Consume between the two halves of a bap

[Serial_Apologist]

Sat 27 Feb - 4 pm: Jazz Record Requests
Alyn Shipton with a special pick of pop- and rock-themed requests, including Joni Mitchell's tribute to Charles Mingus and a David Bowie-influenced work by English drummer Dylan Howe.

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

5 pm: Jazz Line-Up
Julian Joseph introduces a performance by the James Taylor Quartet, recorded last June on the Jazz Line-Up stage at the Glasgow Jazz Festival. And reporter Sebastian Scotney explores the vibrant jazz scene in Birmingham.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b071bzg4

At the midnight hour: Geoffrey Smith's Jazz
Geoffrey Smith showcases music released by the French label Disques Vogue, which produced numerous American jazz LPs in the 1950. Highlighted tracks feature Sidney Bechet and Charlie Parker, with hits by Duke Ellington, Bud Powell and George Shearing

Disques Vogue smoke...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b071c7ql

Mon 29 Feb - 11 pm: Jazz on 3
American pianist Vijay Iyer and his trio perform music from their latest album Break Stuff. Recorded at the 2015 Elbjazz Festival in Hamburg

Could be beats stuff, which we're arguing over?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b071cm16

[Richard Barrett]

American pianist Vijay Iyer

A really interesting player IMO.

[Serial_Apologist]

A really interesting player IMO.

[Ian Thumwood]

A really interesting player IMO.

I have two of his ACT discs but was disappointed to see that he had signed up for ECM. ACT is usually a pretty woeful and uninteresting label, indicative of what is wrong with a lot of contemporary jazz and with a propensity to sign up artists who are the antithesis of the American model. The Iyer discs I have ( one by a trio , another a solo effort) were really compelling efforts and marked him out as someone to pay attention to. The newer ECM disc have received a lot of critical acclaim but I think Eicher has no interest in boisterous or raucous elements in jazz and the more interesting stuff that Vijay was producing have probably been curtailed.

It is interesting how ECM have now really taken on board some of the more interesting artists in the New York scene (Avishai Cohen is the latest) and how he seems to have woken up to the better American artists. That said, I am always concerned that his influence as a producer is pretty negative and the need to constantly pursue more introspective material gives an imbalance to the material many artists might want to release. Sometimes I feel the more introspective stuff really works but when it doesn't quite hit the mark, the results are really ordinary. I could learn to love ECM more if Eicher gave his artists more of a free reign.
The writer Mike Zwerin wrote in one of his books about the high level of musicianship on ECM and stated, at the time (early 1980's) no other label could match that standard. I think the music has moved on and exceptional technique is the norm. I am tempted by the Avishai Cohen disc even if I would much prefer to hear Iyer cut loose with a more aggressive ensemble. He has recorded with the trio led by Oliver Lake which often collaborates with pianists (Jason Moran / Gerald Clayton / Geri Allen) and something of that ilk would really appeal.

[Richard Barrett]

As an occasional ECM sideman myself, I think you're overgeneralising a bit there, Ian.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L00DeqzabiM

[Tom Audustus]

Sat 27 Feb - 4 pm: Jazz Record Requests
Alyn Shipton with a special pick of pop- and rock-themed requests, including Joni Mitchell's tribute to Charles Mingus and a David Bowie-influenced work by English drummer Dylan Howe.

Mmm.... I think I'll give that one a miss and watch the rugger on the box. Good fusion is one thing, Joni Mitchell's folkie warbling quite another.

[Serial_Apologist]

Mmm.... I think I'll give that one a miss and watch the rugger on the box. Good fusion is one thing, Joni Mitchell's folkie warbling quite another.

A bit of a generalisation and some 40 years late on the Joni there, I think, Tom.

I just realised that "Watch the rugger on the box", when spoonerised, becomes "watch the bugger on the rocks"!

[cloughie]

Mmm.... I think I'll give that one a miss and watch the rugger on the box. Good fusion is one thing, Joni Mitchell's folkie warbling quite another.

Where have you been?

Don't think this is folk warbling:

https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=joni%20mitchell%20you%20tube%20you%27re%20my%20thrill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTxSOJKzgl4&ebc=ANyPxKq03VCMM9gt--pYAIuRzovgVDLe9eeBO_ot_7F6CtMC2VFJJIDqpVzQq1bpjaUocjR_I7m1Q5ejFcs5PNeGMH_oDiKFLA

I hope you know your rugby better than your music!

[Ian Thumwood]

The BBC website has "Should I stay or should I go" by The Clash as the last track on JRR !

[Quarky]

The BBC website has "Should I stay or should I go" by The Clash as the last track on JRR !

I'm intrigued by this. It was not recorded on my version of iPlayer Catch-up.

What is the relevance of Punk music to Jazz? May be Jazz Line Up will give me a clue - anything would be better than Ghost Riders in the Sky!

First however I have to get my dose of Cerys Matthews!

[Ian Thumwood]

I like the Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis / Johnny Griffin track on JRR. The most intriguing track was the one with Ben Pollack that featured Jack Teagarden. It was really intriguing how the arrangement seemed to have nothing to do with jazz whatsoever and feature a dodgy , period vocal before mutating in to an incredible piece of jazz which sounded far more modern than the suggested recording date. I have heard so little by Ben Pollack that I have never been able to build an impression of his music. Listening to the performance, the band sounds pretty good but doesn't appear to have much jazz credential until the Teagarden solo. It is staggering to think that it would have remained totally obscure if it wasn't for the trombone solo.

The career of the singer is interesting too. He appears to have recorded with a number of similar dance bands around that same time and also led his own band for a while. Bellew then had a second career as a singing cowboy in Hollywood. The idea of a singing cowboy really seems at odds with a more sophisticated dance band, let alone rubbing shoulders with the likes of Teagarden.