Myths sometimes return … The first piece of news almost has the flavor of an answered prayer: Videos, Photos

Nor does the usual artificial intelligence help much, which, despite years of continuous monitoring of my tastes and preferences, often ends up not highlighting things that would otherwise make me prick up my ears instantly.

Luckily, even in the virtual space a sort of word of mouth works that, thanks to frequenting the ‘right’ places, allows you to daringly grab juicy news and novelties on the fly, only to discover that they are hidden in some fold of the ineffable BandCamp.

The first piece of news almost has the flavor of an answered prayer. Do you remember when I told you about Strata East Records, the now almost mythological label founded in 1971 by Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell and which, with a view to substantial self-management, has documented a lot of jazz between hard bop and more advanced experiences, a genre neglected by the major record labels, all focused on churning out the most emphatic and predictable fusion at an industrial pace? You will also remember that I described it to you as an almost elusive phoenix, even via streaming.

Well, the phoenix is ​​about to be reborn thanks to Mack Avenue, a refined label very dear to our friend Pepe, unfortunately little known and even less distributed in our parts. Mack has recently signed an agreement with Tolliver sr. and jr. for the re-release of the Strata East catalog, after careful restoration and remastering entrusted to Kevin Gray, a name that in this field is already a guarantee in itself. Something rare in these cases, the operation has an authentically democratic character, since the polished albums will be available both digitally and on CD and LP (the latter with the well-known uncertain customs that weigh on everything imported from outside the EU).

The prices of digital and CDs are announced to be human, those of LPs are at a level to which the audiophile sect is already accustomed. Already, it’s time to uncork a nice bottle to celebrate, but a few more details will lead us straight to see the bottom of it. In fact, the program includes a whopping thirty albums, which will be anthologized in a presentation playlist that will appear on Spotify at the end of April: so newcomers will be able to get to know the world of Strata East, which has its own very precise and defined characteristics, which will not fail to amaze many younger jazz lovers. They are definitely people who know how to do their job as an independent label, those of Mack.

Moreover, they are also people of taste and who have understood the nature of the Strata philosophy. You can see it from the first three titles that will be launched at the end of April. They are these:

I am very sorry for the outburst of bile that will take the few collectors who in the past years have won for hundreds of dollars the few copies in circulation of this authentic rarity. A milestone in Sanders’ discography, which after having recorded it in 1969 saw it published only in 1973 and only thanks to the nascent Strata. A must for free jazz fans.

Perhaps the two most audacious and burning albums by Charles Tolliver, recorded in the legendary Slug’s that we have talked about a lot recently (the Lee Morgan affair, the extraordinary live of McTyner/Henderson and co.). It took me almost twenty years to find two CD reissues, which will disappear compared to the quality with which these are announced, which by the way will cost half as much.

Well, here as an irrecoverable sentimentalist I shed a tear. A lost album by a very fine pianist like Stanley Cowell, in which our man talks to himself in overdubbing on acoustic and electric piano: a feat that only Bill Evans could have afforded at the height of his career and recording fortunes. Let’s hope that his splendid ‘Brilliant Circles’ is also included in the reissue program.

And we close here with a beautiful story, which has made so much noise that a New York Times blog has asked numerous musicians and producers to report their favorite Strata song.

Now let’s move on to another chapter, which instead has left a little bitter taste in the mouth.

Now I’ll tell the youngest of you what will seem like a fairy tale to them. Once upon a time there was a small record company, or rather two twins, which started in 1975 and produced over 500 albums up until the end of 2008. In this catalog there is all the essential (and the best) of what happened in American jazz between the end of the 70s and the beginning of the 90s. Without them we would not have even heard of David Murray, World Saxophone Quartet, Hamiet Bluiett, Rova, Julius Hemphill, Old and New Dreams, Don Pullen & George Adams etc. In other cases it was thanks to them that great musicians who had long been in the shadows were brought back to the center of the limelight: Andrew Hill, Mal Waldron often in duo with Steve Lacy, George Russell, Jaki Byard. Many young Italian musicians of the time were able to make their first appearances alongside the greats of African-American music: now they are the deans of our internationally recognized jazz. The twins were named best jazz labels for six years in a row in the annual Down Beat poll of American critics (no small feat, considering the chauvinism of their Yankee cousins): their records were regularly distributed in the States, where they were hotly hunted (I personally know). Well, the twins didn’t live in New York, but more prosaically in Tribiano, Milan, Italy. They are Black Saint and Soul Note.

Only by chance did I discover that between September and October last year two BandCamp pages were opened in the name of each label, on which large blocks of their albums were uploaded.

No major American label in those years had ever published anything like that. Better yet: they weren’t even capable of thinking about it. Thanks to Black Saint I also heard them live in 1979… another advantage of having a world-renowned label at home

The prices of the digital and CD editions in other times would have been defined as ‘popular’ (€7.00 for the digital download….), especially if compared to the quality of the music. Many of the titles proposed are now real classics, cited repeatedly and with a great waste of ‘stars’ in all the discographic repertoires that already cover that period (very few by the way).

Another priceless album. Note the beauty of the cover, it is a shot by Giuseppe Pino. Recorded in Milan in 1978

So, all good? Not exactly, says the writer, perhaps melancholically out of step with the quick ease of the current World of Communication. First of all, in the presentation notes of the labels it is written that they were founded by Giacomo Pellicciotti: true, several early sessions were also produced by him. Not a word about the fact that the two labels were then guided and managed for over 20 years by Giovanni Bonandrini, also assisted by his son: I was told that for the American jazzmen who recorded for him Giovanni was ‘Mister Bonandrini’, of whom they asked for news even years later on the occasion of their tours in Italy. I may be a pathetic relic of the 18th century, but to me this seems like a rather embarrassing oversight. And if it were not so, it would be a notable lapse in style.

Another magnificent cover, shot of the fascinating Ming, at the time the Mrs. Murray in charge. David Murray owes a lot to Black Saint, only with DJW Disk Union will he be able to indulge in the whim of recording with a big band, his great passion (here are Billy Higgins and the young Steve Coleman, just to name two). Even for DJW a prayer, she has completely disappeared taking with her another memorable catalog.

The presentation in bulk of such a varied catalog that includes musicians who were already following very different paths does not seem to me the best way to enhance it; some details can then create the impression of a hasty liquidation operation. Here too it will be just my whim … However these are things that often happen on BandCamp, one of its critical aspects.

This album is from 1976 … ECM arrived only later. Ornette’s apostles spread his music around the world: a great group that a few years ago was revived in the beautiful “Still Dreamin’ “, signed by Joshua Redman, Dewey’s son.

Another flaw that I see in the operation is the absence of a listenable track, as is customary in BandCamp: it would have been useful to let young listeners who are not familiar with this vital jazz season experience the quality of this music first-hand. So there is an inevitable tendency to orient the offer towards old ‘addicts’ of the undersigned’s geological era, who will not miss the opportunity to fill some gaps in their discotheques, and even at a discount price. Too bad, I would have liked to let you hear some tracks from the remastered editions, we will have to make up for that with the usual approximate YouTube.

In 1987 Geri was practically at her debut. Soul Note sent her into the studio with Haden and Motian, and definitively launched her career. After a few years he will sign other memorable albums for Blue Note (but not with these giants at his side). Another multi-starred album.

In 1986 in the States they had completely forgotten about Andrew Hill: incredible, but true. But along come the great Nicola Tessitore, soul of the fabulous Verona Jazz Festival and authentic ‘rediscoverer’ in other cases too, and Giovanni Bonandrini: and here Andrew returns to the limelight first at the Teatro Romano (what memories…) and then in the Soul Note studios. The album is not called ‘Verona Rag’ by chance…. The ferocious Richard Cook and Brian Morton of ‘The Penguin Record Guide to Jazz on CD’ (a 1785-page booklet) insert it immediately after ‘Point of Departure’, one of only twenty albums with their ‘crown’ (the desert island ones, so to speak)

They too in 1986 were not in their best moment of fortune….

What can I say, guys? As in many situations in life, we see the glass half full. Take a look at the Soul Note page and the Black Saint page and get an idea (maybe even falling into temptation…). If you need it, there are comments below for any requests for advice: obviously biased and passionate, as always. Milton56

And now a couple of nibbles…

… but let’s also make it three: a Billy Strayhorn dedicated to his protector Johnny Hodges… who was always late to the recording sessions. To Ellington’s delight …