JRR Saturday 5th December

[Old Grumpy]

Just looking around the R3 schedules (as you do) and noticed the playlist is up for the Northern Lights edition of JRR - excellent!


OG

[Ian Thumwood]

Hearing the Sun Ra track at the end of JLU made me think that this somewhat curmudgeonly review was actually on the money. Apart from the last chorus, I would have to say that this band didn't seem any more "progressive" than say the LCJO.

http://jazztimes.com/articles/170216-live-at-babylon-sun-ra-arkestra-under-the-direction-of-marshall-allen

I love the oddness of this band and the anti-establishment feel mixed with a love of jazz's earlier heritage but have never been totally convinced that the band is as great as many would believe. In 2015 Space Age wackiness is not really ahead of the curve where progressive big band writing is concerned (and I would have to suggest that writing for large ensembles in probably right at the forefront of jazz innovation with extended composition now being far more radical than some of the stuff that gets passed off as great free jazz.) If you want a "great" avant garde jazz ensemble, I think the AEoC ticks all the boxes with contemporary groups like William Parker's ensembles with Barnes / Brown / Drake also being remarkably consistent.

It is quite funny to find your taste in jazz mutating so much that you find some of free / avant garde jazz not outside enough! Creative and innovative writing hugely appeals to me just as some of the recent free jazz musicians like Berman, Roebke, etc, etc. Measuring the Ra recording of one of their "standards" seems as much in the tradition as anything Marsalis does. I can appreciate both bands but I wouldn't kid myself that either are particularly forward looking. Enjoyable, none the less.

[Serial_Apologist]

In 2015 Space Age wackiness is not really ahead of the curve where progressive big band writing is concerned-

But in all honesty, was its Space Age wackiness ever really ahead of the curve? Most people at the time I think took it as metaphorical tongue-in-cheek, and got on with the music, which, although by no means always so, was amazing at its best.

[Lat-Literal]

But in all honesty, was its Space Age wackiness ever really ahead of the curve? Most people at the time I think took it as metaphorical tongue-in-cheek, and got on with the music, which, although by no means always so, was amazing at its best.

I love Sun Ra.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I love Sun Ra.

Me, too

[DracoM]

Alyn Shipton is one of the very best presenters on R3. Less is more. Always worth listening to.

[Ian Thumwood]

[QUOTE=Serial_Apologist;523384]But in all honesty, was its Space Age wackiness ever really ahead of the curve? Most people at the time I think took it as metaphorical tongue

I don't dislike their music and find some of it good fun but I just think he is over-rated. He is obviously not in the Duke Ellington league and, as I said above, I feel that there have been other groups with a similar agenda which have been far better. I felt that the review I linked to actually reflected the music played on JLU quite well. I don't always agree with record reviews but this one seemed to nail the track "Saturn" at least - which I did enjoy, by the way.