Pocket Book Cover Art: Jim Thompson - The Kill-Off

Sonny Clark article in Tin House Magazine

I posted in september on some articles on Sonny Clark. Sam Stephenson apparenly wrote the announced article which has appeared in Tin House issue n° 50. He announced it on his blog and gives a short description of it.

An appreciation of the article can be read in The New Yorker here.

Now if Tin House would update it's website that would be great.

Ken Russell R.I.P.

Just read the news that Ken Russell passed away.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15917073

edit :
I found this interview with Ken Russell of last april on the net.

Upon hearing of his passing away at first i thought i had never seen any film by him. Imdb revealed otherwise : Crimes of Passion is the only one.

On the other hand i'm quite curious about The Devils. 2012 will see an official DVD release.

Here's more info on the dvd release :


The BFI has announced that they finally came to an agreement with Warner Bros. and are releasing 'The Devils' in a 2-Disc-Special-DVD-Edition in March 2012 (anamorphic enhanced).

Unfortunately there has been no chance at all to licence the 'Rape of Christ'-Sequence and the 'Charred-Bone'-Sequence.
They are only allowed to release the british cinematic version of 1971. And only on DVD - Warner Bros. objected to a BluRay-Release.

The licencing-problem goes as far as the BFI is obliged to cencor an extra of the DVD-Set, the documentary 'Hell on Earth' in a way that the mentioned scenes are omitted even there.

The extras of the set should consist of:

Special features*
• DVD premiere presentation of the original UK ‘X’ certificate version
• Newly filmed introduction with director Ken Russell
• Audio commentary with Ken Russell, Mark Kermode, Mike Bradsell and Paul Joyce
• Hell on Earth (Paul Joyce, 2002, 48 mins): documentary exploring the film's production and the controversy surrounding its original release
• Director of the Devils (1971, 21 min): documentary featuring candid Ken Russell interviews and unique footage of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies recording his celebrated film score
• Original on-set footage with commentary by editor Mike Bradsell
• Amelia and the Angel (Ken Russell, 1958, 30 mins): Ken Russell's short film, a delightful mix of religious allegory and magical fantasy
• Original UK trailer
• Original US trailer
• Fully illustrated booklet featuring new essays and notes from Mark Kermode, Craig Lapper (BBFC), Sam Ashby and others

Here's the link to the BFI site.

John Coltrane : a new biography

The October issue of SoJazz (a french jazzmagazine) has an article  on Trane by Karl Lippegaus. Mr. Lippegaus  wrote a new bio on Trane.

It's in german, don't know if it will be translated in another language.

Here's a short overview of the bio on it's editors site and  here's an interview with the author.

Did anyone read this biography already?

Film Poster : Robert Wise - Helen of Troy [1956]

And for those of who you who don't remember where Troy must be situated :

John Steinbeck - Voice of America

BBC 4 broadcasted a documentary presented by Melvyn Bragg on the actuality of John Steinbeck's work.

You can read an article about it in the Guardian here. 

The documentary itself is available on the net for instance here.

Paul Motian R.I.P.

Numerous reports mention the passing of Paul Motian. His wikipedia page was updated today mentioning his passing today.

Edit : The NYT published its obituary.

R.I.P. Mr. Motian

Carla Bley on France Musique

http://sites.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/ev/fiche.php?eve_id=280000607

France Musique will broadcast the whole week a special dedicated to Carla Bley from 18.00 - 19.00 Paris time and saturday  a night filling program with a.o. her Jazz Opera  "Escalator over the hill". 

ROIO of the Week : Wall To Wall 2001 Miles Davis Tribute

Fourth and final installment of the Wall to Wall 2001 Tribute to Miles: cd's 7 & 8 made it so to sendspace for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

(Links are at the usual place)

 

 

Wall to Wall Miles Davis
2001-03-24
Symphony Space, New York, NY.
FM Broadcast
A Quality
cdr in trade--eac--flac

Disc 7:

Sketches of Spain - Maria Schneider Orchestra
w/ soloists Wallace Roney (tp) & Miles Evans (tp, Gil Evans's son)
1. 9:43 "Concierto de Aranjuez" (Joaquin Rodrigo)
2. 8:16 continued
3. 3:57 "Will O' The Wisp"
4. 4:04 "The Pan Piper"
5. 5:48 "Saeta"
6. 10:44 "Solea"

The Street - Paquito D'Rivera
7. 11:58

===============
Disc 8:

All Blues - Vernon Reid & Masque
w/ Steven Bernstein (tp), Micah Gaugh (ts), Hank Schroy (b), Marlon Browden (d), Leon Gruenbaum (keys) & DJ Logic (turntables)
1. 13:27 "Right Off" (Miles Davis)
2. 8:39 "Freddie Freeloader" (Miles Davis)

Code M.D. - Adam Holzman and Brave New World
3. 2:06
4. 4:08
5. 7:06

Homage - Wallace Roney
w/ Antonie Roney (sax), Adam Holzman (p), Buster Williams (b), Lenny White (d)
6. 11:52 "
7. 7:45 "The Brown Hornet (Frelon brun)"
8. 9:59 "Porscia"/"Time After Time"/Credits

Tony Fruscella by John Dutton

Check out this most interesting essay on the long forgotten trumpeter Tony Fruscella at Steven Cerra's blog Jazz Profiles.

R.I.P. Lars Sjösten

The great Swedish pianist Lars Sjösten died on October 19th,  70 years old. I saw him a lot back in the seventies when Dexter Gordon lived in Copenhagen. He also was a close friend and collaborator with Lars Gullin, both shared a deep fondness for 'Swedish' Melancholia.

Being the first to receive the Jan Johansson award, only a year after Johansson's passing, show us how appreciated Sjösten was.
---

A rough Google translate from the swedish Wikipedia page :

Lars Sjösten, born May 7, 1941 in Oskarshamn, is a Swedish jazz musician. In the 1960s, played Sjösten often on the world famous pub the Golden Circle in Stockholm. He played with international greats as Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Stan Getz, as the Swedish tenor saxophonist Bernt Rosengren.

Sjösten was also the pianist in the great Swedish baritone saxophonist and composer Lars Gullin groups. He became good friends with Gullin; this collaboration came to mean more for Sjösten own music creation. In 1969 Lars was Sjösten the first musician who was awarded the Jan Johansson scholarship. In 1997, the newly Sjösten Lars Gullin Award, and in 2006 he received Christer Boustedt scholarship. Over the years, Lars Sjösten led several groups of their own. He has made many recordings and has received both public response and state aid. His touring has taken him to such diverse cities as Paris, Moscow, Vittoria da Praia (Azores) and Emmaboda. Lars Sjösten is also an established composer with a sense of strong melodies and beautiful chord.

On the disc, Lars Sjösten flowing, melodious playing sound and on recordings under his own name and with the likes of Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster, Lee Konitz, Benny Bailey, Bjarne Nerem, Lars Gullin, Bernt Rosengren and Putte Wickman, and with vocal artists such as Nannie Porres and Gunnar "Siljabloo" Nilson.

In 1981 was appointed Sjösten LP Select Notes for this year's Golden Disc, an honor awarded by the magazine Orkesterjournalen. On this album you hear musicians as alto saxophonist Willy Lundin, trombonist Lars Olofsson, trumpeter January Allan, bassist Sture Nordin, drummer Egil Johansen and percussionist Rudi Smith.

There's a shorter english version available as well here.

Pocket Book Cover Art : Jim Thompson - The Criminal

Miles Trees Blog

Some shameless selfpromotion...

In april I started another blog dedicated to the old MilesTrees.Org site which spread a lot of Miles Davis recordings.

I'll try to update the blog the following months and hope to see you there as well.

Thanks in advance.

Film Poster : Arturo Ruiz Castillo - El secreto del capitán O'Hara aka The Secret of Captain O’Hara [1964]

Witness : Keith Jarrett in Köln

I obtained this recently, didn't change anything just uploaded it for you... (you can listen at it online as well from the BBC page)

Enjoy!



*************

Witness - Keith Jarrett in Köln

First broadcast on BBC World Service, Tuesday 1st November 2011, 09:50am BST

How a jazz concert organised by a 17-year old turned into a bestselling album, and how it almost didn't happen. Vera Brandes describes the difficulties surrounding the legendary performance by the American pianist.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00ldwyp

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File size : 8.12 MiB
Duration : 8min 51sec
Format : MPEG Audio
Format version : Version 1
Format profile : Layer 3
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Channel(s) : 2 channels

Armistice Day 1918

This morning in 1918 at 5h15 the armistice was signed between the Allied Nations and Germany. The actual cease fire would be effective at 11h00. Nevertheless that day some 10000 soldiers were casualties before the actual cease fire was active.

As usual ceremonies will take place everywhere at least in France, Belgium, England and the Commonwealth and I suppose as well in the USA.What about your country? Let us know via the comment section...

Englands BBC broadcasts this week a series called Lost Heroes of World War one with interviews of participants of WWI.

Check out AvaxNews for some very moving pictures here, here and here.

Scotland has now it first Field of Remembrance as well.

This summer we went for a 5day visit to Verdun and it was one impressive happening.

The city itself is well reconstructed and has enjoyable spots to visit. The hills around are still very marked by what happened 95 years ago. It's all very well signaled and everywhere are information panels available.

Be sure to visit Fort de Vaux and Fort de Douaumont while it's possible since  they suffered a lot during the war due to impacts and large parts are closed to the public. In the future more parts of the Fort will have to be closed.

What's really intriguing is the silence that reigns everywhere, no sounds, just plain silence...It's the appropriate sound nevertheless...

Let's not forget.

Poster Book Cover Art : Jim Thompson - Wild Town

Gordon Beck R.I.P.

News just reached me that Gordon Beck passed away in London on November 6th 2011.

I remember Gordon Beck especially from when  he toured with Phil Woods's European Rhythm Machine between 1969 till 1972.

A complete biography can be found here, and don't forget to check out the Gordon Beck webpage which can be found here.

R.I.P. Mr. Gordon Beck

Keith Jarrett : Interview & France Musique

Paul de Barros interviewed Keith Jarrett for The Seattle Times. It's still available online here.

On the other hand, since Mr. Jarretts new cd 'Rio' is available since yesterday France Musique has made a special webpage dedicated to Keith Jarrett and his new cd. It permits one to listen again to listen at the special night whcih was aired originally in May 2010.

Enjoy!

André Hodeir R.I.P.

News of the passing of André Hodeir reached me on the Mileslist. A quick internet search confirmed his passing away. Chgristian Tarting wrote a obituary for Radio France and it can be read here.