A Lark Ascending

Hi, King Ubu, It arrived this morning - I've never even had the Fargo so it's all new to me! Looking forward to wallowing over the next couple of weeks.

That is going to be some ride. I've had that Mosaic on the radar as well recently, but I need to wait a bit, digest what's on the way and save some pennies before making another large purchase. ... But that box looks very good. I'll be interested to read your thoughts on it. I think you have some of the Mosaic material, Papsrus. It was seeing your mentioning of one of the 'Duke's Men' Columbia sets that had me searching. They seem to be OOP with just a few copies floating round. Then I got the Mosaic magazine through the post....... Another one I'm very fond of is 'The Ellington Suites' with 'The Queen's Suite' on it. This was the first full Ellington album I bought c. 1976-7 when it first came out for public issue. 'Sunset and the Mocking Bird' is just sublime! ************* And Hi, Paul. Thanks!

Hi MG, I've missed the details of your trips into Tonypandy. Bev

I've been on an Ellington trip all week, working through the 40s recordings from the Centennial box of 2000. Papsrus is responsible - his enthusiasm elsewhere had me digging back. Led to me spending a fortune on Ellington material online - * The Duke Box - the 40s live material. * Piano in the Foreground - really want to hear more of the piano, having really enjoyed 'Money Jungle' the other night; and as a result of Stan Tracey's frequent ventures into Ellington territory. * The big one...god knows what customs are going to sting me for this....the late 30s small groups Mosaic. Over thirty years since Ellington first bit andhe still drags me back.

Yes, welcome. How about restarting your Brazilian music thread here? Yes please! Clave/seeline has done more than anyone to broaden my listening in recent years.

Thanks for the welcome, Jim. And hi...er...seeline! Get onto those Brazilian threads!

Thanks, folks. The welcome is appreciated.

Hi all, I've been away for a good 18 months. Found I was repeating myself between two boards so chose one with more members from my neck of the woods. Very unhappy with recent events there (don't ask!). Is it OK to rejoin here? Bev (a bloke! See I've been reading if not posting!)

'Somewhere Called Home' is the one I like best; 'Well Kept Secret' is good complement as it shows a different side to her. I love the Azimuths and her contributions to Kenny Wheeler's 'Music for Large and Small Ensembles.' I think she's a 'try before you buy'. She's my favourite jazz vocalist, but I know some people find she sets their teeth on edge. I've seen her many times, always captivating. She did the big Jazz Britannia Concert last year; also played a marvellous concert with Bobby Wellins and the Stan Tracey Trio at Appleby plus sang part on an e.e. cummings suite written by Alan Barnes. I believe there's a recording of the Wellins/Tracey group due in the future. There have been several rumours of discs floating around over recent years. I think she recorded one with large scale backing for Provocateur but that label is having financial problems. There was also an ECM with Ralph Towner slated at one time. I'm looking forward to seeing her at the Bath Jazz weekend in May. Her website has a new disc recorded in 2002 in Italy mentioned - I've not seen sight of it. It's the band who are playing at Bath: Norma Winstone: Chamber Music 1.Chamber Music 4:02 2. Panis Angelicus 4:28 3. Mirror, Mirror 5:50 4. Remember 4:22 5. Giocando 5:07 6. Fanfare 5:33 7. San Diego Serenade 3:.32 8. Until Tomorrow 5:19 9. Unborn 5:04 10. Trolls Party 4:51 11. Snowflakes 4:14 Norma Winstone Voice Glauco Venier Piano Klaus Gesing Sop. Sax & Bs Clt

I suspect most were on very different labels in the US. In the UK Island had a very distinctive image associated with these musicians who ranged from Brit-blues through psychedelia to folk-rock. That pink Island logo that used to be on the centre of the discs has a powerful nostalgic pull.

Anyone seeking a copy of 'Groon' (the B-side of 'Cat Food') who doesn't want to shell out on the most recent version of 'In the Wake of Poseidon' (which is otherwise identical to the previous version without the single tracks) might be interested in this recent release: A marvellous compilation from Island's glory years in the late 60s/early 70s: 1. Supernatural Fairy Tales - Art 2. Paper Sun - Traffic 3. Harpsichord Shuffle - Wynder K. Frog 4. Rainbow Chaser - Nirvana 5. Pearly Queen - Tramline 6. Sunshine Help Me - Spooky Tooth 7. Dusty - Martyn, John 8. Meet On The Ledge - Fairport Convention 9. Song For Jeffrey - Jethro Tull 10. Carpenter - Clouds 11. I Keep Singing That Same Song - Heavy Jelly 12. Black Mass - White Noise 13. Over The Green Hills - Free 14. Worry - Free 15. Giants - Quintessence 16. Queen Of Scots - Amazing Blondel 17. Feelin' Alright - Traffic 18. Sing Me A Song That I Know So Well - Blodwyn Pig 19. Sailors Life - Fairport Convention Disc: 2 1. New Day Yesterday - Jethro Tull 2. No Time To Live - Traffic 3. Three Hours - Drake, Nick 4. Lost In My Dream - Spooky Tooth 5. Stormbringer - John & Beverley Martyn 6. Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal - Dr. Strangely Strange 7. Notting Hill Gate - Quintessence 8. Banks Of the Nile - Fotheringay 9. Wild World - Cat Stevens 10. Painted Chariot - Incredible String Band 11. Cat Food - King Crimson 12. Groon - King Crimson 13. Northstar Grassman And The Ravens - Sandy Denny 14. Suite In C - McDonald & Giles 15. Siege Of Yaddlethorpe - Amazing Blondel Disc: 3 1. Knife Edge - Emerson Lake & Palmer 2. Thunderbuck Ram - Mott The Hoople 3. Northern Sky - Nick Drake 4. Thru The Night - Alan Bown 5. Dark Dance - Robin Williamson, 6. I Am The Walrus - Spooky Tooth 7. Glistening Glyndebourne - John Martyn 8. Fire And Water - Free 9. See My Way - Blodwyn Pig 10. See The World (Through My Eyes) - Vinegar Joe 11. Peace Train - Cat Stevens 12. Watercolour Days - Clouds 13. Low Spark Of The High Heeled Boys - Traffic 14. Song For Suzie - Heads Hands & Feet Some classic stuff; some interesting oddities; some pretty dreadful oddities!

Lovely music. Many thanks.

'Islands' is still my favourite KC studio recording (closely followed by Lizard). I've enjoyed the live ones from that era too. In some respects I owe those two albums (bought in in 1971 and 1972) for attuning my ear to jazz - my initial jazz purchases were follow ups to Tippett, Charig etc. I saw the Wetton/Muir/Cross/Bruford KS in late '72 (my first concert !) and the Muir-less band twice in '73. Stunning concerts. 'The Great Deceiver' is a marvellous way of getting into the '73-4 sound world. A cheaper (but equally glorious) way is 'The Nightwatch.'

I'm not trying to put 'Last Chance Disco' down in any way. It's just not what I really look for in a record - I prefer longer tracks. In the right mood, I enjoy it. I'd imagine ears differently attuned would find it a hoot from start to finish. I've just got in from a gig by 'Partisans' - Phil Robson, Julian Siegel, Gene Calderazzo, Thad Kelly. Not exactly F-IRE members but slightly older associates. Absolutely superb band in blazing form. Imagine jazz-rock without the plodding beat; instead the ever shifting time of a jazz group. Their 2005 CD 'Max' is marvellous.

If you get the chance to see 'Nois', sidewinder, don't hesitate. Vocalist Monica Vasconcelos and Ingrid plus guitar and percussion playing delicious Brazilian music. Very different from her own current band (though her first CD had more of the Brazilian about it, a much lighter affair than the abstract 'Forensic.' One of my favourite current UK players...definately my favourite current UK player from Germany!

Live at the Bimhuis is one of my favourite CDs of the year. I'd go as far as to say one of my favourite double live CDs. You get a real sense of listening through a full concert. And the stretched out versions of tunes from the era of 'The Infinite' are superb. I think I've only hear Rick Margitza with Maria Schneider before. On this set he really made me sit up and take notice. Very, very strong recommendation. I like 'Keystone' too, but it's the Bimhuis discs that really get my attention.

I have mixed feelings about 'Last Chance Disco.' The tunes are too short, too punky for me to fully enjoy; like others I prefer the earlier disc. But I can get the odd buzz from it. To be honest, I don't think the band are seeing themselves as a jazz band anymore; they're enjoying having fun in the 'indie' area of rock. The guys all play in other, much more jazz-like, bands so I imagine they've decided to use AL as an outlet for their rockier tastes. I've seen them a couple of times - early in 2004 in a superb concert when they were still doing the extended tunes; earlier this year when it was the 'Last Chance Disco' approach. The latter was fun in the context of a festival but I'm not sure I'd have been so satisfied if it was the whole meal! Polar Bear suit me better, anyway. And if you want something really interesting from the F-IRE stable try Ingrid Laubrock's 'Forensic.' There's an excellent F-IRE 2CD compilation just come out called 'Works: Volume 2." Gives a good impression of the breadth of the collective. Even if you don't like their music you've got to admire the spirit of these people - rather than whine about how little attention jazz is getting they've pooled their resources and gone out there and got it. They've taken the model of the famous collectives of the past and adapted it to the new century. I'm very much looking forward to hearing the F-IRE big band on record - the two concerts I saw in the spring were very different, both excellent. Amazing how the concept evolved over a month.

Quite agree. He played the Appleby festival back in July and turned up in no end of different bands. I never understand how rhythm section players can be so adaptable.

Trio Records is run by Andy Cleyndert, Stan's current bassist (amongst many other things).

Take a look here: http://home.freeuk.net/cleyndert/homepage.html Very enjoyable album. I prefer my Tracey in small groups rather than big band but this one is great fun.

It was only a matter of time before you all started regretting the extermination of the buffalo: http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/buffalo.html [mind you, we exterminated the coal miners!]

I'm driving down to Oxford to see them.

There's a great bit in the liners to the reissue of Mike Gibbs' 'Just Ahead' about Spedding annoying the more serious-minded jazzers in the band. Rather than towing the line he turned up to the band bus one night in a bright pink suit. So I suspect he'd have fitted in just fine to Miles' spandex period. It would also have meant that in 1976, instead of retiring, Miles would have gone punk! Agharta...Pangaea...Motorbikin' There's a logic there somewhere.

Details can now be found here: http://www.duttonlabs.demon.co.uk/oct05_vo...njazz.html#8408 Dutton now has a much improved website.

Mole used to be a regular first stop on my infrequent visits to London in the late 70s/early 80s. It was in an ideal spot as my train used to land in King's Cross/St Pancras. I recall picking up import copies of 'My Funny Valentine' and 'Miles Smiles' there at a time when huge chunks of the Davis catalogue were not available in the UK (must be an unthinkable situation to younger jazz fans, given what you find in the jazz racks today!). I never really cared for it when it shifted across the road. Never did visit the last shop though I did try to open the door once. Couldn't be bothered to ring the doorbell. In fact both visiting Mole and catching trains are now confined to nostalgia for me!