Jump to content

Free America


cayetano

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 345
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I won't get the Alan Shorter reissue. Did not bother with the original vinyl when it came out and was widely available and on sale at many stores. Wayne's brother was a special character and not a very interesting player if I may say!

I hear you... he had a few good early years and then appeard to have lost whatever he had by about 1970. I mean, he doesn't even really play on that Tusques Shandar! I was recently trying to decide whether his solo on "Mr. Syms" was interesting because it was so odd or because of a lack of chops... either way, it is 'out'!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DMG finally was able to send out the discs last week, but I was informed that the Art Ensemble with Fontella Bass was "not yet pressed", although I believe Ubu implied he bought every disc in the series.  Anyone know the story?  Ubu?

All I know is that I own that one, and the the store where I got it has re-stocked it, too, thus there must be two that were pressed, at least... ;)

ubu

Thanks.

I may have to wait until the rumored domestic issues come out (I'll believe it when I see them, frankly).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Got the first two notices of Free America titles now in stock at Dusty Groove:

Alan Shorter -- Tes Esat -- Limited Numbered Edition . . . CD . . . $22.99

Frank Wright -- Uhuru Na Umoja -- Limited Numbered Edition . . . CD . . . $22.99

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got those notices too. Thought it was strange that they had only acquired the Shorter and Wright. I'd like both of those, but am going to have to pass ... an order from Hiroshi, an ECM order, and the Andrew Hill Select have put me in the doghouse.

I wonder if Dusty Groove will ever put those titles on "sale." Maybe then my guilty conscience will permit me some leeway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hold on, I thought they were also going to be reissued in the States by a US label?

$30 is too much, even for these titles.

At this point, that's an unconfirmed rumor. (Unconfirmed rumor? Is there such a thing?)

Just out of curiousity, I'm wondering if Downtown Music Gallery has been able to deliver on these titles. Anyone know?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got mine from http://www.amazon.de.

17.99 Euro, or about $23 USD.

Worth the trouble, as it has proven more difficult for DustyGroove to procure them than I think they first anticipated.

Yep, I just went with amazon.de too, as the cduniverse price for the 2 disc sets pre order is $57.99 !

Supposedly the early rumour was that Dusty Groove (the Bastards!) said that they weren't available for import, due to possible US release. However, they're now on their site with 3/1 due date, so that appears to have changed. maybe. possibly. then again they may not arrive. or they could. or the big assed music corporation that owns the rights could some day figure out how to:

1. reduce marketing costs by leaking pre-release info to rabid fans, eliminating glossy ads in Maxim.

2. release them in the US at the same time as European / Japanese release, thereby eliminating the problem of super rabid fans ordering through those darned non US web sites.

But then again ...

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I picked some of these up when I was in Paris a few weeks ago. Very nice packaging.

I had never heard AEC's Phase One before. Quite nice. Certain Blacks is always a lot of good fun. The Clifford Thornton is also nice, a fairly rounded portrait of his talents in a quartet setting.

I hadn't heard the Shepp before either, but I am not too crazy about it after an initial listening.

Any reviews on the Rudd or the Bley?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any reviews on the Rudd or the Bley?

Not a review, obviously, but I quite like the Rudd. It packs good energetic playing and fine solos, especially by Rudd - nice tunes too.

I like the Rudd a lot, too! I think I posted a little write up (not a real review) in the "funny rat", you would certainly find it by looking for "Rudd" and me as member.

ubu

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, guys. I guess that the Rudd goes on my "must" list right away. The fact that he has made so few recordings as a leader also makes this quartet date look especially appealing.

If it wasn't for the price (over 17 EUROs a pop), I would have picked up the whole set right away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Thornton just popped up in the mailslot at Exclaim--hadn't heard Thornton before, but it's a really good one, not least because of the glimpse of folks like Francois Tusques & Beb Guerin. (As it happens I recently reviewed Arc Voltaic, a fine new disc by Tusques on the In Situ label.) I gotta grab a few other discs from the series....

Edited by Nate Dorward
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Bley is his electronic stuff - long Moog tones and squeaks with Bennink rustling around it. Pretty weird, but not bad. The title track is the better of the two, imho. I suppose technically there is another Bley on America, but I don't think it'll be part of this series (Hillcrest recording).

The Rudd is excellent - a bit reminiscent of Mohawk but with Moholo instead of Milford on drums (they actually play similarly here) and a particularly good pickup Scandinavian bassist, Finn von Eyben. Get it!

Cheers,

CT

PS: Nate, thanks for the "props."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Bley is his electronic stuff - long Moog tones and squeaks with Bennink rustling around it. Pretty weird, but not bad. The title track is the better of the two, imho.

There is also some singing on a couple of tracks - by Bley and Peacock.

I thought the disc was quite weak overall, with first track indeed being somewhat more interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...