Favorite Evan Parker Records

[Dan G]

OK, someone had to do it. I'll leave it to either Martin or Steve to start a Bailey thread (Maybe my next project will be a top ten Braxton).

First, if I could put Parker’s work into phases, it would have to be

Early –developing a technique, experimenting a lot. Both driven and restrained by the context of the people he worked with (Bailey, Stevens, Schlippenbach, etc). Nothing here less than intriguing, much of it great. Goes through to late 70s, early 80s. Sometimes the phases might overlap depending on the group.

Middle – no restraints, he’s the leader. Technique beyond belief, pushing himself to new things, mastering new subtleties. Some of it seems like exercises, because what he was doing is so specific and so developed that it’s hard to hear what’s really new. Also sometimes too much like he’s doing it because he can rather than for the music. As with some other players (Bailey, Taylor), partners have to just tag along and try to keep up. Spectacular from a ‘car crash’ point of view, not much to fault in the approach if you like this kind of stuff, but I think he alienated some listeners as just being too intense. This era goes up to mid 90s.

Late (current) – has mastered his horns like no other, now constraining himself a bit and more selectively using everything he’s developed to make some of the best music of his life. No worry about looking for really new territory in himself but finding it by diversifying his range of collaborators. Some amazing music here, also some dogs depending on who he’s with.

It’s probably more complex than that, but it’s a start. From my list, it's quite obvious that I prefer the early and late periods.

Here’s the 10, not broken down by era but grouping. Many are pretty boringly common choices, but it's hard to stay at 10. Most still in print.

Solo:
Six of One (Psi reissue): There are, I think, 14 solo soprano albums. I’ve heard 9. Falls into the middle period, and is the best example of both is solo playing and this period. Conic Sections is a close runner up.

Duos:
Most Materiall (duo with Eddie Prevost) (Matchless). Stunningly beautiful music. This is the one I play for people who have never heard Parker.

Birds and Blades (with Barry Guy) (Intakt): another recent one: Two old friends getting together for a more relaxed session than they’ve done previously and just having fun. Both this and MM above are great examples of the late period.

Chicago Tenor Duets (with Joe McPhee) (Okkadisc): again, another recent session, very relaxed, no showboating, lots of interplay.

London Concert (with Derek Bailey) (Incus): in the days when they were both open to give & take collaboration.

Trios:
THE TRIO: At the Vortex (Emanem): The beginning of the resurgence of his tenor playing, and the move toward more ‘free jazz’ oriented playing. This came at a point when they weren’t playing frequently, and I think they were just there to make music, rather than push one another as much as on some of the preceding records. The turning point into the current phase of his work.

Schlippenbach 3 - Pakistani Pomade (Atavistic reissue): I’m going to give the recommendation to this one slightly over Elf Bagatellan and Complete Combustion. Raw as hell, this fits into the early period. Most of the other ones are also very good, but there’s something special about the freshness of this one 30 years later that makes me pick it.

Bailey/Parker/Bennink – Topography of the Lungs (Incus): more than anything Bailey or Parker did with John Stevens and SME, this is the one record that set the course for the British style of European free improv (Han, though Dutch, can play like a Brit when need be!). And it’s just as good as any record that has followed.

Quartets:
Stephano Maltese – Double Mirror (Splasc[h]: probably a one-off band, with Maltese on reeds, Keith Tippett on piano and drummer Antonio Moncado. I might like one more for what Tippett and Moncado do than for Parker, but great album regardless.

Larger groups:
London Jazz Composer’s Orchestra - Harmos (Intakt): not necessarily my favorite LJCO album, but the best example of Parker in that band, with an extended segment of the trio.

That’s 10. Honorable mention goes to Mars Song (Victo), the duo with Sainkho Namtchylak. It’s just OK as an album, but I was there at the Music Gallery for the recording and it was fascinating and very eerie. Where were all those sounds coming from?

[gnhrtg]

Nice of you to start this thread Dan, and a great post to kick-off as well. I hope the more seasoned Parker-ites will be kind enough, also, to provide some comments accompanying their choices. I'm a Parker newbie, the first one I got, about four years ago, was "At the Vortex". Do not have enough of his output to come up with a top-ten. However,

Six of One - I have a soft spot for solo sax/reed recordings and this one is definitely near the top even though I just got it a couple of months ago. Very impressive and captivating.

Chicago Tenor Duets - make that loads of interplay, these guys have huge ears and are quick but, thankfully, also have a sense of taste to not take such building upon the other's ideas to absurd levels, they know enough to let go of it when it's stunning.

Parker/Guy/Lytton - At the Vortex

John Tilbury & Evan Parker - Two Chapters and an Epilogue, though I think I somewhat preferred a webcast set they did at the last, or previous, year's whatsitsname free jazz festival in London

(I also really like his playing on the recent Spring Heel Jack - Live album, but that's not one he's (co)leading so left that off, well somewhat)

[DTMX]

Atlanta because it was recorded just down the road from me.

[Rob C]

I'd have to say I'm primarily a fan of the "late" period identified by Dan G.

Some of what I haven't heard: any solo discs, At the Vortex.

After Appleby was the first I heard EP, and I'll always have to give it props for turning my head around, particularly when he really takes off on soprano on Blue Star Kachina. Never heard anything like it before.

My favorite Schlippenbach Trio is actually a Quartet (or "Quartett" as it's spelled on the LP), with Alan Silva: Das Hohe Lied. The fidelity is not great (though the vinyl is the thickest, nicest vinyl I've ever seen), but the music is. I am mildly obsessed with side four.

I like the duo with Braxton a lot. Unlike many around here, I haven't gotten so much into the the duo with McPhee, though I'm a big fan of both players. I haven't listened to it enough, I think.

I love EP's solo on Alexanders Marschbefehl on Globe Unity's Rumbling. (Oddly, his opening tenor solo on GU2002 is probably my least favorite solo on that record.)

I was also going to point to his playing in SHJ's Live. That seems like an underrated record to me. I love it.

Guy's Inscape-Tableaux was the first time I'd heard EP in a larger-group context, and I was surprised by how well it worked. I'd have thought his style too.... something... to fit into such a context. Wrong!

I like his playing on the two Bley/Parker/Phillips records a whole lot, but particularly Sankt Gerold. Gorgeous.

His discs with Cecil Taylor are great. I like Nailed, but I actually really love The Hearth. In fact, I think the opening ten minutes or so, prior to Taylor sitting down at the piano, have some of my favorite playing by EP.

That's eight. So I'll fill it out with Elf Bagatellen and Pakistani Pomade. I haven't heard a lot of the Parker/Guy/Lytton trio, but of what I have heard, I like the Schlippenbach Trio better as a context to listen to Parker in. I suspect I'm in the minority on this, though.

[john williams]

I have dissed Foxes Fox on a number of occasions, but hell I love it now. I listened to it in the car on a trip recently and enjoyed it a lot.

Nailed is a bit too intense for may tastes, however, I don't deny its power.

At the Vortex is one of the best IMO.

50th Birthday which some folk think is overrated, however it was my first entry into this music and I love it.

After Appleby is one of my favorites as I really enjoy Crispell in this context.

Synergetics Phonomonie III is not a complete waste of money and has moments but it would be my least favorite of any Parker recording I own.

I like both disks with Bley Phillips but Sankt Gerold is one of the most beautiful CDs I own.

I like Drawn Inward when the mood is right, but I imagine those better versed in EAI would cite better examples of this kinda thing.

2X3=5 is a lesser work IMO.


Here is a poll I started way back that may be of interest.

EP poll

[LeMo]

Yes, Brian, seems than we have already going throught that story.
But it always good to tell it again and again.

So this is my take on the "best" Parker (considering only these where he is the nominal leader.)

Solos:
"Saxophone Solos" (Chronoscope) - I discover this one not long ago.
"Chicago Solo" (Okka)

Duos:
with Paul Lytton: "Collective Calls" (Emanem)
with Eddie Prévost: "Most Materiall" (Matchless)
with Barry Guy: "Birds & Blades" (Intakt)

Trios:
"At The Vortex 1996" (Emanem)

"The Two Seasons" (Emanem) (this one is much underestimate, IMO and I'm an absolute fan of Sanders)
"50th Birthday Concert" (Leo)

Quartets:
"After Appleby" (Leo)
"Foxes Fox" (Emanem)
"Supersession" (Matchless)

Others:
"Towards The Margins" (ECM)

Edited: just to put "Supersession" in the good category, the quartet one.

[crawjo]

I think my favorite Parker recording is After Appleby, but actually I think that it's more Marilyn Crispell and Barry Guy's playing on it that moves me the most.

[Gordon B]

My favorites are duos:

Most Materiall with Eddie Provost
Dark Rags with Keith Rowe
Rice University-4/10/01 with Susie Ibarra (unissued)
Two Chapters and an Epilogue with John Tilbury

My favorite trio is "At the Vortex."

"Harmos" and "Theoria" are two of my all-time favorite records but they would be great even omitting EP's playing from them.

[Gordon B]

I've been listening to the Stan Tracey/EP duo, Suspensions and Anticipations. I like it a lot. It's certainly one of EP's "warmest" performances.

There's another duo to recommend , "Chicago Tenor Duets" with Joe McPhee.

[jmje]

Parker's Metalanguage/Beak Doctor lp's (solo 'At the Finger palace', and w. Greg Goodman, 'Abracadabra') are great mid-period (I guess - maybe still considered early - late 70's) recordings; favorites of mine for years. Another great recording, and one you don't see mentioned often, is 'Birmingham Concert' on Rare Music, w. Paul Dunmall, Tony Levin & Barry Guy; it contains some of his most violent playing (or Dunmall's for that matter) that I've heard ('93 - mid/late??).

[Steve Reynolds]

for me:

At The Vortex
The Ayes Have It
The Two Seasons
Most Materiall
Imaginary Values
Elf Bagatellen


as some of you might know, I greatly prefer his more jazz like tenor playing to the circular soprano stuff

[saltwatersnow]

was wondering what people thought of the atavastic slippenbach quartet hunting the snake cd. how does it compare with the trio work? is the fact is wasnt released at the time a comment on the quality? general thoughts. thanks...


my favorites by the way

nailed
london airlift
imaginary values
elf bagatellen

[St.Gerold]

Hi you guys,

I like Evan Praker on the cD me hade with Derak baily at Arch Street so many years ago. Derek Bailey is fnatastic and keeps getting better, while Evan isa smooth man on campus!! Good stuff!!

St geralso

[baksheesh]

So Many to choose from!


At the Vortex
After Appleby
Zafiro
Atlanta
50th Birthday Celebration
Pakistani Pomade
The Hearth
Conic Sections
Duo London (with Braxton)
Chirps (with Lacy)

[Chuck Nessa]

Monoceros.