clifford_thornton Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 (edited) Laurie Allan is a dude, I'm pretty sure. Played with Keith Tippett, Lol Coxhill, and a little with the BoB later on. Edited November 3, 2009 by clifford_thornton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 Laurie Allan is a dude, I'm pretty sure. Played with Keith Tippett, Lol Coxhill, and a little with the BoB later on. seems so, after all... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurie_Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 (edited) I hadn't realised Mankunku had died...knew he wasn't at all well...a great player. Ya'Khal Inkomo is a beautiful record, and a great tune...I recently recorded it with Ntshuks Bonga's Qwati project...check out some samples here if anyone's interested (scroll down the playlist)...It also features Claude Deppa, who IIRC is on the Mankunku's 'Abantwana Be Africa'... Wow, that is sad though about Mankunku. Edited November 5, 2009 by Alexander Hawkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ep1str0phy Posted April 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 Resurrecting this thread for two reasons: (1) I've been threatening to unleash my revision of my Blue Notes thesis for ages, and it's finally happening; planning on having it done within the month. I just re-read/revised the first half, and it's maybe unwieldily large (roughly 100 pgs., leaning heavily on what happens before the "classic" Brotherhood splits), but whatever--sheered too much off of it anyway. (2) Maybe more relevant: completely off my guard, Enja reissued Makaya & the Tsotsis--a 1974 album featuring Heinz Saur, Bob Degen, and Isla Eckinger (alongside Makaya Ntshoko--formerly of the Jazz Epistles--appearing later amidst the Blue Notes arm of the diaspora on the Nick Evans/Radu Malfatti album Nicra--a tiny classic--and on Johnny Dyani's Song for Biko--a bigger classic--and he was of course active elsewhere, albeit extremely elusive and more difficult to pin down, paper trail-wise, than even his Blue Notes compatriots). It sounds, for the life of me, like no other "South African jazz" or improv album I've ever heard, although it merits some mention in the breadth of Elton Dean's modal/scattered rhythm enterprises with Ninesense. Degen, playing in an idiom somewhat closer to Circle-era Corea than the effusiveness of Keith Tippett or Chris McGregor's rolling, clustery abstraction (both of which, I'll admit, I prefer), is the x-factor here; he reins the music into something much more studied, more in the idiom of Coltrane (quartal/quintal harmony accompaniment) or the Blue Note inside-outside school than anything of the dark, modal freedom of Dyani/Abdullah Ibrahim or the Blue Notes's rough-hewn ecstasy. In a way, it sounds like a lost ECM album--beautiful and energetic--at times impressionistically abstract--but often missing that crackling, righteous edge that makes the Ogun catalog so wonderful and idiosyncratic years down the line. I will say that that, had this been a trio album, it would have been insane; Sauer has a chaotic hold on Rahsaan's multi-saxophone concept, and Eckinger has a bold energy and slippery intonation that remind me of Reggie Workman and Dyani. At its best, the band is able to integrate these diverse energies--Degen's icy precision, Sauer's craziness, and Eckinger and Ntshoko's sheer heaviness--into a lucid, weighty art, venting the tension in magnificent spurts of energy while never, ultimately, exploding completely. Which I suppose makes it unique... I'm glad to have heard it, to have a richer picture of one of the South African jazz's more enigmatic and multifaceted performers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted April 13, 2010 Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 I like that LP. Bob Degen is from Pennsylvania, and I think a fine player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted April 14, 2010 Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 (edited) Fine comments there about the Ntshoko album! I've heard it, should buy the new reissue! Ntshoko has recently made some celebrated appearances in Zurich with Irene Schweizer and Omri Ziegele - together they form the "Where's Africa Trio". Their concerts were all sold out days before they took place - and I totally missed out - honestly I don't like Ziegele much, but Schweizer is terrific and she's got the African thing down as she showed for many years over many a disc... Here's their new CD (which I bought recently, but I haven't listened yet): Omri Ziegele Altosax, Voice Irène Schweizer Piano Makaya Ntshoko Drums Recorded June, 30 and July, 1, 2009 by Schweizer Radio DRS, Radiostudio Zürich. Sound engineer: Martin Pearson. Cover art: Christoph Hauri. Graphic design: Jonas Schoder. Photo: Francesca Pfeffer. Liner notes: Christian Rentsch Intakt CD 167 / 2009 (eng) Those who were surprised five years ago at how little Africa was on the first recording of Omri Ziegele und Irene Schweizer Wheres Africa (Intakt 098) will be astonished now how African this second Wheres Africa CD sounds. This is not only because of the nostalgic pieces of Dollar Brand, Chris McGregor and Johnny Dyani, and also not only because of Ntshokos discrete drumming; it is because of the attitude that is indeed so altogether un-European. See, in Europe music is not allowed to be so outrageously beautiful, so merry with melody and sound, so unbroken and touching especially not contemporary jazz. But: Omri Ziegeles Wheres Africa-Trio is far from being a colourful acoustic travelogue about townships romantically jazzed up. It is rather the result of long journeys through forty years of fiercely lived and sometimes suffered history of jazz. In the course of this history a lot of things simply settled: the vain virtuosity, the desperate originality, the bathos and the hysterical forced happiness, the false complexity and the pompous art gesture. The remains of the long journey to oneself is this masterpiece. Its about time. (Christian Rentsch, Liner notes, 2009) http://www.intaktrec.ch/167-a.htm If you want to be hooked up with Ntshoko, I'm sure the folks at Intakt or Schweizer (whom I saw at the movies yesterday... H-G Clouzot's "L'assassin habite au... 21") could help! I think he's been residing in Basel, Switzerland for quite a while now (edit: yes, he's even listed in the phone book - drop me a PM if you need assistance!) Edited April 14, 2010 by king ubu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted April 14, 2010 Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 Got this in my to-listen pile as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted April 20, 2010 Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 Gave it a first spin yesterday... nice but a little more lightweight than I expected. And if only Ziegele could keep his darn mouth shut - his "lyrics" ruined almost every gig I've heard (not many, I tend to stay away, just because of that... why doesn't anyone tell him?) Anyway, they get into a really nice groove here, Schweizer plays fine, and so does Ntshoko. Ziegele on alto sounds quite heavy, and it seems he was around in London in the era when McGregor and Dudu were around, so that's cool. I'd say a nice disc for us suckers of ZA jazz, but nothing too essential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted August 4, 2010 Report Share Posted August 4, 2010 Crap, just read that Robbie Jansen died on July 7 - aged only 61. Here's an obit: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-07-07-robbie-jansen-dead-at-61 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Just to say - there's a broadcast this evening on BBC Radio 3's Jazz on 3 (and available to 'listen again' for the week) featuring Louis Moholo-Moholo...it's the concert we played in last year's London Jazz Festival in celebration of his 70th birthday. The first half is a duo with Keith Tippett, and the second half is the band 'Seven for Seventy', with Louis, Jason Yarde, Ntshuks Bonga, Francine Luce, Henry Lowther, John Edwards, and myself. Worth checking out as well for a really fantastic interview Louis gave before the gig... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Hope to hear it from that site we shan't mention here... what a great gig to have been on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 Is this a reissue? Or what kind of weird listing? http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=5485188&style=music&meid=12491&x=2436620754330 I thought Ogun sort of gave up or rather went to become much smaller and not doing much any longer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 I don't know...I can't remember Hazel mentioning it, but can ask. She is definitely still putting stuff out (and reissueing) though - back end of last year she reissued Viva-La-Black's (spectacular, IMHO) 'Exile'..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 Missed that, too! Is there a working website? Other than: http://www.cadillacjazz.co.uk/code/ogncat.html "Exile" isn't listed there... would love to get updates, but never got any mails or anything, though I bought the Blue Notes box straight from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 (edited) I'm not sure to be honest - I always used to go to the Cadillac site too...although Amazon UK seems to be fairly up to date (e.g. they also have the recent Keith/Julie Tippett(s) 'Live at the Purcell Room' issue). Edited March 30, 2011 by Alexander Hawkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 I'm not sure to be honest - I always used to go to the Cadillac site too...although Amazon UK seems to be fairly up to date (e.g. they also have the recent Keith/Julie Tippett(s) 'Live at the Purcell Room' issue). Ok, thanks. I've been buying more and more from Amazon UK lately anyway, will have to remember to check there not just for more Tubby Hayes and Spotlite/Dials I've got the BoB Willisau on its way from Amazon UK as I type this, but when I ordered it a few days ago I was just happy to see it back in stock at a more or less reasonable price and didn't check if it was a new reissue or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Got the BoB Live at Willisau - no sign that it's a reissue. Either they found some more copies in the cellar or they had it repressed. The only date shown is 1994, the © & (p) date of the original CD issue of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalupa Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 Missed that, too! Is there a working website? Other than: http://www.cadillacjazz.co.uk/code/ogncat.html "Exile" isn't listed there... would love to get updates, but never got any mails or anything, though I bought the Blue Notes box straight from them. Same for me. I even exchanged a few emails w/ Hazel when I got the box. Silence ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Man Posted April 6, 2011 Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 (edited) Heard from Hazel Miller today that she expects to receive copies of this "within the week". "NEW RELEASE FROM OGUN SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE AND GRACE LOUIS MOHOLO–MOHOLO • DUDU PUKWANA JOHNNY DYANI • with Rev. FRANK WRIGHT Catalogue number: OGCD 035 Barcode number: 5 020675 572324 > LOUIS MOHOLO-MOHOLO DUDU PUKWANA • JOHNNY DYANI with Rev. FRANK WRIGHT “Spiritual Knowledge And Grace” Louis Moholo–Moholo drums, voice. Dudu Pukwana alto sax, piano, whistle, voice. Johnny Dyani double bass, piano, voice. Rev. Frank Wright tenor sax, double bass, voice. Ogun is extremely proud to present a previously unreleased recording documenting a one-off collaboration between members of The Blue Notes and tenor sax giant The Reverend Frank Wright. Recorded live in Eindhoven, Holland on what was meant to be the opening night of The Blue Notes’ Dutch tour in 1979, the collaboration was spawned by the unavoidable absence of pianist Chris McGregor and prompted by Louis Moholo-Moholo’s experience of playing alongside Frank in Peter Brotzmann’s Alarm. The tour of Holland proved prolific for The Blue Notes - another Dutch date is set for future release on Ogun - but this meeting of musical titans could not be left in the vaults. Great empathetic performances and an engrossing listen. Ogun Recording Ltd. 79 Farrant Avenue, London N22 6PD Email: ogunrecords@googlemail.com" Looks like a "must have"! Edited April 6, 2011 by Head Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted April 6, 2011 Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 Wow, never would have expected an official release of this! Hoping for a major upgrade in quality to what's "in circulation"! Thanks for spreading the news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalupa Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 How's the performance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 Unhinged as hell. I have a copy in low fidelity; it's fun and weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ep1str0phy Posted April 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 Do we know this is the same date? The boot (I'm assuming everyone has) is dated June 21, 1979. I don't have a chronology in front of me and it's been a while since I've had my Blue Notes thinking cap on, but I'm wondering whether Wright was on for just one date or two. I'm only wondering, since the bootleg sound is pretty awful and may be/must have been a pain to clean up... maybe this issue is from a better source? ' That being said, the music is brilliant. Nice to have Dudu frontlining a small group with someone similarly unhinged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 Well, the Ogun blurb says it's a one-off... so I thought either date was wrong and it was the same music indeed - but we won't know until we get the Ogun CD, I guess. If it's another date (and in better fidelity), that would be even more amazing news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Man Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 Heard from Hazel Miller today that she expects to receive copies of this "within the week". "NEW RELEASE FROM OGUN SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE AND GRACE LOUIS MOHOLO–MOHOLO • DUDU PUKWANA JOHNNY DYANI • with Rev. FRANK WRIGHT Catalogue number: OGCD 035 Barcode number: 5 020675 572324 > LOUIS MOHOLO-MOHOLO DUDU PUKWANA • JOHNNY DYANI with Rev. FRANK WRIGHT “Spiritual Knowledge And Grace” Louis Moholo–Moholo drums, voice. Dudu Pukwana alto sax, piano, whistle, voice. Johnny Dyani double bass, piano, voice. Rev. Frank Wright tenor sax, double bass, voice. Ogun is extremely proud to present a previously unreleased recording documenting a one-off collaboration between members of The Blue Notes and tenor sax giant The Reverend Frank Wright. Recorded live in Eindhoven, Holland on what was meant to be the opening night of The Blue Notes’ Dutch tour in 1979, the collaboration was spawned by the unavoidable absence of pianist Chris McGregor and prompted by Louis Moholo-Moholo’s experience of playing alongside Frank in Peter Brotzmann’s Alarm. The tour of Holland proved prolific for The Blue Notes - another Dutch date is set for future release on Ogun - but this meeting of musical titans could not be left in the vaults. Great empathetic performances and an engrossing listen. Ogun Recording Ltd. 79 Farrant Avenue, London N22 6PD Email: ogunrecords@googlemail.com" I've heard from Hazel that she's now received copies of the above. In the UK it's £11.50 (incl. p&p) using Paypal. (ogunrecords@googlemail.com). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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