clifford_thornton

Graves is the shit. I hear a lot of Graves' work in early Bennink and even some Tony Oxley (esp. on side two of How Many Clouds), not to mention Masahiko Togashi. Graves' work really seemed to start getting into some other extra-musical plane of operation around Nommo, but who am I to say it wasn't there earlier? I dig the Kitty LP quite a bit too, especially the voice-and-piano bit on side two (think the tune is titled "Response"). Not a huge Zorn fan, obviously, but I think the duo with Graves is pretty fuckin' deep.

From Yahoo! News... HARTFORD, Conn. - Sol LeWitt, an artist known for his dynamic wall paintings and as a founder of minimal and conceptual art styles, died Sunday in New York, according to published reports. The 78-year-old artist, who was born in Hartford and lived for the last two decades in Chester, Conn., died from complications from cancer, The New York Times and The Hartford Courant reported Monday. Much of his art was based on variations of spheres, triangles and other basic geometric shapes. His sculptures commonly were based on cubes using precise, measured formats and carefully developed variations. LeWitt preferred to let his work speak for itself and frequently avoided media attention. "He never felt that art has to do with the personality of the person who made it," Andrea Miller-Keller, a former Hartford curator and longtime friend, told The Courant. "It's not about the star power but about the art." By the mid-1960s, LeWitt had begun to experiment with wall drawings. The idea was considered radical, in part because he knew they would eventually be painted over and destroyed. LeWitt believed that the idea of his work superseded the art itself, Miller-Keller said. "The essence of LeWitt's work is the original idea as formulated in the artist's mind." LeWitt's first wall drawing, part of a 1968 display in New York, was so striking that the gallery owner couldn't bear to paint over it. She insisted the LeWitt come and do it himself, which he did without hesitation. LeWitt completed a traditional art program at Syracuse University in 1949, telling a reporter years later that he studied art because he "didn't know what else to do." LeWitt, born in Hartford, was in the U.S. Army for two years during the Korean War, serving in non-combat positions in California, Japan and Korea. In 1953 he moved to New York and held a variety of short-term jobs, including working as a night receptionist at the Museum of Modern Art. His first solo art show was at the John Daniels Gallery in New York in 1965 and he taught at several New York art schools. He lived for much of the 1980s in Spoleto, Italy, before returning to Connecticut in the late 1980s. He is survived by a wife, Carol, and two daughters.

Dude - John Carpenter's The Thing??

You mean I've been wrong in playing them Barre Phillips records?

Not saying I'm not late to the party, too - I think FE was gone (as a mag) by the time I started getting heavily into this arm of improvised music. That was what, about ten years ago for me, give or take. I don't really have much to add on the CIMP/Cadence trip; I'm not a fan for reasons similar to the ones Clem's outlined here. They could have done a MUCH better job with most of it. As for Flaherty, I'm not saying he doesn't deserve recognition - I do think, however, he's pretty far from getting it in either the jazz or improv worlds. His recognition seems to be somewhere apart from that, but maybe it's partly because he himself is pretty far apart from those cliques. I don't know. Of course, the dude can certainly PLAY with or without a MacArthur. His separateness is why I say I respect him a ton, even if I'm not all "best thing since sliced bread" about it.

John Surman - How Many Clouds Can You See? - (Deram orig stereo) It doesn't get much better than "Galata Bridge"...

Globe Unity 73 - Live in Wuppertal (FMP) The rendition of "Payan" is sadly cut off, but it's a strong LP anyway...

Well, Cadence did record a couple of records with him and Randy Colbourne back in the late '80s/early '90s. Those are strong dates, as are his own on Tulpa from the same period. Of course, his visibility I maintain has more to do with the Wire being late on shit, and Wire readers being even later to the party. My first exposure was also with The Hated Music. Since, I've picked up a number of other sides that I prefer to that disc. In the grand scheme of things, I like him, respect him, but can't say I don't reach for other things first.

I have two with Lacy on LP, and would like to get the trio with E Parker and Curran. I suspect some of the late '70s NY stuff - with Polly Bradfield, John Zorn, Ladonna Smith, et al, might be of some interest (in a sort of "throw shit at the wall" fashion). Nothing to do with anything: Just heard the Zorn/Graves duo CD the other day. Would not have expected it to be as good as it is!

Yes, but his grading is very conservative. I've had good experiences with that seller "gentle-noise."

"Convolution?"

Ouch! (in more ways than one...)

Fun, engaging album, but very much on the odd end of the "ancient to the future spectrum". I like the AEC as "session group" to a chanteuse--there are some wacky, but strangely accessible, colors in there. Yeah, I listen to it as a Brigitte record, rather than an AEC one. I'm sure it got Brigitte some extra cred, as her first for the label isn't nearly as interesting. Subsequent stuff is pretty great, too. I would like to get the AEC 45 on Saravah, where they backed poet/raconteur Alfred Panou.

Yeah, it's a great one, though I can't say the extra material was much of a "bonus" over the original LP. Ein Halber Hund Kann Nicht Pinkeln is also a good one, with drums. I'm still holding out and hoping I can get my hands on a copy of the Atsugi Concert, however!

Brigitte Fontaine avec AEC - Comme a la Radio (Saravah) Now: Daevid Allen/Gilli Smyth/Gong - Magick Brother (BYG orig)

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I don't think their QC is all that hot, but you have to consider the source as well. For example, most Actuels sounded like shit in the first place, so Get Back isn't necessarily at fault there. Pressings of LPs, now I can say that that's where QC really comes into play with Get Back.

I agree - that's an excellent date by all involved. Mine has a different jacket, with a photo of Curson, subtitled "Fontana - The Jazz Life." There were some other cool records in this series, by Howard McGhee, Bud Powell and Paul Bley.

I'll add that I didn't mean to derail this into a Brotzmann thread...

Peter Brotzmann & Walter Perkins - The Ink is Gone - (BRO/Eremite) Stunning duo!

That is very true, evident to me first from the time I interviewed him. Listening to The Ink is Gone right now (duo w/ Walter Perkins, RIP). The take of "Master of a Small House" is excellent, and that tune is always an indication of Brotz's compassion/pity/pathos, whatever you want to call it.

I think Brotzmann is in a class by himself. Hell, Stone/Water has some very Ellingtonian arrangements, and the Brotz/Miller/Moholo trio (as the Brotz/Parker/Drake) have sure taken a path far from the Ayler tree. When you get Bennink and Van Hove in the mix, it's yet another story altogether - theatrical, sure, but more on the neo-dada trip, with a little Roland Kirk or Jaki Byard thrown in for good measure. Yeah, Flaherty too is in a class by himself. I would like to hear that Orange LP, which is very rare and supposedly his first appearance on wax.

Can't imagine it sucks, what with Redman and (iirc) Blackwell in the mix. I guess the sound could be off, though. I don't know the source of this, but I did notice that Get Back also put out the Gaslight '62 Dolphy, originally issued on Ingo.

Next: Nessa and Thornton go to the movies!

Pete La Roca - Turkish Women at the Bath (Douglas orig) finally got this one - too bad it's poorly recorded. It would go from good to great with a little better miking! Archie Shepp - Four for Trane (Impulse white-label mono) one of the first jazz records I ever bought... love that "Rufus!"