That's the one, and I did indeed get the sense that this was definitely the
tip of the iceberg. What else do you know/recommend/advise?
skip h
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Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2000 12:34:15 EST
From: Jeffcalt@aol.com
Subject: Re: The Blue Notes
Velaires@aol.com writes:
> Anyone know anything about them? And
> "anything" means anything.
There is unfortunately very little information on '60s South African jazz.
Here's what I know: The Blue Notes [Mongezi Feza (t), Dudu Pukwana (as), Nick
Moyake (ts), Chris McGregor (p), Johnny Dyani (b), Louis Mohola (d)] are
probably S.A.'s most "legendary" band after the Jazz Epistles [trumpeter Hugh
Masekela, pianist Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim), trombonist Jonas Gwanga,
altoist Kippie Moeketsi, bassist Johnny Gertze, and drummer Makaya Ntshako].
Here's an excerpt from the Rough Guide to World Music:
"The departure of the principle Epistles [Brand, Masekela, and Gwanga went
into exile in 1960] left a large gap in the local jazz scene, but the 1962
Cold Castle Jazz Festival demonstrated that a new generation of jazzmen had
been inspired by their example. Pianist-composer Chris McGregor and tenor
saxophonist Dudu Pukwana were probably the most famous and influential
musicians in the new wave. [...]
The best players from several bands which performed at the 1963 Castle Jazz
Festival were gathered together under the direction of Chris McGregor and
produced a classic LP, "Jazz The African Sound", perhaps the finest single
product of a brilliant era. Sadly, it also proved a swansong. A general
wave of oppression had followed the Sharpville massacre of 1960 and, as the
government dug in with its new order, many of South Africa's best minds and
talents fled the country into exile.
The progressive jazzers were badly affected as apartheid regulations designed
to seperate mixed-race bands [McGregor was white, I believe] became
increasingly onerous. In the face of this dispiriting onslaught, McGregor,
Pukwana and their entire band, the Blue Notes, including Louis Moholothe,
left the country for good in 1964. The Blue Notes, and their later
manifestation, the Brotherhood of Breath, added a distinctive touch to the
rather moribund European jazz scene but, as was the case with other exiles,
their influence on musical development in South African ceased at that
point." (1994, p. 393-4).
I've been meaning to pick up some Blue Notes and Brotherhood of Breath
recordings for some time, but thusfar I only have a couple tracks from the
Blue Notes on compilations. From what i've heard though, they put out some
great stuff. Given the sad effect of apartheid on these two legendary bands,
I'm surprised there has yet to be a better written account of S.A. jazz in
the early 1960s. Any writers out there?
hope this helps,
jeff caltabiano
n.p. dexter gordon: our man in paris
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Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2000 12:38:06 EST
From: Dgasque@aol.com
Subject: Re: The Blue Notes
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In a message dated 11/22/00 11:48:40 AM Eastern Standard Time,
Velaires@aol.com writes:
> I was recently sent a CD (pressed in France) by The Blue Notes, a South
> African hard bop quintet from the early sixties. The liner notes weren't
> as
> thorough as one might have hoped. Anyone know anything about them? And
> "anything" means anything.
>
I think they were already South African ex-patriates, living in England when
the Blue Notes were formed. If memory serves correctly, they were comprised
of Fezi, Moholo, Dyani,....arrrgh!...memory fades....
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<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"><FONT SIZE=2>In a message dated 11/22/00 11:48:40 AM Eastern Standard Time, <BR>Velaires@aol.com writes:
<BR>
<BR>
<BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I was recently sent a CD (pressed in France) by The Blue Notes, a South
<BR>African hard bop quintet from the early sixties. The liner notes weren't <BR>as
<BR>thorough as one might have hoped. Anyone know anything about them? And
<BR>I think they were already South African ex-patriates, living in England when <BR>the Blue Notes were formed. If memory serves correctly, they were comprised <BR>of Fezi, Moholo, Dyani,....arrrgh!...memory fades....
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>--
<BR>=dg=</FONT></HTML>
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Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2000 13:13:07 EST
From: JonAbbey2@aol.com
Subject: Re: hautzinger
In a message dated 11/22/00 7:44:48 AM, andreasdietz@hotmail.com writes:
<< In this vein there=B4s a trumpet player from Vienna: Franz Hautzinger. He=
=B4s=20
doing really unusual things with his instrument and combines it with=20
electronics. Definitely worth checking out... >>
yeah, Hautzinger has a new solo CD on Grob (www.churchofgrob.com), Gomberg,=20
with extensive liner notes by Bill Dixon, and is also a member of the=20
Zeitkratzer ensemble (recently replacing Axel D=F6rner). he's performing 2 s=
ets=20
at the festival I'll be attending in Ulrichsberg in a few weeks=20
(http://jazzatelier.nwy.at/program_e.html), solo and in trio with John=20
Butcher and Christof Kurzmann. I'm not fully convinced he's on the same leve=
l=20
as the guys I mentioned earlier in this thread, but I'm looking forward to=20
seeing him play in Ulrichsberg.
Jon
www.erstwhilerecords.com
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Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2000 18:31:08
From: "William York" <william_york@hotmail.com>
Subject: zorm & pastiche
Bill Ashline theorized:
>I always "read" Zorn as a kind of postmodernist who
>derived his aesthetic out of a grand pastiche, at least until Masada,
> >which was more synthetic. Postmodernists gave up on the avant-garde,
> >probably for good reason, sensing there wasn't anything more to be done
> >with it.
Ok, but where would stuff like Archery, Classic Guide to Strategy, Pool,
Locus Solus, etc fit into this? Because those don't seem like pastiche to
