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Classic British Modern & Free Jazz Recommendations

Tony L said:
I just took a random punt on this Michael Garrick Septet album (Bandcamp) as it popped up on my Facebook feed. Sounds good from the clips.

PS Flip-back sleeve!
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This could be the real deal and maybe historically significant. Great lineup. Hopefully you'll report back.

The Harry Beckett has a nice glossy, flip-back sleeve too, although the artwork is no award winner. I think Honest Jon's still have a copy.
 
Graham H said:
Roger Smith is a very fine guitarist and was a member of a quiet, some say pointillistic, SME (Spontaneous Music Ensemble) in the late 70s early 80s. I don't know Together Again, but it probably doesn't represent their finest 45 minutes.
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Paul Shearsmith apparently also played in the Spontaneous Music Orchestra (about which I know every little!)
 
Graham H said:
Roger Smith is a very fine guitarist and was a member of a quiet, some say pointillistic, SME (Spontaneous Music Ensemble) in the late 70s early 80s.
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paulfromcamden said:
Paul Shearsmith apparently also played in the Spontaneous Music Orchestra (about which I know every little!)
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I saw the SME but not the 'larger' Orchestra (although the name seemed a bit interchangeable) quite a few times from the late 60's to mid 80's, but I wasn't aware of him. I think I only ever saw Derek Bailey on guitar with them. Is he on any of their recordings?
 
poco a poco said:
I saw the SME but not the 'larger' Orchestra (although the name seemed a bit interchangeable) quite a few times from the late 60's to mid 80's, but I wasn't aware of him. I think I only ever saw Derek Bailey on guitar with them. Is he on any of their recordings?
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Derek Bailey appears on a pair of live (ICA) early 70s SME LPs (and later CDs) on the Emanem label - alongside Evan Parker and Trevor Watts et al. I have the LPs and they are worth hearing.

Roger Smith appears on the Incus SME LP Biosystem. I have that too, and I'd describe it as the most 'lower case' SME I've heard - prescient in many respects. I don't think it has ever appeared digitally, but I could be wrong.

I hate recommending this stuff to people I don't personally know, as I realise it's of very limited appeal. But if you have the ear for it they are important historical recordings.

I didn't realise there was an SMO, but it would make sense I suppose.
 
Graham H said:
Derek Bailey appears on a pair of live (ICA) early 70s SME LPs (and later CDs) on the Emanem label - alongside Evan Parker and Trevor Watts et al. I have the LPs and they are worth hearing.

Roger Smith appears on the Incus SME LP Biosystem. I have that too, and I'd describe it as the most 'lower case' SME I've heard - prescient in many respects. I don't think it has ever appeared digitally, but I could be wrong.

I hate recommending this stuff to people I don't personally know, as I realise it's of very limited appeal. But if you have the ear for it they are important historical recordings.

I didn't realise there was an SMO, but it would make sense I suppose.
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Graham, Yes I wasn't clear I just meant Roger Smith and Paul Shearsmith (Trumpet & Trombone?) I should have said 'them'. I am aware of the Derek Bailey stuff.
 
poco a poco said:
Graham, Yes I wasn't clear I just meant Roger Smith and Paul Shearsmith (Trumpet & Trombone?) I should have said 'them'. I am aware of the Derek Bailey stuff.
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I wasn't sure. You may have even been at the SME ICA recording!

Last time I looked Biosystem was fetching quite high prices, as do most Incus LPs.
 
I've been enjoying flicking through a collection of 25 years of John Fordham's writing for Time Out, The Guardian etc.

I always find it interesting to read contemporary accounts of music and amongst the reports of Dexter Gordon and Lockjaw Davies is a healthy sprinkling of Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, Han Bennink etc from the early 70s onwards.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1856261816/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
There is a M- Biosystem on Discogs for £30 at the moment so not as bad as most of the Incus recordings. I think I posted before about not buying these at the time they came out as there was a great record shop in High Holborn that always had them in the window. At the time I always preferred to see this form of music live rather than buy the Records. Although I have some.

I did see the SME at the ICA a couple of times as well as Bedford College and elsewhere (that I've forgotten), but I don't think I was at the recorded concert, but my memory is not what it was.
 
Bobby Bradford with SME Vols 1 and 2 on Nessa are excellent. John Stevens was an extraordinary person I suspect.
 
@Tony L thanks for that link to Michael Garrick Septet,I just picked up one with 34 now left. That would have sailed past me.

EDIT: the download is great really nicely played.
 
Tony L said:
I just took a random punt on this Michael Garrick Septet album (Bandcamp) as it popped up on my Facebook feed. Sounds good from the clips.

PS Flip-back sleeve!
Click to expand...

claire.foxx said:
@Tony L thanks for that link to Michael Garrick Septet,I just picked up one with 34 now left. That would have sailed past me.

EDIT: the download is great really nicely played.
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Thanks both. Couldn’t resist, especially as it was recorded at what would become young Marchbanks’ stamping ground a decade later. He saw some great jazz there too.
 
Got the Michael Garrick Septet today. Definitely worth having IMO, an interesting snapshot of a seldom captured and underground period of UK jazz. The recording quality is fairly basic mono but it captures a dynamic and driving band, it certainly retains the energy of the performance. A good band for sure. I’ve only played side one once so far, but based on that it’s worth a punt and I can’t see it ever being worth less than the asking price given an issue number of just 350.
 
Graham H said:
Looks like we should be avoiding this one:

https://londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com/2020/09/28/rendell-carr-quintet-live-at-the-union-1966-stamford-audio
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Depends I guess. I'm very happy for private recordings of interesting music to be released - even if the sound quality is less than pristine.

The CD was reasonably well reviewed when it was released ten years ago:
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-a...ell-reel-recordings-review-by-john-kelman.php
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/mar/11/ian-carr-live-at-the-union
 
sideshowbob said:
Tony Oxley put out an excellent cd of electronics on Mark Wastell's Confront label earlier this year: https://www.confrontrecordings.com/tony-oxley-beaming

(I know, not a reissue of an old release, but this seemed like a good place to mention it)
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I enjoyed that one too, but I’m a bit of an Oxley fan. His solo piece recorded live at the Barbican on the Bailey/Oxley CD The Advocate is also stunning.

I was very taken the Tales From Hackney on Confront, Arild Anderson/Clive Bell/Mark Wastell. Not what I was expecting, stretched compositions. Arild on particularly good form and great sound.
 
paulfromcamden said:
Depends I guess. I'm very happy for private recordings of interesting music to be released - even if the sound quality is less than pristine.

The CD was reasonably well reviewed when it was released ten years ago:
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-a...ell-reel-recordings-review-by-john-kelman.php
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/mar/11/ian-carr-live-at-the-union
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I agree, I think LJC is being a bit hard on this one. But he does tend to be a bit binary in his opinions.
 
I really like the Sealed Knot records I've heard. the John Coltrane 50th anniversary CD is great too, Paul Dunmall's Sunship Quartet plus guests. The Confront bandcamp has downloads of lots of the out of print releases, and is a good place to listen to samples.
 
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