treux would have made an interesting, if LP was formally introduced by its rival, Co- ment on two tunes that were brand-new short, album. lumbia. Some of them were actually primi- then, "Harlem Air Shaft" and "All Too In recording for Windham Hill, compos- tive stereo: Two microphones and two cut- Soon," as much as it enlivens older pieces ers have put aside their angular tunes and ting tables produced two discs—one focused such as "Stompy Jones," "Riding on a Blue prior to Mark Isham's recently released on the left side, the other on the right—that Note," and "Rose of the Rio Grande." By Film Music, their vocal compostions. In ex- were made to be played simultaneously. themselves, these dates would be a valuable change, they're rewarded with the finest Since either could be sold as a long-playing addition to an Ellington collection. But the polyvinyl chloride available and designer monaural record, however, most of them two long-playing stereo medleys are essen- Anne Robinson's clean graphics. Her serene were. After half a century, the possibility of tial. John S. Wilson single-image photos, square borders, and finding matching sets seemed unlikely. straightforward typography reflect the sur- But four years ago, collector Steve DAVID MURRAY BIG BAND: prisingly no-nonsense music inside. Critics Lasker bought an Ellington disk at an auc- Live at Sweet Basil, Vol. 1. cite this attention to packaging as evidence tion. He thought it might be an alternate ver- O David Murray, prod Black Saint BSR 0085. 83 (1 (Distributed by Polygram Special that the label sells homogeneity, muting indi- sion because the matrix and take numbers Imports.) vidual artists' styles. It's even true that some differed from those on the issued recording of its catalog functions like a run-on sen- of the performance. Yet, after obtaining a When someone has a knack for delivering tence: It isn't always easy to tell where one copy of that three years later and comparing the goods, you come to expect a lot from him. release ends and another begins. the two with the help of engineer Brad Kay, With his quartet and octet, David Murray re- But no company is entirely successful, Lasker finally realized that he had the right cast time-honored jazz settings in his own im- no a&r department catches all the best tal- and left sides of a stereo recording; Reflec- age. His instincts and ambitions are so on- ent. Windham Hill's "A" list includes guitar- tions in Ellington recreates the 1932 or- target that the success of each new endeavor ist Michael Hedges (whose Aerial Bound- chestra in stereo. seems a given. So Live at Sweet Basil, Vol. 1 aries contains the only solo version of "After Placed in the context of monaural re- really caught me off guard: It's raucous, hu- the Gold Rush" I can stand), Irish traditional cordings of the early '30s, the range, depth, morous, spirited, and brusque, at once excit- instrumentalist Michael O'Domhnaill, and pi- and clarity of this session (February 3, 1932) ing and unsettling. And I'm still not sure anist Liz Story on the Windham Hill label; are remarkable. A medley of "Mood Indigo," what to make of it. guitarist Michael Lorimer on Dancing Cat; "Hot and Bothered," and "Creole Love Call" Despite the compositional possibilities and Anthony Braxton on Magenta, the new catches the Ellington band in transition from extra instrumentation provides, this is a solo- jazz-only affiliate run by former Arista jazz the lean, sinuous sound perfected at the Cot- ist's band. As an arranger, Murray works director Steve Backer. Isham brought Hig- ton Club to the richer, more luminous quali- best in small numbers; he elicits broader ton- bie and Anger together for his movie sound- ties that the band acquired in the mid-1930s. al colors and dynamic range from his octet. tracks, and in turn they contribute ideas for The closeup clarity is not as consistent in The additional brass and reeds sound like future projects. Originally, Windham Hill's a second Ellington session of six days later. they are being used for power rather than focus was narrower than its artists' aspira- This is another medley that includes a rather texture, but without doubt something got tions. Those who have remained on the label uncertainly balanced performance of "East lost in the gummy mix. The horns congeal in have broadened its range along with their St. Louis Toodle-Oo"; a dazzling Ellington pi- the murk, and the piano and bass sound like own. Leslie Berman ano solo, "Lots o' Fingers" (which he also ro- they were recorded down the block at the corded as "Fast and Furious"); and a "Black Village Vanguard. DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA: and Tan Fantasy" that brings Tricky Sam This isn't a tight outfit, but it swings like Reflections in Ellington. Nanton's growling trombone into focus as mad. Murray always encourages self-ex- O Jerry Valbum, prod. Everybodys EV 3005 never before. pression over precision, and the players re- (Marto( Productions, PO. Box 156, Hicks- ville, N.Y. 11802). The rest of Side 1 and all of Side 2 consist spond with rambunctious, effusive sound. of air shots by the band in August and Sep- "Silence" and "Duet for Big Band" are roar- RCA Victor was making 33'A-rpm long-play- tember of 1940, a peak time for both compos- ing, unisonlike explosions with wild and ing records in 1932, sixteen years before the er and crew. The band bristles with excite- woolly solos by trombonist Craig Harris and I PI T H I S I S S U E JAZZ RICKY FORD: POP PRINCE AND THE Shorter Ideas. REVOLUTION: ADA MS/PULLEN QUARTET: THE CO M MODORES: Around the World in a Day. Live at the Village Vanguard. DAVID MURRAY BIG BAND: Nightshift. Live at Sweet Basil, Vol. I. SUZANNE VEGA: ANGER/HIGBIE QUINTET: KATRINA AND THE WAVES: Suzanne Vega. Live at Montreux. Katrina and the Waves. VARIOUS ARTISTS: DUKE ELLINGTON: THE PO WER STATION: Greek Oriental Songs and Reflections in Ellington. The Power Station. Dances ( 1928-34). AUGUST 1985 69 .