Funny Rat

[Guest Chaney]

I'm listening to an absolutely beautiful album that everyone on Funny rat should hear at some point in their lives:  Andrew Cyrille / Jeanne Lee / Jimmy Lyons - Nuba. (Black Saint) This might be some of the most lyrical playing I have heard from Lyons and Cyrille spends most of his time playing some fantastic percussion, very influenced by African tribal music, imo.  Jeanne Lee really fits in well.  I enjoyed her vocals a lot more than I expected to.  Very highly recommended.

Wonderful music!

This is the only Jeanne Lee that I own and shame on me! (Recommendations would be appreciated, although it looks like she has few titles from which to choose.)

Funny thing about this album is that when Lyons and Cyrille are playing without Lee, I'd swear that this album could have been recorded yesterday, instead of 25 years ago. Once Jeanne enters, you're back in the '70s. There's just something about the style and huskiness / dryness of her voice. Very street. (Meant in a good way.)

JIMMY!

Man I wish there were more of the Cecil Taylorless Jimmy Lyons -- especially Lyons-led dates.

[brownie]

I'm listening to an absolutely beautiful album that everyone on Funny rat should hear at some point in their lives: Andrew Cyrille / Jeanne Lee / Jimmy Lyons - Nuba. (Black Saint) This might be some of the most lyrical playing I have heard from Lyons and Cyrille spends most of his time playing some fantastic percussion, very influenced by African tribal music, imo. Jeanne Lee really fits in well. I enjoyed her vocals a lot more than I expected to. Very highly recommended.

Hear! Hear! This one has been a favorite for quite a long time. I gave it a fresh hearing last weekend. Still stunned once more!

[EKE BBB]

This is the only Jeanne Lee that I own and shame on me! (Recommendations would be appreciated, although it looks like she has few titles from which to choose.)

Any of her recordings with Ran Blake is worth (I´d pick "The newest sound around" first). And "After hours" with Mal Waldron is plainly beautiful.

BTW: Get out of the ghetto!!!

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...wtopic=2538&hl=

[Д.Д.]

I'm listening to an absolutely beautiful album that everyone on Funny rat should hear at some point in their lives:  Andrew Cyrille / Jeanne Lee / Jimmy Lyons - Nuba. (Black Saint) This might be some of the most lyrical playing I have heard from Lyons and Cyrille spends most of his time playing some fantastic percussion, very influenced by African tribal music, imo.  Jeanne Lee really fits in well.  I enjoyed her vocals a lot more than I expected to.  Very highly recommended.

Wonderful music!

This is the only Jeanne Lee that I own and shame on me! (Recommendations would be appreciated, although it looks like she has few titles from which to choose.)

Funny thing about this album is that when Lyons and Cyrille are playing without Lee, I'd swear that this album could have been recorded yesterday, instead of 25 years ago. Once Jeanne enters, you're back in the '70s. There's just something about the style and huskiness / dryness of her voice. Very street. (Meant in a good way.)

JIMMY!

Man I wish there were more of the Cecil Taylorless Jimmy Lyons -- especially Lyons-led dates.

Goog find, friends. Gotta get it.

Not a big fan of Jeanne Lee - her duo disc with Waldron is pleasent, but her other disc on Owl (with a lot of star people) is very uneven, with many tracks being mannered, repetative and overdone.

Probably will refrain from checnking her works with Ran Blake either - can't stand his style (I actively hate his playing on his duo with Braxton Memories of Vienna; Braxton is great on this one, btw).

---------------------------------

Regarding Caplan, I have one of his Knitting Factory CDs (don't emember how it's called... with a yellow cover), and it left me totally uninterestd - sounded like some supeficial pastiche thing (a bit rock, a bit free, a bit oriental), well played, but nothing special... Will check it again. Tony might have heard it as well - any recollections?

[Guest Chaney]

This is the only Jeanne Lee that I own and shame on me!  (Recommendations would be appreciated, although it looks like she has few titles from which to choose.)

Any of her recordings with Ran Blake is worth (I´d pick "The newest sound around" first). And "After hours" with Mal Waldron is plainly beautiful.

BTW: Get out of the ghetto!!!

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...wtopic=2538&hl=

Thanks for the recommendations and the link. (Even though I truly believe that the linked Jeanne Lee thread never really existed and that you and those others -- along with that conniving b3-er (he's NEVER liked me!) -- whipped that one together simply to make me look foolish. Why does everyone hate me! )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(...)

Regarding Caplan, I have one of his Knitting Factory CDs (don't emember how it's called... with a yellow cover), and it left me totally uninterestd - sounded like some supeficial pastiche thing (a bit rock, a bit free, a bit oriental), well played, but nothing special...  Will check it again. Tony might have heard it as well - any recollections?

Sorry. I don't believe I listened to that one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our favorite label's site has been updated:

Blue Note Records

[king ubu]

Our favorite label's site has been updated:

Blue Note Records

oh that copy-crap (here comes the king whining again...)

really: since they started the cc shit I have bought only around 10 BN CDs, all in sales (three cc ones, others all older RVGs or a few Rare Grooves).

before that I used to pick up the RVGs, several times I picked up the whole batch in one go... well no one at EMI cares about customers, right? They just care about illegal downloaders and copiers...

ubu

Edited October 6, 2004 by king ubu

[J.A.W.]

Our favorite label's site has been updated:

Blue Note Records

One glance at the back cover of Ellery Eskelin's new release Ten was enough for me (guitar, voice...) - I'll pass.

Edited October 6, 2004 by J.A.W.

[king ubu]

ok, whining king got his fair punishment for whining before clicking the link...

some interesting stuff, for sure! i wonder will it be worth to update the Taylor? The Lacy looks good, the Braxton? Not sure about the Eskelin, either, Hans!

ubu

[Guest Chaney]

Curiousity has gotten the better of me so I think I'll order the Eskelin as soon as it's available... or shortly thereafter.

I really didn't think I'd want to get the Taylor as the set I have sounds just fine but as it's such an amazing set, I just might splurge. (Not any time soon, though. Might wait until someone else bravely ventures forth.)

[John B]

Curiousity has gotten the better of me so I think I'll order the Eskelin as soon as it's available... or shortly thereafter.

I really didn't think I'd want to get the Taylor as the set I have sounds just fine but as it's such an amazing set, I just might splurge. (Not any time soon, though. Might wait until someone else bravely ventures forth.)

Well, I've never owned that Cecil disc, so I'll be grabbing a copy asap. Most likely the Eskelin and the Fennesz/ErikM discs, too.

The one I'll be avoiding like the plague is the Braxton Charlie Parker project disc. I've heard nothing but bad things about that one.

[John B]

Another disc that I would recommend to everyone here is Don Cherry / Ed Blackwell - Mu Parts 1 & 2

Both Cherry and Blackwell are in fine form here but, in my opinion, Blackwell really steals the show. He is just monstrously talented, and his abilities and imagination really shine through as he supports and responds to Cherry. Fasinating album, and one that has really continued to grow on me since I first heard it.

[king ubu]

John, the Taylor is great! You won't regret getting it!

[gnhrtg]

The one I'll be avoiding like the plague is the Braxton Charlie Parker project disc. I've heard nothing but bad things about that one.

Well, it's not that bad, it's just that, yet again, too much has been released and not enough editing, and at times a re-take, has been done, in my opinion. Sprinkled, though perhaps all too sporadically, are quite good solos by all involved. The sense of sloppiness is most noticeable in the ensemble sections, the heads in particular - both in terms of cleanly nailing the actual melodies and as well as when/where to enter. Again, however, there are more than a few solos by Braxton, Smoker, Brown, and Mengelberg that I'm rather fond of - not to mention the lively interplay throughout disc 1.

[John B]

The one I'll be avoiding like the plague is the Braxton Charlie Parker project disc.  I've heard nothing but bad things about that one.

Well, it's not that bad, it's just that, yet again, too much has been released and not enough editing, and at times a re-take, has been done, in my opinion. Sprinkled, though perhaps all too sporadically, are quite good solos by all involved. The sense of sloppiness is most noticeable in the ensemble sections, the heads in particular - both in terms of cleanly nailing the actual melodies and as well as when/where to enter. Again, however, there are more than a few solos by Braxton, Smoker, Brown, and Mengelberg that I'm rather fond of - not to mention the lively interplay throughout disc 1.

Perhaps I overstated my aversion to this disc but, given all of the albums I really want to hear, this one will not be something I'll buy anytime soon.

[Д.Д.]

Our favorite label's site has been updated:

Blue Note Records

Oh-la-la, thee are some nice releases!

I will probbly go for all, except for Eskelin (still haven't cought up with his previous hatOLOGY releases).

[Д.Д.]

Another disc that I would recommend to everyone here is Don Cherry / Ed Blackwell - Mu Parts 1 & 2

Both Cherry and Blackwell are in fine form here but, in my opinion, Blackwell really steals the show. He is just monstrously talented, and his abilities and imagination really shine through as he supports and responds to Cherry. Fasinating album, and one that has really continued to grow on me since I first heard it.

You know that there is another Cherry/Blackwell duo - El Corazon on ECM? I haven't heard it' but it is definitely on THE LIST.

Agree with every word you say regarding Blackwell - what a complete musician! I also always tend to focus on his playing - there is so much imagination and beauty in the way he plays. Even his last recordings (What It Is? and What It WIll Be Like?, both on Enja MW), when he aparently could hardly walk, have the same sense of joy and search that his earlier recordings do - and his partners on these two records (Mark Helias, Carlos Ward, Graham Haynes and Don Cherry on one track) are giving their all.

This reminded me that I have a CD of a 1958 performance recorded in New Orleans with Blackwell, Alvin Batiste, Ellis Marsalis and some other people. I remember enjoying it a lot - will give it a listen soon.

[John B]

You know that there is another Cherry/Blackwell duo - El Corazon on ECM? I haven't heard it' but it is definitely on THE LIST.

Agree with every word you say regarding Blackwell - what a complete musician! I also always tend to focus on his playing - there is so much imagination and beauty in the way he plays. Even his last recordings (What It Is? and What It WIll Be Like?, both on Enja MW), when he aparently could hardly walk, have the same sense of joy and search that his earlier recordings do - and his partners on these two records (Mark Helias, Carlos Ward, Graham Haynes and Don Cherry on one track) are giving their all.

This reminded me that I have a CD of a 1958 performance recorded in New Orleans with Blackwell, Alvin Batiste, Ellis Marsalis and some other people. I remember enjoying it a lot - will give it a listen soon.

no, I did not know about that one. I'll have to add it to my list. I need to grab many more recordings of Blackwell's. I can really hear a lot of his playing in Hamid Drake, who I never get tired of.

[Д.Д.]

Notice Hats new motto on their site?

Dissonance of today is the consonance of tomorrow.

Now there is a new one (and I like it much more):

My favorite music is the one I have not yet heard.

John Cage

Edited October 6, 2004 by Д.Д.

[Nate Dorward]

The one I'll be avoiding like the plague is the Braxton Charlie Parker project disc.  I've heard nothing but bad things about that one.

Well, it's not that bad, it's just that, yet again, too much has been released and not enough editing, and at times a re-take, has been done, in my opinion. Sprinkled, though perhaps all too sporadically, are quite good solos by all involved. The sense of sloppiness is most noticeable in the ensemble sections, the heads in particular - both in terms of cleanly nailing the actual melodies and as well as when/where to enter. Again, however, there are more than a few solos by Braxton, Smoker, Brown, and Mengelberg that I'm rather fond of - not to mention the lively interplay throughout disc 1.

Yeah, I like the Parker set for all the fluffs & messy bits. It's a lot of fun. More so than the Tristano/Marsh disc which I find just too clutzy & hectic.

But if you see the Charlie Parker disc, get it anyway--if you don't like it it won't be hard to find someone to buy it, as it's O/P & desirable.

JC's Captain Hate (Steve Griffiths) is a big fan of Ori Kaplan; he sent me a CDR compilation of tracks off a number of his CDs, which seemed pretty good though maybe not outstanding. Aside from the Knit.Fact. stuff I think there's at least one CIMP.

Been listening to Contre-Plongee, Six Cuts for String Quartet on Creative Sources--good stuff for insect-music addicts. & to John Butcher's new one on his own label Weight of Wax--it's called Cavern with Nightlife (half solo, half duo with Toshimaru Nakamura). Haven't even got to the duo yet but the solo stuff is great. It's in a strange, evocative acoustic: inside a mountain. John's comments:

Underground, inside the mountain, it was very cold. The sax felt like ice--and such a mammoth resonance.

A short reverie: ...... reverb, concept-piece, artist in residence, a nice grant, plenty of time to experiment ......

Back to reality: 30 mins to play. It's probably better this way.

[Д.Д.]

I can really hear a lot of his playing in Hamid Drake, who I never get tired of.

I agree. I feel that Hamid Drake has Blackwell's sense of groove, but he does not qite have Blackwell's inellectual rigour and discipline, and his imagination, IMO.

[P.L.M]

My god DD, think twice before throw things like that on the public place.

HAMID DRAKE works four or five times harder than Blackwell ever did (before he gets sick).

So, everything is not mint, that for sure.

But you have just to listen to him behind, let say, PETER BROTZMANN among others to hear immediately than the man has rigour and imagination.

You know what I liked to hear? A duo between him and WALT DICKERSON.

I think that could be the pic of the career of both men.

(Just passing by and seeing some light. Later)

[Chuck Nessa]

I have listened to Hank/Hamid for almost 30 years. I feel he has an unfortunate habit of "following". I want more from a drummer. But on the other side of things he's one of the best still operating.

[alankin]

You know that there is another Cherry/Blackwell duo - El Corazon on ECM? I haven't heard it' but it is definitely on THE LIST.

That one's well worth hearing.

[alankin]

That disc you have with Dorge sounds pretty cool! Didn't check out Khan Jamal, but it seems he's one of more (or most) interesting vibists coming on us since the sixties.

Very much so, IMO! Together with Walt Dickerson (just why the fuck isn't the man recording anymore?!?! I know that he is still fairly active as performer and musician in Philly (correct, Alan?)) Jamal might be my favorite vibist.

Walt Dickerson is still composing and practicing, but hasn't performed in public or recorded for a while, alas. (I think he was interested in performing, but hadn't gotten any offers that worked for him.)

At least Khan Jamal (one of Philly's other vibes players) is still performing and recording.

(Philadelphia seems to have had it's share of vibes players. There was also Bill Lewis in the 70s & 80s, but he only recorded a few times.)

[Guest Chaney]

(...)

& after listening to first-- what, six or seven?-- Ellery Eskelin cds, doesn't feel the need to get any more. a strange case of a totally admirable artist who does almost NOTHING for me.

clem! Ellery Eskelin does nothing for you? Very disturbing to hear that.

I think his trio has run its course and it might be best that they either call it a day or tempoaraily disband, to re-form some time in the distant future. (What, as opposed to the distant past? )

Edited October 8, 2004 by Chaney