New (old) John Surman (Cuneiform’s praise

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The postman brought me the latest batch of promos from

Cuneiform Records this morning, and i found an album

which has been briefly mentioned here recently: John

Surman's 'Way Back When'. I had to play it, and it was

such a happy surprise of great joyous jazz (jazz

rock!!!) it got played twice with no break. 

Cuneform again have become the Indiana Jones of the

record industry world, raiding the lost archives, in

disintering and releasing this great album for the

first time, recorded in London during the Autumn of

1969. The piece that gives the album its names, in

four movements was clearly intended to sit on the A

Side of a LP, while two other tracks 'Owlshead' and

'Out & About' on Side B. But who got cold feet about

it, worse forgot it  for 35 years - it was recorded by

Tangerine Studios who issued 'Extrapolation'. ???It is

an excellent album of jazz rock fusion: so I have to

ask, why it has sat in the archives for so long??

Inevitably other jazz rock/fusion reference points

come to mind. There are strong hints of Soft Machine

but the Machine heard in after 1971. However, Surman's

music is exuberant, extrovert. After 1971 Machine were

sounding increasing introvert and cerebral - with

Ratledge's use of the minimalism of Terry Riley

(subsequently taken up by Karl Jenkins), (even as an

avid fan of Machine) I then often  felt they were 

spiralling inwards with respect to direction (almost

literally) - made worse when the most exuberant

founder member of Machine, Wyatt, was sidelined and

then dismissed from his own band. Think ofNucleus, but

with either alto or sop sax leading - Nucleus in the

early 70's  were increasingly sounding exuberant and

cerebral - some of the dynamism coming from a rather

funky sounding Chris Spedding, on rhythm & lead guitar

(in that order) - no guitar here though. Then of

course John McLaughlin's 'Extrapolation' - but that

album is McLaughlin's with Surman guesting, and

'Extrapolation' could probably be called more one of

the high points of a youthful modern British jazz

movement, as opposed to jazz rock (jazz fusion without

the rock, maybe). 

Then  Miles - a mite too early to be compared or say

be influenced by 'Bitches', although due reference is

given to 'In A Silent Way'. However, the lead is

dominated by John Surman, first on alto and on later

tracks on soprano sax - augmented here by Mike

Osbourne on alto.

This album is making me rigorously think about which

album could called the first British jazz rock album,

this surely is now a strong candidate. Made all the

better for being so bloody good!!!!!

And back to Cuneiform - while only a handful of

British labels are finding archived music, forgotten

and indeed never previosly released by British bands

(e.g Voiceprint/Blueprint Records), Cuneiform

persistently find the gems. If you want further

evidence of this check out another album just released

by Cuneiform, a double of archived live performances

of Graham Collier. Thanks you (as a Brit)

Cuneiform!!!!!!!!!

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Manunkind Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: February 02 2005 Location: Poland Status: Offline Points: 2373	Topic: New (old) John Surman (Cuneiform’s praise Posted: May 28 2005 at 19:04
	I heard a few songs from Surman's "Conflagration". To this day I'm unable to find my jaw...
	"In war there is no time to teach or learn Zen. Carry a strong stick. Bash your attackers." - Zen Master Ikkyu Sojun

Dick Heath Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Jazz-Rock Specialist Joined: April 19 2004 Location: England Status: Offline Points: 12812	Posted: May 28 2005 at 18:39
	The postman brought me the latest batch of promos from Cuneiform Records this morning, and i found an album which has been briefly mentioned here recently: John Surman's 'Way Back When'. I had to play it, and it was such a happy surprise of great joyous jazz (jazz rock!!!) it got played twice with no break. Cuneform again have become the Indiana Jones of the record industry world, raiding the lost archives, in disintering and releasing this great album for the first time, recorded in London during the Autumn of 1969. The piece that gives the album its names, in four movements was clearly intended to sit on the A Side of a LP, while two other tracks 'Owlshead' and 'Out & About' on Side B. But who got cold feet about it, worse forgot it for 35 years - it was recorded by Tangerine Studios who issued 'Extrapolation'. ???It is an excellent album of jazz rock fusion: so I have to ask, why it has sat in the archives for so long?? Inevitably other jazz rock/fusion reference points come to mind. There are strong hints of Soft Machine but the Machine heard in after 1971. However, Surman's music is exuberant, extrovert. After 1971 Machine were sounding increasing introvert and cerebral - with Ratledge's use of the minimalism of Terry Riley (subsequently taken up by Karl Jenkins), (even as an avid fan of Machine) I then often felt they were spiralling inwards with respect to direction (almost literally) - made worse when the most exuberant founder member of Machine, Wyatt, was sidelined and then dismissed from his own band. Think ofNucleus, but with either alto or sop sax leading - Nucleus in the early 70's were increasingly sounding exuberant and cerebral - some of the dynamism coming from a rather funky sounding Chris Spedding, on rhythm & lead guitar (in that order) - no guitar here though. Then of course John McLaughlin's 'Extrapolation' - but that album is McLaughlin's with Surman guesting, and 'Extrapolation' could probably be called more one of the high points of a youthful modern British jazz movement, as opposed to jazz rock (jazz fusion without the rock, maybe). Then Miles - a mite too early to be compared or say be influenced by 'Bitches', although due reference is given to 'In A Silent Way'. However, the lead is dominated by John Surman, first on alto and on later tracks on soprano sax - augmented here by Mike Osbourne on alto. This album is making me rigorously think about which album could called the first British jazz rock album, this surely is now a strong candidate. Made all the better for being so bloody good!!!!! And back to Cuneiform - while only a handful of British labels are finding archived music, forgotten and indeed never previosly released by British bands (e.g Voiceprint/Blueprint Records), Cuneiform persistently find the gems. If you want further evidence of this check out another album just released by Cuneiform, a double of archived live performances of Graham Collier. Thanks you (as a Brit) Cuneiform!!!!!!!!!