Lost Soul

Stuff I'm Looking For

2020-12-10T21:35:00.000-05:00

First: If you're promoting Chinese porn sites, please fuck off and die. I don't mean to be that way, but scum like you are ruining the purpose of the web. I'm a big boy -- if I want porn, I'll find it. Please don't post your swill here.

I'm looking for any and all Marvin Peterson. I've got a few (MPS, Berlin, Angels) but really looking for the hard-to-find vinyl. Man! Why is that guy not worshiped!?!?

Art Blakey with John Gilmore. I had it on cassette, but my cassettes were damaged in a flood two years ago.

New adds: Anything on Argo, Xanadu, and heck, let's reiterate, Horo. Also, anything from Nimbus West -- the vinyl stuff especially (I'm happy to give them the money for their discs). In particular, the solo Tapscott LPs and Dadisi Komulafe.

I'm always open to trades (meaning you don't have to post your links) and if you're looking for something, feel free to post it here. If you have digital files but lack a web server (and/or faith in rapidshare and the like), drop me a line.

Wynton Kelly and George Coleman - In Concert

2011-08-12T19:08:00.004-04:00

This is another one I picked up years ago. It's from Jimmy Cobb's tapes, and the sound quality is only fair, but the music is outstanding. No idea why this one has not shown up on CD, but I've been unable to find it. Other material was released from this set, but I don't think it is as good. The band, especially Big George, is in fine form here.

1. On A Clear Day
2. On The Trail
3. Theme

George Coleman - tenor sax
Wynton Kelly - piano
Rob McClure - bass
Jimmy Cobb - drums

Recorded at 'Famous Ballroom', Baltimore Maryland, September 22, 1968.

Affinity AFF 54

Johnny Griffin - A Night In Tunisia (Freedom)

2010-08-22T10:28:00.003-04:00

The companion set to this one, You Leave Me Breathless, surfaced here awhile back. I've search for this for years, finding the odd track showing up on another album, and even an edited version of one track. Here's the full album in it's original needle-drop glory. J-Griff was a badass among the badest, and nowhere is that more evident than here.

All The Things You Are
A Night In Tunisia
Exactly Like You
Indiana
Rhythm-a-ning

Johnny Griffin - tenor sax
Kenny Drew - piano
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - bass
Albert Heath - drums

Recorded March 30/31 in Copenhagen

Freedom 147.308

Charles McPherson - New Horizons

2010-08-22T09:00:00.004-04:00

If you're a hardcore be-bopper, this probably won't suit your fancy quite as well as Live In Tokyo, but if you're a child of that 70s period of Jazz, this is about as good as it gets. Tucker is in top form as a sideman (his strongest role, IMHO) and McBee is unconscious, as usual. This is a great period for McBee, and while maybe a step past prime for Freddie Waits, he's still burning and this is a very solid, straight ahead Jazz date during a period when the rhodes and crossover were favored. McPherson is sort of the forgotten soldier -- no one seems to discuss him much and he's always been under recorded. There are no anthems here, and I won't use the word 'clinic' to describe this music because there is nothing clinical about it (a fault much of the 70s/80s Jazz seems to suffer from). This is honest, productive, interesting and enjoyable Jazz, the way it was intended to be.

Promise
I'll Never Stop Loving You
Night Eyes
Horizons
Samba D'Orfeo
Dee Blues

Charles McPherson - alto sax
Mickey Tucker - piano
Cecil McBee - bass
Freddie Waits - drums

Recorded September 28, 1977

Xanadu 149

Charles McPherson - Live In Tokyo

2010-08-21T23:10:00.005-04:00

FYI: File has been fixed and re-upped.

This is another Xanadu, with similar personnel to the Billy Mitchell date. Again, simple, grooving Jazz. It's hard to go wrong with Barry Harris. There is no new ground broken, but this swings impeccably and there isn't a wasted moment on the date.

Tokyo Blue
East of the Sun
Desafinado
Orient Express
These Foolish Things
Bouncing With Bud

Charles McPherson - alto sax
Barry Harris - piano
Sam Jones - bass
Leroy Williams - drums

Recorded April 14, 1976

Xanadu 131

Billy Mitchell - The Colossus of Detroit

2010-08-21T22:33:00.004-04:00

The sound on this always killed it for me, but my father absolutely loves this record. He's searched in vain for it on CD for years. It's been on my list to digitize, and now, I'm in that mode, so here it be. Killer lineup, and simply a solid Jazz record, in spite of the sound. Can't understand why this stuff hasn't seen the light of day, yet. Micheal Cuscuna, where are you? Track 5 is an understated duet with Harris, but track 6 is absolutely BURNIN'!!!

Recorda-me
I Had The Craziest Dream
I Should Care
Unforgettable
How Am I To Know?
Be My Guest

Billy Mitchell - tenor sax
Barry Harris - piano
Sam Jones - bass
Walter Bolden - drums

Recorded April 18, 1978

Xanadu 158

More Xanadus to come shortly

Max Roach - Chattahoochee Red

2010-08-19T22:25:00.005-04:00

FIXED: The original zip file had an issue with the final track.

And how about this one? Where the hell are you on this one, Columbia? I got this as a cut-out when I was in junior high. Off all the records this band produced, this remains my favorite. Pope is in top form and Max is just, well, Max. Cecil Bridgewater is warm and inviting throughout, even in the many fiery moments, and Calvin Hill has to be one of the all-time under-appreciated bassists. Great tunes, unique arrangements, and the Max factor make this one a must have.

This is also worthwhile for the history lesson associated with the title. During the early 80s, the city of Atlanta, Georgia, was terrorized by the Atlanta Child Murders. Many of the bodies were recovered from the Chattahoochee River, and the title refers to the bloodshed of the victims. After over a year of these vicious serial killings, the police arrested Wayne Williams for the murders. There has been much made (albeit quietly) about his being wrongfully accused, but nothing concrete has ever been released in the national media. I remember it being an issue at the time (even here in the north) because no one could believe that the perpetrator of the heinous crimes could be black. I saw (and still see) it differently. Under the circumstances, I'm not sure how a white person could have gotten away with the continued activities given the heightened sensitivity of the community -- it almost HAD to be a black person. This seems to be a forgotten piece of American history (probably everywhere but Atlanta), and really should not be, because it was a sinister tragedy. Kudos for Max for using his voice to address it.

The Dream/It's Time
I Remember Clifford
Reach For It
Lonesome Lover
Wefé (We-Fay)
Six Bits Blues
'Round Midnight
Red River Road
Giant Steps
Chattahoochee Red

Cecil Bridgewater - trumpet, flugelhorn
Odean Pope - tenor sax, alto flute, oboe
Calvin Hill - bass
Max Roach - drums
Walter Bishop, Jr. - piano (5)

Released 1981

Columbia FC 37376

Charles Lloyd - Montreux 82

2010-08-19T21:42:00.003-04:00

This is simply a fantastic album, and I cannot fathom why it has not be issued on CD, particularly with Lloyd's recent acceptance as an elder statesman. I've searched for years, and finally gave up. I have a nice turntable, but I damaged the stylus moving it last year. Given that I only have a handful of records I need to digitize, I put off replacing it. Well, I started shopping for a USB turntable, and quickly realized that the cost was going to be close to what it would cost to replace my cartridge. As it happens, that was not entirely true, but I was able to find a 'good enough' replacement for about 1/3 the cost thanks to some help from the good folks at Needle Doctor.

This album may contain one of my all-time favorite versions of Bill Evans' Very Early. While not essential, the whole date cooks, and Lloyd is in excellent form.

Introduction
Imke (The Call)
Wind in the Trees
Very Early
Michel
Forest Flower (Sunrise/Sunset)

Charles Lloyd - tenor sax
Michel Petrucciani - piano
Palle Danielsson - bass
Son Ship Theus - drums

Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival, July, 1982

Elektra/Musician 60220-1

Groove Holmes - Good Vibrations (Muse 5167)

2010-08-16T16:29:00.003-04:00

This one showed up awhile back at the Muse blog, but the link has been dead for awhile. I requested a re-up, but I don't think it's an album in high demand, so folks aren't checking the thread. Well, between this and the one above, I decided to get my setup working, and this is the result: a no-frills, good quality, 320 KBPS rip. Sure wish somebody would reissue the originals from master.

Good Vibrations
Do It To It
Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
My One And Only Love
Hackensack

Groove Holmes - organ
Houston Person - tenor sax
Bob DeVos - guitar
Idris Muhammed - drums
Buddy Caldwell - congas

Recorded 12/19/1977
Englewood Cliffs, NJ by Rudy Van Gelder

MR 5167

Some posts to help out the Freedom Records blog

2010-08-03T16:19:00.009-04:00

I just discovered this blog and he was missing some things I have, so I decided to do something about it. These are not the greatest quality, but they're good enough for you to decide to buy them, which I'm certain you will because these are all great music.

First, we have Randy Weston's CARNIVAL. If you need any incentive, how about Billy Harper on tenor and flute, and Don Moye on drums!?!? Add in some Weston tunes as well as a classic Guy Warren tune, and this is a must have. These guys are still kicking, breathing and playing, so please, buy this commercially -- it IS available.

Randy Weston piano
Billy Harper sax
Don Moye drums
Steve Berrios percussion
William Allen bass

1 Carnival (Weston)
2 Introduction (Weston)
3 Tribute to Duke Ellington (Weston)
4 Introduction (Weston)
5 Mystery of Love (Warren)

Since we're talking about Randy Weston, let's also add in Berkshire Blues, a trio date

Randy Weston piano
Vishnu Bill Wood bass (except 4, 5, 6, 7)
Lennie McBrowne drums (except 4, 5, 6, 7)

1 Three Blind Mice (traditional arr. Weston)
2 Perdido (Juan Tizol)
3 Purple Gazelle (D.Ellington)
4 Berkshire Blues (Weston)
5 Lagos (Weston)
6 Sweet Meat (Weston)
7 Ifran (Weston)

and Blues To Africa, a solo set.

Randy Weston piano

1 African Village/Bedford Stuyvesant (Weston)
2 Tangier Bay (Weston)
3 Blues to Africa (Weston)
4 Kasbah Kids (Weston)
5 Uhuru Kwanza (Weston)
6 The Call (Weston)
7 Kucheza Blues (Weston)
8 Sahel (Weston)

Good luck finding this one. I'm not sure where I uncovered it, but the tune Things That Go Bump In The Night once scared me out of my on apartment for the evening... no kidding. Mal Waldron is one of the most under appreciated cats in the history of the music. The fact that Signals is unavailable just proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Mal Waldron, solo piano

And finally, Archie Shepp's Montreaux Two. This contains the definitive version of Along Came Betty, in my opinion.

Archie Shepp, tenor & soprano sax
Charles Majid Greenlee, trombone
Dave Burrell, piano
Cameron Brown, bass
Beaver Harris, drums

1. Steam
2. Along Came Betty
3. Blues For Donald Duck

New Air - Air Show, No. 1 (w/Cassandra Wilson)

2009-04-18T22:28:00.003-04:00

Achtud El Buod (Children's Song)
Don't Drink That Corner My Life Is In The Bush
Air Show
Apricots On Their Wings
Salute To The Enema Bandit
Side Step

Henry Threadgill - reeds, flute, percussion
Cassandra Wilson - vocals
Fred Hopkins - bass
Pheroan Aklaff - drums

Recorded June 2 & 3, 1986

192 KPBS mp3s

A really solid outing. Cassandra Wilson really adds something special to this already powerful band. The music is typical Threadgill, and Wilson blends perfectly into the feel on the three tracks she is on. This was the final Air recording, one of only two that Aklaff is on. If you're familiar with the band, you know what to expect, and you will not be disappointed. If you're not familiar, this is not a bad introduction. Link in comments.

Dorothy Ashby - In A Minor Groove

2009-04-18T22:15:00.003-04:00

Pawky
Moonlight In Vermont
Back Talk
Dancing In The Dark
Charmaine
Jollity
There's A Small Hotel
Rascallity
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
It's a Minor Thing
Yesterdays
Bohemia After Dark
Taboo
Autumn In Rome
Alone Together

Dorothy Ashby - harp
Frank Wess - flute
Herman Wright - bass
Roy Haynes, Art Taylor - drums

Recorded 1958
192 KPBS mp3s

Jazz harp anyone? Seriously, if you're not familiar with this, you've gotta check this out. I knew nothing of Dorothy Ashby when I discovered this. I figured she was a vocalist from the cover, and when I spun it I was totally blown away. Of course, she's surrounded by some heavy hitters, too. It's pretty mellow, but swings like hell anyway. Definitely worth the DL. Link in comments.

J.J. Johnson/Nat Adderley - The Yokohama Concert

2009-04-18T22:04:00.003-04:00

Disc 1
1. Horace
2. Cyclops
3. Why Not
4. Splashes
5. It Happens
6. Work Song

Disc 2
1. Walkin'
2. Jevin
3. Lament
4. Hummin'
5. Melodee

Recorded 1977, Yokohama, Japan

J.J. Johnson - trombone
Nat Adderley - cornet
Billy Childs - rhodes
Tony Dumas - bass
Kevin Johnson - drums

192 KPBS mp3s

No huge ground broken here, but it sure is fun to hear Nat and J.J. work with a Rhodes. Solid 70s stuff, much more listenable than most of the electric stuff from the 70s.

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet plus John Scofield - Live at Montmartre

2009-04-18T10:42:00.003-04:00

Live at Montmartre

1. I.J.
2. Flame Games
3. Well, I Guess We'll Never Know
4. Forever Lovers
5. Song Everlasting

George Adams - tenor sax
Don Pullen - piano
John Scofield - guitar
Cameron Brown - bass
Dannie Richmond - drums

Recorded live at Montmartre, 1985

192 KBPS mp3s

I'm not a huge Scofield fan, nor electric guitar fan really, but this is a solid outing. It seems to mold together the energetic music that was the trademark of the quartet with the more commercially accessible music of John Scofield. There's plenty of energy in this loose, dirty set. Dannie Richmond fires throughout, and it's a good listen. Link in comments.

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Live at The Village Vanguard, Vol. 1

2009-04-18T10:35:00.003-04:00

Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1

1. The Necessary Blues
2. Solitude
3. Intentions
4. Diane

George Adams - tenor sax
Don Pullen - piano
Cameron Brown - bass
Dannie Richmond - drums

Recorded 1983, NYC

192 KBPS mp3s

This is not the quartet's best record, but at the same time, it' representative of a good show for them. I was somewhat disappointed when I saw them live. The studio albums all seemed to have two killer tracks, and three that were either middle-of-the-road or dogs. They did the same thing live. However, when they were on, they were on. Still, I find when I go back and listen to this group now, there was more happening than I was aware of at the time (cut me some slack, I was a teenager). Link in comments.

Why You Gotta Play Me Like That?

2008-05-11T20:47:00.006-04:00

I'm just curious why some bloggers feel the need to be tyrannical assholes. There's a popular blog where someone posted something -- attempting to share -- that, evidently without his knowledge, had actually originated on that blog. The offending poster apologized, explaining he'd gotten the files from a friend (I've done that -- most of us have). In response, the blog host threw a profanity-laced mini-tantrum. Why be an asshole about it? The guy made a mistake. This host is one of the same folks who pisses and moans about the way people treat him as a blogger. Perhaps he reaps what he sews. I just don't understand the need people have to be this way. Those of us into this music make up about 2% of the listening population; can't we get along and not act like we're all in high school over silly shit like this? Sad, O.J.... sad.

Jazz in the Media

2008-04-27T10:12:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Herbie Hancock on his recent Grammy... seriously. It's an achievement and I applaud his incorporation of Joni Mitchell's music... really. CBS Sunday morning just did a segment on Herbie, again congrats. Next week, they'll do yet another feature on Quincy Jones. Nothing against these guys, but they're basically the walking dead of this music (Herbie less than Quincy). Quincy has been less about Jazz than about production for years.

CBS Sunday Morning tapes in New York. New York is the home to Billy Harper, William Parker, Rob Brown, Dick Griffin -- all survivors. Or even young guns like Potter, Turner and McHenry. While not my bag, they certainly bring a fresher voice to the table than Hancock or Jones these days.

How 'bout Chicago? Ari Brown, Kahil El Z'abar, Hamid Drake, Fred Anderson, Ernest Dawkins... heck, how 'bout Von Freeman or even Eric Alexander? Point is, this music has an audience and it would be a larger one of they'd get some exposure (can you resist El Z'abar's One World Family!?!??).

So while I'll congratulate Herbie and Quincy, particularly Herbie's comment that his Grammy, "is good for Jazz," I have to give both failing marks for failing to seize the opportunity to point the world to other aspects of this great music. As Z'abar says in the lyrics to One World Family, "This generation's too busy thinking about themselves...." I don't expect Herbie to shoulder this burden on his own -- that's not his job. But many years ago, a famous, respected musician let Herbie earn his shot. It's time to pay back, Herbie.

Archie Shepp - Jazz A Confronto

2008-03-27T21:22:00.003-04:00

By request. This is THE Shepp Quintet, from a great period. Unfortunately, this was digitized from the LP, and from the file size, I'm guessing it was mono. I'm not sure why, but if I recall, the reason was something to do with my turntable outs malfunctioning. Anyway, here it is.

It's two long tunes, one soprano, one tenor. Then tenor cut, Lybia, is simply awesome. Shepp is in top form, wailing and crying with some of his fiercest energy on record. At one point early in Shepp's 14-minute solo, Cameron Brown actually drops out -- it burns that much. All the Horos are OOP, though some of them are available from old stock. I've queried the founder of Horo about the plausibility of any of this stuff being reissued on CD. He informed me that there were no plans to do that. Hopefully, someone will buy him out and do just that!

1. Lybia
2. My Heart Cries Out To Africa

Rome, Italy, September 28, 1975

Archie Shepp - tenor sax, soprano sax
Charles Majid Greenlee - trombone
Dave Burrell - piano
Cameron Brown - bass
Beaver Harris - drums

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Earth Beams

2008-03-09T16:01:00.004-04:00

For this generally upbeat session -- recorded in Holland -- Adams is joined by co-leader and longtime colleague pianist Don Pullen, and is backed by drummer Dannie Richmond and bassist Cameron Brown. Richmond spurs the saxophonist on, while Brown strikes hard in support, resulting in some strong solos by Adams on tenor sax. Adams seems to glide effortlessly up and down his horn, his patented licks never tiresome. Most of the original tunes are blowing vehicles, which work well with the superb talent represented here. Pullen is more pensive than usual, but always effective. The lyrical flute work by Adams is a pleasure, but it lacks the verve of his saxophone playing. Some of the best moments come from the interaction between Pullen and Adams, whose legacies left an indelible imprint on late 20th century jazz. ~ Steven Loewy, All Music Guide

1. Earth Beams
2. Magnetic Love Field
3. Dionysus
4. Saturday Nite In The Cosmos
5. More Flowers
6. Sophisticated Alice

George Adams - tenor sax, flute
Don Pullen - piano
Cameron Brown - bass
Dannie Richmond - drums

Recorded August 3-5, 1980

George Adams Quintet - Paradise Space Shuttle

2008-03-09T15:41:00.002-04:00

This was my first George Adams record, and from the first needle drop, I hated it. I wouldn't even give it a second chance. Then my father played it on his system and I heard it for the first time. Half the record is quirky to fair; half is outstanding. Adams fiery tenor receives admirable support from the highly underrated and under appreciated Rahn Burton (credited here as Ron Burton). Don Pate is on bass, and Al Foster has the same zing he carries on Abbey Lincoln's People In Me. Azzedin Weston rounds out the band with miscellaneous percussion. The opening track is a burner, and Adams sets the tone for the rest of the record. Track 2, Send in the Clowns, is one of the prettiest ballads I've ever heard Adams do. Track 3 is the first version of this tune I ever heard, it may be the first recorded version. Adams and Foster do the Coltrane and Elvin thing. The title track aims for Interstellar Space, but misses. City of Peace is Burton's contribution, and but for a few moments, seems to fill out the album's time requirements. The album's funky closer would be okay, but just lasts too damned long.

1. Intentions
2. Send In The Clowns
3. Metamorphosis For Mingus
4. Paradise Space Shuttle
5. Invisible Funk-a-Roonie-Peacock

George Adams - tenor sax, flute, vocals
Rahn Burton - piano
Don Pate - bass, electric bass
Al Foster - drums
Azzedin Weston - percussion

Recorded December 21, 1979

Abraham Burton/Yousuke Inoue - Drifting Inward

2008-03-09T12:55:00.005-04:00

This is OOP. If you're unfamiliar with Burton, you need to fix that. James Carter is on three cuts here and Burton acquits himself very well.

www.indiejazz.com says:
In 2000 Yosuke Inoue made a second album as a leader with Abraham Burton entitled Drifting Inward for M&I Records. Together, Burton and Inoue toured the world.

There is little about this record on the web. Little is needed. It's a strong outing, heavy on the young-lion sax work. Also recommended from Burton (and still in print) are Cause and Effect with Eric McPherson and Horace Tapscott's Aiee! The Phantom.

1. Pithecanthropus Erectus
2. Rio
3. Salsamba
4. Just The Two Of Us
5. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
6. Drifting Inward
7. On A Clear Day
8. A Song For My Teacher
9. Just Friends
10. Dad

Abraham Burton - alto sax, tenor sax
James Carter - ts (4, 5, 9)
James Hurt - p
Yousuke Inoue - b
Eric McPherson - dr

Recorded February 22-23, 1998

Yusef Lateef - The Last Savoy Sessions

2008-02-27T14:38:00.003-05:00

AMG says:

These pivotal sessions for Lateef and his Detroit-based groups comprise some of his most important music recorded for the Savoy label. This double CD set consists of complete albums The Dreamer and The Fabric of Jazz. (1959) and Jazz & The Sounds of Nature and Prayer to the East (1957) as well as a bonus cut. CD one is from the 1959 date, and contains some true Lateef classics like the slow swing of "Oboe Blues" and the bright, uppity waltz of "Valse Bouk." The 1957 dates on Disc Two show Lateef and Harden more focused and together or contrary and conversational. "8540 12th St." showcases the two horns mostly listening and spontaneously responding with some unison added on this classic hard bopper, Harden's poignant one note preludes on his solo are unique as an organist might play it. The Prayer to the East session includes the easy blues swing of the title cut, with Lateef's flute invoking Arabic inflections. Others from The Sounds of Nature are the Afro-Cuban to swing-beated "Check Blues" with unusual harmonics from overblown flute or stabbing flugelhorn notes, and the 6/8 one-note bass (or rabat) foundation for "Gypsy Arab," a flute/percussion processional with gong coda. This is a welcome reissue, as it puts the final stripe on Lateef's prolific music for Savoy prior to his more commercialized outings for Atlantic proper. It's some of his more profound, definitve work and is easily worthy of a hearty and universal high recommendation, especially a must buy for those new to Lateef's musings.

I say:

Yusef is one of the most underrated guys out there. Some of the most soulful and long-lasting ideas of the period. He had a big, bold sound, and a strut in his playing. It's a pity he's not a household name -- he deserves better. One of the reasons he's so unknown is he's still alive, thus some sort of unspoken threat to the bullshit musical establishment. No matter, check these out. You'll buy them if you do, as the sound quality here is mid-tier at best (160KPBS).

Equal Time Live at the 2007 Telluride by the Sea Film Festival

2008-01-25T07:32:00.000-05:00

Equal Time was chosen to play the opening of the Telluride by the Sea Film Festival in Portstmouth, NH. Drummer Rob Duquette subbed for Mike Walsh, and it gave the band a different feel. Midway through the last song, one of the festival attendees walked between the band and the stanchions, kicking the recorder and ending the recorded part of the session. People are sometimes very careless.

Track List

1. Aquarian Sound
2. Greetings to Idris
3. Tell Your Ride
4. Traveler of Tomorrow
5. With a Little Help From My Friends

Tim Webb - bass
Rob Duquette - drums
Thom Keith - saxophones

Recorded at the Portsmouth Music Hall, September 21, 2007

3/4 Time at the Barley Pub

2008-01-24T19:46:00.000-05:00

Recorded at a show when the bassist was injured and couldn't play. The band attempted to replace him with a keyboard player the day of the show. He confirmed, but two hours before the show had come down with a powerful winter illness. So this is a, largely improvised, trombone, sax and drums set. Some of it works, some if doesn't, all of it is real and energetic.

Track List

Set 1

1. With a Little Help From My Friends
2. Sunday Song for a Swollen Wrist
3. India
4. Song For Jesus
5. Zombie

Set 2

6. My One and Only Love
7. Equinox
8. 3-D Family
9. Suite:
a. Yearning
b. Mr. Dawkins
c. Skwalkin'
d. Pursance: A Love Supreme
10. Fables of Faubus
11. African Sunshine
12. Iron Man
13. Epilogue

Mike Walsh - drums
Derek Kwong - trombone
Thom Keith - saxophones

Recorded December 2, 2007 at The Barley Pub, Dover, NH.

What Is Avant Coast?

2008-01-24T19:14:00.000-05:00

This is the Avant Coast Sampler, music recorded at live shows in 2007. Five of the six tunes were recorded at Lotus Rising Belly Dancing Studio in Rollinsford, NH, the sixth at The Barley Pub in Dover, NH. This music features a cross-section of musicians and styles who have performed as part of the series. The disc was produced with the notion that it would distributed freely, and listeners encouraged to copy the disc and redistribute it. The jury is still out on whether or not that was successful, but this particular disc is no longer in print. So have it, and please, burn a copy and then distribute a copy, the link, whatever, but this music *has* to circulate if it is to survive. For more on Avant Coast, check the link in the links section.

The Music
1. Pangea - Langley/O'dell
Tim O'dell - soprano sax; Matt Langley - tenor sax; Jim Lyden - bass; Luther Gray - drums
Recorded March 30, 2007 at Lotus Rising

2. Lotus Risen - Tim Webb
Tim Webb - acoustic bass
Recorded May 24, 2007 at Lotus Rising

3. Yard Dog - Kohlhase/Langley/Gray
Charlie Kohlhase - alto sax; Matt Langley - tenor sax; Luther Gray - drums
Recorded February 23, 2007 at Lotus Rising

4. Set Closer: Untitled Improvisation - Effenberger/Walsh/Phaneuf
Mike Effenberger - keyboards; Mike Walsh - drums; Nick Phaneuf - guitar

5. Summer Vegetable Soup - Out Of Boundaries
Richard Gardzina - tenor sax; Matt Langley - soprano sax; Thom Keith - baritone sax; Tim Webb - bass; Rob Duquette, Luther Gray - drums
Recorded June 22, 2007 at Lotus Rising

6. The Spirit Grows From Within - Equal Time
Derek Kwong - trombone; Thom Keith - saxophones; Tim Webb - bass; Mike Walsh - drums
Recorded July 8, 2007 at the Barley Pub

Equal Time: We Wake

2008-01-14T13:25:00.000-05:00

Equal Time's first "release"... titled "the basement tapes". The recording quality is less-than-stellar, but this is what the band sounded like prior to adding trombonist Derek Kwong.

The tunes are a combination of free improvisations and works in progress. This disc was created to be sold at live shows, and is no longer in production.

Equal Time
We Wake

1. Warm Up
2. Sound Song
3. Six Over Two
4. Road Trip

Thom Keith - saxophones
Tim Webb - bass
Mike Walsh - drums

Download here

Clifford Jordan Quartet - Live at the Hasty Pudding Club, Cambridge, MA

2008-01-13T21:01:00.000-05:00

Recorded October 18, 1982

Clifford let us record this; I was 12. The band was awesome and the house was full. Among those in the audience: Steve Schwarz (WGBH), Alan Dawson, and John Lockwood. This was one of the first bands I saw (prior to this I'd seen George Coleman with Terri-Lynne Carrington at this venue, and Art Farmer at a local high school). Anyway, this is a nostalgic set for me, but it's great music. I sent Clifford the tapes, but he felt the sound quality was too low to be released. When I digitized it, it was in the early days of the technology and the results were somewhat sketchy. In the interim, my tape player died and I just don't care to pay to replace it, so I haven't redone these yet. Still, the music is great.

Clifford Jordan Quartet
Live at the Hasty Pudding Club
Cambridge, MA
October 18, 1982

First Set

1. Invitation
2. Confirmation
3. Blue And Boogie
4. I'll Be Around
5. Evidence
6. Be- Bop

Second Set

1. The Way You Look Tonight*
2. Woody'n You
3. Hot House
4. Lush Life
5. Moose The Mooch
6. The Highest Mountain

Clifford Jordan - tenor sax
John Hicks - piano
Jamil Nasser - bass
Vernell Fournier - drums

*requested by John Lockwood

Download first set here
Download second set here

Louis Hayes Group: Variety Is The Spice

2008-01-13T20:45:00.000-05:00

Dusty Groove's Review:

An incredibly soulful album -- vastly overlooked, but one of our favorites of the 70s! The set is one of the few ever cut as a leader by drummer Louis Haynes -- a wonderful player who's best known for his classic work with Horace silver -- but who's working here with a superb group of his own, one that includes Frank Strozier on flute and alto, Harold Mabern on piano, and Cecil McBee on bass. All players are completely wonderful -- especially the team of Strozier and Mabern, who work here with the soulful power of their best pairings from the time. And an added bonus to the set is vocalist Leon Thomas, who guest stars on two great tracks -- "Little Sunflower" and "Nisha" -- and delivers some of his only good work of the late 70s! The album's got a version of Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower" that's worth the price of the record alone, as it's one of of Thomas' best recordings ever, and an essential chapter in his career. Other tracks include "What's Going On", "Kelly Colors", and "Nisha". (Original pressing. Cover has a large name in pen on front & back, and notes on back.)

And Scott Yanow Says:

Although best known for his work as a valuable sideman, drummer Louis Hayes has led some stimulating sessions of his own through the years. This somewhat obscure but valuable LP is most notable for featuring the unique singer Leon Thomas on "Little Sunflower" and "Nisha" and for giving ample solo space to underrated altoist Frank Strozier, who doubles here on flute. With keyboardist Harold Mabern, bassist Cecil McBee and a couple of percussionists rounding out the group, Hayes leads his band through a diverse set that includes "Stardust," "What's Goin' On," "Invitation" and "My Favorite Things." Excellent, advanced straight-ahead music.

I Say:

I bought this record for $.99 at Loony Tunes in Boston when I was a kid. I waited for it for years, finally gave up and digitized it. It was released on CD about a week later. The problem: they did the same thing I did -- digitized an LP. This isn't a great record, but half of it is very good. Strozier is in fine form and the band has an energy which I find missing in modern music. Sorry about the quality of the pictures, I used a digital camera -- hand held... it shows. If you are a fan of Mabern, McBee, Strozier or Hayes, you know exactly what to expect of this record.

The Louis Hayes Group
Variety Is The Spice
Gryphon G-787

1. Kelly Colors
2. Little Sunflower
3. Stardust
4. What's Goin' On
5. Invitation
6. Nisha
7. My Favorite Things
8. Dance With Me
9. A Hundred Million Miracles

Louis Hayes - drums
Frank Strozier - alto sax, flute
Harold Mabern - acoustic piano, electric piano
Cecil McBee - bass
Portinho - percussion
Titos Sompa - congas
Leon Thomas - vocal

Download here

Equal Time live at the Barley Pub: The Superbowl Session

2007-07-01T22:13:00.000-04:00

For the RPM Challenge 2007, Equal Time opted to record a live show to submit. The vast majority of the material was original, much of it freely improvised. Because of the sound, this recording was only released for the purposes of the challenge. It's a high energy set and Kwong and Webb are in particularly fine form on this set.

Some Busking Tapes from Summer 2006

2007-07-01T22:02:00.000-04:00

The Wire Magazine, to promote the RPM Challenge had a huge busking day which was subsequently rained out. The following day was the rain day, but not everyone was able to make it. Such was the case for part of this recording as the saxophonist was working alone. The folks at The Wire wanted the musicians to understand that busking was legal in Portsmouth, NH, and really pushed them to continue doing it. So, this tandem did so on another Saturday later during the Summer.

Eddie Gale & Dick Griffin with Equal Time (4 of 4)

2007-06-17T19:02:00.000-04:00

The last set of the two nights. The head on the last track is WICKED sloppy, but the solos are rockin'.

Eddie Gale & Dick Griffin with Equal Time (3 of 4)

2007-06-17T18:53:00.000-04:00

The shows the first night were recorded without rehearsal. The shows the second night were much stronger, even though the audience was appreciably smaller.

Some links of interest:
Eddie Gale
Dick Griffin
Equal Time
Mike Walsh
Tim Webb
Thom Keith

Eddie Gale & Dick Griffin with Equal Time (2 of 4)

2007-06-17T18:48:00.000-04:00

Put a few trombonists together and the talk will inevitably come around to mouthpieces and multiphonics. Dick Griffin is one of the most respected players of the long brass horn whose employers include dozens of big names in jazz. He is considered one of the greats at producing multiphonics and has most likely created lots of new conversational material for his colleagues by inventing a playing technique he calls "circularphonics." The bright sound of Griffin, lavishly rich in overtones, is most often associated with Rahsaan Roland Kirk's classic albums on Atlantic; the trombonist has also produced several albums as a bandleader in which the collaboraters include the mighty multi-instrumentalist Sam Rivers.

He was born James Richard Griffin, grew up in the heart of the Mississippi Delta and recalls a neighborhood bluesman who called himself Mr. Jesse as a major early inspiration. Griffin began piano studies at age 11 but found the trombone a more appropriate choice with which to enlist in the high-school marching band several years later. By the time he was in junior college he had branched out into arranging, possibly as a way of scoring more solo space for himself. Griffin began gigging professionally as a teenager, handling both piano and trombone in various local clubs where one of his schoolboy musical partners was the patient drummer Freddie Waits. Griffin also sang in a doo wop group during his early years.

Graduating in 1963, Griffin began teaching high school and worked on his master's degree in trombone. He met Sun Ra in Chicago and while the promised trip to outer space never came about, it was certainly an auspicious and influential meeting. Griffin spent many a summer in the '60s on tour with Sun Ra's Arkestra and thereby began his career in modern jazz as a sideman of note. Kirk came into his orbit soon thereafter, Griffin relocating to New York City and making his recording debut on Kirk's brilliant album for Atlantic entitled The Inflated Tear. Griffin made nine albums with Kirk, not counting the posthumously released collections, and was an important part of the Kirk combo known as the Vibration Society. In the '70s, the trombonist played with Charles Mingus and spent three years as part of the house band at Harlem's Apollo Theater, backing up just about every R&B great in the process.

The Eighth Wonder, Griffin's debut as a leader, was released in 1974 on Strata East Records. While multiphonics, the art of playing more than one note at once on a horn, was directly inspired by Kirk's playing abilities, Griffin's "circularphonics" actually combines multiphonics with circular breathing, another favorite subject of musicians whose instruments are placed between their lips. Griffin has alternative ways of passing hot air, so to speak, including writing a piece for symphony orchestra, the "World Vibration Suite." It was premiered by the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra in the '80s and was later reworked on a Griffin recording. His own group headlining at several major jazz festivals in the '90s, Griffin has also enjoyed the reissue of several of his out of print recordings as a leader. His excellent paintings are sometimes used for cover art on his own releases such as A Dream for Rahsaan. (biography by Eugene Chadbourne for www.allmusic.com)

This is the music from the second set, October 2, 2006, as Dick and Eddie Gale joined Equal Time on stage at Railroad Square.

Equal Time with Eddie Gale & Dick Griffin (1 of 4)

2007-06-17T15:58:00.000-04:00

Having developed his skills amongst the cream of New York's hard bop players, Eddie Gale helped ring in jazz's controversial new thing during the 1960s and 1970s on a series of influential releases. His inspired trumpet playing graced Cecil Taylor's Unit Structures, Larry Young's Of Peace and Love and a series of recordings and performances with Sun Ra's Arkestra. He also cut a pair of under-acknowledged soul-jazz influenced albums as a leader for Blue Note at the end of the '60s.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1941, Eddie Gale experienced the world of jazz firsthand through the borough's community of jazz musicians. The great bebop pianist Bud Powell lived nearby and occasionally stopped outside the young musician's house to hear him practice. Gale received lessons from trumpeter Kenny Dorham and before long was sitting in on jam sessions with the likes of drummers Art Blakey and Max Roach and saxophonists Illinois Jacquet, Sonny Stitt, and Jackie McLean. During these years, Gale absorbed the styles of the trumpet greats from pioneers like Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie to hard bop practitioners like Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, and Freddie Hubbard. Though these musicians made a lasting impression, Gale came of age during the dawn of jazz's new thing. John Coltrane's 1965 album Ascension heralded the arrival of a new generation of players like Eric Dolphy, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, and Pharoah Sanders. The new sounds made a strong impression on the young musician. Though he never recorded with the great tenor saxophonist, Gale had the privilege of sharing the stage with Coltrane on a number of occasions.

In the early '60s, Gale (then in his early twenties) was introduced to composer, keyboardist, and intergalactic bandleader Sun Ra. Gale toured and recorded with Ra's Arkestra throughout the '60s and '70s and remained in touch with Ra until his death in 1993. Ra's perplexing tutelage extended from practical musical instruction to lessons on subjects like Egyptology, Phonetics, and Hieroglyphics. Gale's trumpet can be heard on the Arkestra's 1965 recording Secrets of the Sun.

The year that followed was a major breakthrough for Gale. Cecil Taylor brought the trumpeter on board for the recording of the pianist's classic Blue Note debut Unit Structures. As a part of a seven-piece ensemble, Gale played alongside alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, bassist Henry Grimes, and drummer Andrew Cyrille: some of the finest proponents of the developing free jazz. Following the date with Taylor, Gale joined organist Larry Young's group for the recording of Of Love and Piece. Besides having a direct impact on his developing sound, the recordings won the trumpeter an admirer in Blue Note co-founder Francis Wolff, who funded the release of Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music (1968) and Black Rhythm Happening (1969). For the sessions, Gale assembled a sextet and nonet respectively, the latter of which included the great Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones and the soprano saxophone of Jimmy Lyons. On both dates, the ensemble was joined by an 11-piece vocal group dubbed the Noble Gale Singers. Combining the bebop and hard bop of his early teachers, the avant-garde sensibilities acquired from Taylor and the soul-jazz fire of Young, Gale's music expertly bridged the gap between long-standing jazz traditions and the newer styles that attempted to shatter them. Unfortunately, with the transition of Blue Note into the hands of Liberty records, Gale's contract was not renewed, thus ending a potentially fruitful partnership.

At the start of the '70s, Gale headed for the West Coast where he eventually settled, connecting with a community of musicians in and around the California Bay Area. Following a brief stint as Artist in Residence at Stanford University, the trumpeter took the same position at the university in San Jose. As a result of his work within the city's musical community, Mayor Norm Mineta proclaimed Gale San Jose's Ambassador of Jazz in 1974.

Gale continued to perform and record with Sun Ra during the decade, playing on a series of late-'70s albums including Lanquidity, The Other Side of the Sun (both 1978), and On Jupiter (1979). Though the trumpeter released few of his own albums in the decades that followed, his creative spirit remained undiminished. In the 1990s, Gale formed the Inner Peace Jazz Orchestra which performed at the Concert for World Peace. Helping to bring jazz into the 21st century, the trumpeter made numerous appearances with Oakland hip-hop outfit the Coup, whereby Gale's trumpet could be heard engaging with the music's breakbeats and turntables. (biography by Nathan Bush, www.allmusic.com)

Gale and Dick Griffin joined Equal Time, one of the northeast's busiest avant garde Jazz groups for two nights in October, 2006. Part one of four is available here.