king ubu

Greatly enjoyed discs 1-5 (run out of time afterwards, alas) of the Jazztet. Not much of it was new to me (3 Jazztet albums plus one of the Golson's, too, but I didn't come that far yet), but this music is sooooo nice, and it's great to have it all in one place. Somewhat reminds of the JJJ set, in its penchant for variety and nice arrangements. And still, the looser three of the albums (Birdhouse and the great two Mercury albums) have as much space for blowing as any Messengers date... and Golson is fully in charge, with Farmer providing a very nice alternative, cooler, softer, but no less compelling. The rhythm sections are fine as well, for me McCurdy and Williams being the outstanding musicians. Not to speak of the 'bonists and pianist... a terrific set, even more so for someone who just has one or two things from it. Oh, and the *one* highlight? Definitely the terrific "Jazztet meets John Lewis" album - I've had that on one of those b/w reissue LPs and loved it from the very first spin. Awesome album! Anyone got a big scan of the colour cover?

Yes - seems like he was one to take chances... a loner, and kind of a weirdo, too, as I understand... (not in a negative way - just some idiosyncratic character...)

For any others reading this thread, here's a link to a short english biography (with a photo of Lüscher): http://www.musinfo.ch/index.php?content=ma...&action=open_it Lüscher's are on Altrisuoni: www.altrisuoni.com (steep prizes... not for swiss market, but you'll likely find it expensive...)

Nice, that magazine ("Jazz'n'more", 4/2006, July/August) has a lenghty personnal recollection by sax player Martin Buergi (more here: http://www.altrisuoni.com/pub/artist.php?code=27 - wouldn't work on Opera on my computer). Some more points I take from there (no use in translating it - it's too many just so stories of a personnal character and uninteresting for someone not swiss, plus it's much longer than the above two): - he came from free improv to jazz - he was divorced, had daughters (don't know how many but more than one) - had a heart attack 12 years ago already, doctors gave him 3 more years to go then, but he continued living in clover (don't know that expression in english... leo also gives "to live it up", "to live on the fat of the land", "to riot away one's days"), using up all his funds within 3 years, but then he didn't die... and had to begin from scratch again. - Buergi's personnal remembrance of FL will be as: open, curious, vital, crazy, free from prejudices, full of joie de vivre I hope all of this is of use, Nate! Please post your write-up here or PM it my way, as otherwise I'll never see it!

Ok Nate, here I am again - I'll post the original articles in German and then give the main points in english below He still had many projects in his head when he died - his last, on-going "work in progress" wa dedicated to Giuffre and Messiaen, alas it won't be realized since FL died from the consequences of a cardiac infarction. Lüscher was born in Zurich Dec. 1, 1943, his career was rather atypical: until 1985 he worked mainly as a language teacher, before deciding to become a jazz musician. Remarkable that he, an autodidact, chose to dedicate himself to composition and arrangement. Thus he arranged pieces by Ellington, Strayhorn, Monk or C. Bley and created masterpieces of subtle sound colours (not sure how to translate "Klangfarben" any better). But he also loved free story-telling. Also he worked as a teacher at Lucerne Music Academy (not sure what that would be in US school system, it's some kind of university/college where you can only study music), and as a journalist and radio moderator/redactor. He leaves a handful of recordings, among the wonderful albums with music by Ellington and C. Bley. (now that turned into a more or less exact translation...) Pianist F.L., born 1943, died last week after a heart attack, as friends of him have made public. In Zurich this musician could lately been heard for instance at the Unerhört festival [that's where I saw him - and I think he mainly played Voerkel tunes, not free and standards...]. Originally language teacher in Zug, the autodidactic pianist turned into a professional musician in 1985. Living in Uerzlikon in the region of Zurich, he got known through several albums he recorded with the Zurich sax player Nat Su or through the work of his trio with Daniel Studer (bass) and Marco Käppeli (drums). The above two articles are all I have, I think. There's one swiss jazz magazine - let me also check their latest number, but I guess if he will appear in there, only next time (almost 2 months from now), as they usually are about as much behind as downbeat, as far as artists dying are concerned.

both of what they said... (edit: that's Sheldon & Evan... Dan posted in between...)

I'll have to check, Nate. There were small notes in papers here, but no real obits, just some announcements including a few sentences about his career. I was quite sad to learn the news and thought for a moment to post it on the board but decided against since I wasn't aware of anyone being aware of him, really (but you did mention him before I remember now, or even include something on your BFT?). I saw him live once - tough gig to play after a marvellous Lacy solo set (a few months before Lacy died - maybe a bad omen?). Anyway, Lüscher played a very beautiful trio set, interesting arrangements on standards and freer stuff, too... was the only live show of his I caught. I'll search for those (I think two, maybe only one, even) little press clippings - are you in a hurry? If so, please email me, as otherwise I might take some time!

That's them zweitausendeins guys that's to blame, really! Me, I haven't done anything!

stay strong! and then give in as I did and order a pile of stuff at once...

ouch, this hurts... but for lots of the greasier stuff I might have never jumped if not for this prize... Artikel-Nr. u. Bezeichnung Menge E-Preis Gesamt ------------------------------------------------- 400873 JOHNSON,L.BLUE DRCD 1 2,99 2,99 500190 FARLOW RETURN DRCD 1 2,99 2,99 500990 MULLIGAN PLAY M.DRCD 1 2,99 2,99 500994 MINGUS,C.+MAX ROA.CD 1 2,99 2,99 501001 RUMSEY,H.SUNDAY DRCD 1 2,99 2,99 502153 MONTGOM.SO MUCH DRCD 1 2,99 2,99 502411 JACKSON, BAGS MEETCD 1 2,99 2,99 502472 GARLAND, RED IN BLCD 1 2,99 2,99 502482 ELLINGTON, THE PIACD 1 1,99 1,99 502509 JACQUET, THE SOUL CD 1 2,99 2,99 502547 JENNINGS, GLIDE ONCD 1 1,99 1,99 502548 WELLSTOOD, UPTOWN CD 1 1,99 1,99 502549 PEAGLER, DISCIPLESCD 1 1,99 1,99 502550 PERSON, TRUST IN MCD 1 2,99 2,99 502617 CLAY, THE SOUND OFCD 1 2,99 2,99 502620 EARLAND, BLACK DROCD 1 2,99 2,99 502601 EARLAND, INTENSITYCD 1 2,99 2,99 502646 JOHNSON, BUDD JOHNCD 1 2,99 2,99 502654 GRIFFIN, GRAB THISCD 1 2,99 2,99 502663 PIKE, IT'S TIME FOCD 1 2,99 2,99 502670 FARMER QUINTET, ARCD 1 2,99 2,99 502672 MONTGOMERY, BOSS GCD 1 2,99 2,99 502822 HOLLOWAY, LEGENDS CD 1 2,99 2,99 502836 WESS, THE LONG ROACD 1 2,99 2,99 502841 MCDUFF, THE SOULFUCD 1 2,99 2,99 502842 STITT, BROTHERS4 CD 1 2,99 2,99 502845 EARLAND, IN CONCERCD 1 2,99 2,99 502850 MCDUFF, THE LAST GCD 1 2,99 2,99 502852 TIMMONS, THE PRESTCD 1 2,99 2,99 502855 SMITH, GOOD 'NUFF CD 1 2,99 2,99 502858 SMITH, OPUS DE FUNCD 1 2,99 2,99 502866 MULLIGAN QUARTETS,CD 1 2,99 2,99

That link leads me nowhere! I tested it and it was okay then. Anyway, it's Bruce Barth, "A Joyful Noise" from album "East and West". Here's the link again. Sorry about that. Thanks, this one works! Never heard of Barth and except Foster am not familiar really with any of the others...

sorry again!

I'm surprised - but I'm not familiar with most of his albums. Still: why did he overdub that second guitar in the intro? Or was that the bassist chording? I'm having a hard time telling apart what's bass and what's guitar... I think bass plays just the single-line solo/melody, while guitar is chording AND occasionally playing bass notes - but I'm not sure. Doesn't really sound like overdubbing to me. Btw, while this is a nice tune, I think I'd have made a different choice from "Deconstructed" or the similar "Always Pack Your Uniform on Top". I like both of these quite some!

admittedly, buy 299 get 1 free doesn't sound like a great offer... strange thing is, i think, that inbetween all those 2,99 and some 1,99 CDs there is one CD, Stan Getz "Quartets" which is supposed to cost 3,99 - I am constantly tempted to buy it just to find out why... but have resisted so far No reason, I assume... it's one of the digipack remasterings thus I didn't buy it...

I still hope for some Iberian edition of these ..... some of the best Hamp I know. That would be the date with Oscar Dennard, Ray Copeland, Jimmy Cleveland, Lucky Thompson etc.? I'd definitely like to hear that one in its entirety!

That link leads me nowhere!

had that arrrrghhhh moment there, too... bassist's one of those Scott LaFaro (ok, he himself was great) via Eddie Gomez clones, I suppose? But guitar is very nice! I didn't dare guessing on the standard of the second piano solo cut after my mis-nomers with your BFT, but this time I'd have gotten it right...

Ok, here's my impressions on a first listen of disc one, as usual this is my first checking in in this thread... #1 Nice piano solo, but nothing here that really jumps at me. Sounds like a fairly contemporary recording to me? Some traces of Tyner in the piano solo, I think. Drums are nice. Soprano is quite good... hmm, it this older? I'm quite sure I don't actually know it but somehow the whole thing does sound slightly familiar. Is that Wayne Shorter on soprano? Very nice soft sound! Trumpet and soprano mix very well on the ensembles - I liked this better and better as it continued. #2 Oh, very nice! Me knows that... it's this on that that Guitar is great, trumpet is very nice, bass gives it away in a second anyway who's group's at work. Also I think he's got quite his own way of writing these smooth (not meant in a negative way at all) flowing tunes that still have a couple of edges... also I like the tenor player quite a bit better than Chuck. Saw the trio band live and it was great (that is minus trumpet and guitar). #3 A tango... very nice! No clue, but I like it! #4 Hmmm... sort of just goes on and on without grabbing me... not bad, but not something that I'd listen to, I think. #5 I don't like this kind of groove jazz that much... never been a fan of E.S.T. and similar groups... this just sounds too clean for me, too neat and cultivated... there's no funk in there... #6 More contemporary stuff... hmmm, could this be from ... hmmm... thought it was from Lovano/Osby's "Friendly Fire" but it's not. Clueless then. Not exactly a favourite - again too neat, I suppose... but the saxes are nice, and piano as well. #7 Starts out real nice with the accordion and bass, but then there's again one of those clean straight beats... don't like how it goes on too much. Just leaves me cold. Trumpet solo is nice, though. #8 I like this alright. Could be Brad Mehldau? I've heard a very recent solo set of his on radio and it was great, much more... lucent, with a less voluminous sound, totally intriguing. So I'm not sure this is him... #9 Some kind of medley... pretty nice, actually. This gives me more than the newer cuts (#5, #6, #7) but still it's not exactly a favourite track of mine. Reminds me a bit of the medleys Jaki Byard could play, but this is too clean and not nearly as exuberant... still, as it goes on I start liking it better and better! #10 "Skylark" - this is such a beautiful tune! I adore some of Carmichael's tunes, and this is definitely one of my most cherished ones! Guitar is very nice, soft... for whatever reason, this brings to mind Joe Diorio. But I'm really no guitar expert at all. #11 Nice one! I like these last few cuts much better than some of the first half.

a little gift for you... ñ

Well yes... I guess all of these discs contain nice music, but in the end none are essential (still I have all except "Once Upon a Summertime"...)

ouch! of course! I was typing fast (at work), but I felt something was weird with that name...

I have the digipack bad-sounding versions of the Baker albums (five albums on five discs, or is it four?). This 3CD version of the same session(s?) seems to be much better sounding. But then while it's a good band and all, it's not the best Baker there is (for that, I'd advise you to look for the quartet stuff with Bud Freeman - some of the live discs, there are 3 of them, all on Blue Note, seem to be or go OOP). Anyway, the Mabern isnt' exactly what I'd call essential (got it in this sale, too). It pairs two albums, so value for money is good, as well. The music is nice, some of it groovy (think Memphis...) but there's nothing too deep about the music. Of course Coleman is nice (but he's nice on the Baker discs, too, even in the lousy editions I have). Not really much help, I'm afraid... "Lerner & Loewe" is nice, though, if they have it at 2001!

ain't that contradictio in adiecto?

i prefer to call them Fantasy/OJC 2,99 € discs well you know, I never fell for that trick... but there are some 2 € ones, too (you'd call them 1,99 € ones, I assume ) (edited for typo)

Yep. Not now... I ordered another package of Fantasy/OJC 3 € discs a couple of days ago (another 100 € gone).