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Jazz Consumer Guide (12):
Surplus

This is the surplus file for Jazz Consumer Guide #12. These are short reviews of records that for one reason or another have been dropped from active consideration while working on this column. These reviews will be published in the blog when the column comes out.

Omer Avital Group: Room to Grow (1997 [2007], Smalls): The second volume of archival tapes from the Israeli bassist's long residence at Smalls, a legendary NYC afterhours club, where he held a long residence riding herd over a bunch of tough young saxophonists: Greg Tardy, Grant Stewart, Charles Owens, Myron Walden, names worth looking out for. B+(***)

Serge Chaloff: Boston Blow-Up! (1955 [2006], Capitol Jazz): The ill-fated baritone saxophonist's masterpiece was Blue Serge (1956), an elegant quartet where everything goes right. This earlier sextet is much sloppier but nearly as impressive -- the three horns achieving a balance of raw power and feather light touch that producer Stan Kenton often aimed for and rarely achieved. A-

Conjure: Bad Mouth (2005 [2006], American Clavé, 2CD): Long after two '80s albums, another helping of Ishmael Reed texts, read by the man over Kip Hanrahan's music. The first was called Conjure: Music for the Texts of Ishmael Reed, the title becoming a virtual group of sorts. I dig the concept, admire the man, only wish the music was a bit better -- especially from what looks on paper to be a Latin percussion dream team. Only David Murray truly rises to the occasion. B+(**)

Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid: The Exchange Session Vol. 2 (2005 [2006], Domino): Enough of a fall-off this didn't quite merit an Honorable Mention to go along with Vol. 1's A-. Same ideas, but some experiments works better than others. B+(**)

Jay McShann: Hootie Blues (2006, Stony Plain): Last album by the Kansas City bandleader, who lasted way beyond his standard 15 minutes of fame, reinventing himself as one of the last whorehouse piano players and surviving Ralph Sutton to claim the title. Seems like a typical album, but worth a spin when you read his obit. B+(**)

Harry Miller's Isipingo: Which Way Now (1975 [2006], Cuneiform): A sextet, half South African exiles, half English avants, roaring through a 75-minute Radio Bremen air shot. Trombonist Nick Evans is especially noteworthy, and Keith Tippett's piano get a good airing out, but most of the interest focuses on two South Africans who died tragically young, leaving us with little: trumpeter Mongezi Feza and leader-bassist Miller. A-

Nils Petter Molvaer: Live: Streamer (2002 [2006], Thirsty Ear): I gave this an Honorable Mention when it originally came out on Molvaer's own Sula label, and liked it even more when I heard the reissue. But not as much as my Pick Hit ER, a review that at least mentions this. Live electronica always seems like an oxymoron, but the chance to revisit older material often points up some interesting new twists, and perhaps more importantly lets you choose stronger pieces. A-

Odyssey the Band: Back in Town (2005 [2006], Pi): Third time around for James Blood Ulmer, Charles Burnham, and Warren Wenbow, whose original Odyssey tour de force is still striking enough to knock our ears. Francis Davis praised this. Robert Christgau Consumer Guided it. I had it in my top ten list, and revisited it in Recycled Goods. Seems redundant to keep plugging it at this point, unless I find myself hard up for a Pick Hit. A-

I should also note that I've weeded out another handful of records that Francis Davis praised in the Voice. As the grades indicate, I'm quite fond of most of these. It's just that given the space squeeze I have little to add (see the prospecting notes) and too many others to try to squeeze in:

Other Drops

Also dropping the following. Don't have anything to add to what was previously said in the prospecting notes (for this or some previous Jazz CG cycle).

Finally, the following appeared (or soon will) in Recycled Goods: