Ogun Records

[blake]

Thanks to a friend with a fantastic vinyl collection, I've been immersing myself in releases by Ogun Records. What a label! The premise being a collective of South African jazz musicians meet the British/European avant-garde in London during the 70s.

Louis Moholo

Johnny Dyani

Evan Parker

John Stevens

Elton Dean

Mongezi Feza

Lol Coxhill

Keith Tippett

Dudu Pukwana ...to name just a few of the contributors.

Among my favorites so far are Evan Parker/John Stevens The Longest Night Vol. 1 & 2, The Blue Notes Blue Notes for Mongezi and Blues Notes for Johnny, John Stevens Chemistry and Spirit's Rejoice by the Louis Moholo Octet which, frankly, is stunningly good.

Anyone else have any love for this label? Anyone else have an Ogun recommendation or an anecdote about what looks to be a very interesting history?

Anyone else want to see these titles released on CD?

[Joe]

Great and important label. I believe it was started or at least trun for a long time by bassist Harry Miller. And the box set of Miller recordings currently available fomr this label is a must-have, IMO. Solos, duets, and some hard-hitting but joyous small-band playing, featuring Mike Osborne, Sean Bergin, Marc Charig, Willem Breuker, Trevor Watts, Keith Tippett, and others.

But I still love this record perhaps most of all --

For more info, see:

http://www.shef.ac.uk/misc/rec/ps/efi/elabels.html#ogun

[David Ayers]

I've still got a soft spot for Frames by Tippett's Ark. I bought the LP when it first came out, after I heard it on the radio. It sounded like King Crimson who I was well into (KC used some of the same musicians) so when I turned on the radio and just cut into the middle of this stuff I was knocked out. It may well have been my first 'jazz' LP and was certainly my first 'free' LP - though not quite free as the liner notes explain. In fact, while most liner notes try to sell you something as accessible, the notes in this LP are an apology to hard core free practitioners that there are in fact some composed elements on this LP. Poor Keith Tippett! After the very brief fling with KC he was afraid of being called a sellout. Talk about a man of principle. Different times.

I'm surprised The Longest Night hasn't had a CD retread. Maybe one day?

[A Lark Ascending]

I have frequently waxed lyrical (and nostalgic) about Ogun. In the mid-70s it was my first crossing point into jazz from the aforementioned King Crimson and the Soft Machine.

There's not a great deal of the original catalogue on CD but Hazel Miller (Harry Miller's widow) has done her best to get some things back and to get new discs out.

The Harry Miller box set issued a few years back is excellent, especially 'Family Affair' by Isipingo with Miller, Tippett, Osborne Griffiths and Moholo.

Ogun reissued a great two-on-one last year - Osborne's 'Border Crossing' with 'Marcel's Muse'.

I love both 'Frames' and 'Spirit's Rejoice' and would throw in the two Dean 'Ninesense' records, 'SOS' and the Dean Quartet's 'They All Be on this Old Road' as highpoints.

The one I'd love to hear - I recall it from the radio at the time - is the Tippett/Charig 'Pipedream'.

**********

Two more recent Ogun's worth tracking down (both available on CD) are the two Dedication Orchestra recordings, celebrating the Blue Notes with a large orchestra.

Louis Moholo played a couple of great sets at the recent Jazz Britannia shindig. I'm expecting any day at all the new Stan Tracey/Louis Moholo CD 'Khumbula' to drop through the door (contact hazel@cadillacjazz.co.uk for details).

Hazel Miller was at a Louis Moholo interview at that event; she told us that Ogun were currently putting together a boxed set of Blue Notes recordings. I'd imagine it will include some of the material in Blake's post.

**********

This blogspot I stumbled on last year is quite informative on the Ogun label recordings:

http://nostudium.blogspot.com/2004_04_01_n...um_archive.html

[Jim Alfredson]

I don't like no rekkids with "ogun" on 'em.

[Martin]

A new Ogun CD by the Moholo/Tracey duo ("Khumbala") is scheduled for release in March 2005.

[A Lark Ascending]

A new Ogun CD by the Moholo/Tracey duo ("Khumbala") is scheduled for release in March 2005.

And very wonderful it is too! Totally improvised but within a recognisable harmonic framework.

When Keith Jarrett does free form improvising he brings along all manner of semi-mystical baggage. It all has to be so larger than life, so much of a 'deep' experience.

On this recording Tracey and Moholo just sit down and do it. It's exciting, moving, enthralling and you don't feel as if they expect you to genuflect at the end.

Don't get me wrong, I like Jarrett's music and owe him much to leading me to jazz; but I couldn't help but be struck how everything about this Tracey/Moholo CD - the performance, packaging, liner notes etc - are carried off without the fuss that surrounds every one of Keith's magnificent utterances.

[David Williams]

I don't like no rekkids with "ogun" on 'em.

Don't think you'll find any 'ogun' on Ogun.

[A Lark Ascending]

I don't like no rekkids with "ogun" on 'em.

Could someone explain this joke to me. I can't work it out. I presume it's some hillbilly reference.

[David Williams]

Bev, taking your question at face value.... 'ogun' = organ. Yep, I think Jim's talking hillbilly.

[A Lark Ascending]

Thanks, David.

The joke got lost in translation!

[Martin]

Bev, the Moholo/Tracey is already out? Can you supply the catalogue number, please?

[A Lark Ascending]

Bev, the Moholo/Tracey is already out? Can you supply the catalogue number, please?

OGCD 016

You can order direct from Hazel Miller for £12 (that's what I did!).

email: hazel@cadillacjazz.co.uk or phone 020 7619 911 or fax 020 7619 0901 for details

[A Lark Ascending]

Now available at Dusty Groove for Stateside Ogunites.

[Martin]

Now available at Dusty Groove for Stateside Ogunites.

...and it also has found its way into the catalogue of a German mail order store (which means that I placed an order there).

[fent99]

Just bought my first ogun.

Louis Moholo's Viva-La-Black Ogun OGCD 006 Freedom tour: live in South Afrika 1993 http://www.shef.ac.uk/misc/rec/ps/efi/labe...n/ogunc006.html

Not sure what I think but it has a really nice vibe. Any views on this?

Edited June 6, 2005 by fent99

[clifford_thornton]

I know there's a rather large Ogun catalog, but for me, I keep getting stuck on the Brotherhood of Breath releases, as well as "All Night Long" (Osborne, Miller, Moholo). Wilisau must have some serious water wells...

[A Lark Ascending]

Just bought my first ogun.

Louis Moholo's Viva-La-Black Ogun OGCD 006 Freedom tour: live in South Afrika 1993 http://www.shef.ac.uk/misc/rec/ps/efi/labe...n/ogunc006.html

Not sure what I think but it has a really nice vibe. Any views on this?

←

I have this but must admit it hasn't had much play. I'm not sure it really adds to what went before in this vein. A pity as it has Jason Yarde, one of Britain's best kept (and hardly recorded) secrets, in the ranks.

The strength of the Ogun catalogue is hard to gauge with so much being OOP.

Essentially you've got to have an ear for music that balances between post-bop and free, tilting either way at a moments notice, often with a decided South African feel to the themes (even when written or played by Englishmen!).

The two Moholo Dedication Orchestra Oguns are a very good way of getting to know some of this label; less anarchic than the Brotherhood of Breath but still with that freewheeling spirit.

[clifford_thornton]

I picked up "Spirits Rejoice" (1st Moholo group LP) and wasn't so impressed with it; seemed sort of derivative. I'd like to get those Harry Miller LPs at some point, though. Suppose my interest in Ogun is a little earlier, considering that they are putting new stuff out as we speak.

[A Lark Ascending]

I picked up "Spirits Rejoice" (1st Moholo group LP) and wasn't so impressed with it; seemed sort of derivative. I'd like to get those Harry Miller LPs at some point, though. Suppose my interest in Ogun is a little earlier, considering that they are putting new stuff out as we speak.

←

Well the Dedication Orchestra is very much a 'celebration' band; and more formal than the Brotherhood. Try the second CD - I like it better.

They put very little out now - Ogun was putting out records quite frequently from the mid-70s to the start of the 80s. Since then releases have been few and far between - very much a cottage industry. The 'Blue Notes' box that is being promised for the future should be a nice way to hear some of the earlier material.

One I would recommend is Keith Tippett's 'Frames' by his group 'Ark' - not the best of transfers but superb music.

[blake]

Up with the news that Ogun has recently released Louis Moholo's Spirits Rejoice! (1978) on CD for the first time.

Finally!

Drums - Louis Moholo

Piano - Keith Tippett

Tenor Sax - Evan Parker

Bass - Harry Miller, Johnny Dyani

Trombone - Nick Evans, Radu Malfatti

Trumpet - Kenny Wheeler

The music blends British improv and beautiful South African-influenced themes in a manner that's been well articulated throughout this thread. Both parts are strong, neither overpowering the other. It's IMHO perhaps the best example of such a blending on Ogun or otherwise.

The release is a 2-disc set with the 2nd disc being a septet recording called Bra Louis - Bra Tebs that's not been previously released - "new recording, recorded 1995 being the last recording of Viva-La-Black" per the Cadillac Jazz website.

[Guest akanalog]

i hate it when something you want is reissued on a 2 disc thing with something you don't want (i would like the older moholo but am not interested in the newer one).

yeah that live osborne, miller and moholo-as CT said earlier, really blew me away too. usually i get bored by sax trios, but this is really good stuff. the second discs, a later osborne group from the late 70s, is pretty decent too.

[blake]

i hate it when something you want is reissued on a 2 disc thing with something you don't want (i would like the older moholo but am not interested in the newer one).

Good point. Fent99 asked in a previous post and I'll ask again - Does anyone have any thoughts/comments on Moholo's Viva-La-Black work? I'm not familiar with any of it.

[Guest akanalog]

i don't mean to sound like a jerk, BTW. it's more i don't want to pay extra cash for something i am sure is good but isn't what i want to be spending my money on. i would prefer the a la carte option.

[fent99]

I'll answer my own question and say that Viva la Black the album isn't great, sounds a bit unfocussed in general and the sound isn't the best. Nice document of a live band though and since there isn't that much out there I'm not complaining...

Likewise with Spirits Rejoice can't imagine the later stuff being bad and the more thats put out there the better. Ogun needs supporting so its got to be worth a purchase.