Paul Bley

[soulpope]

  On 12/26/2022 at 10:43 PM, Daniel A said:

I think there's a lot more to Johansson than the somewhat sombre album of Swedish traditional songs that is the main reason he's still remembered in Sweden ....

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Agreed ....

[mjazzg]

  On 12/26/2022 at 10:43 PM, Daniel A said:

I think there's a lot more to Johansson than the somewhat sombre album of Swedish traditional songs that is the main reason he's still remembered in Sweden. He did work for orchestras and larger bands, wrote film music and so on. Whether that is ECM-ish or not I'll leave to others, but I didn't think so.

 

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I wasn't at all suggesting that Johansson's considerable output was in any way an influence on ECM as a whole or even ECM-ish. I was suggesting that I think that his piano trio and particularly that album you refer to is an influence on many subsequent ECM trios, especially European ones, as per the point made about Bley's 'Ballads' album to which I was responding

Edited December 27, 2022 by mjazzg

[Daniel A]

  On 12/27/2022 at 8:51 PM, mjazzg said:

I wasn't at all suggesting that Johansson's considerable output was in any way an influence on ECM as a whole or even ECM-ish. I was suggesting that I think that his piano trio and particularly that album you refer to is an influence on many subsequent ECM trios, especially European ones, as per the point made about Bley's 'Ballads' album to which I was responding

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I now realize that this is exactly the point you made from the beginning, so sorry for somehow distorting it into something else. But it made me seek out a Johansson recording I hadn't heard in years, so it had a positive side effect. 🙂

What might be a point in another discussion, though, is that the influential Johansson recording (towards ECM) was not as representative of his overall output back then.

Edited December 27, 2022 by Daniel A

[mjazzg]

  On 12/27/2022 at 10:31 PM, Daniel A said:

I now realize that this is exactly the point you made from the beginning, so sorry for somehow distorting it into something else. But it made me seek out a Johansson recording I hadn't heard in years, so it had a positive side effect. 🙂

What might be a point in another discussion, though, is that the influential Johansson recording (towards ECM) was not as representative of his overall output back then.

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Pleased it had a positive outcome 🙂. I would be interested to know more about more of his output. Another thread perhaps

[Late]

Aside from the Fontana Blood, are there any other pre-1970 recordings deserving of reissue? I'm sure there are live tapes out there...

[clifford_thornton]

The Radio Canada session for sure, never been on CD and has not seen a fresh pressing since the '70s. Don't know if the BYG Actuel session has been easily available recently, but it's a doozy too.

[colinmce]

  On 12/28/2022 at 4:57 PM, Late said:

Aside from the Fontana Blood, are there any other pre-1970 recordings deserving of reissue? I'm sure there are live tapes out there...

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It should all be out there! Touching, the ECMs and the ESPs are just about the only ones to be consistently available. I can't say what all would be possible, but a box containing at least the Savoy/IAI, Fontana/Polydor, and Limelight recordings should be done. 

[mjazzg]

  On 12/28/2022 at 5:52 PM, clifford_thornton said:

The Radio Canada session for sure, never been on CD and has not seen a fresh pressing since the '70s. Don't know if the BYG Actuel session has been easily available recently, but it's a doozy too.

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Yeah that Radio Canada is great. I always thought the BYG was a reissue, it's not?

Edited December 28, 2022 by mjazzg

[colinmce]

Ramblin' was originally recorded for Italian RCA (à la Steve Lacy) but was not released by them; BYG did the first issue in 1969.

[mjazzg]

Thanks. that's great news as it means I've a new 60s Bley to discover!

edit: no I haven't, I have the later Red Record reissue of it titled "Ramblin' with Bley"

Edited December 28, 2022 by mjazzg

[colinmce]

There may yet be more! I and others have made some attempts to untangle the very complicated threads here:

 

[clifford_thornton]

  On 12/28/2022 at 9:05 PM, mjazzg said:

edit: no I haven't, I have the later Red Record reissue of it titled "Ramblin' with Bley"

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yeah, curious how they got their hands on it -- they didn't issue other BYG material to my knowledge.

There's also an Affinity pressing from the 80s, which does make sense as they had access to the Charly/Actuel/BYG holdings.

[CrabAlley]

  On 3/31/2018 at 8:25 AM, sidewinder said:

Out of curiosity just checked that Jazz Centre Society booklet from 1971 and the gig at Hampstead Country Club in London had Annette Peacock on vocals/electric piano, Daryll Runswick on bass and Robert Wyatt on drums. Tunes performed included ‘Mr Joy’ and ‘Touching’ and this was the first of a number of appearances for the JCS over the following years I believe. Review was by Richard Williams.

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Very late to the conversation but just found this.  I was at this gig largely because of the Wyatt connection.  Bley had an enormous synthesizer set up with wires all over the place, and Annette was altering her voice through another mass of wires and microphones.  The whole thing had a considerable impact on my 18 year old brain - particularly 'Touching' which was extraordinary.

[clifford_thornton]

  On 12/27/2022 at 6:00 AM, soulpope said:

Agreed ....

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those Johansson trio albums are beautiful however

pretty sure Ramblin' was intended as a GTA release, though it was recorded in the RCA Italiana studios

[soulpope]

  On 12/10/2024 at 7:00 PM, clifford_thornton said:

those Johansson trio albums are beautiful however

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👌👍 ....

[clifford_thornton]

  On 12/10/2024 at 7:00 PM, clifford_thornton said:

 

pretty sure Ramblin' was intended as a GTA release, though it was recorded in the RCA Italiana studios

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& now I see that the GTA is a different session, unissued, per Kluck. Good intel!

[sidewinder]

  On 12/8/2024 at 12:24 PM, CrabAlley said:

Very late to the conversation but just found this.  I was at this gig largely because of the Wyatt connection.  Bley had an enormous synthesizer set up with wires all over the place, and Annette was altering her voice through another mass of wires and microphones.  The whole thing had a considerable impact on my 18 year old brain - particularly 'Touching' which was extraordinary.

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Great to hear that you were there to see it.

I'd actually completely forgotten about this post and the booklet !

 

[mikeweil]

Bley is one of the few jazz musicians I really wanted to see live but never had an opportunity.

[clifford_thornton]

yeah, I saw him only once with Lee Konitz and Marc Johnson. It was good, but I think at the time I had a more steady diet of freer Bley and wish I could take my 2024 ears back to that night.

[kh1958]

I saw Paul Bley just once, in a duo with Charlie Haden at the Iridium.

[optatio]

Saw him in Hildesheim May 29, 1993 - together with Marion Brown

[soulpope]

  On 12/17/2024 at 5:55 PM, optatio said:

Saw him in Hildesheim May 29, 1993 - together with Marion Brown

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Any memories about the Trio with Jimmy Giuffre and Steve Swallow .... ?

[optatio]

  On 12/17/2024 at 6:08 PM, soulpope said:

Any memories about the Trio with Jimmy Giuffre and Steve Swallow .... ?

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A highlight of the evening... Unfortunately, Marion Brown didn't find them back stage afterwards. Instead, we met Billy Hart by chance in the theater foyer...

[soulpope]

  On 12/17/2024 at 6:21 PM, optatio said:

A highlight of the evening... Unfortunately, Marion Brown didn't find them back stage afterwards. Instead, we met Billy Hart by chance in the theater foyer...

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Thnx for sharing 👌 ....