Funny Rat

[John B]

I am listening to this disc again:

excellent work!  Russian jazz recorded in France in 1999.  I did a quick write-up of this one back in March.

Well, two of the guys are French, so it is not entirely Russian.

Did you listen to Vapirov disc (# 4) from the Golden Years Vol 1. set?

I just went back and edited my post to reflect that.

Yes, it is really good. The entire set is fantastic (even though the disc with vocals is not really to my taste,) especially given the reasonable price.

[Guest Chaney]

'Little Birds have fast hearts' gets better with each listen , I have this is on my 'to listen to' pile at the moment - it looks interesting

I placed Little Birds Have Fast Hearts 1 & 2 in my Verge cart along with a bunch of other FMP titles but, as I was at work and more that a bit rushed, I emptied my cart.

Maybe tomorrow.

Jazz Bunker looks very interesting. Be sure to let us know what you think, Gary.

Closed Mountains is really very good. I looked for other titles with Vapirov but nearly lost my mind in the process. Exactly how many ways has he (or those releasing his music) found to spell his name? Sure makes it difficult.

[Guest Chaney]

Anyone heard The Free Slave by Roy Brooks, perchance?  It's also there, & looks possibly interesting.

Yes! It is a fantastic disc! The live performance burns and you get some great Woody Shaw, too.

I love the guy in the audience who keeps screaming "do your thang, Roy, DO YOUR THANG!!"

Couldn't find The Free Slave on the Verge site, so I'm guessing it's sold out; pity, as it's OOP.

If anyone should find an extra copy of this one, let me know. (This might be this month's Rara Avis! )

[David Ayers]

That 40 cannot be right surely.

It should be a few more soon , I've managed to lay my hands on some Funny rat inspired titles.

Bring them on, Gary!

One is is one of your recommendations.

I need to listen to it a couple of more times but first listen gets a

I thought Braxton and Parker were not too comforatble with each other on this occasion (or on the companion disk which also features aul Rutherford). Their approaches are different (Braxton not really a free improv. type). Also I find the BBC recorded sound a bit muted, lacking texture and immediacy.

[Д.Д.]

I thought Braxton and Parker were not too comforatble with each other on this occasion (or on the companion disk which also features aul Rutherford). Their approaches are different (Braxton not really a free improv. type). Also I find the BBC recorded sound a bit muted, lacking texture and immediacy.

I have an absolutely different impression - I found this disc to be an example of excellent interplay, and the sound quality while not outstanding, is more than adequate for me.

[Guest Chaney]

Improvised Music from Japan CD SHOP: At long last, the English-language edition of our Internet CD shop--launched in Japanese four years ago--is up and running. The complete shop, with shopping cart, is under construction. In the meantime, we've opened this temporary version, which includes titles on Japanese labels only.

[John B]

So you say März Combo is nice? I am intrigued because it has two guitarists (including Caspar Brötzmann - very talented guy).

For those who don't know, The Marz Combo Live in Wuppertal features an earlier Brotzmann Tentet: Toshinori Kondo on trumpet, Werner Ludi, Larry Stabbins and Brotzmann on saxophones, Hannes Bauer and Paul Rutherford on trombone, Nicky Scopelitis and Caspar Brotzmann on guitar, William Parker on bass and Anton Fier on drums. This disc was recorded live in 1992 and seems to be the only recorded document of this group.

I hadn't listened to this album in quite a while, so I brought it into work today. I am really enjoying it. It has a very different sound than the current Tentet, and I love the flavor the two guitarists add to the mix. There is a nice balance between more thoughtful, restrained sections and the full-on onslaught and bombast one might expect from a Brotzmann Tentet.

Edited June 24, 2004 by John B

[Д.Д.]

Closed Mountains is really very good. I looked for other titles with Vapirov but nearly lost my mind in the process. Exactly how many ways has he (or those releasing his music) found to spell his name? Sure makes it difficult.

I guess you mean Yaremchuk. He is on quite a few recordings, but they are not particularly well distributed (even in Russia and his native Ukraine).

Vapirov is not on Closed Mountains. Despite that, he is a very talented guy. His records are much mroe easy to locate since he has his own little label and website: http://www.vsjf.com/index-ava.htm

I would enocurage you to check out the sound samples.

[Д.Д.]

I have this is on my 'to listen to' pile at the moment - it looks interesting

I am very curious abut this one.

Chadbourne is a fantastic musician (and a very entertainig writer, and good music critic), but he has occasional lapses of taste meking some of his work pretty unlistenable.

[Guest Chaney]

I guess you mean Yaremchuk.

[Д.Д.]

Noah Howard- Live at the Village Vanguard

Got this one. On a first (unattentive and incomplete) listen sounds like a gooy typical bluesy early '70s fire music blow out. It is only 35 minutes indeed. Sound quality is pretty decent. I will listen again fo course and will repor in greater detail.

Also, got new Andrew Cyrille / Anthony Braxton duo CD on Intakt. Vol. I only so far. Good stuff. Braxton is very relaxed (he again plays all possible reed instruments here) and Cyrille does some wonders with drum set. Very nice interview with Cyrile in the liners (Vol. II has Braxton's interview). Looking forward to VOl II.

And I finally got a bit of Rat. This one:

I guess you all have this one, but as I recently got it and love it very much, I thought I'd nevertheless mention it here:

A great GREAT record!

ubu

and it is fantastic indeed. And excellent sound quality!

[Д.Д.]

Talking about Russian improv. music, check out the MP3 from Sergey Letov's website: http://www.letov.ru/MP3.html. Letov is a monster baritonist, and he has a a four-reed band (Sax Mafia) which included Yuri Yaremtchuk.

Edited June 24, 2004 by Д.Д.

[Д.Д.]

Just to put it all into some perspective, here's one for all you funny people.

...

Thanks John! Good stuff!

Did you upload that from an LP? Is there... ahem... a side B?

...With every one of these LPs I find, there are new names added to the long list of GDR jazz musicians. These people never cease to amaze me. In spite of all the restrictions, this must have been a lively scene.

Good stuff.

couw, don't overestimate the restictions communist regimes imposed on music. They were not that severe, really. Musicians playing the music that didn't work well with the party line were ignored, but not persecuted. Most of those horror stories about ruthless communist machine crashing heroic rebel free jazz musisians with all its nuclear and ideological power are just legends.

[John B]

Most of those horror stories about ruthless communist machine crashing heroic rebel free jazz musisians with all its nuclear and ideological power are just legends.

I keep seeing these elegends played up in reviews of the Leo Records Golden Years of the New Soviet Free Jazz sets. I have to admit, it is very easy to romanticize this music with the image of clandestine couriers spiriting the recordings out from "behind the iron curtain" and people's names being changed to protect those still in the USSR rtaher than simply judge the music on its own merits.

Edited June 24, 2004 by John B

[couw]

Good stuff.

couw, don't overestimate the restictions communist regimes imposed on music. They were not that severe, really. Musicians playing the music that didn't work well with the party line were ignored, but not persecuted. Most of those horror stories about ruthless communist machine crashing heroic rebel free jazz musisians with all its nuclear and ideological power are just legends.

didn't mean to insinuate that the "system" crushed these musicians, but there were some socio-economic factors that certainly will have had an influence on these people and their music. As I suggested on the Hörig thread, many of these people played in a wide variety of styles. I know for instance that Hannes Zerbe, another GDR big band leader, also played classical music, and that people from his Blechband played at the Komische Oper and in classical orchestras as well. A bit like American musicians working in Hollywood studios, but less glamorous and probably more diverse.

A lot of the music was also (partly) state sponsored and you wouldn't want to loose a job like that. The music we talk about here was recorded, which means that it was okay-ed to a certain extent, and certainly not prosecuted. What is interesting is the mindset people like Schönfeld brought to the music. This is not just some excercise in free blowing but there was some very serious thinking/theory behind it all that fitted within the overall socio-political "allowed" framework somehow. So these musicians were indeed less rebellious than the music may make us think.

After living here for 6 years, I am just starting to scratch at this GDR mentality and arts stuff, and I have been pretty surprised at the level of freedom (just like you note); I am not *that* amazed anymore, but still pleasantly surprised with each new discovery I make.

[Nate Dorward]

I thought Braxton and Parker were not too comforatble with each other on this occasion (or on the companion disk which also features aul Rutherford). Their approaches are different (Braxton not really a free improv. type). Also I find the BBC recorded sound a bit muted, lacking texture and immediacy.

Yes, the sound's merely adequate. But the music is pretty remarkable--Evan Parker often sounds best nowadays when he's got someone like Braxton or Joe McPhee as a partner who really tests him & can't be disposed of with a few squid-ink clouds of circular breathing.

[John B]

Another recommendation for a disc that doesn't get a lot of mention around here:

Alan Shorter - Orgasm

Wayne's brother's debut as a leader, features Gato Barbieri, Charlie Haden, Reggie Johnson, Muhammad Ali (no, not that one) and Rashied Ali. Recorded in 1968, this one is a lot less "out" than I had expected. Very remniscent of Ornette, but not derivative. Since this was a Verve Elie Edition, I believe it is now OOP. If you see a copy floating around I would recommend grabbing it.

[P.L.M]

Pure sound? What it be?

Just sound, you know. Just any sound in itself in the right time, even without any specific context can be beautiful.

At least that's the way I am interested in seeing it now.

Well, David, I think you're ready to go to the next stage of your musical evolution, who will consit in listening exclusivily to E.A.I.

Let us know when you will definitely pass the line, baby!

[P.L.M]

I thought Braxton and Parker were not too comforatble with each other on this occasion (or on the companion disk which also features Paul Rutherford). Their approaches are different (Braxton not really a free improv. type). Also I find the BBC recorded sound a bit muted, lacking texture and immediacy.

BRAXTON, "not really a free impro type?"

What do you think he has done all of his life as a musician?

That's the best joke I've heard in a long time.

Of course, another big recommendation for this two records (DUO (LONDON) 1993 and also the sequel TRIO (LONDON) 1993 with Rutherford aboard), two of the best both men have ever recorded.

And the sound quality is fair.

Edited June 25, 2004 by P.L.M

[Geoff]

Anyone heard The Free Slave by Roy Brooks, perchance?  It's also there, & looks possibly interesting.

Brooks' "Free Slave" is essential. Joyful and funky masterpiece. You can just see the musicians smiling, and on the last track there is at the moment when Woody Shaw eneters (after Coleman's solo) - and I imagine him jumping on stage in impatience: "Now I am gonna show you something!".

When I was studying I used to put this one on while getting ready to go out in night (because it has THE GROOVE) - and I would invariably be 30 minutes late, because I just HAD to finish listening the disc till the end.

I also used to do my ritual morning dance to the last track, but I'll spare you of details.

Play your thing, Roy!

I found the original LP of this album in Mint condition!

Lovely Album.

I also have the 32 Jazz CD version of it too.

I'm pretty sure the original mint condition LP must be worth something.

[Guest Chaney]

Would anyone know if this one's still in print and if so, where I might obtain a copy -- other than from FMP?

KOMPOSITIONEN (BEOTON WO 0609)

Sven-Åke Johansson

Thanks!

[king ubu]

Another recommendation for a disc that doesn't get a lot of mention around here:

Alan Shorter - Orgasm

Wayne's brother's debut as a leader, features Gato Barbieri, Charlie Haden, Reggie Johnson, Muhammad Ali (no, not that one) and Rashied Ali. Recorded in 1968, this one is a lot less "out" than I had expected. Very remniscent of Ornette, but not derivative. Since this was a Verve Elie Edition, I believe it is now OOP. If you see a copy floating around I would recommend grabbing it.

LOVE IT!

[David Ayers]

I thought Braxton and Parker were not too comforatble with each other on this occasion (or on the companion disk which also features Paul Rutherford). Their approaches are different (Braxton not really a free improv. type). Also I find the BBC recorded sound a bit muted, lacking texture and immediacy.

BRAXTON, "not really a free impro type?"

What do you think he has done all of his life as a musician?

That's the best joke I've heard in a long time.

Of course, another big recommendation for this two records (DUO (LONDON) 1993 and also the sequel TRIO (LONDON) 1993 with Rutherford aboard), two of the best both men have ever recorded.

And the sound quality is fair.

Braxton does structures, not free improv. He has repeatedly said this in interviews. See e.g. discussion in Radano, 207-12. I think he puts it usefully in the liner notes for the Wesleyan solo disk, where he discusses structure in solo recitals and gives a breakdown of his different improvisational 'languages'. It is pretty clear that Braxton is big on structure - those little squiggles after the track numbers are composition titles after all...

At the time of the recordings with Parker and Rutherford this would be pretty much an unusual escapade from him.

[Д.Д.]

Another recommendation for a disc that doesn't get a lot of mention around here:

Alan Shorter - Orgasm

Wayne's brother's debut as a leader, features Gato Barbieri, Charlie Haden, Reggie Johnson, Muhammad Ali (no, not that one) and Rashied Ali.  Recorded in 1968, this one is a lot less "out" than I had expected.  Very remniscent of Ornette, but not derivative.  Since this was a Verve Elie Edition, I believe it is now OOP.  If you see a copy floating around I would recommend grabbing it.

LOVE IT!

Me to!

Mohammed Ali is Rashied's brother, and I think he was equally impresive (he later played with Frank Wright's band (Wright, Ali, Bobby Few, Alan Silva) - some really scary fire music stuff, btw). What happened to him later?

[John B]

Mohammed Ali is Rashied's brother, and I think he was equally impresive (he later played with Frank Wright's band (Wright, Ali, Bobby Few, Alan Silva) - some really scary fire music stuff, btw). What happened to him later?

I did a quick search and couldn't find any recordings by him after 1969. It is a shame that he didn't record more.