A Lark Ascending

There's some lovely Harry Beckett from the mid-70s on this recent reissue, by another late-lamented UK-based player: Made up of 'Happy Daze' and most of 'Oh, for the Edge'.

I've always liked the Blackhawk albums but Mobley never registered as a presence in the way that Coltrane, Coleman (I love the Miles albums with the latter) and Shorter did. In fact the shining light for me on those recordings has always been Wynton Kelly. As a consequence I never went near Mobley's solo recordings until about ten years back - what a revelation they have turned out to be. It would have been interesting to hear Mobley with the Williams/Carter/Hancock band. The standard interpretation has Miles in 'transitional' mode at the time of Blackhawk, with the musicians there too locked into the hard bop approach to move further; yet when he did change the rhythm section to something younger and more abstract but hired a relatively 'mainstream' sax player (Coleman) there was still some outstanding music within the existing (if reworked) model. Perhaps something similar could have happened if Mobley had been around longer. Ah! Counterfactuals!

He's listed on the other three I have - 'Storm of Light', 'Stella Marina' and 'Inner City Blues'. The only Working Week albim with Keith Tippett on that I know was the later 'Fire in the Mountain'. Not sure if he's on that. The last time I saw him he was playing in the band that recorded this:

I suspect we're all trolls here, Shawn. Came to this prog-rock site and then started posting about that funny jazz stuff.

I will do, Aggie. Thanks.

There's a great Harry Beckett solo on the extended version of 'Venceremos' on this Working Week 12" single: One of the few singles I bought in the 80s!

I always forget that one. I recall being disappointed by it when it came out - seemed a bit insubstantial (not surprising as it was soundtrack music). When you are 17 with very limited resources, every track has to count on an LP, because it's going to be another month before you can afford another! I like it more now - inhabits that dreamy Floyd world of the start of the 70s. [i'm almost sure it was cheaper than the standard album in '72; as if they were wanting to indicate that it was not part of the major sequence)

'Atom Heart Mother' and 'Meddle' were the current releases that still define what I like best about PF - I also had 'Relics' (which I loved) and 'Umma Gumma' (great live album, strange studio album that kept you curious but went on a bit in places) but they were already old music by that time. Although I liked 'Dark Side' when it came out there was just a sense that they'd scaled back; I think the musical snob in me reacted against their massive popularity from '73 and I stopped listening. Got to enjoy the first two albums much, much later (though I've never bought into the Syd Barrett idolatry) and 'Wish You Were Here'. In fact I think I like WYWH as much as AHM and Meddle - a return to nice, long slow-burn tracks. I've still never heard 'Animals' or 'The Wall'. Whatever happened to the album they intended to record on kitchen implements? The abandonment of that project and then the massive success of the more conventional 'Dark Side' could be seen as an indicator of the general scaling back of musical ambition in the mid-70s (some might say 'greater realism'). Ironic, given the counter-culture/alienation/anti-corporate nature of the lyrics.

Very sad. Saw him many times and he appears on so many great records, not just jazz ones. You could recognise his light, feathery sound instantly.

Good luck all three of you in your future projects and thanks for the very fine music.

My favourite was when he was promoting his Horace Silver tribute album, 'Yeah!' Went something to the effect of 'if Horace Silver had been British he'd have called the tune 'Perhaps' or 'Maybe' or 'Possibly'.'

Or the seemingly friendly old man who, on learning you are a jazz fan, invites you back to his castle to hear his ultra-rare Lee Morgan LP, 'The Impaler'.

Sounds like a great weekend, sidewinder. I wish Nikki Iles would record more - the 'Printmakers' sextet she toured with last autumn (including Norma Winstone, Stan Sulzman and Mike Walker) was superb. Her website says she is doing another trio record in the autumn for spring release. I've often thought that if the BBC put on a 45 minute jazz club series with Alan Barnes as compare, jazz could capture the general public's imagination again. You're never in any doubt that it's all about having fun.

Stapleton (always seems odd punching his name in!) seems to be one of those workaholic types - as well as playing, writing and (I think) teaching, he's put together a very professional label, drawing to it some marvellous current talent. I also like his determination to make his way from Wales rather than shifting to London. The previous record is worth getting too...marvellous guest vocal from Julie Tippetts at the end, doing a rare bluesy piece, something she is brilliant at. I believe Dave S. studied with Keith. Re: Steve Melling - try and get to hear the title track of the New Jazz Courier's 'Brazilian Thoroughfare' - he does a particulary striking solo on that.

A welcome week of rain with some wind. Much needed after a very dry spring. It had become so dry I spotted gazelle and giraffes crossing my lawn last Saturday. Hoping for another week of this and then - ping - four weeks of sunshine with a nice heavy downpour at about 3.00 a.m. each night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eDaSvRO9xA

Now I got 'The chap who wrote the Bible'. Not sure if that meant the one who dreamed it all up or King James I.

I got Geoffrey Chaucer.

I love that! How was Dave Newton. His solo sets were always high points at Appleby; that and the great jams they used to put on in the evening where he often held down the piano chair.

Thank you, Bill! It was your posting of the 'Only the Blues' album (on as I type) that sent me in search to Fresh Sound. I know some feel listing albums listened to is pointless but I find it an endless source of interest, alerting me to things I'd otherwise miss.

Very sad. A champion of a wide range of music - big advocate of Janacek over here.

If only we'd been blessed with a Peter King visit! Swanage is definitely worth checking out this year. The ubiquitous Alan Barnes as usual (premiering his 'Swanage Suite') plus interesting performers such as Back Door Too, Jim Hart Quartet, Keith Nichols, Liam Noble, Denys Baptiste, John Law, Gilad Atzmon, Dave Stapleton and Tina May - as well as Stan and Peter. A veritable cornucopia of UK jazz and right by the seaside too ! Looks like it's pretty well sold out: Swanage Jazz Looks like Appleby of old! A pity it wasn't a week later! It would be an ideal holiday jump-off point.

John Cameron

Which one? William or Harry? Surely not Bonkers Daddy?

Here's one I had back in the day. Came out in '69, think I bought it late 70. Seems the word was already a marketing term by then. Track list is interesting: Side 1 1. Touch: Down At Circe's Place (4:47) 2. John Mayall: Where Did I Blong (3:08) 3. Savoy Brown: Train To Nowhere (4:05) 4. Johnny Almond: Voodoo Forest (3:32) 5. East Of Eden: Communication (3:23) Side 2 1. Genesis: In The Beginning (4:08) 2. The Moody Blues: Nights In White Satin (4:19) 3. William R. Strickland: William R. Strickland Is Only The Name (4:37) 4, John Cameron Quartet: Go Away, Come Back Another Day (4:59) 5. Keef Hartley Band: Not Foolish, Not Wise (3:50) Only two of the regular suspects.