John Law Quartet - Exploded on Impact

[Steve Reynolds]

think the Captain has heard it (by mistake?)

I think Gordon might have heard it

most people have ignored it or have never heard of it

a one of a kind recording as it is traditional in natute (sax, piano, bass & drums) with the caveat that the sax is sometimes baritone

all John Law compositions are in fairly standard song forms - what is spectacular is the overwhelmingly pungent and aggresive execution by the amazing band which includes the monsterous Alan Wilkinson on alto & the beast and the *great* Mark Sanders ROARING on drums - playing in a more traditionally way than he does on more recent recordings

and the leader & pianist is beyond explosive - as the title would indicate

[jazzfiend]

That's bullshit, Preach! Many of us own it, and spin it on occasion.

Anything else by Wilkinson you can recommend?

[Steve Reynolds]

just the great free blowout - FOOM! FOOM!

Fell-Wilkinson-Hession

but you already know that, I'm sure

[jazzfiend]

Well now, I'll just have to check that out. The only other Wilkinson I have is Saint John's with Hession & Fell.

Be sure to sample the new Big Satan: Souls Saved Hear!

[Jon Abbey]

I really like the Wilkinson/Stefan Jaworzyn duo CD on Incus, maybe my favorite in that reeds/strings series.

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally Posted by Steve Reynolds

just the great free blowout - FOOM! FOOM!

Fell-Wilkinson-Hession

The Horrors of Darmstadt, sucka!

[Rob Damen]

How about "Extremely Quartet"?

Cheers,

Rob

[Steve Reynolds]

love "Extremely Quartet" but that is a whole different animal - purely improvised music with much less of a standard jazz groove than the above recording

it's got a different kind of groove due to the presence of another fantastic drummer, Mr. Louis Moholo

[Rob Damen]

But you prefer "Exploded", I take it?

And didn't you say something before about "Pentecost"?

Cheers,

Rob

[Steve Reynolds]

I prefer Exploded on Impact due to it's more unique nature - not that many hard grooving song form recordings with a saxophone player like Wilkinson - and I love listeing to Sanders so much on this recordin - because as I mentioned, it is so much different than his later sound. Not that his playing is better (for example, his playing on Lunge's Strong Language is much more accomplished in variry, dynamics and scope) but hearing the younger Sanders just crank away on a very standard sounding (almost Blakeyesque) kit gives the recording a timeless classic sound - with the very extreme saxophone playing giving the music a very interesting contrast.

As fine as the later quartet is, there are numerous similar sounding improvisation recordings that are just as appealing - despite the recording featuring 4 of my very favorite musicians (with Dunmall, Guy & Moholo)

[Rob Damen]

Any thoughts on "Pentecost"?

Cheers,

Rob

[Steve Reynolds]

I don't have Pentacost - I'm a bit out of the loop - is this a more recnt release?

info?

[Captain Hate]

Originally Posted by Steve Reynolds

think the Captain has heard it (by mistake?)

Actually I bought it by mistake; meant to order Bulbs by Unsolicited Music Ensemble(which I subsequently got, also on Slam). When it arrived I thought WTF and emailed Slim to see if she'd take it back. Before packing it off I thought I'd take a stroll through the Archives (back when I could still access them Mone!!!!) and low and behold, saw that I had gotten a Reynolds favorite. Slapped that bad boy on and fired the afterburners. In the words of SR: lordy, lordy, lordy.

All of the above proves that there is a God and he guides my hand, so don't fuck with me.

I have subsequently gotten Foom, Foom (thank you Sergio) and the Horrors of Darnstadt (thank you Nate).

[Rob Damen]

"Pentecost" is a solo piano record, if I recall correctly.

I haven't pulled it out in years, but it was one of the few "out" styled jazz records where I didn't quite hear the classical influences so immediately in what he was playing. I recall being impressed with the record. It kind of reminds me in some spots of "Mujician 3" - one of Keith Tippett's solo efforts that I think you're familiar with, no?

It came out round about the time of some of the recordings we've been discussing. Mid-90s or so.

Cheers,

Rob

[Dan G]

Originally Posted by Rob Damen

"Pentecost" is a solo piano record, if I recall correctly.

I haven't pulled it out in years, but it was one of the few "out" styled jazz records where I didn't quite hear the classical influences so immediately in what he was playing. I recall being impressed with the record. It kind of reminds me in some spots of "Mujician 3" - one of Keith Tippett's solo efforts that I think you're familiar with, no?

It came out round about the time of some of the recordings we've been discussing. Mid-90s or so.

Cheers,

Rob

From what I remember, Pentecost is pretty blah, but better than the others from the trilogy (Talitha Cum and...something else). Law is hit and miss for me; like most of his stuff with a band, find him boring as hell solo. The duo with Louis Moholo is OK. Saw that pair in concert years ago, Moholo got pissed that his drum kit kept moving around, left Law to play solo while people rebuilt it on a mat. Then Law left for some reason, maybe just to get back at Moholo... left Louis to do a great tympani solo. Whole thing ended with Law quietly picking apart the melody to John Lennon's Imagine while Moholo sang. Odd.

I'm with Jon on the Wilkinson/Jaworzyn duo. More interesting than the trio with Fell and Hession, that gets a bit boring after an hour or so of hard blowing. All good players, but that band just lacks diversity.

[Gordon B]

While we are talking Law, let's not forget Jon Lloyd's head!, which was also a Reynolds rec. I still love that record and I'm also a big fan of Law's Abacus.

Rest of post deleted- Giant Leaves (Autumn Steps) was a trio record. I still wouldn't recommend it. Thanks to Nate Dorward for correcting me.

[Nate Dorward]

I think we gotta get a petition going for someone (Bruce's Fingers?) to reissue THe Horros of Darmstadt.....jeez that's a great disc. The sound is about the same quality as on Machine Gun--grainy & brutal--but it's a fine blow. & I'm quite fond of Live at Bogey's which I only have on cassette--the sound is again no better than it should be but it's also very good. Foom! Foom! is their one studio date, & it's nice to hear them with good sound for a change, but it's the live gigs that really get fervent & nasty.

Anyone fond of Jon Lloyd's stuff by the way? that's where I first heard John Law. The one I've got is Head, on Leo--if memory serves Sanders is on the drums there too. Good disc.

[Nate Dorward]

I thought Giant Leaves/Autumn Steps was a trio disc?

[Steve Reynolds]

also look for Lloyd's "By Confusion - although I think it is pretty hard to find

also with Law & Sanders - similar in vein to "Head"

[Gordon B]

You are right Nate. My memory was faulty. I haven't played it for quite awhile. I also have a Law Monk tribute, "Pictures from a Monk Exhibiton", also a trio. I don't remember that one at all and will play it soon.

Anybody else like Abacus? I remember it got some negative reviews but it was one of my favorite records of 2001.

[John L]

"By Confusion" is fantastic, and I owe my awareness of it to Steve R!

[Rob Damen]

Perhaps to some it was blah, but I found myself liking "Pentecost" because it wasn't that obvious where it was coming from and I like journeys like that.

Cheers,

Rob

[Jason Bivins]

Reynolds isn't dissing, he's just bringing the passion. Preach, baby, preach!!!

[Dan G]

Originally Posted by Nate Dorward

Anyone fond of Jon Lloyd's stuff by the way? that's where I first heard John Law. The one I've got is Head, on Leo--if memory serves Sanders is on the drums there too. Good disc.

Just listened to Lloyd's Syzyzgy a couple of weeks ago, first time in years, and wondered why I don't play it more often*. Very similar to Exploded on Impact. Law, Sanders and Paul Rogers make up the rest of the quartet.

*easy answer actually: too little time, too many records.

[stonemonkts]

I have only one by Jon Lloyd, "Four and Five" (Hat) which is quite good. I like his playing on it very much. Another sort of similar player I've recently heard for the first time is Peter Wettre ("Meet the Locals"....a truly excellent trio recording).

[Nate Dorward]

Yeah, Abacus got kind of a rough ride for some reason. I gave it a very positive review at the time in Coda--maybe a tad too enthusiastic, to tell you the truth, but it was in the first batch of things I ever professionally reviewed so I wasn't quite jaded enough yet .... But I think that the pans of it were undeserved. You can find the old review of it up here:

http://www.ndorward.com/music/law_abacus.htm

& it's got a link to Dan Warburton's pan of it if you look at the "Second Opinion" bar on the right.

Hm, wonder what Lloyd is up to nowadays--he had an interesting style, maybe a little funny because he picked up the saxophone late (in his mid-20s). I remember that he has a curious way of fitting the same licks & phrases over different chords without transposition--i.e. rather than moving it into a different key he'll simply keep it in the same spot (I guess where it sits easily under the fingers) & fit it in. I ain't a sax player so I'm sure someone can tell me if I'm wrong....

"Audax Drop", baby!

[LeMo]

Originally Posted by Steve Reynolds

also look for Lloyd's "By Confusion - although I think it is pretty hard to find

also with Law & Sanders - similar in vein to "Head"

Very dissimilar in vein than "Head" or "By Confusion", but as good to my ear and in a wondefull sound quality, is the hatOLOGY "Four And Five".

Lloyd lead here a quartet composed of Stan Adler (cello), Marcio Mattos (bass), Paul Clarvis (drums).

"Four And Five" is often dissmiss because considering as "cold" and "intellectual".
Personnally I don't get it.

By the way, anybody know what Lloyd is doing today?
It's, now, more than five years that he recorded his last session as a leader.

And, to my knowledge, it's years that he plays nowhere, under his name or in somebody's band? Any news?

[Gordon B]

LeMo, I like "Four and Five" quite a bit.

I played "Exploded on Impact" in the car the last two days. I agree, great record.