Still in France... the fleur de lys getting a little tattered... but just happened to carry a stash of music with me... and have access to the net thanks to my hostess and dear old friend Caroline... so some of the show can still roll... rested now and the addictions are tugging... and mellowed after a damn good meal... one of the local specialties: 'Gangster Paté,' (not sure what 'go figure' is in French - if an equivalence exists) followed by an extremely good entrecote steak... yum... but back to the business...
Here's an oddity which I think was snaffled from the late lamented Bus Conductor Hines (those who know... do... those who don't – don't need to...). The late Lucky Thompson (maybe not so Lucky, given his star-crossed life) with Kenny Clarke and Peter Trunk and the inimitable Martial Solal. Recorded in France, 1961... subtle and swinging. Solal has a dry and sly wit... solid old-school bass from Trunk and the elegance of the fountainhead of bebop drums, Monsieur Clarke, who had decamped to France in 1956 or thereabouts... Also: given the circumstances of his life, the title is somewhat (very?) poignant. 'Lord, Lord, am I ever going to know?' (Obituary here...)
More from Thompson as soon as I get back to the U.K. - a truly great player... and another one enscribed on the roll of the mighty who suffered because he was not prepared to take any shit... (This link may still be active... an interview with Thompson... scroll down...).
That's the link Français sorted... on to Cecil Taylor... or rather two of his musicians in a game of tag from a famous concert in Stuttgart in 1978... oddly enough, I have just realised that I was in Stuttgart and environs that year... From the album 'One too salty swift and not goodbye' (answers on a postcard to the critic of your choice), the opening section: Jimmy Lyons,long term stalwart and one of the great post-Bird saxophonists plus Raphe Malik,who is also sadly no longer with us... died earlier this year at the absurdly young age 57... This track acts as an almost gentle intro to the storms to come... of which more soon... two poised and melodic criss-crossings...
To end this brief blog... Bird... I keep coming back to him recently and for the good reason that anyone interested in the musics has to... simple as that. From that famous Jazz at the Phil session, the cross mix of participants proving some point about the continuity of the music... it was always there, just sometimes obscured by factors that I have neither space or energy tonight to analyse or explicate... just dig... sublime...
Necessarily brief this time round... the usual rambling verbal ellipticals back very soon... you lucky people, as the late, great Tommy Trinder used to say... adieu...
Lucky Thompson (soprano & tenor saxophones); Martial Solal (piano); Peter Trunk (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums). Recorded in Paris, France in 1960.
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Lord, Lord; am I ever going to know?
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Jimmy Lyons/Raphe Malik
(Jimmy Lyons: alto saxophone; Raphe Malik: trumpet).
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Duet (One too salty swift etc disc 1)
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Charlie Parker
(Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Bennie Carter: alto saxophone; Flip Phillips, Ben Webster: tenor saxophone; Oscar Peterson: piano; Barney Kessel: guitar; Ray Brown: bass; J. C. Heard: drums).
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What is this thing called love
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4 comments:
I'm enjoying reading your posts Rod. Keep up the fine work.
why... thank you... just arrived back from Frqnce and ready to roll... watch this space...
I found you through my searches on Hype Machine. THANK YOU!!! That's all. :)
Hi Anna... thanks for comment... also note that the longer files I put up probably don't show on Hype Machine... they are also up longer as a rule (unless anyone complains) - the ones on Hype M usually available for a week only
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