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We Can’t Stand the Quiet
21 Jul2010
ALTO 1
Kaoru Abe
Solo 1972
PSF : 1994
KA, alto sax.
Dear C,
No doubt you’ve heard how blisteringly hot it is here. The asphalt bubbles up from the streets and sticks to your soles. Our air conditioner blew a fuse, so we sweat it out in the apartment with fans aimed at our foreheads. There’s noise in the city, but lately it isn’t loud enough. There’s nothing that can match the insistent scorch of the thermometer. We’re slowly losing our minds, baby.
You remember that scene in Hal Hartley’s Simple Men? It’s about an hour into the movie and everything has been typically deadpan and soft-spoken. Then Martin Donovan’s character rushes into the frame, kicks his hat, and screams “I CAN’T STAND THE QUIET!!!” Cue the opening chords of “Kool Thing” and the characters begin a choreographed shimmy to that Sonic Youth nugget. You smartly pointed out the dance was pilfered from Godard’s Band of Outsiders. But originality be damned, that moment is exactly what we need right now.
It feels like even the web site has been too sedate lately. When not broken. We need a jolt of pure noise to shake things up. This morning, after a series of bracingly cold showers, we reached for our trusty Kaoru Abe records, looking for some face-melting saxophone fury that could temporarily erase the heat from our fevered minds. We picked a solo show from November 4th, 1972 — smack dab in the center of his prime fire-breathing years.
But damn if even Kaoru proved too quiet. The album’s first track finds him in an almost contemplative mood. It’s startlingly lovely and lucid, but he’s not trying to destroy the universe from the inside of his horn. He patiently builds to a section of piercing lyricism, then becomes a gonzo one-man marching band. Just when we’re ready to follow him into the streets, he shifts gears and offers some unabashed beauty.
But beauty is not what we need. We crave something so loud and immersive that it will obliterate our unpleasant surroundings. You once hipped us to that great riddle of a last line from Annie Dillard’s An American Childhood: “In New Orleans — if you could get to New Orleans — would the music be loud enough?”
We now know the answer. It can never be loud enough. Kaoru Abe sounds like Ben Webster to our sadly unpopped ear drums. Please send suggestions for something terrifying that will destroy our hearing and what’s left of our fragile egg-shell minds.
Much love,
The boys from D:O
- In: Kaoru Abe
- Tags: Annie Dillard, Ben Webster, Hal Hartley, Jean-Luc Godard, Kaoru Abe, Sonic Youth
INTENTS & PURPOSES:
Bill Dixon, 1925-2010.
12
Jul 2010
RELAY: DANCE #5
SOLO #8
Bill Dixon
Untitled
Edizioni Ferrari : 1982
Relay: BD, flugelhorn, trumpet, piano; David Carrier, trumpet; Ann Carrier, alto flute; Stephen Hornstein, bass clarinet; Chris Bishop, electric bass. Solo: BD, trumpet.
FOR CECIL TAYLOR
Bill Dixon
Verona Jazz
Nettle : 1996
BD, piano; Arthur Brooks, trumpet; Stephen Haynes, trumpet; Stephen Horenstein, tenor sax; Alan Silva, bass; Freddie Waits, drums.
WEBERN WORK STUDY (1973-74)
REQUIEM FOR BOOKER LITTLE (1975-76)
THE CLOISTERS (1973)
Bill Dixon
Odyssey
[self-released] : 2001
BD, trumpet.
With the death of Bill Dixon last month, the world lost an utterly distinctive voice. Adept at various settings — solo, small group, orchestral — Dixon presented the antithesis of “licks.” His was a music of surprise, of expressing a personal sound. Unafraid of silence, or unconventional sonics — and seemingly allergic to cliche — he created a body of work that offers the patient and open-eared listener unparalleled joy and depth of feeling. Though Dixon could be the sort of musician who starts arguments, we believe the often strong reactions to his playing grew out of his unique approach to his instrument; it was very hard not to have an opinion. We come down alongside Dixon’s colleague and student Stephen Haynes: “Dixon was the next technical extension of the trumpet after Dizzy Gillespie.”
For Dixon fans, we’ve got some genuine rarities from his deep catalog that we’re pleased to share. But these tracks aren’t just for the heads – they serve as fine introductions to the range and breadth of Dixon’s work.
Probably the rarest item in Dixon’s oeuvre is the untitled LP issued by the Ferrari Gallery in 1982, in conjunction with an exhibition of Dixon’s visual art. Only 400 copies of this gem were ever pressed. In place of a proper cover, the record came with a print of one of Dixon’s pieces from the show. See below:
All the material on this album dates from the early 1970s and includes some of Dixon’s most fascinating compositions and performances. “Relay: Dance #5” is from a full length dance-music collaboration performed at Bennington by Dixon and the Judith Dunn Company of Musicians and Dancers in 1970. This short and meditative section moves through several changes, teasing out a delicate wisp of melody against an increasingly insistent piano. It’s nothing short of sublime and features the rare audio spectacle of Dixon dueting with himself in real time.
The track was composed in an inventive fashion: Dixon’s multi-tracked trumpet and piano parts were pre-recorded and further music was created live by the ensemble during the dance performances. “I did that because I didn’t have that many musicians,” Dixon said. “I didn’t use the tape to be cute but because I wanted that many layers.”
The stunning “Solo #8” comes from a January 1973 concert at Bennington. This bravura seven minute performance highlights a range of his approaches to the trumpet, exploring buzzing and breathy runs, echoing overtones, guttural ellipses, ghostly moans, and splattering cries. But the real draw here is the piercing emotional tone that unites the piece as it builds to a memorable crescendo. (Hardcore fans should note that parts of this same concert were also used in Considerations 1.)
This 1980 live version of “For Cecil Taylor” comes from a rare compact disc of exclusive live performances from the 15th annual Verona Jazz Festival. It was issued in 1996 as part of the Italian music magazine Musica Jazz. While Dixon was justifiably best known for his remarkable horn work, his piano playing has yet to be given its due. This churningly hypnotic tune focuses on his keyboard work, which moves from confidentially minimalist to lyrically exploratory. It’s also a showcase for his compositional chops and leadership. Note how the horns, bass, and percussion play an even greater role in evoking Cecil Taylor’s music than the piano. Dixon must have been in a reflective mood about the jazz masters that night, since he dedicated the entire performance to Miles Davis.
These rare items come from the collection of George Scala, who generously shared them with us – and you. George maintains a valuable, multi-artist free jazz discography that’s well worth checking out. You’ll be hearing more from his archive at D:O in the near future.
Thanks are due, too, to Clifford Allen, who kindly supplied us with the tracks above from Dixon’s self-released solo opus, Odyssey. Here we have unadulterated Dixon, revealing various facets of his playing and thinking. There’s Dixon the melodist and Keeper-of-the-Flame (“Requiem for Booker Little”); Dixon the sound sculptor, working with decay, space, echo (“Webern Work Study”); and Dixon the creator of incantations, breaking down distinctions between “music” and “not music” (“The Cloisters”).
For more on Dixon’s life and work, we highly recommend taking the time to visit the following:
–Taylor Ho Bynum on Dixon, over at Darcy James Argue’s place.
–Stephen Haynes on Dixon, with a great photo, too. More from Haynes also at NewMusicBox.
–Ben Young, with the official obituary.
–NPR’s Lars Gotrich on Dixon and his effect on young ears.
–Clifford Allen with a deep, personal remembrance.
–Bill Dixon’s Facebook page has been filling up with anecdotes and encomiums, including this great one from longtime Dixon collaborator Stephen Horenstein.
–Previous D:O posts on Dixon here.
Thanks also to Ben Young ’s invaluable Dixonia, which helped clarify many of the details in this post. Bill Dixon, RIP.
- In: Bill Dixon|tributes
Fuck the Summer of Death
1 Jul2010
ENCORE
Fred Anderson & Muhal Richard Abrams
Live in Verona
Sala della Guardia : 1979
FA, tenor sax; MRA, piano.
Fred Anderson, RIP.
We can’t quite muster the words to do Fred Anderson justice, so let this exceptional live track featuring him and Muhal Richard Abrams serve as our aural epitaph, for now. Thanks to Hank Shteamer for the tip. This is an especially appropriate cut given Abrams’ deeply-felt musical tribute to Anderson mere hours after his death. More on that in a moment.
Not to turn this place into a mausoleum, but we’ve also been busy preparing a special Bill Dixon tribute that will include some uber-rare and fantastically wonderful deep cuts from his oeuvre. Stay tuned for that next week.
Of course it hasn’t been all death and gloom around these parts. Over the last week, we attended a number of inspiring shows at Vision Festival XV in NYC. The specter of mortality sometimes haunted the shows, but the musicians transformed that heavy vibe into stirring and defiant art. Maybe next year we’ll live blog the festival like it’s the Oscars, but for now here are some after-the-fact impressions:
Muhal Richard Abrams – solo piano
The show starts with the somber announcement that Fred Anderson died several hours previous. Fuck. He was scheduled to play right after Muhal, so the fog of this sad news hangs especially thick. Muhal dedicates his piece to Fred’s memory and begins playing a few funeral bass notes, coming back to them over and over. It sounds like the low end of the piano is mic’d for extra resonance because the bass reverberates deeply through the space.
The hour-long performance may be largely improvised but it feels like a suite, lucidly moving from section to section, building from brooding primal minimalism to athletic note flurries that recall Cecil Taylor to astonishingly delicate lyricism. The predominant tone is a stern romantic grandeur reminiscent of late Beethoven. It ends with Muhal pounding his palms against the keyboard and letting the discordant echo slowly die out.
This was clearly a Major Achievement. It’s appropriate Abrams received a Lifetime award afterward because he poured a career’s worth of ideas, emotions, and techniques into this one piece. We’re tempted to inflate dead words like “monumental” with some sort of genuine meaning to try and describe the effect. Feel free to tell us that there were better performances at the festival, but we won’t believe you.
Lifetime Trio featuring Joseph Jarman
The Lifetime trio offers concise songs with a bright melodic feel. With the lilting acoustic guitar, it almost comes across as lite avant jazz. Then Jarman starts to sing a series of platitudinous lyrics – bad news. When he plays the sax or flute, everything is fine. When saxophonist John Tchicai joins the band for the last few pieces, things get even better.
Muhal Richard Abrams Trio
With nothing left to prove, Muhal lays back and initially only peppers the music with brief runs of notes. At first it’s forbiddingly abstract and diffuse. With no drums, time feels especially elastic. Bassist Harrison Bankhead is excellent but tends to play five notes where one might do. Saxophonist Ari Brown is accomplished but his tone is a bit faceless. By the end though, their individual textures have been seamlessly woven into a roiling and mesmerizing mesh of sound.
Billy Bang’s Spirit of Sir One
Begins with a special award and the announcement that Billy Bang is seriously ill with lung cancer. Fuck. His large ensemble piece is dedicated to the memory of Sirone (“Sir One”) and features two bassists.The first number is a shimmering and through composed tone-poem that’s the title track off Bang’s upcoming album. Meditative and lovely. The second piece gives the group plenty of solo space but there’s no fireworks until Bang picks up his violin and unleashes a frenetic and slashing solo that’s so emotional it renders everyone in the room temporarily mute. Worth the price of admission by itself.
David S. Ware Trio
David S. Ware is seated because he’s suffering from complications due to his recent kidney transplant. Fuck. But while his body may be in pain, the saxophonist has lifted to his playing to yet another level. He opens with an uninterrupted blast of sound that lasts five minutes, circular-breathing his way through the changes. Some editing may have lent more punch to the show, but the performance also brings to mind Coltrane’s reply when asked why he played so long: “Because that’s how much I had to say.” Overall, it’s s a powerhouse performance. The new album this fall should be something.
Peace Out Trio featuring Dave Burrell
Bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake are typically stellar, but the star is pianist Dave Burrell. He plays like he’s on laughing gas. His jubilantly unhinged runs of notes are breathtaking in their madcap logic. You have no idea where he’s going next. Rhythmic grooves? Atonal cluster bombs? One-finger minimalism? Simmering melodies? Frantically playing with his forearms? That’s just the first five minutes. And all without devolving into pastiche. Burrell’s recent albums have been good, but nothing as thrilling as this.
Burrell’s performance reminds us of Marc Ribot’s wildest guitar solos, the ones where he finds ways to make the so-called wrong notes sound so right. Burrell often plays atonally, but in rhythm. He threatens to derail the performance at every turn and swerve the entire trio into a ditch, but he never does. He’s not just reckless, he’s authoritatively reckless.
His playing is so unfettered and anarchic (not to mention masterful) that he sounds more youthful and adventurous than many young pianists on the scene today. The kids should be taking notes.
The Stone Quartet
Diffuse and muscular in all the right places. The band keeps switching roles, erasing the line between soloing and supporting, texture and melody. Trumpeter Roy Campbell can occasionally get too pyrotechnic for our tastes, but here he’s the ideal catalyst whenever pianist Marilyn Crispell, bassist Joelle Leandre, and violinst Matt Maneri threaten to get overly bogged down on the microtonal tip.
Touch the Earth II, featuring Wadada Leo Smith and Gunter “Baby” Sommer
One of the festival highlights. We know to expect Wadada’s exceptionally clear and piercing trumpet tone to be powerful, but his split-second reflexes and melodic inventions are equally dazzling. Gunter Sommer is from the same full-body and kitchen sink school of drumming as Hann Bennick, but he’s also not afraid to be simple, teasing out steady grooves and comfortable with silence. This telekinetic performance delivers whimsy, wonder, and sheer beauty with a sense of dramatic tension that keeps the audience rapt.
People Places & Things
Mike Reed’s quartet is impressively tight. While their expertly played head-sol0-head format is a nice change of pace, it also seems strangely retrograde after the complex interplay of The Stone Quartet and Touch the Earth II. The best parts here feature the two saxophonists playing in tandem to concoct sizzling melodic lines. Special note to musicians: Bass solos are killing jazz.
Supporting the Music
Attendance at Vision seemed significantly lower than in years past. The Abrams Playhouse stage had great acoustics, most of the bills offered excellent values, and the festival ran like clockwork. So it was sobering to see giants like Wadada Leo Smith playing to crowds that could have fit in The Stone. It was nice to see so many familiar faces, but maybe jazz fans need to start taking their friends and colleagues to shows like these. In the midst of this summer of death, it’s more important than ever not to take these musical opportunities for granted.
***
What were your Vision Festival highlights? Or highlights of any recent jazz shows you’ve attended?
What are some of your favorite Fred Anderson tracks?
- In: Fred Anderson
Let Us Now Praise (Near-)Famous Men
18 Jun2010
UNKNOWN
Muhal Richard Abrams
Tin Palace, NYC
1976.07.18
MRA, piano; Anthony Braxton, alto sax; George Lewis, trombone; Fred Hopkins, bass; Steve McCall, drums.
ARHYTHM SONGY
Muhal Richard Abrams
1-Oqa+19
Black Saint : 1977
MRA, piano; Anthony Braxton, alto sax; Leonard Jones, bass.
PANORAMA
Muhal Richard Abrams & Malachi Favors
Sightsong
Black Saint : 1975
MRA, piano.
MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS: A LIFETIME OF VISION
With the recent sad loss of trumpet titan Bill Dixon, it is once again time to cue up another rendition of “gather ye rosebuds” and celebrate the musical giants that still walk amongst us. This year’s Vision Festival, starting next week, does just this, honoring Muhal Richard Abrams with their Lifetime Achievement Award on Thursday, June 24th. We cannot think of a more worthy recipient.
Abrams is perennially under-recognized. A teacher, educator, organizer, composer, bandleader, and pianist of the highest order, not to mention one of the co-founders and guiding lights of the AACM during its five-decade run, Abrams has maintained a criminally low profile over the course of his entire career.
Emblematic anecdote from the intro to George Lewis’ AACM history: Lewis proposes a biography of Abrams; he demurs, and suggests instead the need for a book on the AACM as a whole. So to some extent the low profile is perhaps desired by this artist. When the jazz blog conversation kicked up about four years ago with an Ethan Iverson-spurred conversation about overlooked Post-1973 Jazz, one of our two contributions to the exchange was Abrams. He was overlooked (it seemed to us) even then!
To both honor Abrams in our own small way, and draw attention to this year’s Vision Fest — which, we can say with absolutely no hyperbole, presents their greatest lineup yet — we are happy to showcase Abrams leading a couple of small groups taking on his own compositions, plus a beautiful solo outing.
The first is an admittedly rough-sounding boot from a 1976 show featuring an all-star line-up. This gig took place at the Tin Palace, one of the essential spaces booking progressive, adventurous jazz in the mid-Seventies. (Stanley Crouch took over Tin Palace bookings in 1977.) Though the unison passages are tough to make out, the soloists are given a lot of space, and the sonics improve. What it lacks in fidelity it more than makes up for it in immediacy and warmth.
The next two are drawn from Abrams’ great run of albums for Black Saint in the 1970s and 80s. While we are more familiar with his large group recordings of this period, which tend to highlight Abrams the composer and arranger more than player, we thought it fitting to showcase his ample talents with some small group performances. Brian Olewnick turned us on to the joys of Sightsong several years ago. The disc also features a solo turn by Favors, and on most tracks they play together. “Panorama,” though, finds Abrams, alone, in a notably lyrical mood. “Arhythm Songy” is culled from a curious album of the same period, featuring a crackerjack band that includes Henry Threadgill and McCall in addition to the personnel above. For this trio exploration, a winding theme opens up to some great counterpoint and striking simultaneous soloing from Braxton and Muhal.
VISION FESTIVAL XV
For those in New York City in the next two weeks, there’s an embarrassment of riches at this year’s Vision Festival. Click above for the full schedule.
You can’t go too wrong, but we especially recommend the show on Thursday, June 24, which features Muhal performing solo and with his trio. Joseph Jarman performs that night as well.
On Sunday, June 27th, there’s the David S. Ware trio, Billy Bang, and Dave Burrell. Monday, June 28th, includes The Stone Quartet with Marilyn Crispell, Matt Maneri, Joelle Leandre, and Roy Campbell, plus Wadada Leo Smith, Mike Reed’s People Places & Things, and Joe Morris. And this Monday, the 21st, these folks (and more!) will grace The Local 269 stage: Jason Kao Hwang, Darius Jones, Adam Lane, Tim Berne, Nate Wooley, and Mary Halvorson.
We’ll be at at least three of these nights for sure. If you make the scene, be sure to say hello! (Just yell “Jeff” into the crowd and there’s a decent chance one of us will turn around).
MORE MUHAL READING:
—-Jason Moran picks his dozen essential Abrams tracks here
—-A fine interview with Muhal here
Special thanks to Ethan Iverson for help with this post.
* * * * *
What are your favorite Muhal performances?
In Watermelon Sugar
9 Jun2010
SAM’S FLOAT
Dave Liebman
Lookout Farm
ECM : 1974
DL, soprano and tenor saxes, flute; John Abercrombie, electric and acoustic guitars; Richard Beirach, electric and acoustic pianos; Eleana Sternberg, vocals; Frank Tusa, bass; Badal Roy, tablas; Don Alias, congas and bongos; Armen Halburian, percussion; Steve Sattan, tambourine, cowbell; Jeff Williams, drums.
THE SUBJECTIVE FACTS:
“Sam’s Float” is mesmerizing jazz fusion that splits the difference between the visionary electric music of Miles Davis and more commercial instincts of groups like Weather Report. It’s a model of ensemble playing – the wordless vocals, Indian percussion, and guitar riffs meshing perfectly with the sturdy groove and Liebman’s chirpy-but-incisive playing. As a whole, Lookout Farm remains the high-water mark of Dave Liebman‘s career as a leader.
BACK TO THE LAND:
The facts will only get you so far. More interesting are the associations evoked by the music itself. The utopian vibe suggests that Liebman may have formed his new ensemble under the heady influence of the early 1970s movements of communal living and sustainable agriculture. You might also detect the subliminal influence of Richard Brautigan‘s whimsical fiction, particularly his surreal fable In Watermelon Sugar. Imagine the band removing themselves for a two-month residency to a farmhouse in the woods of New Hampshire, developing their sound in harmony with the surrounding fields.
BUT STILL PLUGGED IN:
But it wasn’t quite as rustic that suggests. The barn complex was rigged with various large amps and speakers, plus wired to allow the electric instruments to be cranked up to maximum volume. During the early practices, the locals claimed they could feel the tree roots shaking. One observer remarked: “It’s like Nature – but louder.”
LOOKING AHEAD:
There’s a earthy quality to the tunes that are prescient of back-to-the-land movies like Winstanley, the overlooked British classic about The Diggers, an English group who tried to overturn notions of private property and reclaim the common soil for the benefit of everyone. It didn’t end well for The Diggers, nor for the Lookout Farm band, which wasn’t able to capitalize on the artistic success of this album. But it was a shining moment nonetheless.
ODE TO A FAVORITE WATERING HOLE:
“Sam’s Float” – a small lake on the adjacent property that was favored by the band and the golden retriever who adopted them that summer. The tune suggests the dog was experiencing a sort of satori moment while soaking his matted fur in the cool water.
VISIT LOOKOUT FARM!
Why not take a jazz field trip to the actual historic location, one of America’s oldest active farms. Bring the kids!
YOU WANT IT, YOU GOT IT:
Inexplicably never released on CD by ECM, the rest of Lookout Farm (and them some) is currently available as part of the Mosaic Select: Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach box set.
As for the rest of the material on that Mosaic set and other lost Liebman gems, you tell us!
Man v. Machine
4 Jun2010
SOUNDWAYS, PART TWO (Edit)
Marion Brown/Elliott Schwartz
Soundways
Century : 1973
MB, alto sax, clarinet, piano, percussion, little instruments; ES, Arp synthesizer, piano, percussion, little instruments.
In this corner! A saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist weighing in at trim 150 pounds, featuring a tone that can slice through tin can lids, and a lyricism that can make grown men weep like willows…wearing the withering stare…Marion Brown!
And in the far corner! A New England professor armed with an old school synthesizer and who knows what else…wearing the hornrims, attenuators, and bolts of tweed…Elliott Schwartz and his ARP!
From this rare album — recorded live at Bowdoin College in 1973, where Schwartz was then teaching — here is the first ten minutes of side two. The whole album is one continuous, near-forty minute performance, later repackaged as part of Duets on Arista/Freedom. Exploratory in tone, it showcases Brown’s ability to maintain his innate melodicism regardless of whatever is thrown at him by Schwartz. Not to mention Brown’s facility on a range of instruments.
Parts of this piece are reminiscent of Human Music, Don Cherry’s 1970 computer-jazz collision with Jon Appleton. Soundways, though, is far less academic (despite the setting) and more exciting than its predecessor. It combines the playful, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink vibe of early Art Ensemble, with the probing sonic experimentalism of Anthony Braxton’s duets with Richard Teitelbaum. A bit of an outlier in the Marion Brown discography, but a fascinating one — and a little Marion Brown is always worth exploring. That Schwartz was just awarded an honorary degree while Brown is seldom celebrated, and large chunks of his oeuvre languish, inaccessible, is a dichotomy we’ll leave for others to examine further.
What are your favorite computer music collisions? Jazz or otherwise.
The Overlooked AACM:
Steve and Iqua Colson
24
May 2010
TRIUMPH OF THE OUTCASTS, COMING
TEMPLE AT DENDERA
Steve Colson & The Unity Troupe
Triumph!
Silver Sphinx : 1980
SC, piano and voice; Iqua Colson, voice; Wallace McMillan, tenor sax; Reggie Willis, bass; Dushun Mosley, percussion.
THOUGHT FROM DUKE
The Colson Unity Troupe
No Reservation
Black Saint : 1980
SC, piano; Iqua Colson, voice; Wallace LaRoy McMillan, soprano sax; Reggie Willis, bass; Dushun Mosley, percussion.
PARALLEL UNIVERSE
Steve Colson
The Untarnished Dream
Silver Sphinx : 2010
SC, piano; Reggie Workman, bass; Andrew Cyrille, drums.
The AACM has spawned a host of brilliant jazz musicians including Henry Threadgill, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Anthony Braxton, and Wadada Leo Smith. The organization’s moniker is virtually shorthand for quality music that’s conceptually rigorous, steeped in musical tradition, forward-thinking, and freewheeling. There are many fine musicians associated with the AACM who still haven’t received their due. At the top of that list is the husband and wife team of Steve and Iqua Colson.
That’s starting to change. Soul Jazz recently selected their cult classic Triumph! to appear in the coffee table book of avant jazz album covers Freedom Rhythm & Sound. They included the track “Lateen” on the accompanying comp and plan to reissue the entire album later this year. The Colsons recently released a new album, The Untarnished Dream, which has been receiving rave reviews.
We’re pleased to offer a mini-retrospective of the Colsons’ work that spans a wonderfully wiggy ensemble piece spiked with vocals (“Triumph of the Outcasts”), beautifully knotty solo piano (“Temple at Dendera”), a more straight-ahead tribute that showcases vocals (“Thought for Duke”), and a richly abstract song that highlights compositional acumen and instrumental interactions (“Parallel Universe”).
The Colsons were also gracious enough to answer some questions for us, providing more insight into their musical inspirations and future plans.
ON INSPIRATION FOR THEIR ALBUMS :
Adegoke Steve Colson:
Our recorded music is meant to give a sampling of our repertoire, so we try to offer a wide range of our material. But we play with some wonderful musicians and they are inspirational themselves, so sometimes we are influenced by the players. In terms of this latest CD, Reggie Workman and Andrew Cyrille have been influential and inspirational, and they definitely caused us to consider our musical choices for this project.
Iqua Colson:
We have written tributes to individuals or dedicated to people who have influenced us personally, i.e., “Thought from Duke” (Ellington and Muhal) and “Teachers/World Heroes” for Steve’s early piano teacher Henry Smith. There is no shortage of ideas. The music ranges from free to song form – collaborative improvisation based on traditional and non traditional notation - to pieces where the head- solo format works for us – but it is always our creative expression of what we hear or want to explore.
ON MUSICAL TRADITIONS:
Ade:
We have both listened to lots of music of all types: choral music, instrumental, opera, modern, etc. In addition to artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, or Sarah Vaughan, we studied Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Bartok, Hindemith, Nathaniel Dett, and others of that stature. Blues, Gospel, R&B, Rock, Broadway Musicals, Pop, you name it. In addition to Andrew and Reggie we have also been fortunate to know and work with musicians such as members of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Steve McCall, Muhal Richard Abrams, George Lewis, Max Roach, Henry Threadgill, Leroy Jenkins, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, Amina Meyers, Leo Smith, and others who have always been advanced conceptually and have incorporated music from various cultures into their own compositions and performances. These experiences have given us tons of ideas about music and have helped us to draw from many traditions.
ON THE RELATIONSHIP WITH SOUL JAZZ:
Iqua:
You never really know where the work will lead – you just do your work – your music. We did our first album on our label Silver Sphinx in 1980. Fall 2008 we learned it was selling on eBay for $200-$300 – and we still had a few in or possession. Then in summer 2009 Soul Jazz Records out of London approached us about including the album cover in their coffee table book Freedom Rhythm & Sound and including us in a CD and vinyl compilation with the same name. Now they will reissue the entire album. This 30 year old recording took on its own revival and being a part of the book and compilation puts us in the company with many creative artists with similar artistic values.
ON UPCOMING PROJECTS:
Iqua:
Our sons are grown and living their lives so we are back to having the focus primarily on our own short- and long-term projects day to day. We’d like to do more work with Steve’s orchestra. So far that has been the collaboration with writers Amiri Baraka and Richard Wesley that is in tribute to Dr. King entitled “…as in a Cultural Reminiscence…” and the all star orchestra that presented “Greens, Rice and a Rope” as a part of New Music America. That work included. We did a concert in NYC years ago featuring an octet – Eighth Tone Dimology - that people are still talking about so we are looking into releasing some of the music from that date.
Ade:
There are a number of artists who we’d like to work with within and outside of the AACM – we’re planning to build on a great concert we did in Chicago at Fred Anderson’s Velvet Lounge with long-time Chicago compatriots Dushun Mosley and Ernest Khabeer Dawkins. We’ve started thinking about the next CD too: that project is already underway and will be more of a feature for Iqua; we have several of the pieces right now. We are also collaborating with a couple of great writers and visual artists on potential projects, and have traded some ideas with David Murray who I worked with regularly 20 years ago. So the work continues.
+ + + + + + +
For more on the Colsons’ history with the AACM, do consult George E. Lewis’ magisterial history of the organization, A Power Stronger than Itself. And finally, why not treat yourself to a download of No Reservation, now at Amazon for less than $5.00.
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