David Ayers

Have you heard the new reissue? I’m hoping the sound is at least ok...

Orchestral! https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08nf6m5 [mainly of local interest] [versions of Tainted Love, Relax, etc] [for lovers of light music]

Hm yes. That’s a US label of which I’ve got very low awareness. The only one of theirs I knew about was Guerrilla Mosaics, which we discussed here when it came out.

Ah yes! I’d forgotten about Pi. I actually have two of those. Wide Hive I was not aware of as a label even though I’d been streaming Conversations 1 and 2. The Roguearts have been distributed over here (I still doubt the policy of making all releases look the same...). Let’s not forget the Otoruko! I agree with Jim though. Like with most contemporary recordings, you need to grab it when you see it. I do know there’s plenty of recordings of his stuff, just still find it remarkable that someone who’s at the top like that for so long is more sustained in Europe.

He seems to have been under-served by US labels. Without Chuck Nessa there’d hardly be anything.

Well the Delmark I know of course. Didn’t know about Wide Hive label.

Same for Victo.

Was that one the final Nessa release? Also trying to remember which (other) US labels have issued Roscoe’s stuff.

By post-Coltrane I meant after his death. I was struggling to think for me what was just so permanently present and note-by-note glorious so that I’d say to anybody yes, this is it. So I thought I’d see what other folks have in that category. So far we haven’t come too far away from Coltrane! 😉

I’m assuming there’s a known canon up to the death of Coltrane, and after that I’m not sure. Not favorite track but stone cold classic that you’d put up there with MFT. Is there anything?

Chronologically. I should have said.

So in the way that My Favorite Things (for example) is a stone cold classic* in its studio version (as well as in the wider world of various live versions) have you got any post-Coltrane tracks that you love and feel in the same way, every glorious inevitable note? I’m not sure I have and I’m not going to call anybody out for their opinion, but...well, I just wonder... *for a lot of folks if not for everybody

Re. Abercrombie: fine gig here, not to all tastes, I guess...

I found the former more ‘interesting’, the latter I blow hot and cold on. BUT. Regardless, mentioning these is a reminder that a good few things fall outside the ‘ECM sound’ category and that they have supported artists who have a good press on this board.

Don’t ruin my image! 😉

I am not alone in the universe!

Any takers for Tim Berne on ECM? Some musical ingenuity at work there and they have some snap and crackle.

More than that for their early digital I thought. The LPs I had found magically clear - yes, with lots of reverb, but vivid and present. The CDs not so. I don’t know if it’s a question of my setup at the time.

Maybe none, but the mastering is said to be AAD.

For some of us these tracks are surrounded by alternates and false starts. These new ones could really serve a purpose even for us. But CDs have a limited uptake these days.

Yes I find some surprisingly muddy - not muddy muddy but not really clear. Examples are John Surman, Adventure Playground and Charles Lloyd, All My Relations. This isn’t a systematic observation as I’m barely a dabbler in ECM.

Also, I’ve often felt that for a long time digital did not treat ECM kindly.

What would happen if we rephrased the question: How many of your ten favorite albums are on ECM? I say that because even ones I gave playtime to back in the back in the day are too boring (to me) for me to play through any more (except for EP and RM, obvs).

See I’d expect you two to have given it a go! I wonder if any non-uk-ites have tried it...?

I guess I’m most familiar with Lauren Laverne (morning) and Steve Lamacq (teatime). Right now I’m enjoying a feature on and play through of Sign o the Times. I guess that station is just pleased to have survived the regular BBC culls. Advocacy always has that risk of turning into self satisfaction, I suppose. I’m just grateful for some interesting company and happy to be led. But yeah there is too much yapping, I guess that's why I prefer the drive-time programming!