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Classic British Modern & Free Jazz Recommendations

The guy behind outernational mans the front of house in Honest Jon’s in Kings X. Also has radio Programme on Tuesday am which I will try and dig up link to. He’s a great enthusiast.

Thanks for that useful info - please do post link to radio show.

HJ did a superb job with the Incus titles, and I’ve got my eye on the latest Savoy Gospel LPs ( esp Vol 1) that they are also involved with. Great shop.
 
One Evan Parker test pressing (edition of 5!) left on Bandcamp here. I very nearly bought two to stick the other in the pfm shop at 3x the price, but I thought of this thread and didn’t!
 
I got around to picking up the reissue of Dudu Phukwana And The Spears on Matsuli Music.

Originally recorded in London in 1968 and only ever released in South Africa in 1969 this is the first reissue. The FT called it "one of the unheralded classics of South African jazz" in a five star review.

To me it sounds a touch more reserved perhaps than the later projects I've heard by Chris McGregor and Louis Moholo but it's uplifting infectious music. Even with the slightly odd hard left/right stereo arrangement!

https://matsulimusic.bandcamp.com/album/dudu-phukwana-and-the-spears
 
Nice review of Evan Parker’ Monoceros Vinyl reissue, a personal favourite of mine. I can’t speak for the quality of the reissue, I haven’t heard it, but I have a test pressing of the original Nimbus direct cut which sounds astonishing. If you haven’t caught up with this ground breaking record yet, then now is the time:

https://thequietus.com/articles/29092-evan-parker-monoceros-reissue-review
Graham I have the reissue and it sounds pretty good to me, but then I don't have an original to compare it with. I have other Nimbus pressings including a reissue of KOB and a few classical direct cuts and these are exceptionally good.
 
I’m sure the original session will have been taped as well as cut direct, so I’m assuming Treader have used tape rather than needle drop. Regardless, an important document IMO.
 
I got around to picking up the reissue of Dudu Phukwana And The Spears on Matsuli Music.

I really like that based on the sound-clips. I’ve just taken a punt, bit of a shock finding the tax wasn’t added so it ends up over £30 landed, but it sounds sufficiently different/its own thing to justify that. Seems to straddle some middle-ground between jazz, ska and Afrobeat, and that’s an interesting location!
 
I really like that based on the sound-clips. I’ve just taken a punt, bit of a shock finding the tax wasn’t added so it ends up over £30 landed, but it sounds sufficiently different/its own thing to justify that. Seems to straddle some middle-ground between jazz, ska and Afrobeat, and that’s an interesting location!

Sorry I should have mentioned the weird tax thing - I got stung too.

I've become really interested in The Blue Notes and various related groups and projects that followed after getting hooked on Louis Moholo's Four/Five Blokes. The history of South African jazz in Britain is a rich seam that I'm only just starting to explore - just a shame so many of the releases are out of print and hard to come by cheaply.

Bandcamp did an article recently on the impact of The Blue Notes on European jazz. It mentions the influence of Kwela and Marabi which I think is partly where the music gets it's distinctive sound. Though again I'm no expert!

Here's Louis Moholo, the last remaining Blue Note, leading the Five Blokes at Bimhuis last year:

 
I've become really interested in The Blue Notes and various related groups and projects that followed after getting hooked on Louis Moholo's Four/Five Blokes. The history of South African jazz in Britain is a rich seam that I'm only just starting to explore - just a shame so many of the releases are out of print and hard to come by cheaply.

I was lucky enough to see Brotherhood of Breath with Evan as guest back in the day, although it was post Mongeza - I would have cherished seeing him play.

I see Louis Moholo’s Spirits Rejoice! has been reissued, an Octet of who’s who from the South African/British Jazz scene at that time. I’ve only heard the Ogun original, but this reissue sounds as if it has been sensitively mastered from the Ogun archive:

https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/shop/louis-moholo-octet-spirits-rejoice-lp/
 
I’m sure the original session will have been taped as well as cut direct, so I’m assuming Treader have used tape rather than needle drop. Regardless, an important document IMO.
Graham, l just checked my reissue copy and it says on the back of the sleeve: "This edition cut by Noel Summerville using high resolutions Records prepared by Colin Young taken from the original metal master". So it would seem this was mastered from a high res digital file derived from the metal master and not an analogue tape copy made at the time of recording.
 
I was lucky enough to see Brotherhood of Breath with Evan as guest back in the day, although it was post Mongeza - I would have cherished seeing him play.

I see Louis Moholo’s Spirits Rejoice! has been reissued, an Octet of who’s who from the South African/British Jazz scene at that time. I’ve only heard the Ogun original, but this reissue sounds as if it has been sensitively mastered from the Ogun archive:

https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/shop/louis-moholo-octet-spirits-rejoice-lp/
I saw them a couple of times in the early seventies with Mongeza, but never with Evan Parker. With Alan Skidmore and Mike Osborn I don't think I saw John Surman with them either who with the previous two is on the first album. I also saw the earlier Chris McGregor Group that had Mongeza, Dudu, Louis and Johnny Dyani on bass and Mike Beer on saxophone.

Pity the vinyl of Spirits rejoice is sold out.

Do either of you know anything about the Heshoo Beshoo Group? There is a reissue of 'Armitage Road' available from the US Bandcamp site with a review on London Jazz News:
https://londonjazznews.com/2020/10/20/the-heshoo-beshoo-group-armitage-road
Clip here.
https://wearebusybodies.bandcamp.com/album/heshoo-beshoo-group-armitage-road
 
Graham, l just checked my reissue copy and it says on the back of the sleeve: "This edition cut by Noel Summerville using high resolutions Records prepared by Colin Young taken from the original metal master". So it would seem this was mastered from a high res digital file derived from the metal master and not an analogue tape copy made at the time of recording.

Interesting info Jim - but my understanding from your quote is that this is a careful AAA needle drop taken from best possible vinyl available. And if it sounds good, then it is good. Originals sell for lots of money these days.
 
Yes it is ambiguous so probably refers to a needle drop from an original vinyl copy although I suppose it would be possible to play the metal mother? I will need to give it a very close further listening.
 
The Dudu Phukwana album linked above turned up today. It’s great! A really interesting album as for me it kind of sets the base from where Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat and even Jit stuff such as the Bhundu Boys, Thomas Mapfumbo etc grew from. It has the same life, upbeat sound and rhythmic aspects but with a bit of almost ska thrown in whilst still remaining largely in a jazz area. Very much its own thing. I notice it was produced by Joe Boyd, who had done the early Barrett-era Floyd singles a year or two previously. It’s a nice production, wide stereo but with a solid centre image (i.e. not ping-pong like Piper & The Gates Of Dawn, early Beatles etc). Sounds great! Not played the out-takes & bits album yet, I’ll get used to the first one before diving in there.
 


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