Tuesday, February 1, 2011

'Fatha or FireMusic?' May, 1966

7 comments:

serviceton said...

Bellson or Nelson ?
Choices, choices - it was an odd label in lots of ways

Flash Strap said...

That is awesome.

Ernst Grgo Nebhuth said...

Maybe the fire of the fathers ?

But you made an interesting observation - but this were more "open" times I would argue - although Impulse was not idealistic - off course.
But do you know a "big" label/company which would do Coltrane, Shepp, Ayler and at the same time Hines or Bellson - today?

serviceton said...

No - the record industry is dying. At least in the form that we have known it for the last 70/80 years.

The big labels aren't going to record anyone unless they have enough mass-market appeal to justify the investment. [Michael Bublé will probably get his contract renewed..]

The middle-level labels are really fucked - they used to do it half for the music, half to turn a profit. With the massive change in the distribution paradigm, the money-making part is now nearly impossible.

Which leaves the artists, and the cottage industries. These largely run on passion for the music, but have at least the advantage of bypassing the traditional distribution machine, and going direct to consumers in most cases. They're pretty much the only hope for the future that a musician might have to make a living from his/her music.
The kind of music that we're interested in anyway.

I agree Impulse was not idealistic onxidlib. I actually think Thiele was a bit of a schmo and a hustler - and not necessarily the "Man Who Sat at the Right Hand of The Great God Coltrane".
But he recorded a lot of music (muscling himself in on as many albums as he could in the process) - much of it, through luck or careful planning, really outstanding music.

You're right, they were far "more open times".

unitstructure said...

Fatha was the CT of the 20's&30's.He could get out there.

Anonymous said...

Why "or"? Why not "and"?

'Once Upon A Time' is a blindingly good LP BTW - better IMHO than (even) 'On This Night'....

Great blog BTW....

serviceton said...

"Why "or"? Why not "and"?"

I imagined myself as a teenager in the record store, with only enough $ to buy one that day.

But yes - 'AND' indeed. .