Liberty Ellman Tactiles

[sonnyhill]

I purchased this from the leader, guitarist Liberty Ellman, at the Jazz Gallery in New York last fall, but I've just recently had time to really listen to it.

It's a very good album. Mark Shim (who led an excellent date, "Turbulent Flow," on Blue Note) on tenor, Greg Osby on alto on some cuts, Eric Harland on drums, and Stephan Crump on bass.

I've seen the band several times, and I saw them this past Tuesday at Sweet Rhythm in New York, which is holding a special series every Tuesday this month called "Greg Osby Presents" where "young and exciting" talent is featured at the club. I believe that the cd was released in October or November last year, but its on a small label, Pi recordings.

Anyone else give this one a listen?

Edited January 18, 2004 by sonnyhill

[Joe G]

No, but this name has been popping up a lot recently. How would you describe his playing style?

[sonnyhill]

Hard to describe his playing style. He's kind of like Wayne Shorter in that you can detect the influences of the greats on his instrument in his playing (Wes Montgomery and Jim Hall come to mind), but he has a sound all his own.

[Larry Kart]

Bought the record for Mark Shim, and now I like the leader too, but that's a pretty dull, thumpy recording job -- courtesy of Kurt Lundvall. Not as bad as Lundvall's much lambasted, virtually unlistenable Lovano Nonet at the Vanguard work, but I think this one could have, should have, had a lot more zest and presence to it. With a fair amount of dial twisting I can compensate a bit, but only so much.

[Larry Kart]

P.S. As far as Ellman's sources, I have an odd feeling that, like Chicago's Jeff Parker, he's been listening some to guys like Billy Bauer, maybe even to Louis Mecca and Joe Cinderella (onetime assopciates of '50s composer-baritonist Gil Melle). Of course, it's possible these days, with the music's history folding back on itself multiple times, that guys can sound like they've been listening to players they've never even heard of. But I've been that Jeff Parker does know his Billy Bauer.

[sonnyhill]

So I'm not the only one.

I am between homes and my audio equipment has been in storage for some time, so I've been listening to this on headphones and have thought, Like Larry, that although the recording was by no means as bad as the crappy Moran and Lovano discs that Blue Note released last year, the disc suffered from a sub-par recording.

I like the disc a lot and thought that I would like the recording better if I heard it through my system, but Larry's comments confirm for me that this disc was not recorded as well as it should have been.

In my opinion, this guy Kurt Lundvall is in the process of earning the nickname "The Butcher" or "Poison" for his horrible work last year. I know he's related to the Blue Note records president, but I hope that, in the future, artists put their collective foot down and refuse to allow him behind the boards. He sucks incredibly.

Greg Osby is recording a live set at the Jazz Standard next week with his "St. Louis Shoes" Band, I hope that he has the good sense not to use Lundvall.

That being said, "Tactiles" is still worth a listen.

Shim is a monster. I've seen Ellman/Shim w/ bass drums on several occassions and it is almost criminal that this guy is not releasing records as a leader every year. Somebody needs to pick this guy up. From what I read on this board, his "Turbulent Flow" left a good impression on many listeners. Last year, he lead a few dates at small clubs in NYC, but I wasn't able to attend.

I hope that he and Ellman get to record another record together soon, with no involvement by Lundvall.

Edited January 18, 2004 by sonnyhill

[relyles]

I thought I might have mentioned this disc before, but maybe I was thinking about something else. I like this one a lot. Has a laid back M-Base feel to it that I admite and Shim playes well throughout. I must confess that I do not know much about Billy Bauer, but I will say that both Tactiles and Jeff Parker's Like-Coping made me think of Bern Nix's Alarms and Excursions.

[Larry Kart]

Most of Bauer's recordings are as a sideman with Lennie Tristano and/or Lee Konitz in the '40s and '50s. He made one album under his own name for Clef or Norgran in about '57 that came out as a Verve Select a few years ago and is probably out of print. Bauer had a very rich chromatic approach that, like Ellman's, allows for a lot of what might be called ambiguous or "evenhanded"

motion i.e. harmonically, at just about any moment, up can turn into down, forward into backward, etc. Bauer was born in 1915, and I believe he's still around. He did a lot of teaching in later years and wrote several guitar method books; if Ellman and Jeff Parker do know of his approach, it may be through those books.

Listening again to the album, I bet they got Ellman's sound about right, but I've heard Shim and drummer Eric Harland live, and they do sound damped down a fair bit here -- lacking in sizzle, space, and overtones (Shim live may have more overtones going for him than any tenorman since Ike Quebec).

[Dmitry]

He's a member of the current Henry Threadgill band. Check them out.

[jlhoots]

Come on guys.

PI records is bringing out some great music.

This is up there with their best.

Nobody else rushing out to record Mark Shim, let alone Ellman.

I think the CD is just fine.Of course after listening to music for almost 50 years, what can I hear.

[sonnyhill]

jlhoots, I'm in agreement with you. I am thankful that Pi put out this record and that the music is great, but in 2003 there was no reason for such a poor recording. I have late '80's Blue Notes that were transfered from analog to digital using first generation technology that sound better than "Tactiles." Thankfully, it does not detract too much from the excellent music.

Edited January 18, 2004 by sonnyhill

[chuckyd4]

Can't resist the opportunity...

I did a little feature article on Pi for my website, which you can find at this link.

Also, I'm playing one of the tracks off of Ellman's disc on my radio show today... you can find the playlist over on this thread, with all the relevant information.

[Nate Dorward]

Just a note to say that you can listen to one track from the disc on the Pi website, & that two more are available on Ellman's own website. I couldn't judge the recording quality from this, of course, given that the streamed audio wasn't exactly hi-fi- to begin with. -- Truthfully, after listening to those three tracks I decided this wasn't a disc I felt I needed to acquire.

I do like Jeff Parker's Like-Coping though--it's not a big-statement kind of disc, but it's got a nice, cooled-out vibe that's very effective. It's indeed pretty similar to Nix's Alarms & Excursions in many ways.

[Chuck Nessa]

Most of Bauer's recordings are as a sideman with Lennie Tristano and/or Lee Konitz in the '40s and '50s. He made one album under his own name for Clef or Norgran in about '57 that came out as a Verve Select a few years ago and is probably out of print

Interplay issued an anthology of Bauer performances (1959-69) at the end of the lp era.

[paul secor]

Interplay issued an anthology of Bauer performances (1959-69) at the end of the lp era.

In case anyone is interested in the LP Chuck mentioned, Billy Bauer/Anthology - Interplay 8603, Cadence still has it listed for sale on their website. It's a good record - live trio sides and home solo sides from Billy Bauer's own archives.

[Clunky]

Ellman's Bauer thing is pretty strong, I like this disc so far , sound is acceptable , a little dark but good enough but certainly not the best