paul secor Posted June 4, 2003 Report Posted June 4, 2003 One of the things I always enjoy is when a friend or a review turns me on to a great recording I didn't know about or that I had just ignored. All of us here have things in our collection that have fallen through the cracks of the listening world but deserve a better fate. This is your chance to turn that around and share your obscure, in print favorites with your fellow board members. For me, the fact that the records are still in print is important - it gives all of us the chance to pick them up and hear them right now. I'll kick this off with a recommendation for Blue Chopsticks by the Buell Neidlinger Quintet (K2B2 3169). This recording is the end result of a conversation that Buell Neidlinger had with Herbie Nichols shortly before Mr. Nichols died, promising to record Herbie Nichols' music with horns and strings. It probably would be a surprise for Mr. Nichols to hear the end result of that promise, for this isn't your typical strings and horns recording. To give a few examples - "Lady Sings the Blues" sounds like a 4 a.m. afterhours session with a string trio jamming with a jazz trumpeter and tenor sax cat. "Portrait of Ucha" could be a 1930s tango orchestra playing one for themselves. And "The Gig" comes off like a couple of jazz horns sitting in with and old time country string band. Purists may hate this record. I find myself enjoying more every time I play it. I hope that this thread interests a some people. (And I hope I find out about some good music I didn't know about.) Quote
Dan Gould Posted June 4, 2003 Report Posted June 4, 2003 I was going to post a link to the AOTW poll but then I noticed your request was for "obscure, in print" items. One that comes to mind is a very fine piano trio LP of Wayne Shorter tunes, Footprints by the Michael Cochrane Trio. Its on Steeplechase. Quote
Claude Posted June 4, 2003 Report Posted June 4, 2003 (edited) I hope this is obscure enough I discovered it thanks to the Penguin guide. Franklin Kiermyer - Solomon's Daughter Sound samples It's the drummer Franklin Kiermyer's album, but it will be most interesting for Pharoah Sanders fans. This session has Sanders' most powerful and engaging playing in recent years. All other albums he recorded after his Impulse! period pale in comparision. This is high-energy music, comparable to some of Coltrane's later albums ("Sun ship"). Sanders imaginative and boundless playing and Kiermyers equally ecstatic drumming keep the listener's attention throughout this hourlong disc, which (fortunately) also has a couple of slower pieces. The recording too has a raw quality, being very closely miked and unprocessed. I don't listen to this album very often, but when I do I it has an almost purifying effect on my mind. More on Franklin Kiermyer here Edited June 4, 2003 by Claude Quote
JSngry Posted June 4, 2003 Report Posted June 4, 2003 In the spirit of "family first", I gotta put in a plug for the Nessa catalog - not "obscure" in terms of GLOBAL recognition or reputation, but not on nearly as many shelves as the music warrants. If Roscoe ain't to your liking, perhaps Von is, or Warne will be. If none of THOSE 3 do anything for you, what the hell are you doing HERE? :D Quote
jazzbo Posted June 4, 2003 Report Posted June 4, 2003 (edited) Hey, today my answer is "Dwitzah" by Ed Motta. Try it! Part Steely Dan, part Herbie Hancock, part . . . well it's a new fusion of sorts and a lot of fun. On Universal, in both Brazilian and English editions. Edited June 5, 2003 by jazzbo Quote
.:.impossible Posted June 5, 2003 Report Posted June 5, 2003 I wish Gregg Bendian's INTERZONE album "Requiem for Jack Kirby" was more well known around here. Nathan turned me onto this tribute album a few years back, but I only came across it within the last 8 months or so. This is one of the most fantastic bands I have heard in a long time. Bendian commits to the vibraphone(voracious vibing/cataclysmic composing) for the extent of the album as Nels Cline joins on guitar(spectral plectra), Alex Cline on drum kit(polymorphic percussing), and Joel Hamilton on bass(boomtube bassery). The music attempts to parallel the world that Kirby illustrated for DC Comics. While it is hard to imagine a music that would parallel this world, I assure you Gregg Bendian gave his all to materialize such a sound. The music remains fluid throughout the entire disc and moves somewhat like the music on Eric Dolphy's "Out to Lunch!". This is an excellent disc, obscure and inprint on Atavistic. Gregg Bendian's Interzone .:. Requiem for Jack Kirby Atavistic ALP125CD ONE FINAL NOTE REVIEW Quote
Guest Mnytime Posted June 5, 2003 Report Posted June 5, 2003 (edited) Second Jim's Nessa recommendation. If it's on Nessa it's normally well worth having. Anthony Braxton/Georg Grawe Duo (Amsterdam) 1991 Bud Powell in Paris Bud Plays Bird John Stevens-No Fear Larry Stabbins-Four in the Afternoon Paul Rogers-Time of Brightness Mats Gustaffson-Windows:The Music of Steve Lacy Gustaffson/Flaten/Nilssen-Love--The Thing Daniel Humair-Liberte Survellee Anthony Braxton-Trio & Duet Henry Threadgill-Rag, Bush and All, this might be OOP not sure. Ken Vandermark Territory Band 2-Atlas Keith Tippett-Friday the 13th Trio 3-Live in Willisau Simon H. Fell-Composition No. 30 Sun Ra-Sunrise in Different Dimensions Misha Mengelberg-Who's Bridge Joe McPhee-Mister Peabody Goes to Baltimore Jemeel Moondoc-Revolt of the Negro Lawn Jockeys William Parker-Bob's Pink Cadillac Albert Ayler-Lorrach, Paris 1966 Ivo Perelman-Sad Life Roscoe Mitchell Quartet (Sackville) Gerry Hemingway-Johnny's Corner Song, recently back in print! Alexander Schlippenbach/Sunny Murray-Smoke Michael Moore-Jewels and Binoculars:The Music of Bob Dylan Tony Oxley-Floating Phantoms Otomo Yoshihide-New Jazz Quintet Live Edited June 5, 2003 by Mnytime Quote
John B Posted June 5, 2003 Report Posted June 5, 2003 there are some great recommendations above...I will try to avoid any overlap. I'm not sure of your definition of "obscure," but none of these discs seem to get mentioned a lot around these parts: Brad Shepik - The Well Aldo Romano Quartet - Canzoni Romano, Sclavis, Texier - Suite Africaine Italian Instabile Orchestra - Litania Sibilante Billy Bang - Vietnam: the Aftermath BassDrumBone - March of Dimes Ray Anderson's Pocket Brass Band - Where Home Is Quote
jazzbo Posted June 5, 2003 Report Posted June 5, 2003 Obscure in some ways . . . and very recommended: Quote
JohnS Posted June 5, 2003 Report Posted June 5, 2003 FENIX, Gato's best? It's the only one of his I've stuck with. Quote
Kevin Bresnahan Posted June 5, 2003 Report Posted June 5, 2003 Danny Gatton & Joey DeFrancesco - "Relentless" is a "must have" for everyone on this board. It just smokes! BTW, it is back in print (for how long, who knows?) at: Big Mo Records. Later, Kevin Quote
J Larsen Posted June 5, 2003 Report Posted June 5, 2003 Anyone here heard the Belgian group AKA Moon? They're worthy of more attention than they seem to get. Quote
jazzbo Posted June 5, 2003 Report Posted June 5, 2003 Here's another one, solo guitar renditions of Herbie Nichols' compositions. Amazing! Quote
JohnS Posted June 5, 2003 Report Posted June 5, 2003 Bassdrumbone;Cooked To Perfection Ed Simon; La Bikina Tethered Moon; First Meeting Ray Anderson; Bonemeal C. Anthony Bush; Our Praise Offering and not so obscure but essential Myra Melford; Alive In The House Of Saints Quote
Stefan Wood Posted June 5, 2003 Report Posted June 5, 2003 (edited) Milt Hinton - Basses Loaded (RCA) Teddy Edwards - 3 for Duke Miles Davis - Cote Blues Edited June 5, 2003 by Stefan Wood Quote
Guest Mnytime Posted June 5, 2003 Report Posted June 5, 2003 I would also add Sergey Kuryokhin-Some Combination of Fingers and Passion, his tribute to Brubeck on Blue Rondo A La Russ is reason enough to get this excellent recording. Quote
vibes Posted June 6, 2003 Report Posted June 6, 2003 Hell yeah Vibes! Lon, if I remember correctly, you're the one who recommended this album to me in the first place, after I asked for Gato recommendations on the BNBB. I listen to it all the time! Quote
vibes Posted June 6, 2003 Report Posted June 6, 2003 Seems like a lot of people dislike this one, but it's one of the VEE's I listen to the most (more for Gato Barbieri than anything else). Quote
paul secor Posted June 6, 2003 Author Report Posted June 6, 2003 Here's another one, solo guitar renditions of Herbie Nichols' compositions. Amazing! I like that one a lot, too, Lon. Duck Baker also plays some nice stuff on "Sassy and Dolphy", a track on Roswell Rudd's Broad Strokes (Knitting Factory) cd. Quote
DrJ Posted June 6, 2003 Report Posted June 6, 2003 (edited) Not sure if this qualifies as "obscure," but since I see little discussion of it, I put it in that category: Jon Jang - TWO FLOWERS ON A STEM (Soul Note) Don't let the cover or title fool you into thinking this is some kind of new agey, wishy washy pap. This is challenging yet melodic jazz, with overtones from China in the writing, arranging, and inclusion of an erhu player (a Chinese stringed instrument that has a wailing, cello-like sound). Worth it for the best version around of Mingus' "Meditations on Integration" alone, but don't let that keep you from enjoying the rest - some of Jang's excellent and under-heard compositions, David Murray's rich bass clarinet work (even if you're not a huge fan of Murray and his tendency to live in the dog range frequencies on tenor, you'll love this sound), and Billy Hart's forceful yet subtle trap work. And best of all - JAMES NEWTON! Beefy flute, ahoy! If you are typically disappointed with the rather thin, wispy sound most "multireedist" jazz flautists seem to get in comparison with the best latin jazz players, this is the antidote. Also spectacularly well recorded. Easily one of the top 10 new jazz releases of the past decade. And an update: it's selling on Amazon's used list for $9.99 (not my copy, by the way)! Edited June 6, 2003 by DrJ Quote
JohnS Posted June 6, 2003 Report Posted June 6, 2003 Jon Jang - TWO FLOWERS ON A STEM (Soul Note) This is an exceptional cd, I can agree with everything DrJ says. Don't miss this it's a real treat in every way. Quote
Kevin Bresnahan Posted June 6, 2003 Report Posted June 6, 2003 Jon Jang - TWO FLOWERS ON A STEM (Soul Note) This is an exceptional cd, I can agree with everything DrJ says. Don't miss this it's a real treat in every way. Here here! This is a great disc. I haven't played this one in a while... I'll have to pull it out tonight. Later, Kevin Quote
Clunky Posted June 6, 2003 Report Posted June 6, 2003 Jeff Palmer "Island Universe" on Soulnote with Rashid Ali, Arthur Blythe, intense post Larry Young B3 combo. Not for the faint hearted. on a less intense note Lou Levy "Ya Know" excellent date- not sure if this is in fact OOP. If it is then his "Solo Scene" RCA 1956 is also well worth it. Quote
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