Steve Lacy

[Late]

Isn't Sortie for sale at Dusty Groove on CD?

Disposability is. Not Sortie. If it were, I'd have purchased a copy.

[Matthew]

One of the most unexpected benefits of buying the Ictus Records' 30th Anniversary Collection a couple of months ago was the wonderful discovery of Steve Lacy. Here was an artist I never paid too much attention to, in fact, zero attention, yet this 30th collection contains outstanding cds that involve Lacy. It has Clangs, In Concert, and Tao, all with impressive work by Lacy. As been mentioned before, he sound and focus grabs your attention, and he never lets up. Good recommendations here for a beginner like me who wants to delve deeper in the Lacy catalog, as well as the Waldren/Lacy thread.

[AndrewHill]

I just spun "NY Capers and Quirks" on Hathut last week. Magic.

I just spun this one this morning, and its badass. I only own four cd's by Lacy (wish I had way more than that):

The Forest and the Zoo-Don't recall anyone talking about this one in this thread (I'm sure I missed it somewhere, or someone will bring up where it was discussed). Along with NY Capers and Quirks, I enjoy this one the most. Great lineup with Rava, Moholo, and Dyanni. And surprsingly good sound for an ESP (I have the Italian Abraxes CD edition) Wish this one was longer.

Moon-some people mentioned that this was not their fav, and its not mine either, but I like it enough. It fits right in with the BYG Actuel experimenting atmosphere of the late 60's. I have the cheap-looking, flimsy CD mini LP replica from sunspots, but it at least reproduces the original gatefold sleeve which has some pretty cool pics.

NY Capers and Quirks-Kick ass.

Actuality- Superb solo disk, besides Brotz and Braxton, not too many reedsmen can hold my attention through an entire solo record. Remarkable performance.

Would really like to get School Days next.

[Late]

I totally missed this —

Cuneiform has just released a 2-CD package of "early" and "late" performances of the Lacy-Rudd quartet. The early segment evidently comes from a 1962 studio session. What? This couldn't be the "lost" Columbia or Verve session, could it?

Anyone already have this set and care to comment?

[clifford_thornton]

I haven't heard it yet, but aim to.

There are four "early" tracks and a ton of later stuff that I'm not sure I care that much about (if that Verve disc from a few years ago is any indication). But the early tracks... curious!

I believe that, yes, those tracks are from either Verve or Columbia. Bob Cunningham is on bass.

[Guest donald petersen]

i am listening to "journey without end", a quartet date with lacy and waldron from the early 70s, and i am really enjoying it. probably because it sounds like a waldron date, composition-wise. i think it might have waldron's trio partners mcghie and warren as the rhythm section.

[Guest donald petersen]

i was also just listening to a snippet of an interview lacy did with a british dude. for some reason i like hearing jazz guys talk...doesn't matter who. any of these older guys. not that lacy sounded old in the interview. he was talking about a monk quintet w. he and monk and rouse and ore and haynes. anyone have any recordings of this band? sounds interesting. i wasn't aware that monk respected lacy that much as to bring him into his band.

i heard a bill dixon interview snippet also. i like his voice too.

but both dixon and lacy were dogging on abersold transcription books in the interviews...which i thought was interesting.

[Guy Berger]

i was also just listening to a snippet of an interview lacy did with a british dude. for some reason i like hearing jazz guys talk...doesn't matter who. any of these older guys. not that lacy sounded old in the interview. he was talking about a monk quintet w. he and monk and rouse and ore and haynes. anyone have any recordings of this band? sounds interesting. i wasn't aware that monk respected lacy that much as to bring him into his band.

Apparently one exists (edit: possibly the same recording discussed in this thread):

Announcement by Mitch Miller - 0:30

Evidence - 6:01

Announcement - 0:19

Straight, No Chaser - 7:50

Rhythm-A-Ning (fades out) / Announcement - 4:27

Musicians:

Steve Lacy - soprano saxophone

Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone

Thelonious Monk - piano

John Ore - bass

Roy Haynes - drums

Lacy also plays on Monk's Columbia Big Band album, though I don't think he takes any solos.

Guy

Edited May 24, 2007 by Guy

[clifford_thornton]

i am listening to "journey without end", a quartet date with lacy and waldron from the early 70s, and i am really enjoying it. probably because it sounds like a waldron date, composition-wise. i think it might have waldron's trio partners mcghie and warren as the rhythm section.

That's a good LP. Kent Carter is the bassist.

[AndrewHill]

Just got Lacy's Evidence from last weekend, and what a nice date. I like Cherry on trumpet although I can imagine things being a little edgier if he would've brought his pocket trumpet. Carl Brown holds his own too, and with Higgins, it sort of sounds like it could've been a Lacy plus Ornette's rhythm section. I like how they handle Monk's Evidence as well.

[Late]

I believe that, yes, those tracks are from either Verve or Columbia. Bob Cunningham is on bass.

If so, I'm actually stunned that there hasn't been more buzz about this. I thought the "lost" tapes were indeed lost.

Damn, too bad those four tracks couldn't be added to School Days!

[Chuck Nessa]

I believe that, yes, those tracks are from either Verve or Columbia. Bob Cunningham is on bass.

If so, I'm actually stunned that there hasn't been more buzz about this. I thought the "lost" tapes were indeed lost.

Damn, too bad those four tracks couldn't be added to School Days!

You really need to git a grip or a discography. Or an understanding of "rights" and copyrights and the legal crap from the original owners. If this is "legal" I will buy it.

[Kalo]

Just got Lacy's Evidence from last weekend, and what a nice date. I like Cherry on trumpet although I can imagine things being a little edgier if he would've brought his pocket trumpet. Carl Brown holds his own too, and with Higgins, it sort of sounds like it could've been a Lacy plus Ornette's rhythm section. I like how they handle Monk's Evidence as well.

I love that session. Great repertoire.

Ellington's "The Mystery Song"!

[Late]

You really need to git a grip or a discography. Or an understanding of "rights" and copyrights and the legal crap from the original owners. If this is "legal" I will buy it.

[Guy Berger]

I believe that, yes, those tracks are from either Verve or Columbia. Bob Cunningham is on bass.

If so, I'm actually stunned that there hasn't been more buzz about this. I thought the "lost" tapes were indeed lost.

Damn, too bad those four tracks couldn't be added to School Days!

You really need to git a grip or a discography. Or an understanding of "rights" and copyrights and the legal crap from the original owners. If this is "legal" I will buy it.

Chuck, I'm not sure what you are suggesting here. Is there any reason to believe that Cuneiform Records isn't a legit operation?

Guy

[clifford_thornton]

I would assume these are from Irene's archives. That is, all of the tapes that, compiled, give us this Cuneiform disc.

Who knows, Lacy and Cie may have paid for the studio time in the first place and, regardless of provenance, I look forward to hearing the material.

[jeffcrom]

This is an old thread, but I'm new to this forum, so....

Steve Lacy was one of my absolute heroes, and one of the musicians I most admired. I did a quick count tonight, and came up with 62 CDs, 29 vinyl albums, and about a dozen live shows under his name in my collection. This doesn't count other folks' recordings he appears on. Many of my favorites have been mentioned in this thread, but I don't think these have:

Disposability (Italian Vik, 1965) I'd call this a transitional record, except some people might interpret that to mean that it's unfocused or of lesser quality. Nope - it's wonderful. Lacy and the trio (Kent Carter & Aldo Romano) are still playing Monk, Carla Bley, and Cecil Taylor (!), but there are several excellent free improvisations as well as Lacy's first recorded composition, "Barble."

The Door (RCA Novus, 1988) The most varied album by Lacy's long-lived sextet. The six members form duets, trios, and quintets, coming together only for a magnificent version of Ellington's "Virgin Jungle" with guest star Sam Woodyard.

5 x Monk 5 x Lacy (Silkheart, 1995) I'd hate to have to choose a favorite from all of Lacy's solo recordings, but this might be it. The opening "Shuffle Boil" always fills me with sadness (in a good way) - Lacy brought out a melancholy aspect of Monk's bouncy tune that nobody else seems to have noticed.

Steve Lacy Meets Steve Potts (Virgin/Soul Note, 1994) This one's hard to come by - a limited edition 15-minute promo CD with his longtime musical partner, recorded at the Virgin Megastore in Paris. This might be my favorite version of one of my favorite SL compositions, "Art."

I love all periods of Lacy's recorded output, but his playing achieved a real depth and purity toward the end of his life. The trio he led for most of his last decade (Jean-Jacques Avenel and John Betsch) was, in my opinion, the best setting he ever had. I know that The Rent was an album of the week here, but I think I like The Holy La even more.

A word about Irene Aebi: I can understand why many listeners don't dig her. Her voice and English diction are, well, odd. But I just listened to the limited edition album Sideways, which has two versions of "The Way" from 1968. Each begins with Irene singing Lacy's unusual, wide-ranging melody unaccompanied for over a minute. She's joined by Lacy on the last note, and she is perfectly on pitch. Moreover, I find her voice here to be light, clear, and pleasant. I do think that her voice became "heavier" over the years, and on later recordings I hear the telltale signs of dental work that further seems to affect her diction. But she was part of Lacy's musical world, and I have no problem accepting her contributions.

I was lucky enough to hear Lacy play seven or eight times - solo, sextet, duo with Mal Waldron, trio, and the quartet with Roswell Rudd. Each time was a special experience. I only spoke to Steve Lacy briefly a couple of times, and we exchanged a couple of letters, but I miss him.

[paul secor]

Thanks for posting your thoughts about Steve Lacy's music.

[fomafomic65]

It's beautiful to read a post like this Jeff, thank you

Just got Lacy's Evidence from last weekend, and what a nice date. I like Cherry on trumpet although I can imagine things being a little edgier if he would've brought his pocket trumpet. Carl Brown holds his own too, and with Higgins, it sort of sounds like it could've been a Lacy plus Ornette's rhythm section. I like how they handle Monk's Evidence as well.

I love that session. Great repertoire.

Ellington's "The Mystery Song"!

Yes, that obscure "Mistery Song". blessed by a very good sound, I personally always thought -and still think - of Evidence as the masterpiece within the great bunch of session Lacy recorded in those years (Prestiges and Candid).

Edited April 19, 2009 by ArmandoPeraza

[jeffcrom]

I personally always thought -and still think - of Evidence as the masterpiece within the great bunch of session Lacy recorded in those years (Prestiges and Candid).

I agree. Reflections and Straight Horn seem to get more attention, but Evidence is the one from those early years I'd take to a desert island.

[Bright Moments]

nice comments!

welcome to the board jeff!

[colinmce]

Thanks for a first mention of 5x Monk in this thread, too. I listened to it at the end of a particularly long and exhausting work shift the other night and was soothed. An endlessly fascinating and engaging listen.

[JeanK]

I've really enjoyed reading this old thread, and have spent several hours digging into a very large pile of Lacy records.

A few that have not been mentioned very much or at all.

Steve Lacy Quintet - Follies (SAJ 18) Recorded live in Berlin in 1977. Slightly brittle recording but very fine performance. 'Esteem' is outstanding with one of my favourite Steve Potts solos.

The Crust on Emanem is Lacy, Potts and Kent Carter with Derek Bailey and John Stevens is very good and the notes reveal that the song 'Flakes' is an "ice-skating piece for Mark Rothko"

Lumps on ICP with Maarten Altena, Han Bennink and Michel Waisvisz on electronics. The quackiest version of 'The New Duck" ever.

Raps on Adelphi Jazz Line. A quartet with Potts, Johnson and a bass player called Ron Miller who I know nothing about. Recorded in NYC in 1977 and well produced by Michael Cuscuna. A very powerful record. The notes describe Oliver Johnson's playing as "nothing short of explosive" and I have to agree.

A few nice 70s solo albums: Solo on Emanem from 1972, Stabs on SAJ from 1975, Crops on Quark from 1976 (reissued as Hooky), and Clinkers on Hat Art from 1977.

It's very hard to pick my favourite Lacy records but they would probably be: NY Capers, The Way, Sortie, School Days, Raps, Evidence, The Door, Prospectus, Bye-Ya, Catch, and Sands.

And then there's all those great records with Mal Waldron.....

[clifford_thornton]

You mention a lot of nice ones. Welcome to the board.

[jeffcrom]

A few that have not been mentioned very much or at all.

Wow - I've got a pretty good Lacy collection, but you've got a few that I don't have. I've been trying to track down a copy of Follies for a while.

The 70s are not my favorite decade for Lacy - he himself called some of his music from that era "scratchy" - but I think that two you mention, The Crust and Raps, are among his best from the period.

Edited April 22, 2009 by jeffcrom