Pim Posted December 30, 2019 Report Posted December 30, 2019 What about mr. Howard? Bought an LP version of the Black Ark yesterday and like the first time I heard it: I really dig that stuff. He doesn't get much attention here on the board. His discography is mostly spreaded on obscure labels. His live albums seem to be more liked on Rateyourmusic. What's your favorite Howard part from the Black Ark? Quote
mjazzg Posted December 30, 2019 Report Posted December 30, 2019 I really enjoy 'Black Ark' too. Others I own and think well worth a listen are the two on ESP, 'Noah Howard Quartet' and 'At Judson Hall' (Ric Colbeck!) and also 'Berlin Concert' on FMP Ones I'd like to hear are 'Schizophrenic Blues', 'Space Dimension' (recently bootlegged reissue by the looks of things) and 'Live At The Swing Club'. I've not investigated his later work so will be interested to see what opinions this thread generates on them Quote
JSngry Posted December 30, 2019 Report Posted December 30, 2019 Try his collaborations with Eve Packer. Something different! Quote
clifford_thornton Posted December 30, 2019 Report Posted December 30, 2019 Black Ark is brilliant. Live at the Village Vanguard (with Frank Lowe, Bob Bruno, Earl Freeman, and Rashied Ali) is awesome too. I have all of the LPs save Traffic (which didn't turn me on when I heard it), and wouldn't want to be without a single one of them. Heard a reel from Steve Tintweiss' archives, a large 'free' ensemble recorded in the Black Ark era, and Howard's alto just shown through like gold (this is what Kent Carter said about Lacy's soprano in those freer groups). Absolutely wonderful player and seemingly a very kind man. Quote
Pim Posted December 30, 2019 Author Report Posted December 30, 2019 Thanks guys! Live At The Village Vanguard and Live in Europe are the records that attract me the most on this moment. Will dig into it Quote
sgcim Posted December 30, 2019 Report Posted December 30, 2019 2 hours ago, clifford_thornton said: Black Ark is brilliant. Live at the Village Vanguard (with Frank Lowe, Bob Bruno, Earl Freeman, and Rashied Ali) is awesome too. I have all of the LPs save Traffic (which didn't turn me on when I heard it), and wouldn't want to be without a single one of them. Heard a reel from Steve Tintweiss' archives, a large 'free' ensemble recorded in the Black Ark era, and Howard's alto just shown through like gold (this is what Kent Carter said about Lacy's soprano in those freer groups). Absolutely wonderful player and seemingly a very kind man. Does anyone else find it amazing that Bob Bruno was playing piano with Noah Howard on the VV album, while ten years before that he was playing trumpet and trombone with a touring show band, then playing 'stringed' bass (while tripping on acid) for Ben Webster, then leading and playing guitar, keyboards and singing with the innovative rock band Circus Maximus (so-named because they were the house band at the Electric Circus), who were one of the first rock bands on the Vanguard label, and, took part in a multi-media concert with Morton Subotnik? He jammed with Jimi Hendrix and Larry Young at the recording studio where Hendrix recorded in NYC, and finally wound up playing solo piano for years in Washington DC in a club frequented by Presidents and members of Congress. Quote
clifford_thornton Posted December 30, 2019 Report Posted December 30, 2019 yeah, Bruno was hanging at the 212 Artists Colony up in Woodstock, which is how he got hooked up with Noah Howard, Earl Cross, Tintweiss, et al.. Quote
felser Posted December 30, 2019 Report Posted December 30, 2019 2 hours ago, sgcim said: Does anyone else find it amazing that Bob Bruno was playing piano with Noah Howard on the VV album, while ten years before that he was playing trumpet and trombone with a touring show band, then playing 'stringed' bass (while tripping on acid) for Ben Webster, then leading and playing guitar, keyboards and singing with the innovative rock band Circus Maximus (so-named because they were the house band at the Electric Circus), who were one of the first rock bands on the Vanguard label, and, took part in a multi-media concert with Morton Subotnik? He jammed with Jimi Hendrix and Larry Young at the recording studio where Hendrix recorded in NYC, and finally wound up playing solo piano for years in Washington DC in a club frequented by Presidents and members of Congress. BTW, the other singer/Songwriter in Circus Maximus was Jerry Jeff Walker, so you had Noah Howard's pianist and Mr. Great Gonzos co-leading a group. Could only have happened in 1967! . Here was Circus Maximus's golden moment, an early FM rock turntable hit. You can hear the jazziness in this one. Quote
sgcim Posted December 31, 2019 Report Posted December 31, 2019 I got in touch with Bob, and he's an email friend. He tells me lots of cool stories about smoking joints with Hendrix. One time Hendrix came into the studio to complain that BB's power trio was playing too loud at the recording studio they shared! By the time they made their second album, Jerry Jeff was out of the band, because BB wanted Circus Maximus to go in a more jazz direction, and JJ wanted to sing about Mr. Bojangles.I thought JJ was the leader of CM, but that's BB in the center of the photo, not JJ like I thought. On Wind, he got the guys in the band to just keep repeating a simple version of that riff that gets repeated over and over, and he did all that incredible piano playing, and even the 12-string guitar solo and vocals on another track. He had enough talent and drive to change the music scene, but he got totally screwed by the contract he signed, and they wouldn't let him release any records for a number of years. 3 hours ago, clifford_thornton said: yeah, Bruno was hanging at the 212 Artists Colony up in Woodstock, which is how he got hooked up with Noah Howard, Earl Cross, Tintweiss, et al.. Wow, he never told me he hung out up there. He was in Texas when he formed CM with Jerry Jeff Walker, but previous to that he was in LA where he used to play piano duets with Zappa's keyboard player, and then he came to NYC and lived with Gil Evans for a while, He really got around back then. Quote
jlhoots Posted December 31, 2019 Report Posted December 31, 2019 Arthur Doyle - I "like" Babi, but he's a challenging listen. Quote
felser Posted December 31, 2019 Report Posted December 31, 2019 I like Howard's Judson Hall ESP-Disk album a lot, not overly familiar with his work beyond that - it's quite pricey to obtain. Quote
clifford_thornton Posted December 31, 2019 Report Posted December 31, 2019 20 hours ago, sgcim said: Wow, he never told me he hung out up there. He was in Texas when he formed CM with Jerry Jeff Walker, but previous to that he was in LA where he used to play piano duets with Zappa's keyboard player, and then he came to NYC and lived with Gil Evans for a while, He really got around back then. that's what I understand the connection was, but would be interested to hear otherwise. Lotta people with a lot of stories; sometimes they converge and sometimes quite the opposite! Babi and Alabama/Alamama Feeling are amazing records, but very different from what Howard was up to. Quote
Pim Posted January 2, 2020 Author Report Posted January 2, 2020 Does anyone know who Leslie Waldron is? Is it actually a person or an alias? And if that is the case: anyone recognize who it is? Can’t find anything on the web... Quote
Pim Posted March 28, 2020 Author Report Posted March 28, 2020 https://www.discogs.com/Noah-Howard-Live-In-Europe-Vol-1/release/14914985 So is this legit? Label and back cover do mention Altsax which is not the original label but is Howard's own trademark.... Quote
jcam_44 Posted March 28, 2020 Report Posted March 28, 2020 Live in Europe is just a re-ordered version of Ole i believe. I enjoy Live in Paris. I also have Eye of the Improviser. It's a bit all over the place but enjoyable. Quote
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