Vote for Pedro.

Ethan Iverson reflects on the results of his "Great Jazz Records 1973-1990" invitational. Pat Donaher provides a nicely executed (and beautifully titled) summary of the results -- don't skip out before his comments at the very end. I'm thrilled to see all this activity -- and revisiting so many of my yesteryear favorites has definitely been an enjoyable experience.

Proving that this topic is far from exhausted, Braxton scholar and cinematographer Jason Guthartz (of Restructures fame) has posted his own seriously heavy avant-leaning list in the comments area of Post No Bills, a newish daily blog by Peter Margasak, an excellent, wide-ranging writer and Chicago Reader contributor whose work I've admired for years. Prior to the blog explosion, Margasak was one of those rugged pioneers in the zine world; his Butt Rag made an impression nationwide. My working vacation in Morocco this past June was a richer experience for Peter's presence, not least because of his guidance at the CD shops.

"Jaco Lives," a pseudonymous commentator whose post appears directly below Guthartz's, reminds me of yet another classic record from the period under scrutiny that I forgot, primarily because I still don't own a copy despite years of searching: Larks, They Crazy, by the evocative composer, pianist and bandleader Robin Holcomb, issued in 1989 on the Sound Aspects label -- another valuable catalog seemingly gone with the wind. (I blogged about a live performance of this music this past March at the Stone here -- scroll down.)

Every time I've ever asked an artist who recorded for label owner Pedro de Freitas -- among them Butch Morris, Marty Ehrlich, Bobby Previte, Gerry Hemingway -- when a record made for Sound Aspects might resurface, the answer has always been a resounding shrug.

Morris's groundbreaking Current Trends in Racism in Modern America (1985) and his ineffably beautiful Homeing (1987) belong on any list of significant '80s creative-music releases. Nine Below Zero (1986), by the unlikely but effective trio of Morris, Previte and Wayne Horvitz, is also an outstanding record that I don't own. That same trio, augmented by Bill Frisell and Doug Wieselman, recorded another valuable disc devoted to Holcomb's tunes, Todos Santos (1989). Ehrlich, Hemingway and Previte made early statements under this aegis; Steve Lacy and Anthony Braxton also issued important LPs on the label.

Honestly, nothing I've ever heard from this short-lived imprint doesn't deserve consideration. Mr. De Freitas, where the hell are you?

Comments

[Jason Guthartz]

"Braxton scholar"? me? no, no, no.
Heffley, Lange, Lock, Martinelli, Radano, Shoemaker, Wilson - yes. For now, I'm just a data gatherer/compiler.

Amen re: Sound Aspects. The label released Edward Wilkerson's first small-group record feat. Harrison Bankhead - two Chicago-based masters who are infrequently documented (but hear their amazing work on the new release by Frequency, a collective quartet of which Bankhead & Wilkerson are members).

[Jaco Lives]

If you're still looking for "Larks They Crazy" I'd be happy to rip you a copy of mine. One of my favorite shows of all time was a Holcomb solo piano set at Roulette (late 80s/early 90s?) where she played a lot of that material. Love the blog by the way though it makes me miss NYC.

[Brian Olewnick]

One of the very best and most undersung (imho) jazz albums of the 80s appeared on Sound Aspects: Spencer Barefield/Anthony Holland/Tani Tabbal - Live at Nickelsdorf. The Braxton Composition 113 for solo sopranino is also killer.