Ornette Coleman and Paul Bley

[Late]

Anyone had time to digest this new reissue? I haven't even picked it up yet, but would be interested in hearing comments — music, sound, running time, etc.

[Kalo]

Let's hear more...

[Chuck Nessa]

The original lps total about 66 minutes.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

i have 1 lp of material wher ethey no klacktockcovosustruse- i didnt know there was more stuff? is it the exact same perosnel. no dave pike? i have this lp and its neighbour lp in my wcj pile is a paul bley on GNP

[John L]

I assume that this is one of the Spanish boots, and they are combining the two Ornette at the Hillcrest LPs on one disc. I've already done that myself on a CDR.

That is far from "complete." Paul Bley assures us that there are a lot more recordings.

Edited May 24, 2007 by John L

[brownie]

The Gambit release includes all the material that was issued on the two LPs and adds nothing.

Total running time is 66m23s.

Material was obviously picked from the vinyls (what a surprise?). Sound has been slightly improved on the CD release, particularly the sides from the Improvising Artists Inc. ('Coleman Classics 1') which have more presence.

[JohnS]

In his book 'Stopping Time' Bley says he sold the tapes for reuse to fund his move to New York if I remember correctly. Be great if there was more music though. For the most part this is essential music and whilst the sound is none too great the music overcomes the deficiency.

[AllenLowe]

I actually think the sound is very good, at least on the issues that I have -

Edited May 24, 2007 by AllenLowe

[Hank]

I think the sound's pretty good too. The horns are clear and upfront. It's Bley's piano that suffers--ironic given that it's his date. I only have one of the LPs, so I was happy to get the extra tunes on the CD.

[WD45]

I think the sound's pretty good too. The horns are clear and upfront. It's Bley's piano that suffers--ironic given that it's his date. I only have one of the LPs, so I was happy to get the extra tunes on the CD.

Same here -- have yet to see it in the racks, however...

[paul secor]

If there's nothing added to the two LPs, I don't need this. Glad of that.

[Late]

It'll be a while before I pick this one up, but I'll get there.

How's the music compared to, say, Ornette's Contemporary albums? Does Bley's presence change things up that much? (And who's on bass and drums?)

Something a little odd about the Gambit cover, too. The photograph appears to be from the 80's — which is of course when the Hillcrest gig was recorded.

[Chuck Nessa]

(And who's on bass and drums?)

Haden and Higgins.

[Late]

An interesting side note, I thought:

My professor in grad school was at this gig. He was 19. He doesn't remember Bley at all — maybe because Ornette's playing demanded so much attention.

Strange that this recording is nearly 50 years old ...

[brownie]

Something a little odd about the Gambit cover, too. The photograph appears to be from the 80's — which is of course when the Hillcrest gig was recorded.

The Ornette Coleman photo on the Gambit CD cover is credited to Nancy Kaszerman. It probably dates from the past ten years.

[Late]

The Ornette Coleman photo ... probably dates from the past ten years.

That always bugs me for some reason. As if the "producers" had this conversation:

"Say, here's a recording from the 50's."

"Cool! There's probably a lot of people who don't have the vinyl. We stand to make some dough on this."

"I know. Should we find a period photo of the Hillcrest Club to use for artwork?"

"What? Why? Just get any old picture of Arnett Cobb that you can find."

"Actually, it's Ornette Coleman, not Arnett Cobb. And, actually, it was Paul Bley's gig."

"Who's Paul Bley? Hey, didn't Arnett Cobb just win a Nobel prize or something?"

"Um, Arnett Cobb is deceased. Ornette Coleman recently won a Pulitzer."

"Arnett Cobb wrote books, too? Look, just get any photo. It doesn't matter. As long as it's Arnett Cobb."

[AllenLowe]

just to mention, though it has probably been said already - I actually think this is one of the landmark recordings in jazz history - and I'm not kidding at all. Aside from its historical importance, for a conservative "free" player like myself, it points in a lot of musical directionss that have, to my way of thinking, not been fully explored, or that, at the very least, would bear greater exploration

Edited May 24, 2007 by AllenLowe

[B. Clugston]

I have a CD of half of this and the most prominent photo is of Don Cherry playing two flutes, taken at least 10 years after the concert.

Boots of Miles concerts from the 1960s are notorious for running photos of Miles from his 80s wig days.

The Ornette Coleman photo ... probably dates from the past ten years.

That always bugs me for some reason. As if the "producers" had this conversation:

"Say, here's a recording from the 50's."

"Cool! There's probably a lot of people who don't have the vinyl. We stand to make some dough on this."

"I know. Should we find a period photo of the Hillcrest Club to use for artwork?"

"What? Why? Just get any old picture of Arnett Cobb that you can find."

"Actually, it's Ornette Coleman, not Arnett Cobb. And, actually, it was Paul Bley's gig."

"Who's Paul Bley? Hey, didn't Arnett Cobb just win a Nobel prize or something?"

"Um, Arnett Cobb is deceased. Ornette Coleman recently won a Pulitzer."

"Arnett Cobb wrote books, too? Look, just get any photo. It doesn't matter. As long as it's Arnett Cobb."

[clifford_thornton]

The original America LP has a large picture of Don Cherry both front and back, the front very similar to what appears on the Actuels... the spine reads "The Fabulous Paul Bley Trio."

[brownie]

The original America LP has a large picture of Don Cherry both front and back, the front very similar to what appears on the Actuels... the spine reads "The Fabulous Paul Bley Trio."

Those Don Cherry images were taken by the excellent photographer Philipe Gras who died earlier this year!

[clifford_thornton]

I guess I didn't know Gras had passed...

[brownie]

That's because you did not read the last current page of the Photography Thread

[AllenLowe]

Gras has passed...alas...

[AllenLowe]

we'll soon say mass...

[clifford_thornton]

Whilst spinning Mama Cass?!