British jazz reissues

[sidewinder]

Harriott called it ‘free form’ - very much influenced by modern abstract art and quite different to the US approach.

[JSngry]

22 minutes ago, medjuck said:

I downloaded and have listened to this Harriot release several times and really enjoyed it.  I'm a little confused by the notes.  Was this music once considered "free"?  Seems to me each of the tracks has a  (slightly complex) theme followed by some improvisation followed by a restatement of the theme-- just like most bop tracks. 

and just like the earliest Ornette record. Their voices were different, but their impulses, I think, were similar. Harriot suffered in the US, because by calling it "free form" and by playing alto, the US Critical Myopia lumped it in with Ornette, because, you know, not a lot of room in that mindset for possibilities other than one thing = imitators/followers, and besides, thre's only one type of "free" in this life, right? But they each are different, both from each other, and both from the norms of their time.

Seems like this "free" thing has room for nuance after all! LOL!

[felser]

I love those Harriott albums from that period.  He was onto something beautiful for awhile there.

[romualdo]

Hat Hut Ezzthetics (Revisited series) have just released a double CD Joe Harriott set of his two classics "Free Form & Abstract".

Wonder if the SQ will be any different from the original UK Redial CD reissues - I was happy with them

[mjazzg]

Ordered this new Collier. The label made a good first of their Westbrook from the same source

https://myonlydesirerecords.bandcamp.com/album/british-conversations?from=fanpub_fnb

[sidewinder]

7 hours ago, mjazzg said:

Ordered this new Collier. The label made a good first of their Westbrook from the same source

https://myonlydesirerecords.bandcamp.com/album/british-conversations?from=fanpub_fnb

I wasn’t too happy with the sound on the Westbrook - on the thin side, at least for the vinyl. Will have to revisit - first impression was that I preferred the RCA original. Happier with their issue of the Beckett. Nevertheless, this is a welcome find.

Anyone got any idea what the next Decca Explosion releases will be after the New Jazz Orchestra?

Edited August 28, 2021 by sidewinder

[mjazzg]

1 hour ago, sidewinder said:

I wasn’t too happy with the sound on the Westbrook - on the thin side, at least for the vinyl. Will have to revisit - first impression was that I preferred the RCA original. Happier with their issue of the Beckett. Nevertheless, this is a welcome find.

Anyone got any idea what the next Decca Explosion releases will be after the New Jazz Orchestra?

Ah yes,I remember that discussion now. Let's hope they do a job in the Collier we can both enjoy. Any new Collier has got to something to be interested in

[sidewinder]

8 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

Ah yes,I remember that discussion now. Let's hope they do a job in the Collier we can both enjoy. Any new Collier has got to something to be interested in

Indeed. It is also now 10 years since his passing, which is pretty sobering in itself.

[sidewinder]

Not a reissue but some amazing film footage from French TV who just happened to be in St Pauls Cathedral when Michael Garrick was performing and recording his ‘Jazz Praises’.

Jazz Praises From St Pauls

Looks like Ian Carr, Art Themen and Jim Philip in the front line. Garrick must be on the organ. From the intro it looks like INA may have provided this rare footage to the BBC for possible use in the 2005 documentaries. Incredible !

Edited October 14, 2021 by sidewinder

[mjazzg]

More Tubby imminent by the looks of things

 

[sidewinder]

2 hours ago, mjazzg said:

More Tubby imminent by the looks of things

 

Another essential purchase by the looks of it.

[sidewinder]

34 minutes ago, adh1907 said:

Wow, thanks for posting, never seen before. INA has some amazing stuff in their archives. The beeb would probably have wiped the tapes if they had filmed this. 
 

Anthony 

London

Yes, it was an amazing coincidence that they were filming at the time of that one-off concert. Garrick’s liturgical works remain unique and undervalued !

Face not clear on the film but it must be a young John Marshall on the drums and I assume Coleridge Goode is on bass.

Edited October 15, 2021 by sidewinder

[RogerF]

Nucleus’ seminal album Roots is reissued on vinyl this week (Oct 22) on the Be With Records label:

https://www.bewithrecords.com/products/ian-carrs-nucleus-roots-lp

Edited October 18, 2021 by RogerF

[Rabshakeh]

Nice to see that the run of British jazz reissues are now stretching into the Fusion era a bit. 

[romualdo]

Just got the Esoteric 6CD set of the Nucleus Vertigo Years (70-75). I know its a few years old (have known about it since its release in 2019) but just wanted to comment on how amazingly good this is. Nine LPs on 6 CDs & mastered from the original tapes. SQ is stunning IMHO.

I've had the original vinyl of the first two releases for many years (original australian Vertigo pressings) but had not heard the later material

Chris Spedding's comments in the booklet are quite revealing (had a feeling that was the case)

Essential & timeless (doesn't sound dated IMHO) listening for British Jazz fans

[T.D.]

44 minutes ago, romualdo said:

Just got the Esoteric 6CD set of the Nucleus Vertigo Years (70-75). I know its a few years old (have known about it since its release in 2019) but just wanted to comment on how amazingly good this is. Nine LPs on 6 CDs & mastered from the original tapes. SQ is stunning IMHO.

I've had the original vinyl of the first two releases for many years (original australian Vertigo pressings) but had not heard the later material

Chris Spedding's comments in the booklet are quite revealing (had a feeling that was the case)

Essential & timeless (doesn't sound dated IMHO) listening for British Jazz fans

By coincidence, I got this very same set a couple of weeks ago. It was new material to me (I've only recently gotten interested in British "jazz-rock" of that vintage), but I love it and agree with your assessment. Only very minor quibble is that neither the booklet nor the box gives timings of the tracks. 

I opted for the Esoteric box over the big recent Live at the BBC release for reasons of personnel and cost. I'm sure the BBC set has outstanding performances, but the Esoteric is so good that I have no regrets.

FWIW, I ordered the Barbara Thompson Live at the BBC box, but it won't arrive for a while (UK->USA shipping).

Edited November 14, 2021 by T.D.

[romualdo]

Just received a few Rhythm & Blues discs two Rendell/Carr BBC Jazz Club 65-66, SME Question & Answer double plus the Harry South 4CD

Currently listening to the Harry South - Further South: Broadcast Recordings 1960-67 - five hours of his Big Band & Dick Morrissey Quartet recordings (live & studio) for various BBC shows - all from Harry's personal tapes - what a treasure trove - highly recommended IMHO (It's also on special for £12 at present - I buy directly from the label - they remove the jewel cases making shipping to Australia a cheaper option.

The lineup for his Big Bands were a namecall of many significant early to mid 60s UK jazz "modernists", the first session (1960) includes Joe Harriott

The real bonus is the 27 page booklet packed with Simon Spillett's superb writing & research - hope he gets recompensed for the phenomenal input he has with the booklets/liner notes of many UK jazz releases - this one is more like a novella rather than just liner notes (you may need a magnifying glass to read them though)

[sidewinder]

The only thing to watch out for is that Vol 1 of the Rendell Carr direct from R&B is now a CD-R. Must have sold out. Recently put in an order for some of the latest releases, including Vol 2. I note also that the 1967 Dick Morrissey material is not in either of the Harry South boxes, although the earlier material is. The Jimmy Witherspoon with Morrissey looks tempting but I went for the Michael Garrick at this time, as well as the Ronnie Scott and SME.

Edited November 21, 2021 by sidewinder

[romualdo]

6 hours ago, sidewinder said:

The only thing to watch out for is that Vol 1 of the Rendell Carr direct from R&B is now a CD-R. Must have sold out. Recently put in an order for some of the latest releases, including Vol 2. I note also that the 1967 Dick Morrissey material is not in either of the Harry South boxes, although the earlier material is. The Jimmy Witherspoon with Morrissey looks tempting but I went for the Michael Garrick at this time, as well as the Ronnie Scott and SME.

All of my discs were CDs, even the Harry South 4CD set - I was expecting CDrs there

[sidewinder]

1 hour ago, romualdo said:

All of my discs were CDs, even the Harry South 4CD set - I was expecting CDrs there

The text for the Rendell Carr Vol 1 says CD-R in the website note, Note sure about the South sets.

 

[mjazzg]

Some interesting releases appearing on this label 

https://britishprogressivejazz.com/

download only (don't shoot the messenger)

The Don Rendell is very good and the Dankworth sounded worthy of more listens

[sidewinder]

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

Some interesting releases appearing on this label 

https://britishprogressivejazz.com/

download only (don't shoot the messenger)

The Don Rendell is very good and the Dankworth sounded worthy of more listens

That is a start-up by Matt Parker, one of the initiators of Jazz In Britain, I believe. It will be interesting to see if he issues CDs of this stuff.

[Bluesnik]

On 8/28/2021 at 10:57 AM, sidewinder said:

Anyone got any idea what the next Decca Explosion releases will be after the New Jazz Orchestra?

I recently got, together with a comp of British jazz from the second half of the 60s and the beginnings of the 70s, called Journeys in modern jazz: britain, two very nice soundtrack related CDs from them. One a collection of Piero Piccioni and the other a comp from moments from Italian horror movies called Paura.

[romualdo]

On 04/02/2022 at 4:15 AM, sidewinder said:

That is a start-up by Matt Parker, one of the initiators of Jazz In Britain, I believe. It will be interesting to see if he issues CDs of this stuff.

thanks

[clifford_thornton]

On 2/4/2022 at 1:15 PM, sidewinder said:

That is a start-up by Matt Parker, one of the initiators of Jazz In Britain, I believe. It will be interesting to see if he issues CDs of this stuff.

if he sends fewer emails I will be happier.