Top 10 ESP Disks (jazz only)

[AntManBee]

Ten favourites in no particular order:

Albert Ayler - Spiritual Unity
Albert Ayler - Spirits Rejoice
Bob James - Explosions
Sunny Murray
Sun Ra - Heliocentric Worlds Vols. 1 & 2
New York Eye And Ear Control
Ornette Coleman - Town Hall 1962
Frank Wright Trio
Burton Green Quartet

[Pete C]

I'd nominate Spiritual Unity as the single most significant ESP title.

In addition to the many excellent ones listed above, I'd add

Sonny Simmons - Staying on the Watch
Marion Brown - Why Not
Paul Bley - Closer
Patty Waters Sings
Charles Tyler - Eastern Man Alone

[Sergio Zamora]

I'd have to add Patty Waters' 'Sings'. The first few short tunes are nice, but 'Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair' is a mofo.

[edit: oops. Pete already mentioned it]

[SilentKnowledge]

Uh...

Marion Brown-Why Not?
Albert Ayler-Spirits Rejoice
Ronnie Boykins-The Will Come, Is Now
Henry Grimes-The Call
Free Music Quintet
Steve Lacy-The Forest & The Zoo
Marion Brown-Quartet

Not ten, but I like those very much...

[lazarus]

Paul Bley - Closer
Paul Bley -Barrage
Sun Ra - Heliocentric Worlds 1 & 2
Steve Lacy - The Forest and The Zoo
Albert Ayler - Spiritual Unity
Albert Ayler - Spirits Rejoice
Frank Lowe - Black Beings
New York Art Quartet
Ornette Coleman - Town Hall 1962




Of the non-jazz releases I like Pearls Before Swine and The Fugs.

[AntManBee]

Of the non-jazz releases I like Pearls Before Swine

Especially "One Nation Underground", still my PBS/Tom Rapp favourite.

Worst ever ESP release, regardless of genre: Cromagnon

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I've got to add Gato Barbieri's 'In Search Of The Mystery' and Sun Ra's 'Nothing Is'.


And I'm curious to know if any has heard these, and could comment on them:

1011
Blake, Ran
Plays Solo Piano


1050
Burroughs, William
Call Me Burroughs


1098
MIJ
Yodeling Astrologer



2002
County, Jayne
Goddess Of Wet Dreams


2003
Manson, Charles
And The Family Sing 13 Songs


2006
Emerson's Old Timey Custard-Suckin' Band
Emerson's Old Timey Custard-Suckin' Band


2020
Visible, Les
Too Old To Rock And Roll

2021
Visible, Les
Jews From Outer Space



2013

[AntManBee]

I'm curious to know if any has heard these, and could comment on them:

1098
MIJ
Yodeling Astrologer

MIJ is Jim spelled backwards (can't recall his last name) and the album is stoner/hippie spaced out 12 string acoustic guitar singer/songwriter stuff, heavy with echo and reverb. Some OK tracks but it tends to get a little samey after a while.

2003
Manson, Charles
And The Family Sing 13 Songs

I sort of like this album although it's pretty much in the communal hippie vein of the era and has to be taken as such. Some unfocused acoustic jamming but also a couple of nice songs. I actually like Manson's voice. It's doubtful though whether it would have held such an underground attraction unless Manson had had his other "career" going...

[LeMo]

- Albert Ayler: "Spiritual Unity"

- Marion Brown: "Why Not?"

- Paul Bley: "Barrage"

- Patty Waters: "Sings"

- Albert Ayler: "Spirits Rejoyce"

- Sun Ra: "Heliocentric World vol.1"

- The Giuseppi Logan Quartet

- Henry Grimes: "The Call"

- Frank Wright Trio

- Charles Tyler: "Eastern Man Alone"

[walto]

SqD, I heard that Blake recording just recently, during a WHRB Blake Orgy. It's terrific.

[Scott Dolan]

I'd nominate Spiritual Unity as the single most significant ESP title.

No question. And one of the most significant Jazz titles of all time.

[Richardo Caerleoni]

-



- The Giuseppi Logan Quartet

LeMo - Brilliant - I thought I was the only one to have that ! Does anyone know if he's still playing ?

[LeMo]

No, I don't think so. I'm even sure than he doesn't.
The guy had the reputation to have a bad temper, if i remember well.

By the way, Giuseppe plays on one of the Patty Water's (if it's not the one who has been listed here, it's the other but I'm too lazy to check the LPs).

Another ESP musician who has vanished is Byron Allen, even if I have a strange LP of him dating from 1979 and called "Interface" and undertitle "A Common Boundary Between Matter and Space".
He plays with two guys named Robbie Bitanga (on guitar) and Tim Jordan (on drums). They both look like teenagers on the photos from the backcover.
The record is produce by Byron Allen himself on a label of his own, I think: ACC Production.
The location is 50 Oak Street in San Francisco.
The strange thing about this LP (who is excellent, by the way), is the fact that it is recording in mono. Mono in 1979? Amazing. But the sound is good.

[Captain Hate]

Staying on the Watch was the first Sonny Simmons I heard; God did that smoke!!

[al j]

Listening to "More Giuseppe Logan" right now and had forgotten how good it was.