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Red Records is a very respectable modern jazz label, whose current releases are out of my sphere of interest. However, they started out in the mid seventies as a much more adventurous label. Some of the great early titles (Mazzon, Gaslini, Schiano, and also Frederic Rzewski's own recording of his "The People United") were released under the "Edizioni Di Cultura Popolare" label. Both labels used the same numbering system (VPA prefix), with most of the first fifteen or so titles (VPA 101 to 115) released on ECP. I don't know the exact story, but I think the label (or labels) was closely connected with the left wing students movement at the Milan University. In fact, the very first release (VPA 101) was Gaslini's "Concerto Della Resistenza", recorded at the Milan University, and I have another (earlier?) issue of that record on the "Edizioni Movimento Studentesco" label.

I think that's Liberty Ellman, playing with J.D. Allen on his recent "Love Stone" album. I like this track, although I also understand felser's criticism about this being too laid back. It reminds me a bit of Charlie Hadens's Quartet West.

Strictly speaking for myself, it took me quite some time to get rid of all my conscious or unconsious prejudices against Japanese jazz musicians being at best perfect copy-cats. Nowadays, my opinion of Japanese jazz, or rather jazz in Japan, is completely different, especially with regard to the late 60s - early 70s periode. That's why I said "unfair to Hino", when these records are almost routinely (and exclusively) judged against the yardstick of Miles' contemporaneous records. But hey, I'm not American, so maybe I'm just over-sensitive about this.

I've been away for some time and just learned of his passing. This is very sad indeed. Thank you very much for the wonderful music, Mr. Jarman.

I really think that "sub-Miles" argument against "Journey To Air" is somewhat unfair to Hino. I like those "free jazz gestures". But for those who prefer a bit more structure, just consider Teo Macero's crucial role as editor/producer of Miles' celebrated free-fusion albums. Hino produced his albums himself with much more limited means (budget, studio time...). For me the results are impressive and very enjoyable.

Actually, I think Leo's name was really Cuypers, which would strongly suggest his family roots were in Flanders (Dutch speaking part of Belgium). Cuypers is a typical Flemish name, while the most common Dutch variants are Kuipers or Kuiper, like guitarist Jan Kuiper.

It's Raaijmakers, quite a common name in the Netherlands. "Raaymakers" (his artist's name) was for international use.

A short obituary notice was published in Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant on January 3, without mentioning the date of his passing. He was indeed a long-standing member of the WBK. Before joining Willem Breuker, he played a lot with composer-musician-visual artist Peter van der Locht (they were both in Pierre Courbois' Free Music Quartet/Quintet). Raaijmakers and van der Locht had a short-lived band called "Group-Music" or "Group-Music International" with drummer Noel McGhie. They recorded a great abum in 1970 on which pianist Burton Greene also plays. The album's called "At Different Times"; it's a private pressing, unfortunately never reissued. I will play that record tonight in honour of Mr. Raaijmakers.

Steve Lacy in Japan 1975-2004: the complete studio and live recordings.

Not an album, but a track: NHOP's duet with Karin Krog on "Here's That Rainy Day". The whole album is great.

I'm pretty sure I have all of them too, but those Savoys are begging for a sonic upgrade.

Yes, "Dance Of Magic" is another favourite that I kept, but that's also a largely acoustic album and, like you said, more free/spiritual (especially the side-long title track) than anything "fusion" (implied by the title and Connors' subsequent albums). My remark on your evaluations was of course not a criticism, but just an observation about my own changing preferences. I really appreciate your well weighed judgements and pointed comments. In fact, I'd love to read your opinion about (and evaluation of) the recently reissued Terumasa Hino albums, discussed in another topic. They obviously don't belong to the "Mwandishi orbit", but they're not entirely incomparable with some of the more free/avant-garde titles discussed here.

These evaluations date from 2005, almost 14 years ago. I think, at that time, I would have agreed with most of mikeweil's stars. Since then, I've largely lost interest in that kind of avant/free-form fusion. Or to be more precise: I still like the music well enough, but I don't actively listen to it and I don't feel the need to have the records in my collection. So I disposed of most of these. One notable exception is Bennie Maupin's "The Jewel In The Lotus", which has always been -and still is- my favourite of this bunch, probably because Hancock's playing (mostly) acoustic piano (and there's no sight of Patrick Gleason's gadgetry).

I see what you mean. It makes you wonder what the reputation (not to mention the market value) of this album would be, if it had been released (with superior sound) on Blue Note.

Jim, am I allowed to reply seriously? The "bitter funeral beer" is brewed as part of the funerary rites of the Ghanaian Ewe people. The funeral music that Bengt Berger heard (and learned) in Ghana was the basis of his "Bitter Funeral Beer Suite" released on ECM. The band took its name from this recording.

You can even watch the concert on YouTube! Cherry's playing with the Bitter Funeral Band was wonderful. The studio album (released under Bengt Berger's name) is also very, very fine.

That resembles the good old "Any three year old with a brush could paint this" argument against abstract art, doesn't it?

I didn't know about the concert in the nude, but I'm not surprised. In parallel to his "straight" classical career, Gulda was really into experimental and free music in the 1970's. Gulda fans with adventurous tastes should check his recordings with the wonderful Anima. Here's a picture of the back cover of the first LP, with Gulda proudly signing the declaration that all the music is totally improvised. That's a pretty long way from your ordinary Beethoven recital.

Splendid choice. One of those gorgeous hand-painted covers?

Nah, here's the cover of another French issue (7" ep):

It's very similar to the cover of Ray Charles's "Yes Indeed!" album, isn't it?

That's my understanding too. The Seeds label original (with a slightly different cover design) is quite rare. I guess there were more records pressed than covers made, because you can find (vintage) copies with a Seeds label in an Earthforms cover. Discogs now lists 2018 "exact repro editions" of the Earthforms ànd the Seeds issue, both supposedly limited to 300 copies. The rather strange world of bootlegging... Anyway, it's a beautiful album.

I beg to differ. For me, none of their ECM's comes even close to their 60's work. Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy vs "Numbers1 & 2"? "The Third Decade" vs "People In Sorrow"? Not in the same league, really. That said, I understand the excitement. The box includes a lot of very good to excellent music and seems great value. But I would love to see the same deluxe box treatment for their complete 1969-1971 European recordings.

I'm pretty sure the bassist on "Whirling Dervish" is indeed Kent Carter. I love Anima. Not only the music, but the whole "concept". Limpe Fuchs is in her late 70's now, but still going strong.

OK, I'll go for a full ID on track #6 then: Ted Nash's "Sidewalk Meeting", with the spectacular trombone of Wycliffe Gordon. Nicely done, reminds me a bit of that Louis Armstrong tribute by Thomas Heberer and Dieter Manderscheid.