There are worse-sounding jazz albums, like Curtis Counce's Exploring The Future, but that was made on the cheap for Dooto, a label known primarily for raunchy party records. This was recorded in Seattle on either side of a concert date at the University of Washington, so maybe The Sonics and Wailers had all the decent studios booked solid for their concept albums. Cover art clearly targets the underground rock market, with Bley's lover and in-house theme genie Annette Peacock featured on the inside of the trendy Unipak folder having her breasts massaged. Endless fiddling with the stereo to try to make this thing sound a little better could spoil the mood, though. It's never been reissued on CD, not even in Japan.
paul bley
mr. joy
limelight ls 86060 (1968)
01 Only Lovely 6.20
02 Kid Dynamite 3.10
03 Nothing Ever Was, Anyway 5.44
04 El Cordobes 6.04
05 Ramblin' 4.44
06 Touching 4.49
07 Blood 6.10
08 Mr. Joy 3.50
vinyl @320
