king ubu

Don´t know much about the gush or Bush thing but I did enjoy his liner notes for the Art Tatum Complete Group Masterpieces! So did I! Other favorites might be Cecil Taylor and Brad Mehldau ubu

Luke, please do spam us (best in the new releases section) once you have news about this! Several people here should be interested, I guess! ubu

I read through the whole thread this morning - very very interesting, and thanks a lot for starting this discussion, John! And thanks everybody (particularly Jim, Free For All, John L, also Simon Weil, and everybody I forget ) for your insightful comments. Now of course, we cannot argue as far as taste is concerned. I personally love Miles' harmon mute sound, as well as his open horn sound. I love his ballad playing, his uptempo playing is incredible too (I'm spinning "Motel" from the "Ascenseur pour l'echafaud" soundtrack right now - mute and up and great!), and as has been noticed, his mastery of the wide range of medium tempos is astonishing. I have nothing to add to what Jim wrote about Miles' style (fluffs and all) and timing. His time is something I can marvel about without end. Take "Steamin'", take "'Round About Midnight", take anything... the influence of Ahmad Jamal has been stated, I think, but as far as Miles' coming into his own in the mid-fifites is concerned, I think it can not be overvalued. Now about his band-leading - I guess it would not be right (this has again been stated before, but I try to express my own opinion here, also to let John know what I feel)..., so: I guess it would not be right to just consider Miles a "catalyst". He was that, as much as you can, I believe, but he was also much more than that. He was an opportunist, maybe, but not the usual opportunist going with the times, floating along. He was the kind of person who had the nose to smell novelty, to smell possibility, to smell future, indeed (as far as music goes, of course). That quote about the band playing him and after a week he playing them in THEIR style is a case in point, I think. He was able to make his musicians playing better or different than they were without him. He saw their potential, he saw abilities they themselves might not have been knowing of, and he knew ways to make them fulfill his expectations. And in this way, the thought of Miles or not Miles on "Bitches Brew" is a thought that's not thinkable - that music would not have been there without Miles. Also, with this in mind, you cannot say he had no hand in creating the new "styles" of jazz he did create. Catalyst he might have been (another aspect of this is seen if you have a look at the "fusion" bands that emerged out of Miles bands, or were founded by Miles sidemen: Tony Williams Lifetime, Weather Report, Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra - some of the most stunning, freshest sounding music of that time, I think), but he had his own part, and no small one, I think, in the development of the music we call jazz, too. He might have been an innovator thanks to his gift of anticipating things, without him really trying to be so innovative (well, later on he might have consciously tried, and in the eighties he somehow gave up trying, but in the fifties and sixties, I'm not so sure all he did was consciously achieved). About Miles "street credibility", his wise guy style etc, I think Jim has made some very good points. You never can decide on that "inside"/"outside" thing, indeed. I read his autobiography a long time ago, but this double-sided image was one he also played with, and was one of the strongest impressions made on me while reading. Another point: regarding the "romanticism" of Miles (see Simon Weil's posts and the "attacks" against him: I don't see a way to look at Miles without looking at the social development of the US in the sixties and seventies, really. His will to play the rock audiences, to be sort of another Sly Stone etc certainly has to do with the development of the society as a whole, and with the crisis of the (traditional) "jazz scene" in the same years. He was looking for new ways, new directions (not only in music, but also in style, clothing etc) in a changing society. Here I might add that I am not yet as fully into electric Miles as into the fifties/sixties Miles, but I have almost all of his official releases (also recently got the JJ box and LOVE it), and I really love that music! I have been exploring Miles pretty much in a chronological way, and this has helped me understand his going electric right from the start. Also, as has been noted, his chops around the Fillmore dates, are incredible, and as good as any jazz trumpet players' chops, I dare say. I guess this sums up some of my thoughts about Miles. Hope you can follow. ubu

I have one track from that TCB disc on some sampler, and I always planned to pick the CD up since, but have not come around buying it. That one track sure's very fine. Here's the link to the label: http://www.tcb.ch/ And to that CD: Jazz Station Runaway ubu

Uh, this is pretty embarassing! I have that disc, Mike, but did not listen to it a long time. I listened on cheap headphones and was still pretty high right after the operation when I took the notes I posted. No time so far to listen to the disc again, however I really did enjoy it, Vint! ubu

John, just wanted to let you know I'm still here (after having been in hospital since Friday, therefore my late reply), and that I still dig Miles a lot ( ) and always will, for similar reasons expressed by Lon early on in this discussion: Miles was pretty essential in bringing me to jazz, he was one of the very first musicians that I deeply immerged and felt an urge to explore and read about - and of course obviously, I "get" him. I had no time yet to read through the whole thread, but this seems to be a pretty interesting discussion, so thanks for starting it! ubu

Well now, lieber Gott... after you almost wiped me out, I am really considering closing this thread down immediately Now seriously, due to a stay in hospital (appendix), I missed several of your birthdays, and I am really sorry for that. All I can say is: Alles gute zum Geburtstag, and may you grow to be 99 soon, so this game will be over ubu

Well, as usual, I did NOT look at any of the above answers (and I'm not cheating, i was in hospital since friday, my sis brought me the disc, and I listened and enjoyed it there, just back home and fine again now). What follows is my notes I took while in hospital on some sheet of paper. No changes made. 1 Cool opening! Very good groove. No idea. 2 Again no idea. Good one! Horns sound a little dukish, bass could be Cecil McBee (going from the sound). 3 Lee Konitz? No? Certainly nice alto solo. Not sure I'd need the congas on this one, but all in all it's fine. 4 Although I never heard this one, it does seem familiar. Horace Silver? One of his late recordings? 5 Know this one, swings like mad, good alto solo. (Did not yet check with my collection to identify, as I just returned half an hour ago) 6 Another good one! (Great disc so far!!) Love the solos. 7 Gil Evans? Another one I do like. No idea really who it could be. Great rhythm section beneath the bari sax. Thad Jones-Mel Lewis? (It would be Pepper Adams, then, of course). But where then would those vibes come from? Could this be one of those Terry Gibbs dates I ought to check out? Just a wild guess. Great track, my favourite so far, I think. The horns behind the bass have that Evans-touch again. 8 Another cool one! Love the combination of flute & vibes! Herbie Mann? Alto flute, this is, or maybe even a bass flute? 9 Cool! 10 This disc sends me on an interesting rhythmical journey. Now this is some afro-cuban stuff. I think I know it, but I'm not sure at all. Nope, don't know it. Love the sound of the cuban percussion sections! 11 More similar. 12 Know this tune. Cool version! Lucky T? Beautiful tenor sound! Has to be him! (Couldn't check, though, as my collection was beyond reach.) 13 Again not the slightest idea! Harmonica - Toots Thielemans? Nice, breathy alto. Again touches of Gil Evans I hear. 14 Guy Klucevesek? Very nice accordion, good drummer. Nice mix of instruments, love it! 15 Again maybe Klucevesek, maybe some one else I never heard of. Another interesting line up. Beautiful tune. Greg Cohen on bass? 16 Slightly kitschy, no? 17 Same as for the last one, but I like this a little bit better. Nice sax. 18 Lovely! 19 Another one I like, but have no idea. 20 Again, no idea. Big thanks for this CD! I really enjoyed listening! ubu

Now that's some crazy schitte! I am *out of order* for one long weekend, did not even yet post my reply to the on-going BFT, and already sign up for the next! Hell, things are moving fast here! ubu

I'm in for both discs! Will send you a mail, thanks! ubu

Milan, wish you only the best! And many happy returns! Flurin

Here's the cover (couldn't load it from the Intakt site directly)

wtf is tuvan throat singing? ---------- Listening to Charles Gayle's "More Live" (Knit). Pretty exciting stuff! Though I think I like the Coltrane homage with Rashied Ali a little bit better. Found the latest Intakt Evan Parker/Barry Guy 2CD set new for 10CHF yesterday! No chance to listen yet. The booklet has an intersting interview with the two, trying to find words to explain what they're doing musically, and also just refreshing memories of how they came to know each other etc. It's this one: http://www.intaktrec.ch/guyparker-a.htm ubu

Thanks for clearing things! B3-er, hope this problem will be solved as fast as each problem showing up on this board has been solved ubu

You talkin' to me or to Late? If me, you got my email address (I don't want to post it here, as I've been without spam so far) ubu

Mark, I was thinking it over several times, too. But generally, I am slowly and unforcedly working my way back (first from modal/free to bop, and now to swing and earlier things), and I like almost anything I have yet encountered. And if I don't like it now, there might still come a time I will... Anyway, I think I do have some sort of idea of what I will going to hear. ubu Just to make sure I wasn't misunderstood, the recommendation I hesitate to make is to skip disc one. As for buying the set, I don't hesitate at all. It was a very delightful surprise for me! I'm working my way back as well, although as I started at hard bop, I find myself working forward at the same time. I really like what I've heard so far! The quartet George Lewis tracks are sublime! Great music, good liners, nice photos (that one of Paul Barbarin is beautiful, on top of page 5, I think - don't have it at hand right now). ubu

Perhaps Irene Aebi? ubu

Please answer telling me whether you got my PM or not! I wrote you earlier today, but received the mail error message, so I don't know if my PM went through (it's not in the Sent Items folder) ubu (I will delete this thread later)

Thanks, Shrdlu! So I don't need this one. ubu

Ernie Henry? -- Imagine! ubu

Thanks for posting that cool LP cover, Jim! I only have three or four Kenton discs so far, plus the Forties Mosaic. What I'd like to know is: can the recordings of the Holman/Russo Mosaic be bought on single CDs? Some of the 53-54 CDs available do have Holman/Russo charts, however, is there a way of acquiring all that was in that Mosaic set? Could anyone maybe name the respective albums? Or does anyone have a discography of that set he could post here? ubu

Milan, welcome back! And thanks for your comments above! Can't believe you guys walk around with closed ears Still I'm only listening to the Basie things, not to JATP. Will have closer listens to the broadcasts I have now, and report back if I find something interesting down the alley of your free jazz thoughts. ubu

Now you dare starting this thread BEFORE even one of us heady europeans has received the disc?!? Looking forward to it! ubu

How about a bamboo saxophone? Roscoe Mitchell plays such a thing on the "Urban Magic" live CD I'm listening to. Then there would be the one pitched higher than the soprano, which lots of posters sure would like to be banned from our planet ubu