P.L.M

Some records from FMP are now reedited on the Jazzwerstatd label. Of course, JW produced also new music (meaning produced new releases - it's to you to judge if it's "new" or not), more or less in the same spirit than FMP.

I was sitting next to him 4 years ago during a concert that Laurie Anderson gave at the "Belgie" in Hasselt (Belgium, in the flemish part of the country). He was taking pictures of his wife during the performance and joint her on stage for the last three songs of the concert. I've seen him performing twice before. In 1972, in Paris (Bataclan) with John Cale & Nico as The Velvet Underground Revival (I think a CD or a DVD of the free concert shot by French TV, have been publish some years ago). Didn't know a thing about the Velvet at the times and went to the concert because of Nico that I've heard in Philippe Garrel movie "Le lit de la vierge" ("The Virgin's Bed") with one song who stuck me at time ("The Falconer"). I enjoy the concert very much but wasn't able to say who was Lou reed from John Cale at the time. Then came "Walk On The Wild Side" and the discovering of the original records of the Velvet. I've seen him a second time in 1975 or 76 in Brussels when he was touring with a hard rock band, dressed in leather black (more or less the "Rock'n'roll Animal" look and music) with his blond hair. Didn't like much the concert because the music was playing so loud. Then I saw him a last time a year ago at the Middelheim Jazz festival in Antwerpen where he perform a set with his wife and John Zorn (he plays guitar, Laurie her violon and zorn its alto). Strange performance where Lou Reed improvise some singing at the end of the set. I think he was one of the greatest rock singer of the last half of century (far better in my view than all his follower, including Bowie, Roxy Music and all) and a man of good taste who seems to have always admire Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor and the modern jazz in general. Well, RIP Lou. You died a bit to young.

I have "Fusion" in a Japanese LP print from 1975 on "Immortal Jazz On Verve", manufactured by Polydor K.K. (I've also "Bird and Dizz", Sonny Rollins "Brass/Trio", Sonny Stitt "With The New Yorker" and "Personnel Appearance"). After a fast comparison between The CD version from ECM and The japanese album, they sound to my ear about the same in spite of the difference of the support (Vinyle vs CD). The ordering of the tunes are different in the LP (who, I've supposed, have follow the original ordering) : Scootin' About Jesus Maria Emphasis In The Morning Out There Cry, Want Trudgin' Used To Be Brief Hesitation Venture "Used To Be" is not on the CD and "Afternoon" is not on the LP. Is this of any interest to someone?

Does it sound better?

Hi, I'm P.L.M on board (don't comme often this days). Welle I'm interesting on the following rec.: - Miles Davis - Nefertiti, Sony DSD Mastersound SRCS-9747 (jewel case, incl. OBI) - $8 - Dave Brubeck - Jazz Impressions of Japan, Sony DSD Mastersound SRCS-9367 (jewel case, incl. OBI, faint scuffs on disc, absolutely does not affect play) - $6 I'm leaving in Belgium. Let me know.

I'm surprise, reading this topic, that nobody had prononce the names of the "spectral" school of composers who, to my hear, has change the so-call contemporary music, and particularly, the best of them, GERARD GRISEY (1946-1998). Working on the of the sound "spectrum", they (Grisey, Horatiu Radulescu, Tristan Murail, Hugues Dufourt) came out with a music in which you can hear Debussy, Bartok, Stockhausen, Scelsi and... improvised music. If you want to a make a try, start with Horatiu Radulescu: "Piano Concerto The Quest" (Radio-sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, Lothar Zagrosek, CPO, recorded in 1996), Gérard Grisey: "Vortex Temporum - Talea" (Ensemble Recherche, Kwamé Ryan, Accord, recorded in 1996) and "Les espaces Acoustiques" (Ensemble Court-Circuit-André Valade, Frankfurter Museum Orkester, Sylvain Cambreling, Accord, recorded in 1998) the two masterpieces of Grisey and the "Spectral music" (IMHO), Tristan Murail, "Couleur de mer - L'Attente - Treize couleurs du soleil couchant - Attracteurs étranges - La barque Mystique" (Ensemble Court-Circuit-Pierre André Valade, Accord, recorded in 1994), "Serendib - L'Esprit des dunes - désintégrations" (Ensemble Intercontemporain-David Robertson, Adès, recorded in 1996).

PM sent on: - Art Pepper: "The Village Vanguard Collection" (14 $) - Booker Ervin: "Structurally Sound" (8 $) - Michael Moore Quintet: "Rotterdam" (6 $)

DAVID S. WARE/ WILLIAM PARKER/ WARREN SMITH: ONECEPT (AUM FIDELITY LP)

He was so old, than he hides how really old he was. You can put it ten years more to be close to the truth. I've know him very well in the end of the seventies, when he spend time in Brussels and I was happy to see him again a quater of century later, again in Brussels for a concert who was brillant. A great pianist but the man was quite nevrotic and full of contradiction - he wanted to be a writer and has always feel guilty to not be one. When he was in Brussels (2008, I think) for the concert he gave at the Theâtre Marni, I present him to Noah Rosen, another nevrotic pianist full of contradictions. They was looking at each other, all the evening that follow the Borah 's performance, like cat and mouse...

I bought my first CD Player in 1989 (a Philips) and a first CD the same day. It was (and still his) Art Pepper "With Warne Marsh" (Copyrighted 1986) on Contemporary/Carrère (french print). It was a AAD CD and I've never seen it again until few years ago when it appears in japanese ed., that I bought for 26€ (+ postage) at a seller direct from Japan. After I've made comparaison between both, I've resell... the japanese (it was a 20 bits edition). The first Cd player has been following by a Nad 320, an Harman Kardon (who could reed "true" 20 bit CD and that I still own), and, for now a Marantz + a Philips DVD player for the SACD. Around 3999 CD has follow since + 42 LP exactly, most bought directly from musicians at concert.

Seen him twice, also, in 1986 in Berlin and in 1987 in Bruxelles. Both was in quartet and both was great, particularly the Berlin one.

A Great concert that I have on DVD.

Saw The Ornette Coleman's film in Cannes the same year or the next (1985/86?). A great film for the portrait Shirley Clarke has done of Ornette (she was great at that) but to little music in it, for my taste. When asking by me at the press conference why so, she answers that the film is a "portrait" not a captation of a concert, and she was certainly right from her point of view.

When I saw Mingus in the Jazz Festival of Châteauvallon in 1972, he has lost half of his band on the tour (why, that I don't know). For the concert, he had to hired Clark Terry (who was playing at the same festival) on trumpet and his son (yes, his son) was playing percussion (& Dannie Richmond drumming of course). Charles McPherson complete the line-up where Roy Brooks, the piano player had also a saw solo. Two years later I was lucky enough to seen him at Antwerpen's Middleheim Festival with the George Adams/ Don Pullen quintet. The concert was astonishing and he was recorded to be broadcast...

RIP, Sam. I was glad to have seen you one last time with the Jason Moran trio few years ago. You were one of my favorite, you know.