some british jazz questions...

[Guest akanalog]

how about this surman "morning glory" disc? looks interesting with rypdal on it...

i don't have a penguin guide which i bet would be good for all this british stuff.

[jazzscot]

Here is some information on this JOHN SURMAN CD

JOHN SURMAN: MORNING GLORY

FMRCD13-L495

John Surman (soprano sax, bass clarinet, synth), John Taylor (acoustic, electric piano), Malcolm Griffifths (trombone), Chris Laurence (bass), John Marshall (drums), Tereje Rypdal (guitar)

Release of the classic and seminal 70s recording by one of the greatest saxophonist in the the world today.

You will have to go far in order to hear another group whose members are so in tune with one another and who improvise as though they were all interworking parts of the same singular body. Individually, they are John Taylor on acoustic and electric piano, Malcolm Griffiths on trombone, Chris Laurence on bass, John Marshall on drums and the astonishing Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal who really can make the guitar speak. And then of course, there’s John Surman, who has won so many music magazine polls that it’s pointless to enumerate his awards. What it comes down to is music, and that’s all John has ever been concerned with. Now Surman is devoting his attention to soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, and synthesizer, having temporarily set aside baritone sax in order to explore new areas of sound. There are no fetters on MORNING GLORY’S music; it refuses to be categorized or tagged, the more easily to be dispensed with as some element of this month’s fad. It is an aural experience which stays with you.

[jazzscot]

Also what about this one as well?

"WAY BACK WHEN" (on the "CuneiformRecords" label)

A truly stupendous archival find, with broad appeal to both jazz and fusion fans. This never before released album was recorded on October 7th, 1969 by John Surman and British jazz superstars. It is a mix between the vibrancy of late 60's uk jazz and spacey early electric jazz/rock ala "In A Silent Way"; listening to this album, you can hear that the fusion explosion is on the cusp of happening. Soprano/baritone saxophonist John Surman is one of the UK's best known jazzmen, having released 8 albums under his own name between 1968 - 1974 for mainstream labels such as Deram and Island. He was a member of John McLaughlin's final UK-based group, recording John's famous first solo album, Extrapolation with him in 1969, six months before recording Way Back When. Since the late 1970's, he has mostly recorded for the ECM label, recording dozens of albums as either the leader or as a sideman.

"In mid-October, 1969, I left the UK to meet up with bassist Barre Phillips and drummer Stu Martin to begin working with them as "The Trio". Before I left however, a few close friends and I held a sort of 'farewell' session in Tangerine Studios in London. On hand were drummer John Marshall, electric pianist John Taylor and Brian Odgers on bass guitar - later Mike Osborne appeared with his alto and joined us. Shortly after I left England, the studios closed down and, although a few test pressings were made, the original tapes got lost in the general confusion. Much to my surprise the masters had survived and were uncovered in 2003...what you are hearing accurately reflects the sound of the sixties...it offers genuine insight into some of the musical directions that were being explored at the end of that swinging decade in the UK." - John Surman

AVAILABLE MAY 10TH, 2005

[clifford_thornton]

so you don't think it is worth checking out collier albums like "midnight blue" and "new conditions" and "portraits"?

New Conditions wasn't as interesting to me, nor Darius, as I think he sort of settled into a vein that didn't offer too much variance - comfortable, perhaps.

Osborne is good, though I wasn't impressed at all with Outback (speaking of McGregor). The Miller-Moholo trio is pretty formidable, as is the quartet with Ric Colbeck.

[jazzscot]

Nobody has mentioned Keith Tippett's music on CD especially some of his BIG

works like Septober Energy, Frames etc or the titles like "Dedicated to You, but

you weren't listening" or "You are here- Iam there" Have they become "DATED"?

[clifford_thornton]

Love 'em, too!

As well as Ovary Lodge, but that's another story...

[A Lark Ascending]

Those of you seeking the Surman Derams should take a look over at AAJ at a thread called 'Surman Releases in May'.

The Dutton Vocalion label would appear to be releasing John Surman and Tales of the Algonquin plus a host of other mouthwatering discs from that era.

Look under New Releases, Recommendations, Reviews

I don't want to steal the informants thunder by just posting here.

Edited April 19, 2005 by Bev Stapleton

[sidewinder]

John Cameron 'Off Centre'..... John Cameron 'Off Centre'...

I'm just picking myself up off the floor. This one is terrific, check out 'Troublemaker'. Great session with Harold McNair.

Not to mention the Henry Lowther 'Child Song'. A masterpiece. and the Garrick 'Heart is a Lotus'.

Are they doing a vinyl edition as well perchance.. :rsmile:

Hey, this isn't April 1st again is it..

Edited April 19, 2005 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

I figured something was up with the Westbrook 'Love Songs' last night when Dusty's site said 'due for issue in May' when they had just been selling the Jap issue. Couldn't work that one out.

[sidewinder]

'Chitinous Ensemble' . That one is just about the Holy Grail of rare British jazz. Incredible !

'Dutton Vocalion' look to be one heck of a weird label for the Brit Jazz Derams though, with Mantovani et al also in the artist roster.

Edited April 19, 2005 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

Yes, up to now they've concentrated mainly on the 'dance band' end of things.

I have a couple of 50s things by Ken Moule and Tony Kinsey, both very well done. So this step into the 60s can only be welcomed.

They're also priced in the £8.99 range rather than the £13.99 of the Universal reissues. Hope they don't change that.

Who knows...Cleopatra's Needle may not be far away!

What is 'Chitinous Ensemble' .... never even heard of it?

[sidewinder]

Don't know too much about it and have never heard it but it's an ensemble which includes Ian Carr, recorded around 1971 for Deram. The only LP copy I've ever seen was for £275 ! (and in less than mint).

£8.99 ish is a lot more like it !

'Cleopatra's Needle' was for Fontana so may not be covered, if this series is for Deram/Argos. I'll console myself with the full series of the Michael Garricks.

The Carr/Tracey/Ardley 'Will Power' would be nice, too.

[A Lark Ascending]

Yes, I didn't think of that.

We can only hope that with all the flurry of activity over the last couple of years, someone somewhere will decide there is good reason to reissue the Ross.

I too am looking forward to seeing those Garrick's reappear. I find his more recent music rather big-band-lumpy; but what I've heard on the Rendell-Carrs and Troppo suggests a very different animal in the 60s.

[Guest akanalog]

does one of these garrick's coming out have poetry recitations or anything like that? i fear it does...

[Guest akanalog]

also speakning of poetry recitations, what's the deal with the ardley everyone loves with poetry on it? the "amaranths" one i think-is the poetry part very um-i dunno-what's it like? is the recitation used as more another instrument or does it dominate proceedings? this and the "herbe" ardley-you UKers are crazy about those albums, right?

[A Lark Ascending]

Only one short track on Amaranths has a recitation - 'The Dong with the Luminous Nose' (Edward Lear). I love it, but then I grew up hearing Ivor Cutler (who recites it) regularly on John Peel's show.

The main Amaranths Suite is all instrumental. The three Lewis Carroll songs are sung, not recited, by Norma Winstone.

The poetry/jazz thing was a very 60s movement. As I understand only some of the Garricks have poetry. 'Black Marigolds' seems to have a reader; 'The Heart is a Lotus' doesn't.

Details here:

http://www.jazzscript.co.uk/extra/garricklps.htm

I'm not sure 'we UKers' are all 'crazy' about these albums. They've been OOP for so long some of us are just very curious. It's a bit of our jazz history we'd like to get to know.

[Guest akanalog]

i meant the ardleys. not necessarily the garricks. but you guys are crazy about the ardleys, no/

[A Lark Ascending]

We're British.

We don't do crazy.

Mild admiration is the closest we come to breaking a sweat!

(I'd imagine Ardley is very little known to most UK jazz fans; only those with a memory of UK jazz in 60s or who have got curious subsequently. Most British jazz fans are more likely to be 'crazy' about Miles or Coltrane).

Edited April 21, 2005 by Bev Stapleton

[sidewinder]

Well, I for one am crazy about the Ardleys. The whole lot right through to 'Kaleidoscope of Rainbows'. Must check out 'Harmony of the Spheres'.

I don't have 'Symphony of Aramanths' and am looking forward to the reissue when that comes out. Anyone catch that feature on Ivor Cutler that was on BBC4 last week? Robert Wyatt hinted on that programme to a 'jazz connection' with Cutler.

The 'Black Marigolds' by Michael Garrick does have several tracks of poetry on it. Superb solo work by Joe Harriott on one of those tracks. The ensemble pieces on this album are tremendous, particularly 'Ursula' (which is featured on the Gilles Peterson compilation).

There are also several Argo LPs with the Poetry and Jazz. One of these 'Poetry and Jazz 250' is a 2LP box set.

Edited April 21, 2005 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

Take care, sidewinder.

Start acting 'crazy' and Michael Howard will have you deported for behaving in an un-British manner.

[sidewinder]

Well I'm half-Canadian so I have an excuse I guess !

[Alexander Hawkins]

Bev Stapleton Posted: Apr 21 2005, 05:02 PM 

We're British.

We don't do crazy.

Mild admiration is the closest we come to breaking a sweat!

Must...stop...laughing out loud in public computer room

I just picked up a 2-fer of 'Solid Gold Cadillac' and 'Brain Damage' for £1!

[sidewinder]

Anyone know when the next (eagerly awaited) batch of 'Impressed Repressed' from Universal will be hitting the UK High Street?

(No doubt it will be the same week that Dutton Vocalion offload their booty )

[A Lark Ascending]

If you look over at AAJ you'll find Clark Tracey posting there - his label (TentoTen) is starting to put the Steam catalogue of the 70s and 80s onto CD with extra material. This is, to my mind, some of Stan's best recorded music.

I think he's starting with 'Captain Adventure', my all time favourite Stan disc; then 'The Salisbury Suite'. He's also mentioned the earlier 'Alice in Jazzland' as a future possibility.

He also has some vinyl of the Steams available. Details here:

http://www.tentotenrecords.com/

So, yet more UK reissues to break the bank. It's going to be a bumper year.

[clifford_thornton]

'Chitinous Ensemble'

I've always wanted to hear that one, too. Cover and band look great, and I have a feeling it might be 'free'.