DON HECKMAN - ED SUMMERLIN IMPROVISATIONAL WORKSHOP "JAX OR BETTOR" (JAZZWORKSHOP, 1965/66]

The leaders of this album were completely unknown to me before I discovered this LP.
Of course the musicians in the rhythm-section are not totally unknown...
Interesting to see the trombonist Bob Norden playing on this mid-sixties recording.
Norden also plays a.o. on Bobby Bradford's and John Stevens' collaboration which was released by Chuck Nessa in 1980.



Don Heckman, alto saxophone
Ed Summerlin, tenor saxophone
Lew Gluckin, trumpet
Bob Norden, trombone
Steve Kuhn, piano
Ron Carter, bass (A1 to B1)
Steve Swallow, bass (B2)
Joe Hunt, drums (A1 to B1)
Joe Cocuzzo, drums (B2)
Lisa Zanda, voice (B2)



A1. Jax or Bettor (Heckman) 10:03
A2. Leisure No. 5 (Summerlin) 6:43
B1. Dialogue (Summerlin) 9:35
B2. Five Haikus (Heckman) 6:36


Tracks A1 to B1: Recorded March, 31 1966 in New York City
Track B2: Recorded September 3, 1965 in New York City


Jazzworkshop JLP 7009 (UK, 1968 - mono)
Originally released in 1967 on Ictus Records (not Andrea Centazzo's label!) Ictus 101 (US - mono)

Carla Bley Band - Live In Berlin 1979

Here is a very well recorded live of the Carla Bley Band in a period that is in my opinion one of the most interesting. There are some great studio recordings of the C.B.B like « European Tour » or « Musique Mecanique ». But the official live in her discography comes later and the music seems more static than on the preview years. Here we have the eccentric approach à la Mingus, some influences of what we can call « popular music » and a fantastic band. High musical quality and fun, here is what we have. Gary Windo who have been under recorded is particularly great here.

01. announcement by Michael Naura

02 Floater

03 Ida Lupino

04 Wrong Key Donkey

05 Dreams So Real

06 Walking Batterie Woman

07 I’m A Mineralist

08 Boo To You Too

09 Musique Mecanique

10 Song Sung Long

Carla Bley - Piano, Vocals, Organ / Gary Windo - Tenor Sax / Carlos Ward - Alto Sax / D. Sharpe - Drums, Vocals / Arturo O’ Farrell - Piano / Gary Valente - Trombone / Michael Mantler - Trumpet / Earl McIntyre - Tuba / Steve Swallow El Bass.

Recorded live in Berlin November 14, 1979

Carla Bley Band - Live in Milan '80

"It doesn't matter what it is. I'm just a person who writes for what it is. It's written for jazz musicians. I don't consider myself a jazz musician at all. I'm not spontaneous. I take a lot of time thinking about everything and when I finally get an idea during a solo, the piece is over. So, I'm really slow. I'm not a jazz musician; I wish I were. I'm just writing for them, as opposed to writing for classical musicians, or as opposed to writing for cabaret or the other things you mentioned. Those are not the people I write for." Carla Bley

Rec. live at "Cineteatro Ciak", Milan, Italy, on November 3,
1980 (mics recording)

Carla Bley,conductor,organ,vocals
Steve Slagle,alto sax,clarinet,vocals
Gary Windo,tenor sax,vocals
Gary Valente,trombone,vocals
Earl McIntyre,bass trombone,vocals
Michael Mantler,trumpet,vocals
Joe Daley,tuba,vocals
Arturo O'Farrill,piano,vocals
Steve Swallow,electric bass,vocals
D.Sharpe,drums,vocals

1. Can't Get My Motor To Start (03:26)
2. 8 1/2 (11:09)
3. Murder (05:08)
4. Copyright Royalties (08:00)
5. 440 (07:48)
6. Unknown (03:56)
7. Very Very Simple [inc.] (06:27)
8. Hot River (08:00)
9. Walking Batterriewoman (06:59)

Total Time 1:00:59

All compositions by C.Bley except 2 [N.Rota]

Very Very Simple (inc.)

The Swallow Quartet - Live in Milan '09

Only an excerpt but, better than nothing...

Rec. live at"Teatro Ventaglio Smeraldo", Milan, Italy,
on September 20, 2009 (radio broadcast)

Steve Swallow,electric bass
Carla Bley,Hammond B3
Chris Cheek,tenor sax
Steve Cardenas,guitar

1. Track #1 (18:54)
2. Track #2 (05:11)
3. Track #3 (07:02)

Total Time 31:08

Carla Bley Big Band "Escalator Over The Hill" - Live in Perugia '98

In 1997, a live version of "Escalator Over The Hill", re-orchestrated
by Jeff Friedman, was performed for the first time in Cologne,
Germany, then, in July 1998, "the Escalator" toured Europe :
this recording was made at the "Umbria Jazz Festival".
In comparison with the original recording, here are missing track 1
"Hotel Overture" and track 19 "Little Pony Soldier".

Rec. live at "Teatro Turreno", Perugia, Italy, on July 13, 1998
(radio broadcast)

Carla Bley,conductor
Paul Haines,narrator
Phil Minton/Lindsey Richardson/Syd Straw/David Moss/Linda Sharrock, vocals
Baikida Carroll/Guy Barker,trumpets
Gary Valente/Richard Edwards/Adrian Lane/Roger Williams,trombones
Wolfang Pusching,alto sax,flute,vocal
Andy Sheppard,tenor sax,vocal
Julian Arguelles,baritone sax,bass clarinet,vocal
Pamela Attariwala,violin
Karen Mantler,keyboards,vocal
Steve Lowther,keyboards
Brad Shepik,guitar
Steve Swallow,electric bass
Dennis Mackrel,drums
Ramesh Shotham,percussion

01. This Is Here... (04:25)
02. Like Animals (01:29)
03. Escalator Over The Hill (05:01)
04. Stay Awake (01:34)
05. Ginger And David/Song To Anything That Moves (04:33)
06. EOTH Theme/Businessmen (04:22)
07. Ginger And David Theme (0:47)
08. Why (02:30)
09. It's Not What You Do (0:21)
10. Detective Writer Daughter (03:35)
11. Doctor Why (01:22)
12. Slow Dance/Smalltown Agonist (06:54)
13. End Of Head (0:57)
14. Over Her Head (02:48)
15. Oh Say Can You Do ? (01:04)
16. Holiday In Risk (03:18)
17. Holiday In Risk Theme (0:52)
18. A.I.R. (All India Radio) (07:08)
19. Rawalpindi Blues (15:59)
20. End Of Rawalpindi (06:53)
21. End Of Animals/...And It's Again (12:00)

Total Time 1:28:01

Reunion of the Jimmy Giuffre Trio - Live Montreal 1991 FM Broadcast

Following the interest in the 1961 Giuffre Trio, I thought it might be appropriatre to bring this one out for an airing.

Jimmy Giuffre/ Paul Bley/ Steve Swallow

Theatre Du Nouveau Monde
Festival International de Jazz de Montreal
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
July 07/1991

Jimmy Giuffre - clarinet
Paul Bley - piano
Steve Swallow - electric bass

Setlist:
1. announcer stage intros (1:43)
2. Sensing (13:56)
3. S.Swallow-solo (1:56)
4. J.Guiffre-solo (2:26)
5. P.Bley-solo (8:08)
6. Turns (8:22)
7. ? (10:28)
8. I Can't Get Started (6:40)
Total Time: 53:42
CBC-CBOF fm "Jazz Sur le Vif" live-to-air '07/07/91

Thirty years on from their groundbreaking trio of the early sixties, this session seems much less iconoclastic and more melodic. Swallow, now playing guitar-like electric bass, gives the band a different dimension. There's a lovely version of the standard "I can't get started" - the sort of thing you wouldn't expect in the 1961 performances. It strikes me as three guys who've done it all and just want to enjoy playing together with old friends.

I don't know what the motivation for reforming was, or why they didn't carry it on for much longer. In fact information on the net about this trio is a bit sparse. It'll be interesting to hear if anyone can shed any light on it.

This was broadcast on a French-Canadian radio station, sound quality is excellent. Thanks to "nocturne" for seeding.
MP3 and flac links in comments.

Jimmy Giuffre Trio (with Paul Bley, Steve Swallow) - Live Austria 1961 (Radio broadcast)

Giuffre's first trio comprised himself, guitarist Jim Hall and a number of different bass players. The bass was subsequently replaced by valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer.

The second trio, of which this recording is an example, was formed in 1961. It has often been described as chamber jazz. Listening to it you can easily imagine that Anthony Braxton might have taken some inspiration from Giuffre's playing. Commercially, they weren't successful. They recorded the excellent album "Free Fall", but disbanded in 1963 after, it is said, that they made only 35 cents each from one gig. They were playing stuff that was year's ahead of what the US audience would listening to. Perhaps if they'd upped sticks and moved to Europe they may have been part of the free jazz scene that developed there in the 60s.

I guess that they each went there separate ways, Guiffre largely to teaching and writing music. The trio reformed briefly in the 1990s and did a European tour, but Parkinson's disease forced Giuffre into retirement.

Jimmy Giuffre/Steve Swallow/Paul Bley
Live at Großer Saal der Arbeiterkammer, Graz/A, October 27,1961

Lineup:
Jimmy Giuffre -cl
Paul Bley -p
Steve Swallow -b

Tracks:
01 ICTUS 3.13
02 RIEF HESITATION 4.56
03 THE GAMUT 5.39
04 STRETCHING OUT 12.33 [aka Suite for Germany]
05 TRANCE 7.28
06 CRY, WANT 10.34
07 CARLA 7.24
08 WHIRRRR 5.47
09 TEMPORARILY 5.41
10 SCOOTIN' ABOUT 7.19
11 THAT'S TRUE, THAT'S TRUE 8.08

Flac and MP3 links in comments. Sound quality is reasonable for a nigh on fifty year old recording. My thanks to seeder.