Big Spider leads the way

[Serial_Apologist]

Sat 18 July
4.00 Jazz Record Requests
Alyn Shipton plays listeners' requests for the work of saxophonist and free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman, who died in June aged 85.

http://www.alynshipton.co.uk/blog/

Ending with one of Ornette's few later recordings employing a pianist used in the relatively conventional way Paul Bley was before Coleman dispensed with this "harmony instrument" as an impediment to the tonal free-flow of his ideas. Well he used guitars and other kbd players later on in and around Prime Time, so I'm not altogether convinced of that argument; maybe he just found the character as opposed to the fact of harmonic thinking of many of his contemporary keyboard exponents hard to engage into his music in the late 50s and 60s? Answers on a swear note card will suffice. And thanks to Bluesie for drawing attention to Ornette on today's JRR, on the Ornette thread.

5.00 Jazz Line-Up
A performance by French saxophonist Celine Bonacina, Israeli-born drummer Asaf Sirkis, Canadian bassist Chris Jennings and UK pianist and former BBC New Generation Jazz Artist Gwilym Simcock. Recorded at the Rolf Liebermann Studio, Hamburg. Kevin Le Gendre unearths a classic album of recent times in his monthly feature Now's the Time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b062hkwp

Does Ian know Ms Bonacina from his travels? Perhaps time for the bored to re-assess Simcock, a controversial figure (or more perhaps phenomenon) on the old BBC forum? I saw him playing solo at Cadogan Hall a fortnight ago, and my criticisms would not be of his phenomenal playing abilities, more as to where, if anywhere, he belongs in jazz. With the less "flash" Nikki Iles, there 2 days later with Stan Sulzmann, no such qualifications invoked...

12.00 Geoffrey Smith's Jazz
Geoffrey Smith celebrates the career of saxophonist Coleman Hawkins (1904-69)

Nothing up despite (or maybe because of) this being a repeat, but...

Mon 20 July
11.00 Jazz on 3
Jez Nelson presents highlights from the Konfrontationen festival held in Nickelsdorf Austria, featuring music by Fire! Orchestra and trumpeter Franz Hautzinger.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b062jp1j

Confrontation notwithstanding, no Syriza on the bill however; Red Zinger? Better ask Don Weller:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px9EBMJPyHU

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Thanks very much for the listings SA.

As I mentioned on the Ornette RIP thread, the first JRR Ornette is "Jayne" from 58 with Walter Norris on piano. Fascinating how Norris traps OC into the Out of Nowhere changes. Which makes OC sound "wrong" on his own debut record.

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

I saw Celine Bonacina last April when I was in Troyes. She was in a group that didn't have a bass player and was led by a vibes player. There was also a guitar and drummer from recollection. The music was Ok but sub-ECM. She records for ACT. In my opinion, she was the weak link in the group and I wasn't too impressed.

For what it is worth, I'm increasingly impressed by the newer generation of French musicians who seem less inclined the "gimmicks" as is the case in the UK. You might also want to check our Sophie Alour who is think is a better player, whether with her own group or as a member of Rhoda Scott's "Lady Quartet." Laurent Coulondre's trio offer a Gallic spin on MM&W and were excellent value for money. I also likes German alto-player's Lyon based quartet which blended a funky approach to contemporary jazz - the tone she produces on her instrument is instantly catchy. The CD of her's I picked up is by a trio of sax / piano / drums and is very similar to the jazz-material by Egberto Gismonti on a disc like "Sanfona." You might also want to check out Afro-jazz singer Julia Sarr who is pretty original,

One band getting a bit of attention was the quartet of Stephane Kerecki which performed set of "Nouvelle Vague" film scores with John Taylor taking the piano stool. The music was very ECM -worthy and this bassist would appear to have a long working relationship with Taylor. It was a bit too introspective and would be the kind of disc which would yield more after repeated listening. The album was voted last year's best French jazz albumin a pole.

[Quarky]

Thanks very much for the listings SA.

As I mentioned on the Ornette RIP thread, the first JRR Ornette is "Jayne" from 58 with Walter Norris on piano. Fascinating how Norris traps OC into the Out of Nowhere changes. Which makes OC sound "wrong" on his own debut record.

BN.

Yes Jayne - certainly something/ someone to muse over. JRR certainly informing, educating and entertaining (does it have to do all three at the same time?). I often felt Bird got to places in his solos where the rule book was no longer relevant. Ornette confirms this and throws the rule book away in delightful fashion.

[Ian Thumwood]

The Bonacina gig was better that I expected and her soprano playing was more polished than I recall her baritone playing. It was pretty typical of the kind of post-bop jazz that is now prevalent where the soloists are all pretty polished and technical equipped even of the "sound of surprise" has been burnished in to something that isn't quite recognisable from the generations of musicians which existed up until the 1980's at least.

Been listening to the CD with Bill Frisell playing with the NDR big band fronted by Mike Gibbs. When I first heard him, Bill Frisell seemed pretty radical and exciting yet this disc shows just how much he has been absorbed in to the mainstream, performing Lee Konitz , Benny Goodman and Beatles numbers amongst the originals. Gil Evans' "Las Vegas tango" also gets an outing but the Frisell originals stick out with tunes like "throughout" and "Monica Jane" now almost becoming standards. The effects pedals now seem to have been put back in to the cupboard but the music still manages to deliver some clout.