wildflowers: the new york loft jazz sessions

Crouch actually acquits himself well on his tracks. He came to NYC as David Murray's drummer; not sure when/why he did a 180 and decided he hated the new music.

I feel like I'd be more likely to vote for one of the five LPs as originally released than any specific track; all the individual tunes vary so much in tone and approach, which is one of my favorite things about this collection. That said, "Jays' is hard to beat for an opener.

xpost Crouch was a or the mentor to Favid Murray in Cali, but then came the moment he first visited New York as a 20 year-old student, playing in a walkup loft, in 1975,, Murray's moment, that is, according to the bio on his site, and he soon relocated to NYC, but not before Crouch ran interference, possibly challenged by his own need to succeed in the Jazz Capital, and in context of his subsequent career alreadu quite the hard-charging control freak, not surprising he became the righteous, increasingly reactionary jazz purist, sneering at Steve Coleman and others favorably presented elsewhere in the Voice, from which he got fired after attacking Harry Allen for being an advocate and associate of for instance Public Enemy---rap was crack, and PE's Chuck D was even a known leftist! Attack was the last straw, ditto calling the success of Dave Douglas inflated by racism, which got him fired from Jazziz---although the last time I saw him in there, he still approved of Ornette Coleman, and Coltrane, I think (Cecil Taylor not so much).
Lots more, like pandering to The New Republic during their contra-loving etc. etc. Shit Years, but that goes beyond ILM-relevance. Sad considering his musical talent, but it just wasn't enough to suit him.

I have enjoyed some of Crouch's music criticism even when I haven't agreed with his opinions and conclusions (see also Phil Larkin)

Crouch's Charlie Parker bio (the first of two volumes, I believe) is absolutely stellar. The only thing that keeps it from being flawless is the occasional completely random swipe at hip-hop (I'm paraphrasing, but it's along the lines of, "Parker dug in, realizing it would take arduous practice to achieve his goal. You know who never practices? Those rap so-called 'artists'!")

Oh yeah, bop hegemony is his thing, and I guess he might hear Coleman and 60s Coltrane as an extension of that, but yeah talented as a writer too, even with the tangents & 'tude (like Mailer and Jones/Baraka, although I like them better).

Presenting bop *as* hegemony, that is, and I mean nothing against Bird in that--but it was prob part of what made him attractive to righteous young Wynton (who has since done his own tribs to Ornette and become a cultivated entertainer, for that matter, like with United We Swing: Best of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Galas and the albums with Willie Nelson etc)

Another apostate, eh Stanley?

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

oh crap

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

sorry, really wish i would’ve had time to revisit this !!

i gave myself a month and i even listened to the whole thing several times over, but i didn't have enough time either : /

Maybe someone here knows: if I own the 1995 Gravity 2xCD reissues, do I need the 2005 box? I'm assuming no remastering was done, but I might take the plunge if there's a packaging upgrade, maybe a cool booklet or something, as I can't seem to find my copies of the Gravity CDs at the moment. It can still be found used for under $50...