clifford_thornton

My understanding is that after Delcloo had a falling out with the BYG people, he took the tapes of that record and Coursil's "Black Suite" to Pierre Berjot, who issued them on America. very good record. Have the 1970 black vinyl pressing.

Sad to report that the great jazz writer Francis Davis has died at age 78. He passed this morning. Source is reputable. May he rest easy, and I give thanks for his decades of work. Mods: could move this to another category, away from artists, but I leave that to y'all's discretion... he was significant in this music, that's for sure.

okay, I guess the CD is coming out this week so I'll be able to hear it soon. Denis was never someone I'd call pedestrian, which leads me to believe he may not be the drummer.

yeah, I guess he got hacked on FB at one point.

Well, I had zero guesses on who any of the performers were, but here's my take: 1. I like this more than I expected I would -- the flutist is more than capable with a bright sound and creative improvisational lines. Certainly a very recent production, and the rhythm section is solidly in the pocket. No guesses, but I enjoyed it. 2. Been guessed, but good to hear it again and it's interesting to now know who's part of the ensemble. I will admit I'd not known of Lakecia Benjamin before this BFT and am impressed. 3. The tune has been identified and this is an excellent rendition, but I can't hazard a guess as to who the performers are. I'd imagine it's somewhat recent (within the last 20-30 years) but beyond that, am not sure. The bassist and tenor saxophonist are certainly hitting some areas that are within my wheelhouse. 4. Not really my thing at all as far as the arrangement & composition go. But everything has its place. No guesses, probably would not revisit. 5. Spaulding is an interesting guess but I don't really think it is him. Ebullient rendition of a classic tune, though the pianist's solo doesn't really do it for me. 6. As I was talking to a fellow board member the other day, the Santana feel is strong here, though it's certainly not them (him?). Once the vocals began I checked out. 7. I do understand the valid connection between jazz and hip hop but this isn't my cuppa tea. It does seem very contemporary. 8. Recent guitar-organ fare, I recall being sent some things like this by the PosiTone label when I was reviewing albums. No guesses. The guitarist presents ideas in a cohesive manner that I could see going places, but the overall flavor isn't too distinctive. 9. I guess this would be crowd-pleasing in a concert setting, but again, I don't get it. Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" reimagined as a jazz-funk tune? Sorta. Personally, I only lasted a few minutes. 10. Okay, the sentiment is admirable and the delivery is okay -- I'd gather the poet/speaker has spent a fair amount of time listening to how Amiri Baraka did things, at least on some level -- but the music doesn't deliver and feels quite, I don't know, not compelling, which is weird given the subject. Trumpet has some Hannibal-isms but I highly doubt it's him. Another Ropeadope release?

so they probably do bulk licensing deals from various labels?

essential music. I love those Savoy avant-garde LPs and hope that one day they're given really special reissue treatment.

would love to have seen that.

He can play the saxophone better than I can! I've seen and certainly enjoyed him but not felt the need to own any of his CDs. I do like him with Motian as well.

Interstellar Space and Signal are two shops that are supposed to be quite good. I have not been to CHI in years.

Lovely album. Took a few copies to find one without a lock groove.

Some of those Jazzland covers with abstract designs remind me of 'stock' covers that various labels used throughout the '60s and '70s. They are very cheap but some have their charm.

oh for sure.

I'll have to pick that LP up the next time I see it. Another fine Chris Albertson annotation.

Welcome! #2 & #3 both feel very familiar but I am struggling to place them. Just took a brief gander overall, will hopefully have time to report back in more detail soon.

yeah, definitely a money issue. The Bley was released in the early 70s and that is its original cover design. It is a good one. Another Timbre is a cool label for sure. I have some of their early CDs and CDRs.

Some of those I am interested in. When I was stocking up on Ogun many years ago, I concentrated on the older sessions and archival releases, so a few of the newer Moholo titles I never picked up. Then again, staring at walls and walls of music, I'm not sure if I actually need much more...

Like, I guess my argument would be that it takes work to be minimal and their cover art practice just got lazy.

Ah, that is too bad -- indeed, his music on the Aketa's Disk label, and that of his compatriots whom he released, is very interesting. Glad to see that a bunch of it has been reissued legitimately. Looking at my spreadsheet, he shares a birthday with Tristan Honsinger, which seems appropriate.

Yep. That Kühn is excellent.

A lot of the 1970s ECM covers were pretty cool, and even the 80s and 90s weren't totally offensive (or I could deal). These days not so much.

Damn, too bad. A fabulous musician indeed.

I'm looking forward to hearing the recordings and will be interested to see if it's actually Frank/Huss rather than Denis.

The Rostvold can definitely be had cheaper (with patience). I believe it is streaming too, but not on CD alas. This BFT was certainly an excuse for me to dig out some records I hadn’t heard in a while and probably wouldn’t have identified if I were on the other side of it. Glad folks found some things to dig into further!