fkimbrough

Possibly the Electric Bebop Band - they definitely have one in the can for ECM. That group would include guitarists Ben Monder and Steve Cardenas, and a third guitarist from Europe whose name I can't remember. Also Chris Cheek and Tony Malaby. The bassist may be Jerome Harris - this is the group I saw at the Vanguard around the time of the EBB's recording.

"Paul Bley with Gary Peacock" (ECM) was recorded in two sessions. The first, recorded in NYC on April 13, 1963, yielded Blues, Getting Started, When Will the Blues Leave, Long Ago and Far Away, and Moor, with Peacock and Paul Motian. Gary, Bigfoot, and Albert's Love Theme were recorded in Seattle in May 1968, with Peacock and Billy Elgart. The rest of the Seattle session (Only Lovely, Kid Dynamite, Nothing Ever Was Anyway, El Cordobes, Ramblin', Touching, Blood, and Mr. Joy)was released as "Mr. Joy" on Limelight or Mercury, with the remaining tracks (Kid Dynamite-a different take?, and Mr. Joy) appearing on Turning Point (trio titles without John Gilmore), on IAI. This info from Henk Kluck's discography "Bley Play", referred to in the above post. If you're a Bley completist, it's a big help.

This may have been discussed here before, but I couldn't find it anywhere.... Test of Time Records has released 3 classic Andrew Hill East Wind recordings from the 70's - they are: Hommage - solo piano, from mid-1975, beautifully recorded by David Baker - all Hill originals, except Duke's Sophisticated Lady. Nefertiti - a trio date with Richard Davis and Roger Blank, recorded in 1977. Blue Black - quartet with Jimmy Vass, Chris White, and Leroy Williams, recorded (also by David Baker) in Feb. 1975. This is material from what Andrew describes as his "first comeback", and quite different from the Blue Note recordings. The solo Album is beautiful, and I find it especially enlightening to hear Andrew play familiar material (Sophisticated Lady), as it opens a clearer view into his style of improvising. The trio is less well-recorded, but is still essential listening for the die-hard Andrew Hill fan. Richard Davis really stands out - in ways both gratifying and at times unsettling. They play all Hill compositions on the trio and quartet recordings, with one tune (Blue Black) appearing on both. (Edit: just noticing that, though Blue Black appears on both records, on Blue Black, it's a different tune entirely, but One For on Blue Black is the same tune as Blue Black on Nefertiti. Whatever.....maybe they just got the titles switched around, or maybe it's Andrew being his enigmatic self - he loves to retitle tunes.) I had these recordings on LP, and am glad to say they've all been remastered, and sound great. I don't know how easy they are to find, and I haven't seen much in the way of advertising, but this is their first domestic release (except for Nefertiti, which came out on Inner City(?) in the 70's), and well worth the effort to search for if you're a fan of Andrew's music.

I got it after seeing a couple of those reviews, and was prepared to be disappointed. After several listens, I must say that I think it's a great album. Nice compositions, and everyone involved plays beautifully. Eliane Elias is very impressive, and Lovano, Scofield and Joey Baron play with a beautiful, unhurried maturity that I find most rewarding.

akanalog - I believe you're confusing Stenson with John Taylor on the Erskine ECM disks (You Never Know, As It Is, Juni) - they're quite nice too. Palle Danielsson's on bass on all of them.

War Orphans and Reflections are both great, and so is Serenity. Serenity is a little more abstract than the other two. He has a new one coming in September on ECM - it's called Goodbye, and features Anders Jormin and Paul Motian. Also, there's a fine CD recorded in the 80's for Dragon Records in Sweden - it's called Very Early. It may be more difficult to find, but it's a very fine recording, and my suit you favorably if you prefer something a little more conventional than the ECM recordings. Don't forget his fine work with Tomasz Stanko - Matka Joanna and Leosia, both on ECM.

I saw Paul Motian tonight and after seeing this thread, asked him if he remembered Dewey's first gig with Keith's band, and he replied that it was a Tuesday night sometime in 1972. They played a week at Slug's in the East Village, beginning the night after Lee Morgan was shot there. Haven't had time to check the dates, but he seemed sure about it, and said the vibe in the club that week was pretty deep.

Hi Charlesp and Ghost - thanks a lot. There will be a new trio CD coming in May of next year - it's called "Play", with Masa Kamaguchi on bass and Paul Motian on drums.

It's true - Andrew was in the studio twice in the past week or so, including a session on his birthday (June 30). Both sessions were quintet with Charles Tolliver, Greg Tardy, John Hebert and Eric McPherson. That's all I know so far.....

Maria's concert dates from my website (posted by Marcello) are dates I'm holding, but I'm not absolutely sure they're all confirmed. I may have been premature in posting them, as tour dates are still being worked out. Please make sure to check Maria's site for complete information on all her activities. Bev, she told me last night that she's working on London - maybe we'll see you in November - hope so.

The Faust Harrison Tsunami Relief Pianothon, in association with National Public Radio, will be held on March 6, 2005 from noon to midnight at Faust Harrison Pianos - 205 West 58th St. NYC. 40 jazz and classical pianists will be featured, and will play hand-crafted concert grand pianos by Steinway, Bluthner, Mason and Hamlin and Estonia. Among those scheduled to appear: Phillip Glass, Ursula Oppens, Margaret Leng Tan, Dang Thai Son, Michael Harrison, Jenny Lin, Nadeja Vlaeva, Jed Distler, Jacky Terrason, Benny Green, Joanne Brackeen, Vijay Iyer, Hilton Ruiz, Helio Alves, John Stetch, Steve Kuhn, Mulgrew Miller, Don Friedman, Frank Kimbrough, David Hazeltine, Kenny Werner, Rodney Kendrick, Pete Malinverni. seatings are at noon and 6 pm. Tickets $25 per seating call 212 - 352 - 0255 or www.theatermania.com Program info posted at www.faustharrisonpianos.com 100% of proceeds to benefit Save the Children

Bill's a saxophone player, arranger, and music historian/educator of the first order. He was off the scene for a while in the 90's due to a medical condition, but is back at it. Among his activities he teaches in Jazz Program at the New School University in New York.

You can say that again! I've played piano with Maria's band for almost 13 years, and it's been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Her music is always growing, always challenging to play, and always rewarding. There have been only a handful of personnel changes in all the time I've been in the band, and the reason for that is self-evident when you hear her recordings or hear the band live. It's an incredible band, and she's a wonderful, giving person. At her website, in addition to all her CDs, she's making scores and individual parts available. A few weeks ago, I went to her place and we spent over 2 hours discussing a dozen or so charts from beginning to end....all of our discussions were recorded for her site. She's interviewing quite a few guys in the band to discuss how they approach their parts - tricky sections and how they're navigated, difficulties, interpretation, etc. It was very interesting and thought-provoking, and I think it'll be very beneficial for players learning the parts, or for those who just want more insight into her music. I had to explain things I had never tried to verbalize before, and learned quite a bit myself by the end of the interview. I don't know if the interviews are up at her site yet, but for those interested, check in and see - they should be up soon if they're not there already.

Lovin' it here, too..............

I think he played on "Crisis" too. Sadly, I don't think it was ever released on CD, but it was one of my favorite Ornette albums, recorded live at NYU's Loeb Student Center - with Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden and (I think) Denardo. It's been almost 30 years since I heard it, but I think it was on Impulse. Some of the tunes were "Broken Shadows", "Comme Il Faut", and "Trouble in the East". Anybody out there have this one?

This happened to me once a few years back when I purchased an Evan Parker CD on ECM (import). The disk looked right, complete with ECM logo, etc., but the music was a polka band......which was even more surprising than what I expected from Mr. Parker. I'm sure this kind of thing happens from time to time at duplicating facilities, and I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often. I took it back to the store and they gave me a refund, no problem.

One of the most annoying things about being on a stage with bright lights in your face is one's inability to see the audience - maybe sunglasses help them to see the folks they're playing for by blocking the light a bit. Lovano is one of the most magnanimous, larger-than-life human beings I know, Frisell's a bit shy, but a great, generous guy; and though it's easy to think of Motian as aloof, he's a warm, funny man. And what the hell does race have to do with it? These guys are all master musicians whether considered as a trio or individually, and they certainly don't need me to defend them - their 20+ year body of work speaks for itself. The above post is a perfect example of "listening with the eyes". At least I'll give Akanalog credit for hearing "just about everything" by a group that "brings out the worst in all its players". I'd never bother to do that..........

Hi all.........Ghost, you're right - I heard the disks at Andrew's house on New Year's Day - he and his wife always throw a party, and I was happy to be among his guests. And to anyone who thinks that Andrew would bother to spam a message board, you couldn't be more off the mark..... I can't wait to give these disks a good hard listen - Andrew told me that these disks represent a time where he became intensely involved with composition, and I believe that's why, even though they may be flawed, he consented to their release. He sees this music as being very important in his development as a composer. FK

This is my favorite working band on the planet - they've been doing the trio for twenty years, and have recorded for ECM, Soul Note, JMT and Winter&Winter. I've heard them at the Vanguard many times, and at their most recent gig there a few months ago, as always, I was delighted to hear their mix of Motian's originals, Monk, and standards. I'll be at the record store when they open the doors on Feb. 8.

I heard all 3 disks a few days ago, though it was in a passive environment.....I don't think anybody will have too much to complain about - it struck me as very vital, with great playing by Andrew and sidemen alike. There is some sloppy stuff there, but everything I heard was definitely worth hearing.

Hello, and many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. It's wonderful to see so many enthusiastic responses to our music. We recently returned from Brazil, where we did a JCC Festival in Sao Paulo with my Trio, Ted Nash and Still Evolved, Ben Allison's Medicine Wheel and Peace Pipe, Michael Blake Trio and the Herbie Nichols Project. We had a great time, and hope we can bring our travelling road show to your town soon! Please visit our websites for more information on the Collective, our composers-in-residence, and our various activites. Jazz Composers Collective website Frank Kimbrough website Ben Allison website Ted Nash website Michael Blake website Some of our CDs are difficult to locate, as noted in some previous posts. I'm not sure what's happening with the Soul Note disks (HNP's "Love is Proximity", Dr. Cyclops' Dream, and my "Noumena" CD). Distribution for Soul Note has been strange for some time now. You may try to find them by contacting the JCC website - we may have a few of those titles on hand, and I'm sure there's info at the site. Otherwise, I'd suggest getting in touch with OmniTone, who has them in their catalog, though they may or may not have them in stock....also try North Country - Soul Note was working on a distribution deal with them, but I don't know for sure if it ever came to fruition. Ron Horton's latest disk in on FSNT, and was recently awarded a CHOC award by Jazzman magazine in France, but it's been difficult to find as well - try Tower Records website - I think you can find it there. Michael Blake's latest is self-produced (Blake Tartare) and is probably available from his site. FYI, some of the guys have CDs in the can slated for release next year, including a new disk from Ted Nash and Odeon (Palmetto) and a new trio recording from Michael Blake (with Ben Allison and Jeff Ballard) on Clean Feed. I'm also hoping to have a new trio disk out next fall on Palmetto, though it's still in the planning stage. Thanks again, and best wishes to all.....................FK

Hi Michael, jazzbo and Bev, and thanks for your kind comments. Michael, I was surprised to see so many posts on this thread so soon - nice to see such positive responses to the music. I let Maria know about the thread, so she's seen it, and is very happy that people are enjoying it so much. She's the best, and works harder than anyone I know. I feel very lucky to have spent 12 years playing her music, and working with all the great musicians in the band - it's a singular experience for sure. For anyone who cares to hear the band, we'll be playing at Jazz Standard in NYC, September 23 - 26.

Hi Jim - I'm hoping to see Dixon this week - playing some concerts in NC, and he mentioned that he's going to try to make one of them. Hi to Lyles - it's been much too long......hope to meet you someday too. If I hear any more about the upconing record date from Andrew I'll let you know.

Hi guys - last I heard, it was going to be a mix of trio and quartet. Andrew is quite mercurial, though (that's why we love him and his music), so anything could happen. Andrew and his wife Joanne, Matt Wilson and I had a lovely dinner with the Palmetto folks last week after the Jazz Awards in NYC, and though we didn't discuss it there, later conversation led me to believe that it's happening. We'll stay on his case, and with any luck we'll have something new to listen to by next year. Thanks for the welcomes, plugs, etc. - much appreciated - this is a great board!

Andrew is tentatively scheduled to record a new session for Palmetto in October - let's keep our fingers crossed. I've known him for 25 years, and have never known anyone so reluctant to go into the studio!