Updated Hat Hut website

[J.A.W.]

Updated Hat Hut website

[J.A.W.]

I'm really looking forward to the Ellery Eskelin album that's listed in "Pending upcoming releases": check out DD's post over on AAJ.

Edited September 2, 2003 by J.A.W.

[Guest Chaney]

Good eye Hans!

Unless I'm mistaken, it looks like there are only (THANKFULLY!) two new additions to the SOLD OUT hatOLOGY club:

Matthew Shipp Horn Quartet: "Strata" (hatOLOGY 522)

ICP Orchestra: "Jubilee Varia" (hatOLOGY 528)

Edited September 2, 2003 by Chaney

[J.A.W.]

Unless I'm mistaken, it looks like there are only (THANKFULLY!) two new additions to the SOLD OUT hatOLOGY club:

Matthew Shipp Horn Quartet:  "Strata" (hatOLOGY 522)

ICP Orchestra:  "Jubilee Varia"  (hatOLOGY 528)

On the other hand it might not be such good news, it could mean that hat CDs aren't selling as well as they used to...

Edited September 2, 2003 by J.A.W.

[Guest Chaney]

This Hat notice would seem to explain the recent low prices on select Hat titles:

Midprice releases

Important notice:

Beginning in September 2003 each month different CDs from the extensive Hat Hut catalog will be offered as midprice-CDs.

These will be selected monthly from hat[now]ART numbers 101 through 136, hatOLOGY numbers 501 through 564, and hatNOIR 801 through 803.

20 titles of the series hatOLOGY will be offered as midprice-CDs in September to celebrate 20 years of distribution through Harmonia Mundi.

10 more titles of the series hat(now)ART will follow in October 2003.

Amounts are limited!

Watch the Hat Hut website each month.

The following CDs have been selected for September, 2003...

It would seem that we got a bit of a jump on the 20 + 10 titles?

[Guest Chaney]

Can anyone comment on the pending (re)release of Ellery Eskelin's "Forms" (hatOLOGY 592) - recorded March 27, 1990 - formerly out on Open Minds 2403-2?

Here's the Open Minds cover:

FORMS (Open Minds 2403-2)

Ellery Eskelin: tenor saxophone

Drew Gress: bass

Phil Haynes: drums

Recorded 1990

"This tenor force has the insight to move the music forward even while delving into the past."

- The New York Review of Records

"Eskelin affirms a very personal style...sometimes with power, always with beauty." - Jazz Magazine, Paris

[Guest Chaney]

Not quite overwhelmed with responses, I put my question to Ellery Eskelin himself.

Here's my question:

I'd noticed from the newly updated Hat site that hatOLOGY 592 is to be your "Forms", the reissue of Open Minds 2403 as recorded in 1990.

Any idea when this one might be released?  Will you have copies on hand (on your website) for purchase?  Any comments on this one?

And his reply:

Hi Tony,

Yea, "FORMS" was the second of two recordings made by this group. The first was "Setting the Standard", an LP on the Cadence Jazz Records label. They are both more "jazz" oriented in approach (as compared to my more recent stuff) as it was my intention of documenting some version of my roots before moving on. I'm very happy with the both of them (and had even hoped to get them both re-released at the same time as "Setting the Standard" has not yet made it to CD) as they represent a side of my playing that you're not likely to hear anymore (particularly "Setting the Standard".)

The hatHUT website says that "FORMS" will be available sometime in the September/October/November zone although I just heard from the company that this may have to be pushed back to February '04. I will have copies available through my website:

http://home.earthlink.net/~eskelin/order.html

...and in fact still have the last few copies of the original CD release of "FORMS" available for those who can't wait for the re-release. I might also mention that a number of my earlier hatOLOGY releases are out of print and that I have some of the last copies of most of those available as well, they are listed on the site.

Thanks,

Ellery Eskelin

The following hatOLOGY CDs offered on Eskelin's site are now OOP:

FIVE OTHER PIECES (+2) (hatOLOGY 533)

KULAK 29 & 30 (hatOLOGY 521)

Also, for those not aware, Ellery takes part in the Jazz Corner's "Ask The Musicians" forum.

ASK THE MUSICIANS

Wonderful to see that a terrific musician and very busy man takes the time to talk to his listeners.

[Claude]

Important notice:

Beginning in September 2003 each month different CDs from the extensive Hat Hut catalog will be offered as midprice-CDs.

These will be selected monthly from hat[now]ART numbers 101 through 136, hatOLOGY numbers 501 through 564, and hatNOIR 801 through 803.

20 titles of the series hatOLOGY will be offered as midprice-CDs in September to celebrate 20 years of distribution through Harmonia Mundi.

10 more titles of the series hat(now)ART will follow in October 2003.

Amounts are limited!

Watch the Hat Hut website each month.

http://hathut.com/midprice.html

[Guest Chaney]

Note that the Hut site has once again been updated with select hat(now)ART titles having been added to their midprice line.

10 more titles of the series hat(now)ART will follow in October 2003.

[Big Wheel]

Where does one order from to get the midprice discount? I checked Cadence and they still have some of these (the Giuffre, for instance) marked at $16.

[Guest Chaney]

Where does one order from to get the midprice discount? I checked Cadence and they still have some of these (the Giuffre, for instance) marked at $16.

You might want to have a look at Sale at Zweitausendeins and specifically The Wonderful Claude's post of August 20, 2003.

I've looked but have not found the Hat titles to be on sale within the United States.

My purchase of all but two of the offered hatOLOGY titles from Zweitausendeins cost me (with shipping) $186.

[Adam]

A new announcement from Werner at Hat Hut

From: Werner X. Uehlinger [mailto:wxu.hathut.com@bluewin.ch]

Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2005 3:53 AM

Subject: Our blues and September & October 2005 releases!

Our Blues:

Dear Friend,

Hat Hut Records’ future depends solely on the results coming from

the marketplace. We need your help and your best efforts to improve

our visibility and to reach the potential customers still there.

Thank you for considering this.

It is our hope to be able to continue on our path for many more than

30 years. There is more “music for the future” which waits to be

discovered and to be released.

Kind regards,

Werner X. Uehlinger

Our releases on September 23rd, 2005:

hatOLOGY 616: THEO JOERGENSMANN FELLOWSHIP

by Charlie Mariano–alto saxophone, Petras Vysniauskas–soprano

saxophone, Theo Jörgensmann–clarinet, Karl Berger–vibraphone

& piano, Kent Carter–double bass and Klaus Kugel–drums

(new release)

Recorded in 1998...the three pieces fall comfortably into a long-form,

open presentation of thematicimprovisation that feels even older

– with its roots, say, in the freeing of forms that occurred during the

60's – while making allusions to and referencing details to be found

throughout the history of jazz.This is neither an act of stylistic

appropriation nor conscious postmodern juxtapositioning, but an

organic collective response reflecting the individual life experiences

of these particular musicians, as artists fromdifferent generations,

different geographical locations, different musical enviroments

(making even the group name, Fellowship, with its echoes of 60's

cooperative optimism, all the more apt).

– Art Lange

hatOLOGY 621 : Max Nagl Ensemble · Quartier Du Faisan

by Max Nagl, Clemens Salesny, Franz Hautzinger, Lorenz Raab,

Martin Ptak, Clemens Wenger, Josef Novotny, Achim Tang,

Lukas Knöfler and Luis Ribeiro (2 x saxophones, 2 x trumpets,

trombone, piano & electronics, double bass, drums & percussion)

(new release)

Quartier du Faisan isn't merely a compilation of stylistic curiosities but

a clear stance on modern orchestra music, an eccentric version of an

alpine big band. Perhaps this isn't jazz at all — but without the slightest

doubt it is a hymn to jazz. Max Nagl says his music comes about intuitively,

he listens, and he picks and chooses to structure it into something that

has been unheard of so far. To him, all that matters are colours,

iridescent exceptions, surprisingsounds. Thus, jazz is a pool

of ideas, a stimulus, a source, no more and no less.

– Tilman Urbach

Releases on October 24th, 2005:

hatOLOGY 627 : Manuel Mengis Gruppe 6 · Into The Barn

by Manuel Mengis–trumpet, Achim Escher–alto saxophone, Christoph

Erb–tenor saxophone, Flo Stoffner–electric quitar, Marcel Stalder–

electric bass and Linonel Friedli–drums

(new release)

Born in the Swiss canton Wallis in 1972, trumpeter and part-time mountain

guide Mengis probably is virtually unknown to most people. It thus comes

as a surprise that his first release is for a label that has not pledged

itself to promote and encourage local young talents but to track down

adventurous and ambitious music of our time. Which, however, is another

sign that the world of jazz has been undergoing fundamental changes for

the past couple of years. Whoever still believes that New York is the

hub of the jazz world is on the wrong track. Unfortunately many

influential CD producers, festival organisers and music critics are

still barking up the wrong tree (even in Europe), thus it will take some

time for innovative impulses from regions which so far have been

regarded as the periphery to be duly recognised. Globalisation, which

has often been demonised, could turn out to be a truly positive force in

this respect. – Tom Gsteiger

hatOLOGY 628 : David Liebman · The Distance Runner

by David Liebman solo live Willisau Festival 2004

(new release)

Here’s Dave Liebman with his saxophones and a wooden flute in his very

first concert of unaccompanied solos. It didn’t happen until his fourth decade

as a working jazz artist, even though he had recorded four solo albums down

through theyears. Once again we hear his brilliant sound and technique, and

there are his devotion to spontaneity combined with hishigh instinct to shape

improvisations. What Liebman offers most of all is a personal quality of

adventure, the result of his endless musical curiosity. This music has so

much vitality. – John Litweiler

Best regards,

Werner X. Uehlinger

wxu.hathut.com@bluewin.ch

HAT HUT RECORDS LTD.

Box 521,

4020 Basel, Switzerland

Phone +41.61.373.0773

Fax +41.61.373.0774 (on request only!)

http://www.hathut.com

The 30th Year

Since 1975, an ear to the future

Depuis 1975, une oreille vers le futur

Seit 1975, ein Ohr in die Zukunft

[jlhoots]

I wonder what ever happened to new reissues (? oxymoron) of Ne Plus Ultra & The Long March.

[dave9199]

I wondered about The Long March too. It was listed on Jazzmatazz in 2005 and beyond for a brief time and now it's not there.

[king ubu]

That email does not sound *that* good, does it?

Maybe there's simply not enough money around to do the new releases and the reissues?

A note about the following one:

hatOLOGY 628 : David Liebman · The Distance Runner

by David Liebman solo live Willisau Festival 2004

(new release)

Here’s Dave Liebman with his saxophones and a wooden flute in his very

first concert of unaccompanied solos. It didn’t happen until his fourth decade

as a working jazz artist, even though he had recorded four solo albums down

through theyears. Once again we hear his brilliant sound and technique, and

there are his devotion to spontaneity combined with hishigh instinct to shape

improvisations. What Liebman offers most of all is a personal quality of

adventure, the result of his endless musical curiosity. This music has so

much vitality. – John Litweiler

←

I heard parts or all of this (Willisau is broadcast annually on Swiss radio), and it's quite good. Quite simple at moments, quite pure. Liebman also played drums (in tribute to Elvin) and I think piano as well - seems they'll leave that off the release, from Mr. Litweiler's mention of his saxes and the flute (quite beautiful!).

Liebman told some stories between the tracks as well, some of them rather personal and touching.

Whatever... it definitely was a great idea of Willisau's Niklaus Troxler to convince Liebman to do a solo set! The festival has featured a solo performance every year (since at least 2000 or so, as far as I can tell, maybe since longer ago), but - obviously - most often the invitees were piano players (Cecil Taylor, Matt Shipp, Andrew Hill and Jason Moran did the 1999-2003 solo sets, if my memory serves me right. Not all that great sets, but the Cecil one (available on Intakt) is glorious.

Oh, and I heard (memory is not quite right, I realize), that Braxton's solo set (from 2003) will be released in the future on Intakt as well. (Hopefully in its entirety - it definitely fits on one CD.)

[Adam]

Werner is having difficulties at Hat ever since the Swiss bank withdrew its underwriting. The release isn't very good - he needs to sell more copies.

[king ubu]

Werner is having difficulties at Hat ever since the Swiss bank withdrew its underwriting.  The release isn't very good - he needs to sell more copies.

←

Wouldn't a couple of much-requested reissues help in this respect? But then that's not what his label is about... (or not all that it is about - thank God!)

[Chuck Nessa]

I can only dream of the possibilities if I had "underwriting" or a family fortune to build a label.

[Adam]

I can only dream of the possibilities if I had "underwriting" or a family fortune to build a label.

←

It's pretty amazing that Werner had it for so long, and I do believe it benefitted all of us. Perhaps we can persuade someone rich to do it again.

[king ubu]

I can only dream of the possibilities if I had "underwriting" or a family fortune to build a label.

←

It's pretty amazing that Werner had it for so long, and I do believe it benefitted all of us. Perhaps we can persuade someone rich to do it again.

←

At least in Switzerland, I would say no chance. The same banking institute that supported hat (it was UBS, wasn't it?) also supported the Willisau Jazz Festival until a couple of years ago, and then dropped out completely of sponsoring jazz (it's not sexy enough... the probably go for sponsoring some stupid sports stuff instead now... Troxler, it seems, has an annual fight to find enough money to do his festival (that has been in existence now for more than 30 years).

Big scale sponsoring for opera, alright, maybe for the (prestigious) theatre here in Zurich, yes, but nothing even slightly out of mainstream... pity, but that's how things seem to be nowadays. And money there would be enough, for sure (Basel, home of hat, is another city rich in banking institutes...)