained ,dry analytical , and sounding slightly detached.
Here we have some of his most violently expressionistic gestural playing on record, all while maintaining the spacious and uncluttered character of this sequence of Japanese records...
This definitive version of Deadline , is incredibly haunting ,Ikeda, Yoshizawa and Midorikawa hazily shimmering beneath some opiated distant glimpse of a slowly submerging dissapearing floating world ..
Unique and very beautiful....
S
"This album has a very dark mood, especially with the arco basses and the dissonant piano. The percussion too adds to the mood.
Every one plays well and interprets Lacy's composistions in a way that works exclusively with the selected sideman. If the album was recorded with his regular group at the time (Abei, Potts, Few, Carter, Johnson) it would have been completely different."
'prospectus', (from the comments to our initial mp3 post)
Steve Lacy Sextet-THE WIRE,
1/ The Twain (Lacy) 6:31
2/ Esteem (Lacy) 8:40
3/ The Owl (Lacy) 4:17
4/ The Wire (Lacy) 4:58
5/ Cloudy (Lacy) 6:12
6/ Dead Line (Lacy) 8:06
Recorded at Nippon Columbia's 1st Studio, Tokyo, June 18, 1975
Steve Lacy: soprano saxophone
Masahiko Satoh: piano
Masahiko Togashi: percussion
Keiki Midorikawa: cello, bass
Yoshio Ikeda: bass
Motoharu Yoshizawa: bass
1977 - Denon Jazz (Japan), YX 7553 (LP)
Note: (3) is a duo with Steve Lacy and Masahiko Togashi.
This brings tears to an old clowns'eyes! Never been able to get this, but tried hard for almost 3 decades. Bozo has a friend in Japan,who gets sick of being asked 4 times a year, "has "The Wire" come out yet?"
ReplyDeleteLacy's Japanese supergroup,all superb musicians, can't wait to hear it!
Writing in to comments while watching THAT METAL SHOW on VH1 Classic- if only we had a show like that [but better!]for us!
My roommate and saw this record at "Peaches" and debated who would own the record. I lost the coin flip, but got to listen as often as I liked. That was over 30 years ago. Lacy has been an obsession since those days. Thanks for the killer post. The Lacy series has been incredible.
ReplyDeleteWarm thanks for the flac upgrade, Sotise. Out of everything in the huge Lacy discography, this record is simply OUTSTANDING.
ReplyDeleteIn 1982, an English music magazine named itself after this record. It's a shame that The Wire's employees and contributors were not obliged to listen to this record every morning, before getting down to work. What a fine magazine they could then have produced!
big warm thanks, sotise!! i love your highly personal and enthusiastic reviews :))))
ReplyDeleteYou're forcing me to re-listen Lacy, sotise. Thank you so much for that. You helped me realize how sloppy I was in comprehending how deep Lacy can reach.
ReplyDeletealways THANK YOU for all those Lacy releases, i'm an enthusiast.
ReplyDeleteLong life and music to all!!!
poseuRRome
Finally! Thank you so much. I only had a truncated mp3 version (one of the very few I did keep) - now playing with upgraded sound for the second time.
ReplyDeleteEasily one of my three favourite Lacy recordings - have to listen the other two again.
Big hugs from the just vanished lucid and colorful autumn light.
Perfect.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU SOTISE.
(Is it just my ears or are there echoes of this to be found in the '4 Edges' on 'Ballets'?)
Wow! I'd lost track of my mp3 copy going from harddrive to harddrive, so this comes as a very welcome treat! Loved the review, love the performances here. Thanks much!
ReplyDeleteglad you folks are enjoying it... ive relistened 4 or 5 times... and simply never tire of it, would love to see this reissued in some form , properly packaged ... A vinyl reissue would be great ..
ReplyDeleteim certain , more than a few people, who have downloaded this would purchase it..
its simply unbelievable that such , an original session by a major creative force ,has simply dissapeared.
is possible the mp3 downgrade?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Thank you much, Sotise! What would be really great would be a box set comprising his 1970s Japanese recordings, to sit alongside his wonderful "Scratching the Seventies."
ReplyDeletethanks sotise
ReplyDelete@longbranch A box set is an excellent idea. It may actually make more financial sense for the record company.
ReplyDeleteHey,
ReplyDeleteAble to get a re-up? Megaupload is kaput!
Regardless, thank you for this excellent blog. I thought I was alone in my love for Motoharu Yoshizawa.
Best,
b.
@Putney Swope(Great Film BTW) I'LL re-up soon, keep your eyes peeled!
ReplyDeleteIf anyone is willing to send the FLAC files to me for this album, I would be very happy and appreciative. The megaupload.com site is no longer available, so I can't get the music there. This album has been OOP for decades and I doubt that a record label will reissue it, so I'd really like to get the FLAC files. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteFlac , web pics
ReplyDeletehttps://mega.co.nz/#!5NdjyC5L!HPK4Hj19NXd5fjhMlG-MXxVV7G0a8SZoDTpxDvG_o_Y
Thank you very much, SOTISE!
ReplyDeleteI missed it the first time, thank you
ReplyDeleteSotise
really royal gift.
ReplyDeletethanks a lot!
BIG THX!...
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for this rare album.
ReplyDeleteAny chance you'd be willing to re-upload this, Sotise? Thanks for all the simply incredible work that you do. I never tire of the music you post and your adroit commentary!
ReplyDeleteAny chance you'd be willing to re-upload this, Sotise? Thanks for all of your marvelous posts, both the music and your commentary.
ReplyDeleteYep - tomorrow night I'll add a new link.
ReplyDelete1fichier
ReplyDeleteBIG THX!...
ReplyDeleteSuper thanks!
ReplyDelete