‘Rawness, freedom, experimentation’: the Brit jazz boom of the 60s and 70s

[eighthobstruction]

.....https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...n-tony-higgins

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

.....https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...n-tony-higgins

"Rawness, Experimentation"...and that was just the food from my memory. Although at the Old Place it was brought from the Chinese restaurant over the road. And very welcome too. Intermission record, Archie Shepp, "New thing at Newport". That dates it.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

From Simon Spillett's blog, which is well worth reading more generally...
"Fast-forward a decade and a half and we have Journeys in Modern Jazz: Britain (1965-72) which includes a good three quarters of Higgins’ selections for the never-released Impressed 3 plus a whole lot more, spread over two carefully (one might even say artfully) programmed discs, creating a collection that has some history too, to go along with its many echoes and shadows. The chosen names in themselves tell as story; Kenny Wheeler, Don Rendell, John Surman, John Warren, Michael Garrick, Mike Westbrook, Stan Tracey, Neil Ardley, Alan Skidmore, Dick Morrissey, Mike Taylor, Mike Gibbs – all key figures. But what about those who aren’t here? Some omissions, some mistakes, surely? Where, you might wonder, is Tubby Hayes or, for that matter, the Don Rendell-Ian Carr Quintet, vital shapers in the style and sound of British jazz at this time?..." Good piece.

[Bryn]

.....https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...n-tony-higgins

Ah, the 'safe' version of ‘Rawness, freedom, experimentation'. No mention of the 1965 formation of the trio of Lou Gare and Keith Rowe of the then Mike Westbrook Band plus Eddie Prevost under the name AMM. They were soon joined by Lawrence Sheaf and then Cornelius Cardew and were surely far more representative of the characteristics, ‘Rawness, freedom, experimentation’. Then there's was the likes of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, too, also not mentioned. Where are informed jazz commentators llke Victor Schonfield when you need them?

[eighthobstruction]

....ah well some people are just caught on the hop; with their trosers down....I think they were wanting to play jazz....unconcocted jazz....

[Serial_Apologist]

Gosh I thought there must be yet another book out on that period in British jazz.

[teamsaint]

Gosh I thought there must be yet another book out on that period in British jazz.

Can’t have enough of those babies…..

[Ian Thumwood]

Most of these musicians went on to develop long careers and reinforced the impression that good quaity jazz is a marathon and not a sprint. I think a problem today is the media's requirement for the "new" with the consequence that musicians are discarded by the press as soon as the next new thing comes along. It strikes me that we are particularly bad at this in the UK where jazz is either "contemporary" or took place between 1955- 1970. Quite staggering to count the number of British jazz musicians whose stock and profile has dminished over the last 40 years as the press has lost interest. Telling that The Guardian should revisit this particular generation of British musicians whose reputations are meritted but perhaps lose interest in those players emerging in the 1980s onwards. It is as if these players have not produced a legacy.

[Serial_Apologist]

Most of these musicians went on to develop long careers and reinforced the impression that good quaity jazz is a marathon and not a sprint. I think a problem today is the media's requirement for the "new" with the consequence that musicians are discarded by the press as soon as the next new thing comes along. It strikes me that we are particularly bad at this in the UK where jazz is either "contemporary" or took place between 1955- 1970. Quite staggering to count the number of British jazz musicians whose stock and profile has dminished over the last 40 years as the press has lost interest. Telling that The Guardian should revisit this particular generation of British musicians whose reputations are meritted but perhaps lose interest in those players emerging in the 1980s onwards. It is as if these players have not produced a legacy.

This problem of jazz-related ageism really emerged in the late 1980s, and only appears to have emerged recently due to the music's media profile having been pushed into the background.

[kernelbogey]

Slightly off topic, admitedly, but worthy of a mention on the Forum, a 4-CD + book memoir of Chris Barber's career:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/aug/21/chris-barber-a-trailblazers-legacy-last-music-review