The electric Paul Bley

[A Lark Ascending]

Just been enjoying 'Paul Bley and Scorpio'.

I know his use of synths and e-p were a bit controversial at the time. Any suggestions, opinions?

I particularly like the look of 'Mr Joy' (a tune I love!) and 'The Paul Bley Synthesiser Show' but they seem well OOP.

[jeffcrom]

You've got the best one - Scorpio is wonderful; one of my favorite jazz records from that period. I also like Improvisie on America - I have the vinyl, but I think it was included in the batch of CD reissues of America albums a few years back. Improvisie is a trio of Bley, Annette Peacock, and Han Bennink.

The only one of Bley's synth albums from that period that I don't have is Revenge on Polydor. I've been looking for that one for years.

[GA Russell]

Bev, I remember that Bley had an album out on Limelight ca. 1968 with electric keyboards called Mr. Joy. Is that the album you are referring to?

I enjoyed it then, but it's been 44 years since I've heard it, and I don't remember enough to intelligently discuss it. If not, what are you referring to?

Here's a thread that discusses the Scorpio cd reissue:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=12589&st=0&p=214168&hl=Bley&fromsearch=1&#entry214168

[A Lark Ascending]

Many thanks, both.

Yes - the Mr Joy is the Limelight one.

The Scorpio I have came off Amazon's download site, just that album.

I've got my eye on 'Improvisie' - it exist in downloadable form.

Edited November 20, 2010 by A Lark Ascending

[JSngry]

Haven't heard these, but...they exist and may or may not be of interest.

Annette Peacock - Synthesizer, Piano, Arranger, Composer, Keyboards, Piano (Electric), Vocals, Singer, Producer, Vibraphone, Direction

Barry Altschul - Percussion, Drums

Paul Bley - Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards

Mike Garson - Organ, Keyboards

Glen Moore - Bass

Airto Moreira - Percussion

Apache Bley - Piano

Laurence Cook - Drums

Tom Cosgrove - Guitar

Rick Marotta - Drums

Michael Moss - Saxophone, Sax (Tenor), Tenor (Vocal)

Dom Um Romao - Percussion

Orestes Vilato - Percussion

Stu Woods - Bass

Michael Garson - Organ, Piano

[jeffcrom]

I'm the One is a very good avant-rock album - definitely Ms. Peacock's album; Bley only plays on two cuts. But it's good. The second one Jim pictures is the one I'm looking for.

[A Lark Ascending]

Those albums in Jim's post look fascinating. A pity even 1/100th of the effort put into repackaging the Miles or selected items from the Blue Note/OJC catalogues was not put into reissuing (or at least making available by download) things like this.

[JohnS]

Interesting posts. Although Bley is one of my favourite pianists I've never enjoyed any of his electronic things.

[A Lark Ascending]

Coming into jazz via the English version of jazz rock (Soft Machine, Matching Mole, Hatfield and the North etc) the sounds of electric instruments were pretty standard to my listening. If anything, I had to adjust to the sound of the acoustic piano trio which initially sounded quite 'square'.

I've only the Scorpio record to go on but the sound of the e-p in particular just takes me back to the early, pre-polysynth era. Now if he'd also used a mellotron....

[JohnS]

Here's one that passed through my collection you might like to try

Emerald Blue (Inspiration from Greorian Chant). It's on Venus. Iirc Bley plays a lot of synth on this. It's from 1994 and has David Eyges on electic cello and Bruce Ditmas drums.

[clifford_thornton]

I really want that Revenge LP, too. Not cheap on the internet, though!

I second the recommendation for Improvisie, and also like Dual Unity.

[save0904]

This one has some great electric piano playing although most of the tracks are acoustic. Really worth to check out.

Paul Bley, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen

[save0904]

Seems that Max Gordon didn't like synthesizers at all :-)

An excerpt from Stopping Time: Paul Bley and the Transformation of Jazz.

...

I remember fondly a concert at the Village Vanguard. I had the synthesizer on the stage, a trio waiting to perform, an audience waiting for us to begin, and I was on the floor looking up under the synthesizer with a pocket flashlight and a screwdriver and the house mike, asking the audience to please bear with us. Max Gordon told me three things: get out, stay out and don't come back. I haven't played the Vanguard since.

After doing the first live performance ever done with audio synthesizer and voice treatment at Philharmonic Hall in Friday on December 26th.1969 at 8:30PM, Annette and I received an offer to take the show to Europe. I should have learned my lesson while I was lying on the stage of the Vanguard, but I was so excited about this instrument, that I accepted the offer and went on the road.

...

[clifford_thornton]

That Steeplechase LP is pretty good, yeah. I don't recall Mr. Joy having electric piano on it - though it's an excellent record!

[mikeweil]

I loved Scorpio from the first moment I heard it and still love it - it's a unique album. I'm afraid there isn't anything close to it ...

[Guest Bill Barton]

...I don't recall Mr. Joy having electric piano on it - though it's an excellent record!

Correct, it's acoustic piano throughout I do believe. Somewhere I still have the original vinyl of this, though I'm still sorting through stuff after the relatively recent move, and haven't "found" it yet. It's a great album and was recorded in Seattle, by the way.

[Chuck Nessa]

Annette Peacock - Synthesizer, Piano, Arranger, Composer, Keyboards, Piano (Electric), Vocals, Singer, Producer, Vibraphone, Direction

Barry Altschul - Percussion, Drums

Paul Bley - Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards

Mike Garson - Organ, Keyboards

Glen Moore - Bass

Airto Moreira - Percussion

Apache Bley - Piano

Laurence Cook - Drums

Tom Cosgrove - Guitar

Rick Marotta - Drums

Michael Moss - Saxophone, Sax (Tenor), Tenor (Vocal)

Dom Um Romao - Percussion

Orestes Vilato - Percussion

Stu Woods - Bass

Michael Garson - Organ, Piano

I have fond memories of that lp.

[alankin]

Annette Peacock - Synthesizer, Piano, Arranger, Composer, Keyboards, Piano (Electric), Vocals, Singer, Producer, Vibraphone, Direction

Barry Altschul - Percussion, Drums

Paul Bley - Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards

Mike Garson - Organ, Keyboards

Glen Moore - Bass

Airto Moreira - Percussion

Apache Bley - Piano

Laurence Cook - Drums

Tom Cosgrove - Guitar

Rick Marotta - Drums

Michael Moss - Saxophone, Sax (Tenor), Tenor (Vocal)

Dom Um Romao - Percussion

Orestes Vilato - Percussion

Stu Woods - Bass

Michael Garson - Organ, Piano

I have fond memories of that lp.

Yeah, I should look for that. I think it's on a shelf in my basement.