A few more ...

A few more of those French ads from the 70's featuring free players. The most surrealistic being the last one, advertising the availabilty of Ayler, Shepp, Ra and Sanders records in all "Euromarchés", a French hypermarket chain !

P.

Cecil Taylor Unit, The Power Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; 15th April, 1976

In April, sotise posted a stunning Cecil Taylor Unit concert from Berlin in November 1975. This concert is from six months later, and has moments that are equally powerful - the sheer force of Jimmy Lyons' alto in the first section, and his interplay with Cecil and David S Ware, is breathtaking. The recording is from an FM broadcast and is also very good. Many thanks to abbcccus for reseeding this recently on dime.

Cecil Taylor Unit

The Power Center Michigan State University at Ann Arbor

15th April, 1976

Original broadcast WCBN-FM / National Public Radio "Jazz Alive"

Cecil Taylor - piano

Jimmy Lyons - alto saxophone

David S. Ware - tenor saxophone

Raphe Malik - trumpet

Marc Edwards - drums

1 Improvisation [32:10]

2 Cecil Taylor announcement [00:18]

3 Petals (incomplete) [13:46]

Anthony Braxton Diamond Curtain Wall Quartet - Besançon & Moscow - June 2008

Here are two good audience recordings from recent concerts in Europe by the Anthony Braxton Diamond Curtain Wall Quartet. (Many thanks to the tapers and seeders on dime - blackforest and decade). 

There is a short clip on youtube of the Moscow concert which gives a good feel for the interplay between the group and the atmosphere of that concert. Overall it's the recording I like best, as the music is closest to the ghost trance music of the Iridium set. By contrast, the Besançon concert makes much greater use of 'noise', in the manner of the Wolf Eyes music, which I like less - even though I suppose it is a natural extension of the drone which underpins much of GTM. (Having said that, much of the music is still astonishing).

Opéra Théatre de Besançon; 27th June,2008
DOM Cultural Center, Moscow; 29th June, 2008

Anthony Braxton - reeds and laptop
Taylor Ho Bynum - brass (trumpets, cornet, trombone)
Mary Halvorson - electric guitar
Katherine Young - bassoon

New Movements in jazz (Nederlands radio transcription service 87.073/076) disc 2, Ernst Glerum's -New Klookabilities ,FLAC and LAME

FROM THE LINER NOTES..
"Ernst Glerum (b.1955) is a bass player with one of the best Dutch orchestras: J. C TANS and THE ROCKETS, and also composes much of the band’s material. The quality of this and other work caused the NOS to invite his composition for the 1986 Festival. Glerum chose to write for an eleven piece orchestra, the members of which were brought together especially for the occasion. The resulting music was a wonderful combination of traditional music forms and playing techniques and contemporary improvised music. The band consisted of: 1 trumpet, 1 trombone, 1 tuba, 3 reeds, piano, electric guitar, bass and two drummers. Glerum added to these already manifold talents of composer, leader and basist, by playing a minature electric organ, the Philicorda, which had been marketed for home use some years before and which under the magic touch of Glerum emitted some splendidly silly sounds. To emphasize the traditional element within the music Glerum called the band New Klookabilities, a name derived from “KLOOK” the nickname of the late Kenny Clarke."


Michael Moore Clarinet/altosaxaphone
Sean Bergin altosaxaphone
Frank Nielander alto-/tenorsaxaphone
Horst Grabosch trumpet
Walter Wierbos trombone
Larry Fishkind tuba
Michiel Braam piano/celesta
Jorg Lehnardt guitar
Ernst Glerum bass/philicorda/leader/composer
Han Bennink drums/percussion
Peter Prommel percussion


Side AGirofonetica 28’14”
- Swolch 17’35”
- Fly-over 10’38”
Side BGyrodrome 7’05”
Do the Pip/
Mob the Mob 6’10”
Gyroscope 5’33”
All compositions by Ernst Glerum
Recorded on August 21st, 1986 at the Meervaart in Amsterdam

JOHN STEVENS - SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE (aka ‘Oliv’) (MARMALADE, 1969)

A Friend ,who wants to remain anonymous has sent me this.

John Stevens – Spontaneous Music Ensemble (aka ‘Oliv’)
Kenny Wheeler (fh), Trevor Watts (as), Johnny Dyani (b), John Stevens (perc), Maggie Nicols (voc), Pepi Lemer (voc),
Carolann Nicholls (voc). Rec. by Eddie Offord at Advision Studio, London, February 7th, 1969.
Waiting for Giorgio 14’02 unissued
add Derek Bailey (g), Peter Lemer (p)
Waiting for Giorgio 22’50 –
Oliv I (Stevens/Nicols) 19’33 Marmalade 608008/Polydor 2384 009 (lp)
all out except Watts, Dyani, Stevens, Nicols
Oliv II (Stevens/Nicols) 16’02 Marmalade 608008/Polydor 2384 009 (lp)

This is almost folk like , very different to the pointilism derided as plink plonk scratch by detractors, which characterises most of their out put.

many thanks to the friend

enjoy!!

E.Parker,J.Edwards, L.moholo-(in memoriam Paul Rutherford)TOTAL MUSIC MEETING BERLIN 01.-04.11.2007 FLAC and LAME

Heres another great concert originating from dime.
great sound ...as good as any official recordings by Parkers regular trios..many thanks to H, and the taper/seeder /traders!!
sound quality is superb.

TOTAL MUSIC MEETING 01.-04.11.2007
Berlinische Galerie, Alte Jakobstr. 124-128in Memoriam Paul Rutherford

Evan Parker.....ts John Edwards.....b Louis Moholo-Moholo.....dr
friday concert: 2007-11-02 (45:44)


1) 38:592) 6:42
saturday concert: 2007-11-03 (50:52)1) 44:102) 6:42
total: 96 min


as for recommending a favourite official release, its a tough call because they are invariably good.
one that i listen to a lot is emanem's live at the vortex emanem 4022
http://www.emanemdisc.com/E4022.html

Circle - Nefertiti - Live Bergamo March 1971

This comes as a liberated track from a bootleg Chick Corea compilation LP, seeded by inamorata (many thanks to him for letting it out). The original lineage is not clear, probably an FM broadcast, good quality. I don't worship at Braxton's shrine, but I do like this.

Details:-

Circle
March 19, 1971
Third International Jazz Parade at Bergamo Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo (Italy)

Anthony Braxton, sss & as
Chick Corea, p
Dave Holland, b & cello
Barry Altschul, dr & perc

01 Nefertiti (Wayne Shorter) 17:42

I guess someone, somewhere has the remainder of this recorded concert. Anyway, it's a track to add to the Hamburg concert recently posted.

As it's only a short recording, I'm posting in Flac only, link in comments.

How often do we see the image of free jazz musicians being used to sell something else than their own records ?

Vintage Selmer ads from the back covers of early 70's French jazz magazines. No music in this post, just those nice pictures from another time !

P.

TTT featuring A.R. Penck "TTT Live! Konzert Basel" (ca. 1984, not cat. number) FLAC & MP3-320

Next number is our Penck series, this one features Frank Lowe & Louis Moholo (side B only).

Info from Rick Lopez's discography :

TTT featuring A.R. Penck: TTT Live! Konzert Basel

no issue # (LP) (SW) --issue # of "A 0022" is given by some sources, but is not seen anywhere on the recording itself.

ca. 1984 / Museum Für Gegenwartskunst, Basel, Switzerland

1. First Gig Studio Fawe Street
2. What about JAZZ today!

A. R. Penck (fender piano, drums)
Heinz Wollny (bass)
Frank Wollny (guitar)
Frank Lowe (tenor sax)
Louis Moholo (drums)

* Penck is credited w/ drums on front cover, piano on back.


Enjoy,
Pierre

Frank Wright - Run with the cowboys

Continuing the Frank Wright series and his 80s recordings, this is a private lp release that was recorded at Studio Fawe Street. London E14. No date is given for this recording.

The line-up is as follows:

Frank Wright - tenor sax, vocals
Frank Wollny - guitar
Peter Kowald - acoustic bass
Coen Alberts - drums
A.R. Penck - el-piano, flute, vocals

Tracks:

1) Run with the cowboys
2) Do you like it (part 1)
3) An other day
4) Do you like it (part 2)

The back sleeve reports only one track on side 2, but a closer inspection of the record reveals that there is indeed a second track, which turns out to be a continuation of "Do you like it". For sake of convenience, I've split side 2 into two separate tracks.

New to this record is that Heinz Wollny is recording, but not playing, and Peter Kowald has been brought in to take care of bass duties and Coen Alberts to man the drums which is all for the better, in my view.

There's much more of a consolidated group sound here centered on the Wright - Kowald - Alberts trio and Frank Wollny, the most accomplished of the TTT lot, falls in nicely with the "outside" trio. Mr. Penck dabbles on el-piano throughout and is more of a distraction than a genuine contributor, but if you manage to somehow abstract from his "contributions", the record is not at all bad, not the least due to the presence of Wright and Kowald.

Three longish pieces (one split in two) and quite free-wheeling, this is the best I've heard so far of the Wright-Penck collaborations and certainly much better than the Ulm gig, posted here earlier. That said, I haven't heard all yet ...

Don Cherry-John Tchicai - Live Nyon 1980

Details:

Don Cherry - John Tchicai - Group
1980-May-30

Nyon, Switzerland,Jazzfestival 1980

Don Cherry,tp,melodica

John Tchicai,as,ss,voc

Irene Schweizer,p

Leon Francioli,b

Pierre Favre,dr

1 Title (fade-out) 38:15

2 Announcement Speaker 0:22
Total Time: 38:37

This is a good quality radio broadcast. Thanks to seeder and taper.

MP3 and Flac links in comments.

New Movements in Jazz disc 1 ,1987, ICP orchestra plays Herbie Nichols (radio nederlands transcription service, 87.073/076) FLAC and LAME

Here’s some more icp , recorded live in 1983 and preserved by the netherlads radio transcription service, subsequently released as disc 1 of a 4 lp set called ‘new movements in jazz’. This is for J a friend who likes his Herbie Nichols. I have unfortunately not been able to find any references to this set on line, nor can I find appropriate scans or photos , my scanner is broken and I simply cannot afford to replace it. If anyone owns this and would like to share some scans of the extensive notes that go with the package ,please do so in the comments. I’ll be uploading the other lp’s in the set soon.

this is a particular favourite of mine ,as good as Nichols repertory gets, all of the arrangements are by mengelberg. By icp standards this may strike some as being too reverentially straight. I guess it hinges on just how much one likes nichols’s music . The info is not included in the files

NEW MOVEMENTS IN JAZZ: various artists This 4xLP set features ICP Orchestra & Guest soloists, Contraband, New Klookabilities, Maarten Altena Octet.


Program 1: ICP Orchestra & Guest soloists

1/ Gig (Nichols, Mengelberg) 9:50
2/ Houseparty starting (Nichols, Mengelberg) 5:35
3/ Blue chopsticks (Nichols, Mengelberg)
3:38
4/ Change of seas on (Nichols, Mengelberg) 5:44
5/ Happenings (Nichols, Mengelberg) 5:26
6/ Hangover triangle (Nichols, Mengelberg) 9:13
7/ Step tempest (Nichols, Mengelberg) 4:38
8/ 12 bars (Nichols, Mengelberg) 6:45


Recorded at Meervaart, Amsterdam on August 13, 1983



George Lewis: trombone;
Steve Lacy: soprano; Kent Carter: bass; Misha Mengelberg: piano; Han Bennink: drums; Michael Moore: reeds; Sean Bergin: reeds; Paul Termos: reeds; Wolter Wierbos: trombone; Garret List: trombone; Larry Fishkind: tuba; Maurice Hortsthuis: viola; Ernst Reijseger: cello.

1987 (?) - Radio Netherlands Transcription Service, 87.073-6 (4xLP)

Frank Wright in Ulm 1990

Following Pierre's posting and jumping ahead in time, this is in all likelihood the last extant recording of Frank Wright. He died on 17 May 1990 and according to the information I've got, this was recorded on 4 March.

It was made at the Galerie Holm in the South German town of Ulm on the occasion of an exhibition of A.R. Penck's graphical works. It's quite obviously an amateur recording, under less than ideal conditions and with quite a bit of chatter in between and during tracks.

Checking the Penck discography at http://www.bb10k.com/PENCK.html, it appears that there is a cd release of this date and the above cd covers are taken from that release. I haven't been able to trace that release on-line which presumably would have sounded much better.

At this point, the band was down to Wright on sax and vocals, Frank Wollny on el-bass and Mr. Penck himself on drums. I've never been a fan of Penck the drummer. I find his style cluttery and clattery, and Wollny does a fair enough job on bass. So this is really for Frank Wright completists, but who isn't?

Quite a reverby recording, no known tunes except track 4 which is "Jerry", somewhat of a Frank Wright staple. It first appeared in a trio format on "The Earth", his debut album for ESP back in the sixties and later in a quartet format with piano on "Shouting the Blues", an album released in France in the late seventies.

Not much point in doing a flac of this one, imho, so only high-quality mp3s in the comments section.

The next one will be better, I promise!

Saheb Sarbib Quartet UFO! On Tour

Saheb Sarbib Quartet UFO! Live On Tour

1981 Cadence Records

Recorded Live in 1979

Saheb Sarbib bass, piano and shenai (an Asian oboe-like instrument)
Mark Whitecage alto saxophone (right channel)
Daunik Lazro alto saxophone (left channel)
Martin Bues drums

1. One For Mo (dedicated to Muhammad Ali) (Sarbib)
2. Egypt (Sarbib)
3. UFO (Sarbib)
4. Between C&D (Sarbib)

This is a wonderful live recording, with the bass, drums and two saxes line-up that Sarbib seemed to prefer. This was a new recording to me, although I know his Soul Note releases from the same period. I'm again indebted to Dale, bits of whose collection I'm letting loose to those who'll give the material a listen. As I work through the records Dale's shared with me I am beginning to realise what a man of good judgment he is. Most of the LPs he's shared are new to me, but they all contain truly marvelous music. I've been playing them on tight rotation for several weeks. My comments are based upon these recent experiences.

Sarbib is a driving bass-player, who writes angular and abstract themes which the saxophonists obviously enjoy playing no end. The double alto front line is an interesting one, and works well, especially as the stereo allocations allow the listener to hear who's playing at any one time. Whitecage plays on one of the Soul Note releases, but it's long-term associate Lazro who really impresses especially on the opening track. Bues seems to understand every twist and turn that Sarbib makes, and I had a big grin on my face for most of the time I listened to the two of them tumble around. I'm a sucker for such playing.

The LP's cover contains the transcript of an interesting, and at times playfully combative, interview with Sarbib by Bob Rusch from Cadence Magazine. There's quite a bit to learn about the bassist here, even when he is being purposely illusive. The middle eastern sounds that come through the themes and the band's playing seem to be something to do with Sarbib's origins, and his fluency in fusing the tightness of bands in the jazz tradition with free playing, Asian and African influences owe a lot to being the son of a jazz musician and studying widely across the world's music. I'd certainly like to hear more from the man, whose music I only have a small sample of, and I'm completely ignorant about his European work and US-based big bands. The origins of 'One for Mo' are clear; 'Egypt' is the strongest articulation of the North African themes in his work; and 'UFO' describes the landing of a craft from another world. It's the most textual of all the tracks. 'Between C&D' isn't a musical reference as I first thought, but named for the Manhattan 10th Street loft of John Betch, whom Sarbib has played with. Whitecage has his strongest playing here, with twining, bluesy lines forming round mellow bass and percussion. When Lazro, solos the band go into overdrive, and then sit back and admire all that they have achieved, prod it some more, and then let Sarbib have pretty traditional solos, before a jolly ensemble out. The audience are strangely reserved, possibly not familiar with the music. I'm guessing it was recorded in Europe, possibly France.

It's a joy throughout.

Expect more goodies soon.

TTT featuring A.R. Penck "Catch the dollar" (unknown date, MPO LP-BB 13/UTOPIA) FLAC & MP3-320

Part two of our Penck series, this time featuring Frank Wright & Butch Morris. Info from Rick Lopez's discography :

TTT featuring A.R. Penck: New York, New York [Catch The Dollar]

music corporation MPO LP-BB 13/UTOPIA (LP)

Date ? / Venue ?

1. New York, New York!!
2. Catch the dollar!
3. Proof and search!

Frank Wright (sax; vocals)
Butch Morris (cornet)
Frank Wollny (guitar)
Heinz Wollny (bass)
A.R. Penck (drums, Cover Art)
[Butch Morris also erroneously credited w/ "sax and vocal" at www.avantgart.com/Schall-Penck.htm]

Trilogue Live!

Review by Thom Jurek

For those of you looking for some funky, chunky, Jaco Pastorius jams, this isn't the place. For those looking for extremely free playing where Mangelsdorff's trombone runs wild and chaotic, this isn't it either. For the fusion freaks entranced by Alphonse Mouzon's skittering drum work that stops and starts on a sliver of light, best look elsewhere. For the rest, who are seeking great jazz in any configuration, this just might be your ticket. Recorded at the Berlin Jazz Days in 1976 and originally issued on LP while Pastorius was at the height of his tenure with Weather Report and playing an all-Mangelsdorff selection, this trio delivers an inspired performance that relies on timing, virtuosity, and a little humor for its bread and butter. The title track is the opener, and its slight abstraction is quickly replaced by Pastorius suggesting the frame of the melody to his counterparts, who pick it up and glide. On "Zores Mores," knotty little post-bop lines are woven into an easy framework of Mouzon's dancing hands and a solid yet very flexible interplay between the trombonist and Pastorius' ever-inquisitive basslines. The shimmering tension between the trio's members is all heat on "Accidental Meeting," the closest piece to pure abstraction here, but Mangelsdorff insists on, at the very least, the articulation of jazz formalism. "Foreign Fun" starts out like surreal circus music, but quickly walks the razor's edge between Weather Report's more adventurous material and noirish jazz. The set closes with the groaning humor of "Ant Steps on Elephant's Toe," a bumping, bubbling, dub-style cut that features Mangelsdorff blowing fully out of the blues and Pastorius playing the very best Aston Barrett he can. The dub effect gives way to funk about halfway through, and Mouzon becomes animated, doubling and tripling his cohorts in a joyful dance of curiosity and discovery. This cut is street-tough, plenty nasty, and leaves the audience -- and listeners too, no doubt -- begging for more. 

Trilogue - Live : Live "Berlin Jazz Festival", Berlin, November 6, 1976

Albert Mangelsdorff, tb/Jaco Pastorius, eb/Alphonse Mouzon, perc. 

01 Trilogue 

02 Zores Mores 

03Foreign fun 

04 Accidental meeting 

05 Ant steps on an elephant's toe 

MP3s links  in comments, if interested, ape or flacs would be offered.

Beryl Booker Quintet with Miles Davis - Birdland, 26th April, 1952

This short (12 minute) FM broadcast appeared on dime over the weekend (thanks to natefrawg), and I thought I'd share it here as it is very listenable and has a lot of music, despite average to poor sound - in fact, the sound very much adds to the atmosphere.

Beryl Booker Quintet (w/ Miles Davis)
26th April, 1952
Birdland, New York

Source: FM Broadcast

Miles Davis (tpt)
Don Elliot (vb, mellophone)
Chuck Wayne (g)
Beryl Booker (p)
Clyde Lombardi (b)
Connie Kay (d)

01 Radio intro (0:17)
02 Rifftide (4:11) (not Lady Be Good, according to dime cognoscenti)
03 Introduction (0:24)
04 It Could Happen to You (4:32)
05 Introduction (0:13)
06 Wee Dot (2:13)
07 Announcer talking over Birks' Works (0:39) (again, identified by joerg from dime)

Details of this unissued radio session are also to be found here.

TTT featuring A.R. Penck "3 + 2 = XXXXX" (1984, music corporation) FLAC & MP3-320

As promised, we start a little series of Penck LPs posts. This one as already been up on Church Number 9 but is presented here in flac & high quality mp3.

Info from Rick Lopez's discography :

TTT featuring A.R. Penck : 3 + 2 = XXXXX

music corporation (LP) 1984

May 27, 1984 / Dimensional Sound Studio, New York City

1. We Met Frank and Butch in Town
2. Our Sound Unity

Frank Wright (sax, voice)
Butch Morris (cornet)
Frank Wollny (guitar)
Heinz Wollny (bass)
A. R. Penck (drums, Cover Art)


If any of you knows how all these sessions came about, we'd be very interested to know.

Enjoy,
Pierre

Elton Dean's Newsense - FM Broadcast Berlin 1997

Details:

ELTON DEAN’S NEWSENSE
Berlin Jazzfest
07 November 1997

FM radio broadcast

Elton Dean: alto sax, saxello
Roswell Rudd: trombone
Paul Rutherford: trombone
Annie Whitehead: trombone
Jim Dvorak: trumpet
Alex McGuire: piano
Marcio Mattos: cello
Paul Rogers: bass
Mark Sanders: drums


Perhaps the most widely-known fact about Elton was that he gave half his name to a budding popstar legend. For those who don't know the story - in the 60s Elton co-led a band along with blues singer Long John Baldry. The band's pianist took half his professional name from each of these guys and went on to fame and fortune (whether these were deserved is a matter I won't get into).

Elton was an early member (though not a founder) of Soft Machine, and with the Soft Machine Legacy which was a reunion band formed around 2002. In the intervening years he played in numerous free jazz groups along with Keith Tippett and others in that circle. Newsense, which was put together in 1997 is a little unusual in having three trombonists, led by the great Roswell Rudd. Rutherford worked frequently with Elton in Keith Tippett's band, and Annie Whitehead is the best female British trombonist around.

The numbers on this concert are an interesting mixture of free group improvisation and big band arrangements. The brass blend together extremely well.

The guy who seeded this on dime (can't remember his moniker, but my thanks to him and to the original taper) did so on the second anniversary of Elton's death in 2006. Sadly, last August, Paul Rutherford also passed away. I think this recording is a fitting trubute to them both.

Sound quality on this FM recording is excellent. MP3 and Flac links in comments.

Ted Daniel: In The Beginning

,


Ted Daniel: In The Beginning

1. Greeting (Ted Daniel)
2. Illusions (Arthur Blythe)
3. Folley (Charles Tyler)
4. Hassan (Oliver Lake)

Recorded at Studio We, New York City on April 12, 1975 (tracks 1&2) & May 21, 1975 (tracks 3&4). Released on CD in 1997.

Altura Music ALT1-412755217525

April 12, 1975 (tracks 2&4)
Ted Daniel (tp), Oliver Lake (as), Arthur Blythe (as), David Murray (ts), Charles Tyler (bs), Hassan Dawkins (ss), Kappo Umezu (as, bcl), Richard Dunbar (french hn), Melvin Smith (g), Tatsuya Nakamura (perc, tubular d)

May 21, 1975 (tracks 1&3)
Richard Dunbar (fh), Ahmed Abdullah (tp), Ted Daniel (tp), Charles Stephens (tb), Charles Tyler (bs), Kappo Umezu (as, bc), Hassan Dawkins (ss), Danny Carter (ts), Tatsuya Nakamura (perc, tubular d), Steve Reid (traps), Richard Pierce (b), Melvin Smith (g).

This may well be David Murray's first commercial recording. It also features a host of players who went on to define the late 1970s New York loft jazz scene. The CD included a short essay by Daniel on the music and its context. It seems to imply that these recordings were not previously available.

The ensemble was a horn-heavy big band characteristic of the time. I have to admit that I bought the record as part of my attempt to collect everything David Murray had recorded, but the music is perhaps as interesting for the contributions of others, and it's value is in what it tells us about the time. You'll need to make a little effort to listen to this, as it seems to have been recorded from a single mic in a largish room. However, the mastering is good, and the playing always interesting.

Daniel says he conceived of 'Greeting' as part of a suite, with this part conveying majesty. There's solos from Daniel and Lake, and it seems that the written theme was liberally interpreted by the players with some conducting from Daniel.

The far more interesting 'Illusions', seems to be a wander through the history of big band playing. As the journey unfolds we move through ensemble work, improvisation amongst sections, and some solos. Murray opens the solos, and although many of his mannerisms are apparent, and the gospel top notes shriek out, he integrates this with other horns, responding to their interjections. There's some great trio playing against a horn section riff. The ideas for the WSQ are apparent here. Blythe is clearly more accomplished at this point, and I love the duet with Melvin Smith's guitar. It's like ten pieces of music bundled into one.

Tyler's 'Folly' is very military and vaudeville at the same time. Some ensemble work and horn soloing gives way to a guitar-led cacophony cut through with percussion. there's less variety in this over twenty minute piece.

'Hassan' features Murray as the new boy on the block. It's my favorite here. Lot's of variety, multiple short solos integrate into a textural flow, which regularly congeals into a swinging ensemble style which then slowly unwinds again. It's easy to see from this track why Murray made such a quick impression on his arrival in New York; even amongst players with more experience on the scene.

This is more an intriguing snapshot in time than a classic recording, but I hope you enjoy it.

John Carter & Bobby Bradford quartet- secrets 1972 (revelation lp 18)FLAC & lame

many thanks to "serviceton" for providing this wonderful album, i am grateful to have a clean and intact version of this.
on the day that i bought my copy 15 years ago from a second hand record store ,there i was smugly walking back to the train station thinking what a lucky score to have nabbed it in mint condition for a few bucks , when suddenly i bumped into a pole and dropped the bag the lp was in , it fell hard onto the concrete and subsequently rolled into the gutter , chipping the edge making the first track on either side unplayable.

serviceton says
“2 records were released on Revelation Records by the Carter / Bradford group.
The 1st, from 1969 and credited to the New Art Jazz Ensemble was entitled 'Seeking' and is the record that was re-released by HatArt on the early 90's.

The *other* Revelation LP came out in 1972, and is titled "Secrets'. It's never been put on CD, which is a pity as it's a warm & intelligent jazz record.

the personnel is
john carter- clarinet, alto sax
Bobby Bradford- tpt,
nate morgan or bill henderson- pno
Louis Spears or Henry Franklin- db
Ndugu or Bruz Freeman- dr


btw/ if there's any demand serviceton and i , both have more out of print john carter material.

enjoy!!

Joe McPhee "The Willisau Concert" (1975, hat Hut B) FLAC & MP3-320

To complement Dale & Wallofsound recent McPhee posts, here is the second Hat Hut release. Standing between "Black Magic Man" and "Tenor" is not an easy place for a record in a discography but this one fits quite well. The formation is a trio, with McPhee playing tenor and soprano, John Snyder on synthesizer and processed voice, and South African Makaya Ntshoko on drums. For those who don't like synthesizers, be warned that it is not used here as a gimmick or as decoration. It has a very big, uncompressed sound typical of the experiments of the 70's and at times it feels like it is the center point of the music, at least in terms of sound mass.

It has been a long time since I posted on Inconstant Sol so expect a lot of nice material in the near future. In the meantime, hope you enjoy this one.

Pierre


Note : I wanted to post K. Curtis Lyle & Julius Hemphill until now very rare "Collected Poems for Blind Lemon Jefferson" M'Bari LP as a complement to "Dogon A.D." but I found out that it has been reissued by Ikef records. The label does not seem to have a web site but is widely distributed.

FRANK LOWE / GRACHAN MONCUR QUARTET - WALTHAM MASS. (BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY) April 11 1985

Heres another magnificent frank Lowe concert, from the same period (1985) as his great soul note album ‘decision in paradise’.
The great trombonist and composer Grachan Moncur is also featured on this electrifying date.
Pretty sure the first few tracks are in fact Moncur compositions from the classic Blue Note album “some other stuff” ( I don’t have it with me so I can't confirm that with certainty).
Its great to hear the under recorded master Donald Rafael Garrett on double bass here.
(garrett was a multi instrumentalist and instrument maker who played clarinets , wood flutes ,and piano as well as being a monster bassist).

An electrifying gig.. though it has to be mentioned that most of the playing here is more in lowe’s freebop / modal bag , than some of his more all out free sessions.
For all that it's no less passionate and inspired.
Thanks to H., and the taper /seeder traders.

This show is in superb sound.

Frank Lowe Quartet
Waltham, Mass. (USA)
Brandeis University
April 11, 1985


Frank Lowe, ts, vocal
Grachan Moncur III, tb
Donald Garrett, b
Waren Benbow, dr

1) 12:35 u.t.
2) 10:36 u.t.
3) 08:45 I Didn´t Know What Time It Was
4) 13:27 u.t.
5) 11:58 Happy House
6) 06:04 A Foggy Day

Total Time: 64:19

Rova Live - Unreleased Works from Live Recordings

The Rova Saxophone Quartet is a San Francisco-based saxophone quartet formed in October 1977 at the same time as their "less adventurous" but better known colleagues the World Saxophone Quartet. The name "Rova" is an acronym formed from the last initials of the founding members: Jon Raskin, Larry Ochs, Andrew Voigt and Bruce Ackley. 

Rova has become an important leader in the movement of genre-bending music that has its roots in post-bop free jazz, avant-rock, and 20th century new music as well as traditional and popular styles of Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States.[citation needed] While much of Rova's music is composed by its members, the group has also collaborated with and commissioned new works. Since its founding, Rova has released over two dozen recordings of original music.

 In noting Rova's role in developing the all-saxophone ensemble as "a regular and conceptually wide-ranging unit," The Penguin Guide to Jazz calls its music "a teeming cosmos of saxophone sounds" created by "deliberately eschewing conventional notions about swing [and] prodding at the boundaries of sound and space..." Likewise Jazz: The Rough Guide notes, "Highly inventive, eclectic and willing to experiment, Rova [is] arguably the most exciting of the saxophone quartets to emerge in the format's late '70s boom."

They have collaborated with many musicians and composers, including Terry Riley (Chanting the Light of Foresight), Fred Frith (Freedom in Fragments), Annie Gosfield, John Zorn and Alvin Curran.

http://www.rova.org/

[MP3, Flacs, scans AFTER EUROCUP]

Frank Lowe- Amsterdam july 20th 1977 ,FLAC and lame

Hers another atmospheric and very listenable aud from dime .
Frank Lowe has always been a favorite of mine, someone I listen to on an almost weekly basis.
Someone who in his lifetime (he died in 2003) was seriously under appreciated and recorded who had to struggle to survive and pay his medical bills to the bitter end.

The combination of Lowe and Butch Morris, from this vintage is blissful.
Great band .. Great gig … superior music.
Lowe at his most exploratory.
Anyone who likes this concert ought to check out the Paris based future/Marge release “tricks of the trade” one of the great concert releases of the day.
It can be bought here
http://futuramarge.free.fr/index.htm

Again many thanks to the tapers/ seeders /traders
BTW/ I have a couple of Lowe lps that have not yet seen the light of day which I shall conceivably share soon.

Frank Lowe Quartet

1977-July-20
Amsterdam, Netherlands,
Bimhuis, 1977,
2. Set

Butch Morris,c
Frank Lowe,ts
Marten van Regteren Altena,b
Martin van Duynhoven,dr

1 Titel 11:08
2 Titel 5:14
3 Titel 9:02
4 Titel 10:24

Total Time: 35:49

Lineage: aud > cdr trade > flac > dime

Sound Rating: AUD A-



enjoy!

Air - Cologne (with Amiri Baraka),March 20, 1982 FLAC and lame

Here’s another all too rare air concert.
This is a collaboration with controversial radical African American nationalist poet Amiri Baraka formerly Leroi Jones , probably best known to jazz fans as the author of Black Dada Nihilisimus, performed on the New York Art quartets eponymous album on esp.
Baraka was initially friends with the beats whom he had come to know after moving to Greenwich Village in the late 50’s.
Baraka moved on, I think becoming increasingly disillusioned with their flabby romanticism and lack of specific political engagement.

I don’t know too much about Baraka ,other than a few basic facts, and of course some of the background to the explosive controversy that exploded in the headlines ( here in Australia) when Baraka lost his status as poet laureate of new jersey after publishing a poem titled “somebody blew up America’ about the events of sept 11 2001.

Anyhow this is a great concert, and Air are providing much more than mere support but are interacting fully with both Baraka and each other.
A great one … many thanks to JeffMorris for taping and seeding this show.

Lineage: CD on trade ( FM, unknown gen ) -> Extracted & converted to FLAC using EAC -> DIME
Disc 1

1. Zoodoo 04:29
2. Bad News 04:22
3. I Love Music 03:57
4. Against Bourgeois Art 06:04
5. Afro-American Lyric 05:43
6. Wailers 05:05
7. Am/Trak 10:37
8. Class Struggle In Music 12:01


Lineup:

Amiri Baraka - recitation
Henry Threadgill - reeds
Fred Hopkins - b
Steve McCall - dr


ENJOY!!!

read Baraka's poems here
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/baraka/onlinepoems.htm

Joe McPhee: Tenor

Joe McPhee: Tenor

1. Knox 8:29
2. Good-Bye Tom B 6:33
3. Sweet Dragon 5:31
4. Tenor 23:26

Recorded 1st and 2nd September 1976 at Michael Overhage's farmhouse in Switzerland (!)

Three HatHut records in, and McPhee is still their only artist on release, so what better way to celebrate than with a solo recording. The tracks were made available on CD later with an additional solo performance, but this is a rip of the original vinyl LP passed on to me by Dale.

These are the sleeve notes written by Allain-Rene Hardy, Jazz Magazine, Paris, in October 1976:
"This year is going to be the McPhee year...
McPhee vibrates let those that do not hear him clear their ears or throw away their blinkers that do not allow them to be moved...
There is no difficult music - there are only listeners that have been conditioned by the media:
pass it on!"

So I have!

Why we share and how we do it

In the comments of an earlier post Anonymous asked about the ethics of sharing, and how to upload some of his records to share with others if he decided to do so. I thought it would be useful for us to share a few comments on this issue. It took me some time to work out the best way, especially as I used a Mac, and most advice seems to be for PC users. I can organise things quite quickly now.

I've therefore kicked things off with a comment of my own.

Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition - Live FM broadcast 1980

Details:
Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition
Left Bank Jazz Society
Famous Ballroom, Baltimore
May 4, 1980

Jazz Alive NPR FM Broadcast


01 Zoot Suite
02 One for Eric
03 Announcements
Jack DeJohnette-drums, percussion, melodica
Arthur Blythe-alto saxophone
Chico Freeman-tenor and soprano saxophone,bass clarinet
Peter Warren- bass, cello

Special Edition has been one of JDJ's projects that started out I think with an LP on the ECM label in 1979 entitled, not very originally, Special Edition. That album features David Murray on tenor/bass clarinet. This role seems to have rotated between him and Chico Freeman, who can be found on this recording, alongside the excellent Arthur Blythe who seems to have been a mainstay of the band. I don't know when their most recent gig took place.

This set features extended versions of JDJ's compositions that appeared on that first album, and very good they are too.

Sound quality is excellent. Thanks to taper and seeder.
MP3 and Flac links available in comments.

Satoko Fujii - Carla Kihlstedt Duo

Tuesday, June 24
Freight and Salvage
1111 Addison Street (near San Pablo)
Berkeley, CA
510.548.1761
www.thefreight.org

Satoko Fujii - Carla Kihlstedt Duo
Satoko Fujii - piano
Carla Kihlstedt – violin

While the 2 hour concert was magnificent, I regret that I was not familiar with my new recording device (Tascam DR-1) and only 20 minutes was preserved... I'll know how to do it next time. The music posted here is fantastic..

Ornette Coleman- crisis, ornette at twelve

een provided recently ,in the comments to ornettes paris concert ,links to the scandalously out of print crisis and ornette at twelve on impulse.


ripped at 320kbs
thanks een!!!
http://inconstantsol.blogspot.com/2008/06/ornette-coleman-paris-concert-1966-71.html

rnette At 12 / Ornette Coleman: Impulse! A9178

New York, June 16, 1968
Ornette Coleman(as,tp,vln), Dewey Redman(ts), Charlie Haden(b),
Denardo Coleman(d)


1. C.O.D
2. Rainbows
3. New York
4. Bells And Chimes


Crisis / Ornette Coleman: Impulse! A9187

Live, "New York University", March 22, 1969
Ornette Coleman(as,vln), Don Cherry(tp,indian-fl), Dewey Redman(ts),
Charlie Haden(b), Denardo Coleman(d)


1. Broken Shadows
2. Comme ll Faut
3. Song For Che
4. Trouble In East
5. Space Jungle

steve lacy- esthilacos ,live in lisbon 1972 FLAC , and LAME

here's an interesting ,generally fine and pretty free performance recorded by Lacy's regular group during a brief visit to Portugal in 1972.

this finds Irene Aebi sticking to cello throughout, as well as twiddling the knobs of a shortwave radio MEV style, steve Potts's playing is probably what makes this a treasure for me.
he's always good value and here he particularly tears it up.
the sound quality though very listenable is far from being pristine.
nice to hear a group version of cloudy, something lacy recorded to wondrous effect a few times , most notably on quark/emanems live at the chene noir from the same year.
this was broadcast on the portugese radio show cinqo minutas de jazz, and has also appeared on cd under that name.

this rip is taken from the 1996 strauss cd.. which appears to have been on the market for only a short time.
sorry about the lack of scans and notes.. my scanner is broken.

enjoy!!


ESTILHACOS: Steve Lacy

1/ Stations (Lacy) 6:00
2/ Chips, Moon, Dreams (Lacy) 12:42
3/ No Baby (Lacy) 8:29
4/ The Highway (Lacy) 10:32

Recorded live at Cinema Monumental, Lisbon, February 29, 1972

Steve Lacy: soprano; Steve Potts: alto; Irene Aebi: cello, radio transis-
tor on (1), harmonica on (2); Kent Carter: bass; Noel Mghie: drums, per-
cussion.

???? - Sassetti-Guilda-da-Musica (Portugal), 11403001 (LP)
1996 - Strauss (Portugal), ST1087 (CD)

Billy Bang at Kuumbwa Jazz Center FLAC MP3 pics

               Billy Bang Quartet

 

            Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA

            November, 11,2004

 

Billy Bang - violin 

Muziki Roberson - piano

Todd Nicholson – bass

Darell Green - drums

 

 

            01   Yo, Ho Chi Minh is in the House              12:21

02    Mr Syms                                                    12:11

03    Moments for KIAMIA                                08:31

04   At Play in the Field of the Lord                09:41

 

 

My recording made with a Shure mic, Sony  DAT, edited w WavLab.

Lee Konitz Quartet (with Derek Bailey and Tony Oxley) Live recording 1966 Manchester UK

I've heard quite a bit of Bailey's work over the years, as well as seeing him in gigs in London in the late sixties, but I can't say that I've ever been a fan of his. I was surprised to see this recording pop up on dime. Knowing that there are quite a few devotees of his who visit this blog I thought I'd share it with you.

Details:

LEE KONITZ QUARTET

19-Mar 1966

Club 43,
Manchester,
UK

Lee Konitz: as
Derek Bailey: g
Gavin Bryars: b
Tony Oxley: dr

1. Carvin' The Bird (08:27) cuts in
2. I Remember You (11:56) cuts in + out
3. Out Of Nowhere (11:22) cuts in

tt: 31:46

It's no surprise to hear Oxley on this as he has continued to play "straight" as well as free jazz throughout his career, but Bailey was a bit of a revelation to me. He sounds like a Barney Kessell or Wes Montgomery or many other jazz guitarists of the day, playing bebop ! As for Konitz, well he's as good as ever on this.

Please be warned that the sound quality is not good, even for a 1966 recording, so this is one for the enthusiasts. As it is a short recording, I'm posting in flac only (sound quality needs all the help it can get).


I'm sure some of you will know something of the history, but I gather they both hail from Sheffield. This was my home town in my teenage years (about the same time as they were trying to make it there, though I had no interest in jazz in those days). At that time Sheffield was a grimy steel city, a most unlikely place to try and establish free jazz. I can imagine they were thrown out of a few pubs trying to play that sort of stuff.

Link in comments.

Peter Evans with the Totem Trio (Bruce Eisenbeil, Tom Blancarte, Andrew Drury) and others - Solo, Duo (Sparks), Trios and Quartets

Here is some remarkable contemporary free improvisation - these cats are definitely doing something different, largely led by the extraordinary trumpet of Peter Evans. I hope you enjoy this.

Totem, recorded 1st May, 2008 at Studio 15 of the Radio Suisse Romande.

Bruce Eisenbeil - electric & acoustic guitar
Tom Blancarte - bass
Andrew Drury - percussion

with

Peter Evans - trumpet

Invited Swiss musicians

Dragos Tara - bass
Laurent Brutin - clarinet
Benoît Moreau - piano
Jonas Kocher - accordion

01 Radio (14.10)
02 Solo - Peter Evans (tr) (11.46)
03 Radio (10.58)
04 Trio Totem - Bruce Eisenbeil (gtr), Tom Blancarte (b), Andrew Drury (perc) (25.17)
05 Radio
06 Duo Sparks - Peter Evans (tr), Tom Blancarte (b) (7.29)
07 Radio (0.52)
08 Quartet - Peter Evans (tr), Bruce Eisenbeil (gtr), Tom Blancarte (b), Andrew Drury (perc) (10.28)
09 Radio (8.34)
10 Trio - Laurent Brutin (cl), Peter Evans (tr), Andrew Drury (perc) (4.45)
11 Radio (0.59)
12 Trio - Benoît Moreau (p), Jonas Kocher (acc'n), Tom Blancarte (b) (4.43)
13 Radio (1.00)
14 Quartet - Laurent Brutin (cl), Bruce Eisenbeil (gtr), Dragos Tara (b), Andrew Drury (perc) (4.56)
15 Radio (0.38)
16 Trio - Peter Evans (tr), Jonas Kocher (acc'n), Dragos Tara (b) (5.13)
17 Radio (1.29)
18 Trio - Bruce Eisenbeil (gtr), Benoît Moreau (p), Tom Blancarte (b) (5.13)
19 Fin (0.05)

I've left the radio commentary and interviews in, not because they offer any particular insight into this music, but because they're quite funny.

Mal Waldron Quartet live at Bim Huis ,Amsterdam oct 27 2001 , flac

Heres another great Waldron share by ZERO, Who believes we need to liven up!!
this is a stunning set featuring sean bergin , and arjen gorter musicians one associates more with the european avant /free scenes.
my feeling is that they are creatively inspiring waldron to take more chances, and include some of his more interesting tunes in the set list.

bergin here, tonally has more in comon with classic tenors like Hawkins ,and a later hard bop master Clifford Jordan than on some of his own projects, though clearly the influence has always been there.

those who love mal's tougher darker hued pieces based around funky driving ostinato patterns will have a ball.
for those in doubt ive uploaded my favourite track as an mp3 taster

many thanks to the original seeders/tapers / of this exellent fm broadcast.
and to ZERO
zero says'
"I uploaded the other Mal 2001 show a while ago but didn't want to add to your DL burden at that time. Then I proceeded to forget about it ...... until now. Details are below. Another knock-out from the same quartet."
Mal Waldron Quartet
Bimhuis,
Amsterdam, NL
October 27, 2001


CD 1: set 1
-----
1. Judy 16:50
2. You 11:30
3. Hurray For Herbie 21:20

CD 2: set 2
-----
4. Yesterdays 11:47
5. Soul Eyes 13:56
6. Jean Pierre 15:20
7. What It Is 11:10


Mal Waldron - piano
Sean Bergin - tenor sax
Arjen Gorter - bass
John Betsch - drums

the above photo was found on the web ,its by Samuel Nja Kwa

enjoy!!

David Murray Octet (with Jimmy Lyons) - Live NYC 1984

Prolific artist David Murray has frequently led octets consisting of many distinguished musicians.

This one intrigued me particularly because of the inclusion of Jimmy Lyons. I wasn't aware that he'd ever played with Murray, and found it interesting to hear Lyons in company with different musicians than those on his more well-known recordings.

This is a very polished performance. You'd think the guys performed together permanently. It must be tribute to Murray to bring such a band together and function so well. There's a particularly fine version of Murray's classic "Last of the Hipmen".

Details:

July 1984

Joe Papp's Public Theatre, New York

Olu Dara [Charles Jones III] (tpt, cornet)

Lawrence "Butch" Morris (cornet)

Dick Griffith (tb)

Jimmy Lyons (as)

David Murray (ts, bcl)

Anthony Davis (p)

Wilbur Morris (b)

Steve McCall (d)

1 Introduction 0:23

2 Ming (D. Murray) 4:32

3 Last of the Hipmen (D. Murray) 19:52

4 Home (D. Murray) 5:30

5 Dewey's Circle (D. Murray) 10:19

6 Choctaw Blues (D. Murray) 8:15

Broadcast in late 1984 on American Public Radio.

Thanks to plosin for seeding this on dime.
Flac and MP3 links in comments.

Ornette Coleman- the paris concert 1966-71 FLAC & LAME

Heres another contribution from glmlr.



Definitely a set that ought to be better known and circulated..magnificently recorded for what I believe was basically an un authorised release..(glmlr disagrees with me here, my source is an only dimly remembered discographical note in an insert to one of ornettes artist house lp’s..and since I don’t have my records with me at this moment ,I cant actually confirm that suspicion)

It certainly has a disputed ..highly contended discographical provenence.



There seems a level of uncertainty about whether any of this set was recorded in 66 featuring izenzion and moffett, as opposed to haden and Blackwell.

Whatever its provenance, ultimately it’s the music which matters ..and this is a sonically relatively superb documentation of what must have been a stunning group live.



I recall having heard other live material by this group ,notably an lp boot released by French label musidisc in the early 70’s in very atrocious sound.. so its great to hear this again and a pristine rip too!!Perhaps at some point in time someone will see fit to share the scandalously neglected impulse records ‘crisis’ and ‘ornette at twelve’ which have been out of print for many years

The only constantly circulated discs by the quartet with redman ,and Blackwell seem to be the good but otherwise very slick and manicured records on blue note “new york is now” and ‘love call”



thanks glmlr



· Paris Concert / Ornette Coleman: Trio PA7169 (2LPs)· · Paris, February 12, 1966 & November 1971· Ornette Coleman(as,tp,vln), David Izenzon(b), Charles Moffett(d), Dewey Redman(ts),· Charlie Haden(b), Ed Blackwell(d)· ·



1. Second Fiction · 2. Summer-Thang · 3. Sihouette · 4. 14 Juillet (*)· 5. Fantasy 77 · 6. Reminiscence (*)· 7. All Day Affair (*)· · Note: (*) Izenzon, Moffett, February 12, 1966;Note: Redman, Haden, Blackwell, 1971, Only Japan IssuedDiscographical sourceshttp://cd-v.net:80/jazz/discography/ornette_d.html

http://outbreakin.hp.infoseek.co.jp/ornettcoleman1.htm

Julius Hemphill (mbari) Dogon A. D.

Julius Hemphill (mbari)
Dogon A. D.

mbari 5001 / Arista Freedom 1028

Recorded St Louis, Missouri in February 1972

Julius Hemphill (saxophone & flute)
Abdul K. Wadud (cello)
Baikida Yassen [Carroll] (trumpet)
Phillip Wilson (drums)

1. Dogon A.D. (Hemphill) 14:48
2. Rites (Hemphill) 8:20
3. The Painter (Hemphill) 14:56

Because I've had some material lined up for a few weeks and not had time to post, I thought I'd get a second item to you all while I'm sitting at my computer. I'm aware this record has actually been posted on a few blogs, including some associated with, or frequented by, the esteemed regulars here. However, there are three good reasons to post it again:

1. This is a totally amazing recording. It should be posted on every blog, given away to school children as part of their education, and honoured in an annual celebration of all that is great in the world.

2. I offer it here in better quality than most of the posts. It's also ripped from the original 1972 vinyl, and so I've also posted the original art work. It's actually a scan of a facsimile created by Dale when he passed on the recording to me, but it's good to see the original design.

3. And this time the post comes with a great essay from Dale celebrating the artists and his recording.

Over to you, Dale:

Julius Hemphill: Under Appreciated Composer, Saxophone Artist, and Man**

I started paying attention to Julius Hemphill when I heard Dogon AD. It was early in the ‘70s and “Dogon” immediately became one of my favorite records. Then Coon Bidness came along and I was bowled over AGAIN and pretty much hooked on Hemphill. This was an important step in my growing fondness for “free jazz” and creative music/sounds. Mainly I was beginning to “hear” AND to grasp the importance of Braxton, Taylor and others. But for me the impact of Hemphill’s music was a little different. It was at once abstract and radically evocative as well as sleek and antique sounding stuff - all curvy and bluesy and dashing. And, for me, at least, it was actually more accessible. Even so, it was improvised music that was hard to pin down. But, above all, I REALLY “dug” it; and I still do. Interestingly, these are records where I can still listen to and hear new elements and strands every time. From that time on I tried to get anything and everything where Julius was ANY part of the formula. And, at last, there was a fair amount of his work coming out. I think I got the Wildflower Series next. Then I scored copies of Roi Boye and Blue Boyé, both beautiful self produced Lps on the now obscure (and defunct) Mbari label. Finally, the World Saxophone Quartet (WSQ) stormed onto the scene in 1976-7. During this period I wasn’t aware of his connection with the Black Artist Group (BAG) in St Louis. If comments about this were included in the liner notes, I must’ve more or less ignored them. I loved his sound and his musical ideas so the history was not relevant for me at the time. I think I picked up that he was from Fort Worth: that was about it. Oh yeah, and I read someplace that Ornette Coleman was his cousin. That didn’t seem important then because I heard very little of Coleman’s searing oblique style in Hemphill.

What about Hemphill’s BAG experiences? Right up front I will admit that I am generally skeptical of the notion of “influences.” I am apt to think of it as the “antecedent trap” with a mesh just the “write” size for at least some academics on the prowl to grasp the creative process. Certainly there is a risk of over simplicity when you are trying to frame someone’s personal aesthetic evolution. In Hemphill’s case, from what I read and hear, we are dealing with a STRONG individual who was particularly intent on following his own muse. So circumspection is in order! Let’s just say I am fairly cautious about placing a great deal of stock in “selected” episodes of this particular artist’s life in order to gain insights. With innovators like Hemphill “salient” life experiences yield very little assistance in grasping his development.

So, in spite of some of my reservations concerning “antecedentism,” here are a few “facts” about Hemphill’s life and development. Hemphill grew up in Fort Worth Texas. He dabbled in clarinet in grade school and was eventually captivated by the gleam of his distant cousin Ornette Coleman’s alto saxophone. The neighborhood and his house were full of music. So he figured out fairly early on that he was going into music. And, in fact, he did eventually get a college degree. He went to a small black school, Lincoln Univ., in Jefferson City, MO. But he was often in trouble (for playing “street music” in the practice rooms!) And he was thrown out during his senior year for skipping classes to go hear Coltrane. It took him eleven years, with a stint in the military interrupting his efforts, to get his music degree. He later claimed that “I learned what I learned in school. The rest of it I learned in West Texas and on the south side in Dallas jumping up and down on the blues boy’s bandstands and the bebop band stands.” Gigs and jamming around were significant even while he was studying music in school. BUT I think the BAG experience was another matter. At school he had met and played with Oliver Lake, Hamiet Bluiett, Joseph Bowie and others. During his 3-4 year stint at BAG he played in many group permutations. He also was involved in developing community outreach and educational programs. And he was sort of a star to the organization. He was noted for amazing improvisations and was known as “the professor.” His cool demeanor and brimming talent led to his being elected the first chairman at BAG. I also think the leading role he was forced into meant he had to be involved in conceptualizing, writing, designing and realizing the NUMEROUS multimedia events. This was a major learning experience and became the practical foundations for his later work. Tim Berne in an interview observed some of these skills:

“For someone as far ahead of the game as Hemphill, you wonder what he might have achieved with a manager who knew what he had. His attention to detail was astonishing. He couldn't just play a gig. He had to build a whole new set of music stands or get the band to wear different outfits or use weird lighting. And no two concerts would contain the same material. He was always thinking how it looked and he'd make the guys wear certain things. He was just way ahead of everybody else in that regard. It really inspired me to find my own way. Not copy him but to get my own ideas."

It is kind of academic and speculative when you get into connecting all these facts retrospectively. So I tend to think of these observations as possible ways to see and think about his music. Maybe Hemphill’s aesthetic arc can be clarified by his connection with The Black Artists Group (BAG) and later on by examining his work with The World Saxophone Quartet (WSQ). On the other hand, it may not tell us very much. When you look at his interviews etc. it is clear that he thought of himself more broadly as a jazz/blues artist who wanted to mine the “voice of the culture,” by personally remolding it so it could be blended with drama, dance, poetry and the visual arts. He was out to make the tradition personal in order to express himself. To quote Hemphill himself on this matter: “The music is blues-driven...it is right out of neighborhoods...but I am not trapped by it because the tradition of the music is forward. Forward! It’s got to change or it will die” (From an interview ca. 1994 at the Smithsonian). To be sure the BAG experience was where he got together with the St. Louisans. And they DID grow. They were hungry and deeply inspired by each other to move their personal music and the "culture" forward.

I do have one further impression about Hemphill that I think is worth mentioning in this context. He was always a bit of an outsider. Here are comments by some of his friends:

“Julius was contrary...he could be cantankerous...but there was a playfulness in all that. But the main thing to remember about Julius is that he was a powerful creative force...and he was a major intellectual who could discuss and use anything” (mainly taken from discussions with Malenke Elliott)

When I consider all this, along with some other aspects of Hemphill and his music, it helps me to put in perspective his intermittent successes and setbacks. And, surprisingly, I think I can see through this lens that there was a kind of logic that moved him in the direction of more detailed composition toward the end of his life rather than staying with jamming and gigging. I think this course and his cantankerous and independent streak, contributed significantly to his parting with WSQ. He needed to compose a saxophone opera and to work with dancers and playwrites. To move the “culture” forward.

I only met Julius Hemphill one time. It was in a hotel room after a WSQ concert at the Portland Art Museum in Portland Oregon. I’d gone up with Malenke΄ and Arzinia Richardson (a bass player and Oliver Lake’s friend from St. Louis) and another acquaintance writer and DJ who had worked with Julius on some musical dramas. The “get together” was just to have a few drinks and to chit-chat. As far as I can remember Julius hardly said anything beyond a quick “hi” when we first arrived. He sat off in the corner and listened and watched. I learned later from Malenke΄ that Julius “hates chit-chat.” I hate it too. I wish the situation would have allowed us to get beyond chit-chat.

Now, just a little bit about Oliver Lake. I had heard Lake around 1975. He was playing live with his friend, Arzinia Richardson (an old BAG co-worker), at a health food restaurant, Mama’s Homefried Truck Stop in Eugene Oregon. In addition to alto saxophone Lake played some solos on wood flutes that he’d purchased locally. Oliver was astonishing on alto and the flute playing was flat out inspired. He had some Passin Thru Lps and posters with him so I grabbed a few for myself and friends. In a brief and nervous conversation after the concert I found out about his 1971 album “NTU: Point From Which Creation Begins.” He also mentioned BAG, which I wrote down; and then he showed me some of his poetry which I thought was REALLY bad! But I couldn’t tell this brilliant guy that I was deep into the small press “scene” and thought his writing was much too abstract and needed serious editing. You know, I was getting signatures and being sociable so I kind of nodded politely and said something like “Hey, Cool.” Then, in addition to the 5 LP Wildflower set (at Rivers’ Studio Rivbea), and early WSQ I found him appearing on several Charles “Bobo” Shaw and The Human Arts Ensemble albums. I also noted some important connections with Chicago’s better known Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) – especially Joseph and Lester Bowie. And somewhere in there I picked up on the work of John Carter who had been one of Hemhill’s teachers. Things were beginning to connect for me so I was increasingly inclined be a little more organized in my searches for music coming out of St. Louis.

At one point when I was passing thru Missouri I made some weak efforts to find BAG material in either record or book stores in East St. Louis. One kid behind the counter at a record store on the Eastside yelled to an older co-worker and they shook their heads in unison. It was as though BAG and its brave and creative proponents had evaporated. It was true - BAG really had disappeared - the artists left St Louis for places like NYC, Chicago and Europe - the core was gone.

Note:
It is relevant to point out that there was no “web” in the early to mid 70s (computer nerds were still learning about IBM ‘punch cards’). It would have been amazing to just “Google” a web site like the one at All About Jazz which has Benjamin Looker’s nice 2004 article on the “Poets of Action: The Saint Louis Black Artists' Group, 1968-1972 (Part 1-4)” at:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=15821
Check it out and look at Looker’s fine book Point From Which Creation Begins: The Black Artists' Group of St. Louis.

The above article and comments are based on Hemphill’s music, reading Benjamin Looker (noted above) and discussions with Malenke “Kenyata” Elliott (Playwright and one of the founders of the St Louis Black Artists Group –BAG). The Tim Berne quotes are from his web site:

http://www.screwgunrecords.com/page_a.php?pageid=interviews&sub=berne_on_hemphill

Additional comments and MP3 download link for
“Dogon A D” come from the “Free Jazz Blog”

http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2007/01/julius-hemphill-dogon-ad.html

From the very first notes of this album, you know that something special is taking place. The cello of Abdul Wadud brings a repetitive theme, supported by some energetic drumming by Philip Wilson, with Hemphill and Baikida Carroll on sax and trumpet playing the main theme. After a minute or so Carroll drops away and Hemphill starts with a magical sax solo. Wadud and Wilson relentlessly continue with their hypnotic basis, sometimes only playing parts of it, yet keeping it implicitly present at all times. After about 13 minutes the piece changes and the contrapuntal interplay between the cello on the one hand and the sax and trumpet on the other hand leads to a climactic finale. "Dogon A.D." is phenomenal in the simplicity of its form and the power and creativity of its performance. "Rites", the second number, starts with strong interplay of the four band members, who quickly pursue their own lines without loosing focus of the whole. "Painter" brings Hemphill on flute. This CD is an absolute must for all jazz fans.