Nessa Records

14/08/2024

Listening to a Bobby Naughton recording and understanding how much I miss hie phone calls.

23/06/2024

Just returned from a concert at Hallwalls - Matthew Shipp, Eric McPherson, Kevin Ray aka East Axis Trio.

21/05/2024

Unbounded thanks and appreciation for all the birthday wishes and comments.

02/05/2024

Honoring the arrival day of the amazing Ira Sullivan.

28/04/2024

Missing Michael Cuscuna again today.

18/02/2024

Don't remember if I posted this before but in addition to a couple of Roscoe Mitchell paintings, I have 2 by P*e Wee Russell. This image was taken the day I brought them home.

16/02/2024

Happy Birthday to the wonderful Henry Threadgill

15/01/2024

https://open.substack.com/pub/sunra/p/nessa-records-876?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Before there was sound...

11/12/2023

Just ran across this - Roscoe & Mars circa 2013

25/07/2023

I recently came across this in my files. I had hoped to help him make a "comeback" similar to Dexter Gordon, but....

13/05/2023

Back in the '60s Hal Russell was one third of the Joe Daley trio. This was the first public display of the Ornette influence in Chicago and they had an RCA lp to spread the word. Hal and band mate Russell Thorne eventually turned against (the less adventurous) Daley. I saw/heard the Daley Trio (with Clyde Flowers on bass) at the '65 Down Beat Festival in Soldier Field.

My next encounter with Hal was a John Klemmer gig in Old Town in 1966/67. The rest of the band was Bebop Sam Thomas on guitar and Malachi Favors on bass. I tried to communicate with Hal but he seemed intimidated and withdrawn.

Joe went on to establish a large following and group of students among the white bop influenced players in town - he was a masterful player. Thorne dropped out and eventually resurfaced as the owner of a book store specializing in the occult. Hal went on to make a decent living playing in shows for "dinner theater" and eventually collected a number of young forward looking musicians to realize his dreams.

By the time we connected in the late '70s his NRG Ensemble included Steve Hunt, Brian Sandstrom, Curt Bley and Chuck Burdelik. As I understood it, Burdelik was a replacement for the departed Mars Williams. All of these players were wonderfully inventive musicians with excellent technique.

In May of 1981 we made the first NRG recording to no acclaim and fewer sales.

In the Fall of 1981 Mars was back in town (after touring with The Waitresses) and Hal mentioned they were jamming in his attic with great results. I suggested a recording session and they agreed. Hal, Mars and I went into Mike Rasfeld's Acme Studio and we rolled tape (4 reels) of pure improvisations. Mars and Michael Lytle eventually edited the material down to seven pieces of lp length. By the time the project was finishing, Mars was a member of the Psychedelic Furs and was in England working on a release with that band. Mars took advantage of the situation and finished the masters with engineer/producer Howard Gray at Manor Studios. This record was issued to nasty reviews and fewer sales than the NRG record.

A year later I had been discussing a new project with Hal and he mentionrd he had a number of charts with baritone parts Mars used to play. I knew Charles Tyler would be in town for the Chicago Jazz Festival and suggested he could play the bari parts. Hal seemed unfamiliar with Tyler but I knew Hal loved Ayler so I made the connection and Hal agreed. I contacted Charles and he agreed to stay on for a couple days of rehearsal and recording. We recorded Generation on September 9,1982.

I have a very personal attachment to these recordings and understand it is a minority opinion. I get to do that.

27/10/2022

Happy birthday, Warne Marsh!

Purchase directly from Nessa Records here https://www.nessarecords.com/shop/warne-marshall-music-ncd-7

https://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2020/09/warne-marshs-inner-melody-1983-downbeat.html

12/10/2022

Congratulations to the amazing Tomeka Reid!
https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2022/tomeka-reid?fbclid=IwAR1EoEj1OWFclD5KNY_C294jMQHT30JZRp7FYbN70BQpstY5tmll3aruwtk

Forging a unique jazz sound that draws from a range of musical traditions and expanding the expressive possibilities of the cello in improvised music.

03/08/2022

Happy arrival day to our great friend Roscoe Mitchell!

21/06/2022

Here is a letter we received requesting some promo copies of our Air recording.

20/05/2022

Happy birthday, Chuck Nessa!

Image by Lauren Deutsch

08/11/2021

Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy - Serious Fun - 1989Trumpets – E. J. Allen, Gerald Brezel, Lester Bowie, Stanton DavisFrench Horn – Vincent ChanceyTrombones – S...

22/09/2021

A number of our favorites will be here - https://www.otherminds.org/festivals/

Every year, Other Minds holds a Festival of new music, curated by Artistic Director Charles Amirkhanian, around an idea, theme, or group of composers. Known for featuring stellar guest performers, a significant number of world premieres, commissions, and productions that incorporate new technologies...