Album For Today

[Jazzrook]

Can someone please reissue this ultra-rare 1970 album with Ric Colbeck(trumpet); Mike Osborne(alto sax); J.F Jenny-Clark(bass) & Selwyn Lissack(drums):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cyzRBDYxtg

[Jazzrook]

From the hard-to-find 1985 CD & DVD 'One Night With Blue Note':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zpU7Q32L58

[Paul Campbell]

The Dvd is in stock down the river, Jazzrook. Santa bought me a copy for Christmas, piece of history init...

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

current lid flipper

review

[Ian Thumwood]

Back in to "Jazzrook" musical territory and have been giving trumpeter Malachi Thompson's "Talking horns" a spin. The band features a mixture of musicians from Chicago and St. Louis including Oliver Lake and Hamiet Blueitt as well as the fabulous Harrison Bankhead on bass. Why isn't he more appreciated? I have been quite staggered by this recording which dates from 1999 and it makes some sobering listening in comparison with efforts by many of today's more fashionable names. In a time when many up-and-coming musicians almost seem to be ashamed to call their music jazz, this is a record which seems to revel in references of the history of the music. Whilst sounding a bit like Woody Shaw, Thompson also uses growls and smears in a fashion that would not be out of place in the 1930's. I love the cavalier and almost contemptuous approach of Blueitt's baritone which stomps and tramples over the bar line and Lake's alto has a tartness about it which really appeals. Thompson was a major talent and it is a shame that he is not better known. I'm beginning to think that if you want to appreciate genuine, adventurous jazz, the music from Chicago is often more faithful to the tenets of jazz than anything from New York. It is incredible just how good this music is and shocking how this music has gone under the radar.

It is interesting to compare and contrast the track posted by Calum by David Torn which, I suppose, epitomises an experimental approach to jazz which demonstrates where the music can go. In comparison with the Thompson record you could argue that , despite their Avant Garde credentials, their results are almost conservative. However, I would argue that there is an honesty and faithfulness about the music on Thompson's disc which makes you seriously question any jazz musician who has followed any alternative approach. In short, Thompson's record reaffirms what jazz is really about and whilst not the least modish, this is a timeless record which demonstrates just how much mileage there is in orthodox jazz as well as seeming to suggest to my ears that some of the musicians who aligned themselves with Free jazz in the 1960's / 70's ultimately ended up safeguarding the musical heritage that preceded them.

[Serial_Apologist]

Well then, Ian, you do often come up with good stuff that transgresses your evaluative norms as applied here ref Malachi Thompson, but given your mention of a certain approach, I feel that what I happened upon at an afternoon gig in Croydon yesterday by the below lot in the link, bringing as it did some imaginary NY Loft gig circa 1975 to my mind, would have been up your street.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx-IBgTWVCU

I've seen Larry Bartley many times in accompanying roles and quite liked his solidly unshowy playing, but to my embarrassment hadn't realised he had his own band. There was no prior publicity on the personnel, so it was a pleasant treat to find an old friend on tenor among this lot.

Back in to "Jazzrook" musical territory and have been giving trumpeter Malachi Thompson's "Talking horns" a spin. The band features a mixture of musicians from Chicago and St. Louis including Oliver Lake and Hamiet Blueitt as well as the fabulous Harrison Bankhead on bass. Why isn't he more appreciated? I have been quite staggered by this recording which dates from 1999 and it makes some sobering listening in comparison with efforts by many of today's more fashionable names. In a time when many up-and-coming musicians almost seem to be ashamed to call their music jazz, this is a record which seems to revel in references of the history of the music. Whilst sounding a bit like Woody Shaw, Thompson also uses growls and smears in a fashion that would not be out of place in the 1930's. I love the cavalier and almost contemptuous approach of Blueitt's baritone which stomps and tramples over the bar line and Lake's alto has a tartness about it which really appeals. Thompson was a major talent and it is a shame that he is not better known. I'm beginning to think that if you want to appreciate genuine, adventurous jazz, the music from Chicago is often more faithful to the tenets of jazz than anything from New York. It is incredible just how good this music is and shocking how this music has gone under the radar.

It is interesting to compare and contrast the track posted by Calum by David Torn which, I suppose, epitomises an experimental approach to jazz which demonstrates where the music can go. In comparison with the Thompson record you could argue that , despite their Avant Garde credentials, their results are almost conservative. However, I would argue that there is an honesty and faithfulness about the music on Thompson's disc which makes you seriously question any jazz musician who has followed any alternative approach. In short, Thompson's record reaffirms what jazz is really about and whilst not the least modish, this is a timeless record which demonstrates just how much mileage there is in orthodox jazz as well as seeming to suggest to my ears that some of the musicians who aligned themselves with Free jazz in the 1960's / 70's ultimately ended up safeguarding the musical heritage that preceded them.

[Ian Thumwood]

S-A

Had to work late tonight so missed the opportunity to play the Youtube clip - I'll leave that for tomorrow.

I can take on board most approaches to jazz that exist in 2014 but I suppose I had in mind a lot of the younger artists that have praise heaped upon them and especially European jazz musicians when I made the post. It's a really interesting scenario. About two years ago I went to a master-class organised by a young Armenian pianist and a comment he made about divorcing jazz from be-bop particularly grated with me as he effectively suggested that the more "orthodox" ideas of jazz had little relevance today. he wanted to throw away the older styles. Granted that most of us wouldn't disagree if this referred to Ella-sound-a-likes or bands mimicking 1960's Blue Notes. However, the reality is that jazz is actually far more vibrant and robust than this pianist suggested.

There was a Q&A session that followed which was essentially a chance for him to massage his own ego (he was so far up his own ar5e that I'm surprised he could reach the keyboard!) and, following his comments, I questioned him as to why he felt so strongly about distancing himself from the black American tradition. This was because he kept on about his music reflecting his own heritage and how, for him, the music seemed all about technical tricks and playing in outlandish time signatures. In addition, I also suggested that there was still plenty of mileage within the more normal realms of jazz and I might have banded some names like William Parker about - I can't recall all the detail. I will admit that I wanted to trip him up as I didn't like the way he humiliated some of the pianists who invited to perform (including a friend) and French students who didn't have a sufficient grasp of English to ascertain just how rude he was. It was pretty amazed that someone so anal should have been invited as artist in residence. Usually I have been fascinated by listening to musicians talk about their craft yet this pianist struck me as being a bit contemptuous or at least ignorant of the broader (or, indeed, more "authentic" ) approaches to jazz.

The whole matter brings me around to the likes of Thompson. Listening to something like this (feel free to add the likes of Billy Bang, Fred Anderson, Nicole Mitchell, William Parker, Hamid Drake etc, etc to the list) reminds you just how valid jazz is. The more you dick around with it, perhaps it is fair to argue that you delete it's potency. To argue that jazz is dead when confronted with these musicians is immediately ridiculous and the need to spice jazz up with folk, pop, rap , classical or other elements can be shown to be irrelevant even if I also like a variety of styles. A variance of influences in interesting but, as Thompson demonstrates, it is not necessary. The Malachai Thompson record is a cracker and the musicians are comfortable as much as playing a swing groove as opposed to the kind of chaos you could hear of a Cecil Taylor record. As I said, I can listen to all styles of jazz and pretty much find something that resonates yet there is something about these more avant garde Black musicians which has an honesty and authenticity that you would never find in my Armenian friend's recordings even if he continued to issue records for the next fifty years. Unfortunately Thompson's own liner notes represent a polemic against Ken Burn's long-since forgotten social history of jazz even if he knows his history but the reference to his musical heritage is profound so that you can hear Freddie Keppard in the playing. Whilst the likes of AACM and BAG initially may have tried to break the ties with bop to free their musical expression, to my ears they ultimately embraced a far earlier history and their re-shaping of jazz in doing this effectively made the music stronger. Their music is frequently more personal, has greater emotional clout and has a resonance that quickly demonstrates the very finest qualities in jazz. Rather than be ashamed of the heritage, the revel in it and still find it inspirational.

At the moment I am loving exploring anything that comes out of Chicago. It is as if the work of musicians from this city is the true gospel of jazz and it is fantastic being able to discover new and fresh jazz that reminds you why you got in to the music in the first place. My argument is that the jazz they produced is totally relevant. As I grow older, I'm starting to appreciate this music more and more whereas some of the more modish stuff that comes and goes every five years now seems like plastic music of no consequence. Amazing to consider that when Thompson recorded this record, EST were being praised to the hilt by critics whilst the trumpeter remained under the radar. Sometimes a label like Delmark lets itself down with the odd poorly tuned piano (same fault can be levelled at Blue Note - Mobley's " Roll call", for example) yet they are consistently churning out music that matters. Can't really say that for a label like ACT and it coterie of plastic performers.

[Boilk]

One of my favourite Allan Holdsworth tunes, Letters of Marque ... live.

[Serial_Apologist]

[QUOTE=Boilk;390280]One of my favourite Allan Holdsworth tunes, Letters of Marque ... live.



Major figure imv - tragedy when he left the UK for America, joining the jazz brain drain.

[Jazzrook]

Back in to "Jazzrook" musical territory and have been giving trumpeter Malachi Thompson's "Talking horns" a spin. The band features a mixture of musicians from Chicago and St. Louis including Oliver Lake and Hamiet Blueitt as well as the fabulous Harrison Bankhead on bass. Why isn't he more appreciated? I have been quite staggered by this recording which dates from 1999 and it makes some sobering listening in comparison with efforts by many of today's more fashionable names. In a time when many up-and-coming musicians almost seem to be ashamed to call their music jazz, this is a record which seems to revel in references of the history of the music. Whilst sounding a bit like Woody Shaw, Thompson also uses growls and smears in a fashion that would not be out of place in the 1930's. I love the cavalier and almost contemptuous approach of Blueitt's baritone which stomps and tramples over the bar line and Lake's alto has a tartness about it which really appeals. Thompson was a major talent and it is a shame that he is not better known. I'm beginning to think that if you want to appreciate genuine, adventurous jazz, the music from Chicago is often more faithful to the tenets of jazz than anything from New York. It is incredible just how good this music is and shocking how this music has gone under the radar.

It is interesting to compare and contrast the track posted by Calum by David Torn which, I suppose, epitomises an experimental approach to jazz which demonstrates where the music can go. In comparison with the Thompson record you could argue that , despite their Avant Garde credentials, their results are almost conservative. However, I would argue that there is an honesty and faithfulness about the music on Thompson's disc which makes you seriously question any jazz musician who has followed any alternative approach. In short, Thompson's record reaffirms what jazz is really about and whilst not the least modish, this is a timeless record which demonstrates just how much mileage there is in orthodox jazz as well as seeming to suggest to my ears that some of the musicians who aligned themselves with Free jazz in the 1960's / 70's ultimately ended up safeguarding the musical heritage that preceded them.

Ian ~ Thanks for alerting me to the existence of this Malachi Thompson CD - another one you've persuaded me to buy!
In case you've not heard them I'd recommend a couple more DELMARK albums by trumpeter Roy Campbell('New Kingdom') and saxophonist Zane Massey('Brass Knuckles'). Sadly, Roy Campbell died last January aged 61.

Jazzrook

[Serial_Apologist]

I first heard Miroslav Vitous's Mountain in the Clouds in a record shop back around 1973. I was leafing through the LPs at the time, and when Vitous's solo on track 2 began I stood transfixed, probably for 10 minutes, whereupon someone tapped me on the arm saying, "Excuse me, have you finished here?" I didn't have enough dosh at the time for it and the LP I actually did buy - can't now remember what that was - and have regretted ever since. Nice of someone to post the entire album on utube - here, for lovers (apart from me) of that period of jazz between Coltrane's passing and Bitches Brew, it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF7on0PVgik

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

lovely story S_A i shall listen with interest ....

[Jazzrook]

An overlooked Max Roach album with the great Booker Little & George Coleman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIqF6aAbMWI

[Serial_Apologist]

An overlooked Max Roach album with the great Booker Little & George Coleman:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIqF6aAbMWI

Terrific playing by Booker there, making havoc with the phrase structures and pushing the beat almost like an oncoming Braxton. Kenny Wheeler always says he felt unable to play bebop until Booker's sugested other approaches. You can hear where Kenny got some of his ideas.

(OT: That Booker name - I ask myself whence the derivation)

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

current lobe dope



review by sypatico writer