Clouds of joy blossom in Andy's Kirk, where dinosaurs are admitted.

[Serial_Apologist]

Sat 25 Aug
4pm - Jazz Record Requests
Alyn Shipton introduces listeners' requests, including recordings by Andy Kirk's Clouds of Joy and maverick singer Blossom Dearie

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

5pm - J to Z
Jumoké Fashiola presents a session from four-piece band Dinosaur, led by former BBC New Generation Artist Laura Jurd on trumpet. First broadcast ahead of the release, in May, of their album Wonder Trail.

Just to mention that Ms Fashiola appeared on a TV discussion a couple of weeks ago, as impressive in appearance, wearing long flowing dress and piled up head dress, African-style, as she is as engaging a presence as presenter. One hopes she gets a live TV hosting job some day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b0wlh8

12midnight - Geoffrey Smith's Jazz
Bernstein 100. Geoffrey Smith salutes Leonard Bernstein's contributions to jazz.

I tell you - no secret: none of these will be as good as my school production of WSS, all down to Yours Truly being in charge of the off-stage choir - all of us very 1963 in jeans and black polo necks so as to be invisible to our audience of mums and dads. Then 6 years later the Buddy Rich Big band version that toured the UK was the one memorable part of the show, for Buddy's drum solo if nothing else.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00007ct

Mon 27 Aug
11pm - Jazz Now
Soweto Kinch presents German pianist Michael Wollny and his trio recorded at London's King's Place.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00007px

In further listening this week, the name of Charlie Haden comes up under Tuesday's Late Junction - 11pm.

[Ian Thumwood]

What is the Andy Kirk track ?

I love this band. Mary Lou Williams was an exceptional arranger but Dick Wilson must be the most under-appreciated saxophonist in jazz before Charlie Parker. A truly great player in my opinion.

[Jazzrook]

Sat 25 Aug
4pm - Jazz Record Requests
Alyn Shipton introduces listeners' requests, including recordings by Andy Kirk's Clouds of Joy and maverick singer Blossom Dearie

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

5pm - J to Z
Jumoké Fashiola presents a session from four-piece band Dinosaur, led by former BBC New Generation Artist Laura Jurd on trumpet. First broadcast ahead of the release, in May, of their album Wonder Trail.

Just to mention that Ms Fashiola appeared on a TV discussion a couple of weeks ago, as impressive in appearance, wearing long flowing dress and piled up head dress, African-style, as she is as engaging a presence as presenter. One hopes she gets a live TV hosting job some day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b060wlh8

12midnight - Geoffrey Smith's Jazz
Bernstein 100. Geoffrey Smith salutes Leonard Bernstein's contributions to jazz.

I tell you - no secret: none of these will be as good as my school production of WSS, all down to Yours Truly being in charge of the off-stage choir - all of us very 1963 in jeans and black polo necks so as to be invisible to our audience of mums and dads. Then 6 years later the Buddy Rich Big band version that toured the UK was the one memorable part of the show, for Buddy's drum solo if nothing else.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00007ct

Mon 27 Aug
11pm - Jazz Now
Soweto Kinch presents German pianist Michael Wollny and his trio recorded at London's King's Place.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00007px

In further listening this week, the name of Charlie Haden comes up under Tuesday's Late Junction - 11pm.

Some boredees might be interested in 'Archive on 4: The Ballads of Emmett Till' on Radio 4(Saturday 25 August, 8.00pm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVKTx9YlKls

JR

[Ian Thumwood]

Please to hear Emily Remler on JRR. She was one of the new musicians who I was aware of through listening to Humphrey Lyttelton on a Monday night when I was first exploring jazz. At that time she was recording for Concord label and was one of the artists they signed up in order to appeal to be more contemporary audience. I vaguely remember the Wes Montgomery tribute album but it was "Catwalk" which impressed me more. There was a really hip tune called "Pedals" which has a brilliant bass riff. It was a massive shock when she died because her problems were not widely known.

It is a shame that so much of the Concord catalogue from the 1980's has now been deleted. Back then it was trying to branch out from being a mainly West Coast -based mainstream album which had built it's reputation through recording an elder generation of musicians who were at the cusp of playing bop. My Dad had loads of these records which were always well recorded but which seemed to be steadfastly loyal to more orthodox styles of jazz at a time when fusion was popular. The policy continued in to the 1980s but the label seemed to get a bit more savvy and record more diverse players like Tania Maria, Bruce Foreman, Emily Remler, Peter Sprague, Steve Kujala, Joanne Brackeen and Art Blakey. I don't think that the music ever broke any new ground yet the output was always really interesting. Other than TM and Blakey, the other musicians see to be neglected these days and in Remler's case this seems especially unfortunate.


Oddly enough, there has been an article in JazzTimes recently about Remler which is quite interesting:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTMFemx-aSg

[Serial_Apologist]

The Remler track was revealing, in terms of how she was clearly keen to surround herself with musicians of highest calibre. What a bass solo! Hadn't heard much of her previously - I think that was a duo album with Larry Coryell: obviously the same principle of giving herself challenges.

The Barney Wilen track turns out to be rather an embarrassment - another erstwhile bopper, and a good one, taking as his model Ginger Baker's Air Force, a bad one! Blossom doesn't do much with "Surrey" beyond showing she can play it in more than one key. Great selection otherwise today.

[Ian Thumwood]

The Remler track was revealing, in terms of how she was clearly keen to surround herself with musicians of highest calibre. What a bass solo! Hadn't heard much of her previously - I think that was a duo album with Larry Coryell: obviously the same principle of giving herself challenges.

The Barney Wilen track turns out to be rather an embarrassment - another erstwhile bopper, and a good one, taking as his model Ginger Baker's Air Force, a bad one! Blossom doesn't do much with "Surrey" beyond showing she can play it in more than one key. Great selection otherwise today.

If you want embarrassing , I don't think you could quite top the vocal performance by Laura Jurd's "Dinosaur." I think this group is pretty much typical of what I find problematic of so much contemporary jazz. Again, there was the ubiquitous one chord vamp but the reliance on effects (even in an alleged acoustic setting) just makes the music seems gimmicky. There are moments when I think she can played some decent trumpet and it is cellar that she is heavily indebted to Dave Douglas. The problem is Douglas' music is more savvy and he is a better composer. The band sound like a bunch of students and whilst not unpleasant, I didn't think she is particularly remarkable as either a soloist or composer. I don't think a more mature artist would lay something down quite as dire as the vocal performances. She can't carry a song in a bucket and the words are pretty banal.

There was a review of the new album on the American "All about Jazz" website a few weeks back which wasn't very complementary.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Emily Remler was married to Monty Alexander for a few years. Something I didn't know until today. She was a fine player and still finding herself away from the dominant influences. A very sad and unnecessary demise.