jazz jizz

[SSR]

this is the obligitory jazz thread for me, the one guy in st louis who cares, nanne, and maybe another euro.

this evening i listened to a LP called High Places by a guy named Walter Zuber Armstrong. He is either from Bellingham Washington or Vancouver. He plays bass & contrabass clarinet.  He sounds a lot like Eric Dolphy. This record is late 70s and with just a piano player. I found it in BC about five years ago and finally got around to listening to it! Great stuff and when I was up in Canaday I saw several of them so perhaps there are a lot of them up there. It is on a Bellingham label. Anyway, you jazzbots might want to seek Armstrong out.

[bazooka joe]

Ever heard the Revolutionary Ensemble? I ain't heard it in about 10 years, but I remember it being pretty good.

[SSR]

Yes, Revolutionary Ensemble is good. Real loud stuff and I think only three guys.

That is funny, when I was flipping through the stacks, right behind the Armstrong record was Porto Nova and I almost listened to that. I pretty much like all Marion Brown. Great stuff.

I dont know anything about the French free jazz scene. I have a few Frenchies in that Actuel series, but am ignent.

[Nanne Tepper]

There's alot of jazz coming from Scandinavia these days (man, God must have dropped a cello on their head, cause even their pop has cello here, cello there), and once again there is not a record amongst them that doesnt make you wanna go back in time forever (Return To Forever? Naaaaaah), so cold, so without any connection to the BLUES (half of the readers faint now because of the b-word) and most of all: not inspired but searching some sort of 'togetherness'. Now you can imagine what kinda shite this gives. I stopped trying to find something decent in that pile of crap.

So: old records that rule.
Thanks Scott, gonna check that one out.

By the way, I know its scary but there's a six cd box with John Boy McLaughlin exlusives coming our way. It seems to have some life stuff from the second MHO line up. Something I never found on boots.

[Nanne Tepper]

Warning: dont buy the 'legendary' Actions 1966-67 record by The Contemporary Jazz Quintet. The fact that they toured with Miles obv. did destroy everything they ever knew about free jazz. This piece of crap is 'considered' as a part of the birth of free jazz. Yeah, jez like the Olympics.

Miles Question.

Got a Miles record I used to play a lot but never quite knew how to place into his discografie: its called In Concert and is so funky it makes you loose yr mustard without sqeezing.
Columbia 1973, life in Philharmonic Hall, NY, Sept 1972.
I mean: I missed this one in the seventies, which is kinda weird.

[SSR]

I dont know about Miles. I've been having a conversation with a friend about the dude and it seems like ten years ago everyone was talking up Birth of the Cool stuff and downplaying Sketches of Spain, Bitches Brew and On the Corner periods. And before that it was Bitches Brew that was the hit and Sketches, Birth and On the Corner slighted.  And before that Sketches the thing and the rest ignored. Now all the chat is about how great the funky shit is and all the other stuff is played out. Personally I am pretty much done with Miles from beginning to sordid end. It is not that he is bad, its just that I've listened to enough of it AND whenever anything by Miles is being touted it is ALWAYS as if it is THE best thing he did. People rave about Live Evil? Why? It is horrible. It sounds like it was recorded in mud and it is painfully boring.  While I am glad that people are finally ignoring the critics and are giving On the Corner a listen, I wish they would stop the whole "Its the best thing that was ever recorded and there will be nothing this good ever" crap and quit hyping second rate jam albums that he was churning out for no other reason than to keep a wicked supply of heroin and cocaine corsing through his veins.  Give it a fucking rest. (And before you think this is aimed at you, my Dutch butt buddy, know it is not.)

In the last few days I have listened to and dug:

Albert Ayler "New Grass"  a very cool record with some kinda dorky vocals.

Cal Tjader "Latino"  probably my favorite Tjader album after Mambo or maybe I like it more. Mambo was my first but I havent listened to it in years. I think any selfrespecting TBer would like it. It is good latin jazz with a nice gritty feel. Latino isnt more pollished but a bit more uhhhh dreamy. Kinda like Dolphy's Out to Lunch dreamy or Martin Denny dreamy. Anyway, great record.  Has Mongo Santamaria on it which is always a plus.

Willie Bobo  "Spanish Grease"  you cant fault the title cut. it is one of the best latin dance tunes around. it has such a nice groove and the reverb on it is so warm. the other songs on the record do not quite match up and tend more toward latin versions of Bacharach. i thought they were lame at first but they grow on you.

Eric Dolphy "Live at the Five Spot"  great record which at first seemed like just stuff they released to cash in. but almost immediately it is full on runs and runs of out of your head playing. a soloist steps up and there are a million thoughts pouring out. i think the thing that almost put me off is that there really is not ease  in here. it is drop the needle and GO!

I got the Ayler because this guy me and a friend call Bob the Manic Cab Driver came in and sold a bunch of records. He used to do it more often then discovered ebay and now only comes by and sells when he needs quick cash. The guy is very smart, one of those dudes who has a zillion things going on in his head. He has a phd in anthro and he is very much into trying to figure out the post-WWII nazi underground conspiracy that is running everything, so much so that he drives a cab. Very nice guy. Fun to talk to.  Great drug stories of the seventies that would make our pal "Vint" jealous (things like "and then we took STP because the DMT wasnt kicking in fast enough and when they both took effect the whole street melted. it was like that for three days"). Some of the records that I bought from him that I am gonna hang onto until I listen to them are:

Pharoah Sanders - Journey to the One
Pharoah Sanders - Rejoice
Sun Ra - A night in East Berlin
Shannin Jackson - Street Priest
Coltrane - Africa Brass Sessions V2
Coltrane - Jupiter Variations

and a bunch which I am selling.....

You have gotten enough of my time. 

[SSR]

i am a sucker for pretty much everything Archie Shepp has done, even the blues standards he did with Horace Parlan in the early 80s.  i remember the first time i heard Fire Music on a cassette in a speeding car, it fried my mind.  a great record to start on the Shepp, for all you havent heard him. Attica Blues or Mama Too Tight are also good starts.

[Dang]

Me too. Archie Shepp has become one of my favs.

About Miles: Aside from On the Corner, Get Up With It and Jack Johnson, I haven't liked most of his 70's records, that I've heard. I agree that Live Evil is horrible (never heard Agharta). I also think In a Silent Way is better than Bitches Brew. IASW gave me some of the worst nightmares I've ever had when I fell asleep listening to it with headphones on. Bitches Brew as a continuation of that is good but I think 'In a Silent Way' is kinda underrated.

My favorite Miles era is his 60's quintet. Every album they recorded was stellar...with Miles Smiles being my favorite album of his, period. Some other lesser known favs:

'The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel' (fascinating to hear how this group deconstructs the older Davis repertoire)

'Double Image' (w/ Shorter, Corea, Holland and Dejohnette in Paris 1969....features a really cool, extremely abstract version of Round Midnight)

Anyone ever heard any of the stuff Miles recorded with Prince in '86?

[bazooka joe]

About Miles: Aside from On the Corner, Get Up With It and Jack Johnson, I haven't liked most of his 70's records, that I've heard.

I thought Jack Johnson was pretty goddamn boring. I rmemeber some really killer moments on Pangea.

[erickelric]

'Jack Johnson' kills, but ya gotta like McLaughlin's guitar. 'Live-Evil' ain't too hot, it's aight, tho, but what about 'Big Fun' or 'Dark Magus' for 70s Miles shit? Those 2 double sets are awesome (especially 'Big Fun').

The only Archie Shepp I know is 'The Way Ahead,' which is great.

[Dang]

McLaughlin always killed with Miles. Without him, not so much. Too much wankery.

[erickelric]

Total wank maybe, but the first Shakti LP (w/ Zakir Hussain) has some of the most retardedly sick acoustic guitar playing ever. Who needs a sitar when you can make yr acoustic sound like one? Technically and spiritually badass.

Plus, have you heard Tony Williams Lifetime? You should. And some Mahavishnu is pretty great, but sometimes dips into cheese. But when they are on, look out.

[SSR]

Yes, Coral Rock is probably my favorite of all of his stuff, though Live in san Francisco is my fave of his straight up stuff. Coral Rock is Butthole Surfers years before they existed. 

[HumDrum]

I remember you guys talking about jazz music some on the old TB board --- i know nothing about jazz, but would like to learn and hear some of what is considered "good jazz" by people here.

Thanks in advance.

[bazooka joe]

Louis Armstrong.

Also, most anything by Charles Mingus, Thelonius Monk, Eric Dolphy, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Ornette Coleman (Art Of The Improvisers is great), Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie, John Coltrane ('60- '64 is my favorite period, especially for learning about how radical bop could be: pre-free-kowt stuff), Duke Ellington has lots of stuff where the arrangements are beyond genious... so many fucking layers. Damn.