Traveling The Space Ways, Signals From Earth// /FREEJAZZ
“Music is the healing force of the universe.”— Albert Ayler
Free Jazz is a mystical thing. Free Jazz is a powerful tidal wave. Free Jazz is dental floss for the mind. Free Jazz is the reconfiguration of earthly melody and rhythm. Free Jazz is the Frankenstein of Jelly Roll Morton, the Zombification of Coleman Hawkins, the electrification of Gene Krupa. Free Jazz IS spiritual unity. Free Jazz is a brilliant conversation during a storm of insanity. Free Jazz destroys and creates and debates and confounds and enlightens. Free Jazz is a screaming out against injustice, a calling out around hope and despair, a bringing together of powerful voices. Free Jazz is embracing the fear, the anger…of loving the spice, of finding the inner chi. Free Jazz travels the space ways, speaks to the cosmos, torpedos through black hole futures. Free Jazz radiates through the heartbeat, the atoms we breath, the air of our existence. Free Jazz is ever changing, evolving the species. Free Jazz is the breathing of the name of creation. Free Jazz is a mystical thing.
What is the Jazz? What is the Jazz that is free?
First, I learned about the Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus. Cool Jazz, Be-pob, hard-bop, hep-cat stuff. And as I dug deeply into it, especially Coltrane, and heard him break free into other regions, that is where I learned about Free Jazz. Then it was Ornette Coleman through his defining recording called Free Jazz, which led me to Don Cherry, Albert Ayler (who played Coltrane’s funeral), Milford Graves, Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp (and so many more). The writings of Byron Coley and Thurston Moore helped connect me to the more modern voices; Moore’s label Ecstatic Peace! released a Frank Lowe single-sided LP which introduced me to his playing, leading to my discovering his past catalog and the recordings of his contemporaries, and opened up the New York world of the 70s and 80s, while my LAFMS friends, especially Kevin Laffey, tipped me to Roscoe Mitchel, The Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Peter Brötzmann, and Han Bennink. And then there was New York’s Knitting Factory in the 90s: seeing the locked-horn onslaught of Borbetomagus and vibrating along with the intensity of Charles Gale and the many combos of William Hooker and William Parker.
And of course there was and is the constant discovery of new frontiers with every Sun Ra record and the continued trips of The Arkestra. There is no joyous noise like theirs.
Free Jazz is all about improvisation…and truly great improvisors are rare (it is not all about unscripted blurting and bleating, you know); it is a hard craft to master. So when a record comes on…or a show commences…and the musicians involved know how to create a sound sculpture—a conversation—that is free, expressive, inspired—it is one of the most beautiful things imaginable—if you can just open your mind up to the powerful…perhaps difficult…maybe groovy or droned-out…form of communication. If you can, that is when you know why the music is free and freeing. And even then, Free Jazz is hard to define.
I have been listening to more and more Free Jazz as the years have gone by. After having a peak experience listening to Coltrane’s My Favorite Things from his Live In Japan release, I was almost spoiled for anything less, propelled deep into a journey that is now ongoing. It has prompted me to ask friends for recommendations of records I may not have heard. The universe of the genre is well loaded, with many voices producing many different styles and offerings. For The Signal, I decided to ask friends and acquaintances—who, like me, are Free Jazz lovers—to offer up ten of their favorite releases. Given the underground nature of Free Jazz, I thought it would shine a light on the classics and the more obscure blasts of beautitude.
Below are the lists of favorites that were sent to me over the past few weeks. They are listed by title, and for 90% of them, if you click the title it will take you to the YouTube or bandcamp page that features the record. There are a few kind souls who shared thoughts on the records they love…and I put those last on the page (great reads, all of them). There is a lot here (have a good journey)…and a lot of different ideas on what Free Jazz is (which is perfect). Just going through the process of putting this together I have been turned on to many new records…bought a few on discogs over the past week, in fact. Consider this an incredibly curated deep sampling of this wonderful boundaryless genre of music: your new digital library. Enjoy! Do you love Free Jazz? Please put your top ten in the comments below!
John Schott: Guitarist, Composer, Actual Trio
I think these were among the most formative records for me as a young person learning about “Free Jazz”. Now I’m an old person learning about “Free Jazz”.
The Magic City by Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra (Saturn)
Silent Tongues by Cecil Taylor (Arista Freedom)
The World Of Cecil Taylor by Cecil Taylor (Candid)
Soapsuds, Soapsuds by Ornette Coleman and Charlie Haden (Artist House)
This Is Our Music by Ornette Coleman Quartet (Atlantic)
Spiritual Unity by Albert Ayler (ESP)
Vibrations by Albert Ayler Quartet featuring Don Cherry (Arista Freedom)
Sun Ship by John Coltrane (Impulse)
Virtuosi by Barry Altschul, Paul Bley & Gary Peacock (IAI)
Song X by Ornette Coleman with Pat Metheny (Geffen)
Our Man In Jazz by Sonny Rollins and Co (RCA)
Byron Coley: Writer, Record Collector, Feeding Tube Records
10 FREE JAZZ LPS FROM CALIFORNIA YOU SHOULD HEAR
Self Determination Music by John Carter & Bobby Bradford (Flying Dutchman)
A Similar Review by Greg Goodman (Beak Doctor)
Psychedelic Saxophone by Charlie Nothing (Takoma)
Now by Now Creative Arts Jazz Ensemble (Arhoolie)
New Dance! by Anthony Ortega (Revelation)
Signals From Earth by Pygmy Unit (No Label)
As Was by Rova Saxophone Quartet (Metalanguage)
Duo Infinity by Jamil Shabaka & Alex Cline (Aten)
Staying on the Watch by Sonny Simmons (esp disk)
Night After Night by Glenn Spearman (Musa Physics)
Gretchen Davidson Gonzales: Musician, Enthusiast, Infinite River
Spiritual Unity by The Albert Ayler Trio
Interstellar Low Ways by Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra
(Willisau) 1991 Studio by Anthony Braxton Quartet
Pharoah by Pharoah Sanders
Sunny Murray by Sunny Murray
Lover Come Back To Me by Kaoru Abe
Journey in Satchidananda by Alice Coltrane
Sound by Roscoe Mitchell Sextet
The Giuseppi Logan Quartet by The Giuseppi Logan Quartet
Coin Coin Chapter Five: In The Garden by Matana Roberts
Donald Miller: Guitarist, Audio Scientist, Borbetomagus
Not really faves, just common go-tos.
Live in Greenwich Village by Albert Ayler (Impulse)
Babi by Milford Graves (Babi Music)
Topography of the Lungs by Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, Han Bennink (Incus)
Lumps by Steve Lacy (ICP)
Jazz Composers Orchestra by Cecil Taylor (JCOA Records)
Monoceros by Evan Parker (Incus)
People in Sorrow by Art Ensemble of Chicago (Nessa)
Brötzmann/Van Hove/Bennink by Peter Brötzmann, Fred Van Hove, Han Bennink (FMP)
Geoffrey Weiss: Record Collector, Manager, Bingo Masters Records
Spiritual Unity by Albert Ayler
Tauhid by Pharoah Sanders
Nefertiti, the Beautiful One Has Come by Cecil Taylor Jazz Unit
Al-Fatihah by Black Unity Trio
The Black Ark by Noah Howard
Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy by Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra
Duo Exchange by Rashied Ali & Frank Lowe
Sunny’s Time Now by Sonny Murray
More by Giuseppi Logan
Borbetomagus by Borbetomagus
Tom Recchion: Sound & Visual Artist, Graphic Designer, LAFMS
Tom Recchion’s 10+ favorite free music and jazz releases
ShoZyg by Hugh Davies (SAJ-36 1982)
Crackle by Michel Waisvisz (SAJ-14/Claxon Records 77.1 1977)
Solo Guitar 1 by Derek Bailey (Incus 2 1971)
Schwarzwaldfahrt by Brötzmann/Bennink (FMP 0440 1977)
The People Band (Transatlantic TRA 214 1968)
Solo by Cecil Taylor (Trio PA-7067 1973)
Das Berliner Konzert by Selten Gehörte Musik (Studio Morra, Edition Hansjörg Mayer, Pari e Dispari 1977)1
Alterations by Cusack/Beresford/Day/Toop (Bead 9 1978)
Music Improvisation Company (ECM 1005 1970)
February Papers by Tony Oxley (Incus 19 1977)
Actions by Don Cherry/Penderecki + The New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra (Phillips RJ-5071 1971)
Quartz/Mirliton Cassettes Boxes 1 & 2 (QMC 1-16 1971-1979)
Duo: Derek Bailey/Tristan Honsinger (Incus 20 1976)
Live Electronic Music Improvised by MEV/AMM (Mainstream MS/5002 1970)
John Olson & Nate Young: Wolf Eyes
Sings by Patty Waters
The Colour Circle by The William Hooker Orchestra with Roy Campbell & Booker T
Classics in Jazz by Lennie Tristano
The Psychedelic Saxophone of Charlie Nothing by Charlie Nothing
Singles Collection by Little Howlin’ Wolf
Love Come Back To Me by Kaoru Abe
Sounds of Nature by Yusef Lateef
Fly or Die by Jaimie Branch
Meditation Among Us by Milford Graves
Machine Gun by Peter Brotzmann
Andy Zax: Musicologist, Producer
This leans toward the canonical, I realize, but classics are classics, y’know?
People In Sorrow by Art Ensemble Of Chicago
Eternal Rhythm by Don Cherry
Ornette! by Ornette Coleman Quartet
Journey In Satchidananda by Alice Coltrane
Live In Japan by John Coltrane
Secret Asylum by Ray Russell
Karma by Pharoah Sanders
The Seasons by Alan Silva & The Celestial Communication Orchestra
Unit Structures by Cecil Taylor
Josh Rosenthal: Tompkins Square Records, Writer, Record Collector
The Black Ark by Noah Howard
The Call by Mal Waldron
Free Jazz by Ornette Coleman Double Quartet
The Way Ahead by Archie Shepp
A Monastic Trio by Alice Coltrane
Ascension by John Coltrane
Duo Exchange by Rashied Ali & Frank Lowe
Some Other Stuff by Grachan Moncur III
Nothing Is by Sun Ra
Marzette and Company by Marzette Watts
Ulf Olsson: Writer, Educator, August Strindberg Scholar
Live at ”Gyllene Cirkeln”, Stockholm vol. 1 & 2 by Ornette Coleman Trio
Paavo by Paavo
Creative Orchestra Music 1976 by Anthony Braxton
We Are On the Edge by Art Ensemble of Chicago
Streaming by Muhal Richard Abrams, George Lewis, Roscoe Mitchell
Impressions by John Coltrane
Artlessly Falling by Mary Halvorson Code Girl
Nothing to Read by Mats Gustafsson & Paul Lovens
Through the Reflex of the Rain by My Cat Is An Alien
Retrograde by Atomic
Jordan Kurland: Brilliant Corners Management, Noise Pop Industries
It's narrowed to 11 so need to remove one :-) but instead here’s 12…
One Down, One Up by John Coltrane
Ascension by John Coltrane
Spiritual Unity by Albert Ayler
Duo Exchange by Rashied Ali and Frank Lowe
Handscapes by The Piano Choir
Asante by McCoy Tyner
Live at the East by Pharoah Sanders
Up Popped the Devil by Mal Waldron
Sunny Murray by Sunny Murray
Out to Lunch by Eric Dolphy
The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman
Mu, the First Part by Don Cherry
Chris Morris: Writer, Journalist
Live at the Village Vanguard by John Coltrane (the box, please)
Dancing in Your Head (saxophone and Jajouka) & Friends and Neighbors (violin) by Ornette Coleman
Vibrations & Revelations by Albert Ayler (bet you can't eat just one)
Les Stances à Sophie & People in Sorrow by The Art Ensemble of Chicago (ditto)
Rocket Ship Rock by Sun Ra & His Arkestra (because Yochanan)
Ask the Ages by Sonny Sharrock
Journey in Satchidananda by Alice Coltrane
Out There by Eric Dolphy
Children of the Forest by Milford Graves
Tim Daly: Record Collector, Producer
Kingdom Come by Charles Gayle (Knitting Factory): I saw this one listed as #1 in the College Radio chart in the back of Rolling Stone magazine in 1994 or ‘95. Backed by legends William Parker and Sunny Murray, Gayle’s playing is off the charts. Just when you think he’s pushed it as far as he can, he manages to take it over the top again and again until it sounds like his head is about to pop off. RIP to a tenor titan.
Performance by Anthony Braxton (Quartet) 1979 (Hat Hut): One of my favorite Braxton recordings. His solo on the first track is a masterfully built exercise in restraint until he takes the horn to an exciting place he’s never been, as he often does. You can’t say that about a lot of players. Features an amazing chromatic composition to boot.
The Way by Steve Lacy (Hat Hut): Less like free jazz and more like a grid system in graphic design. When it comes to the solos though, everyone is inspired and goes out, out, out. Steve Potts is the perfect foil for Lacy and his symmetrical playing is particularly fabulous. Some of the most musical music you will ever hear.
21st Century Texts by Raphe Malik 5tet (FMP): A monster of a recording helmed by the enigmatic Malik, a former trumpet player in the Cecil Taylor Unit. It is Glenn Spearman who steals the show though and his solo on the first track is worth the price of admission alone. Fiery tunes and great playing reminiscent of Noah Howard’s Black Ark.
Children of the Forest by Milford Graves (Black Editions): I’ve always loved Arthur Doyle but his playing (tenor, bass clarinet, flute) on this is even more ferocious than anything else I’ve ever heard from him and Graves' playing is so open that Doyle can just blow fire. Let’s hope that Graves’ home recordings with Gayle and Parker see the light of day eventually.
Winged Serpent (Sliding Quadrants) by Cecil Taylor Segments II (Orchestra of Two Continents) (Soul Note): The title says it all. This huge orchestra, featuring Frank Wright, John Tchichai as well as regulars Jimmy Lyons, Karen Borca and many others is like a magnificent beast taking flight. The tunes are as beautiful and melancholic as a cocaine comedown. In a world of great CT albums, this one is a standout. On a related note, I read about plans for a Cecil Taylor Sextet once featuring Cecil, Jimmy Lyons, Albert Ayler, Eric Dolphy, Henry Grimes and Andrew Cyrille. If I have any hope for AI, it’s that someone (something?) can put together a recording that sounds legit.
Machine Gun by Peter Brötzmann Octet (FMP): Nothing needs to be said about this one really. The best improvisers in Europe, all swinging for the fences and hoping to change the world. They did. It just took longer than they expected.
Carpathes by Pilz / Kowald / Lovens (FMP): Some of my favorite playing often makes me wonder “is this guy a genius or is it the first time he’s ever touched the instrument?” If Pilz’s oblique playing on the first track makes you ask that question, it’s surely answered by the time you move onto the second track. Kudos to Cien Fuegos for reissuing this one and RIP Jost Gerbers.
À Chateauvallon - No, No But It May Be by Michel Portal Unit (Le Chant du Monde): The second side of this opens with Portal playing two clarinets before moving on to contrabass clarinet. Slow, open-ended playing that sounds a bit like Performance (Quartet) 1979 but takes place 6 years before. Features French free jazz stalwarts Bernard Vitet, Pierre Favre and Beb Guerin.
Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy by Sun Ra And His Myth Science Arkestra (Saturn): My favorite Sun Ra from my favorite period. Lots of reverb throughout and I especially love the oboe and bass clarinet playing on this one. You can even hear a telephone ringing in the background at one point. Essential.
Eric Isaacson: Curator, Visual Artist, Mississippi Records (the store, the label)
1. Stellar Regions by John Coltrane: Coltrane's very last recordings, which were not released until 1995. After four years (1963 - 1967) of blowing out the most impressively demanding spiritual music ever created, he recorded this plaintive hymn of a record. Stellar Regions is still full on Coltrane free jazz, but with him softening a bit and returning to some of his earlier lyrical musical leanings. The record is a hint of what Coltrane may have done if he stuck around on this planet a little longer. (and - it seems like his fellow travelers Alice and Pharoah did indeed take hints from this last recording). Ultimately, every single thing Coltrane recorded between 1963 (A Love Supreme) and 1967 (this record) is absolutely essential, They aren't just records but guides to how to be a better human being. His pre Love Supreme work is fine too, but nowhere near as deeply religious and affecting as when he got free of all that conventional bee bop / hard bop malarkey.
2. Singles Vol. 1 & 2 by The Sun Ra Arkestra: It is absolutely impossible to pick a Sun Ra Arkestra record as "the best." In fact, if this list was honest all ten of my favorite Free Jazz records are Sun Ra records. In his catalog of 300 plus records is an entire universe of sounds that move me no to end. I consider myself indoctrinated into the cult of Sun Ra. I would lay down my life for this music. I chose the two complete singles comps (both triple LP's) only because they are the most expansive overview of the band's work from 1954 - 1986. These two comps are not :"the best" records sonically, but maybe the best way to get a sense of how far and wide the Arkestra's catalog goes. It was hard not to choose Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy as my favorite Arkestra record. Recorded in 1963 and not released until 1967, Ra composed some music to help people in mental distress. To test the effectiveness of the compositions before recording, he arranged a show at a mental hospital. About ten minutes into the set, a patient who had been comatose suddenly jumped up and spoke for the first time in fifteen years. He stood and yelled "MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP." Ra immediately called for the band to halt playing. Satisfied that his music was achieving the desired effect, and went to the studio to record. Effective music!
3. Journey To Satchidananda by Alice Coltrane: When it was released in 1971 it was dismissed by many as "easy listening free jazz" but now it's understood as a groundbreaking classic. Truly spiritual and accessible music that always works. As a record store clerk, I always recommend this record as a gateway into the world of Spiritual/Free Jazz. Anyone who doesn't like this record is a sociopath.
4. On The Beach by Phillip Cohran and the Artistic Heritage Ensemble: Phil self-released this record in 1967. It runs the gambit from contemplative driges to almost funk workouts. Phil plays his homemade frankophone and trumpet while a badass big band lays it out.
5. Live At Greenwich Village by Albert Ayler: REALLY hard to pick just one Albert Ayler record2. All his records from 1965 to 1968 are incredible. Albert was on fire with spiritual energy during that time period. I picked this one only because side two is so majestic and moving it can't be denied. It was hard not to pick Bells, which is a more pure performance in some ways and features some of the best drumming (and ghost sounds) ever from Sonny Murray. Love Cry is also an all time favorite - short pop versions of Albert's main themes with the wild and perfect drumming of Milford Graves. When I first heard Albert Ayler at age 19, it changed EVERYTHING for me. The whole world shifted from black and white to full color. It's as powerful as music gets....
6. Black Woman by Sonny Sharrock: Had to pick this thanks to some truly stunning drumming by Milford Graves and one of my favorite songs being on this - a guitar solo by Sonny titled "Blind Willie". Whenever I listen to "Blind Willie", I want it to go on for hours. In fact, I want to live in an alternate universe where this song is just the tip of the iceberg of a whole genre of music that sounds like it. Instead, I'm stuck in this reality with just this one song. Still - Good enough. This record is a difficult but rewarding listen. Lots of primal screaming!
7. Karma by Pharoah Sanders: This is the record I put on whenever I feel depressed and it somehow shakes me out of it. Magic music. Pharoah recorded fourteen magic records that are so good it makes me want to burst out of my skin. I am grateful to live in a time where it seems like Pharaoh is finally being understood as one of the most important musicians ever. At his best, he's both accessible and challenging to the paradigm. I recommend buying every Pharoah record recorded from 1967 to 1977. Those fourteen records are about as good as you could ever do. (if you must, you can skip Izipho Zam and Pharoah/Harvest Time - both good but not absolutely essential)
8. Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music by Eddie Gale: Maybe not entirely free jazz, but in the spirit. A great community vibe permeates this record. It's the only Blue Note record I own. Eddie Gale cut his chops in The Sun Ra Arkestra before going off on his own to record a couple records. I love when disciples of Sun Ra go off and create spin offs with their own personalities at the fore.
9. Natural Black Inventions (Roots Strata) by Rahsaan Roland Kirk: One of the more fun records ever. Rahsaan plays two or three instruments at once with a minimalist drummer backing him up playing bongos, chimes, a small trap kit or sheets of metal. A wonderfully pure album. Free jazz as folk music.
10. Is It Too Late? by Duke Edwards And The Young Ones: Another Sun Ra disciple who created something unique from the template Ra threw down. Almost a soul record at times with heartfelt long winded story telling about the heartbreak of watching people devolve in modern capitalist society into uncaring zombies. Maybe not the record we want, but maybe the one we deserve.
Scott Amendola: Composer, Drummer, Educator, SticklerPhonics
When David texted me inviting me to participate in listing some of my favorite “free jazz” records I jumped at the chance. I started thinking about those two words, “free jazz.” David and I had a quick exchange about that. I think there are various interpretations of “free jazz.” I’ve played a ton of shows that were completely improvised, which one might consider “free jazz.” But I’ve felt at times there are constraints, and the music didn’t feel “free”. That doesn’t mean the gigs were bad, or I didn’t enjoy them, but that there were obvious parameters based on the personnel. Again, not a judgement or it didn’t mean lack of enjoyment, it just meant there were limits on what was going to happen. And I think in all situations that might be true, and really, that’s totally fine. I also want to mention that as a young musician I was drawn to improvisation from the get go. And for years I thought everyone knew how to improvise or at least tried to do. Wow was I wrong! It came so naturally to me that I figured we all were wired that way. But I soon figured out that is not true!
The first record that came to mind is a track off of the Weather Report album Mysterious Traveler called Blackthorn Rose. A duet between Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter. It is credited to Wayne Shorter as the composer. Absolutely gorgeous. There is a freedom in this track that struck me deeply. I listened to this track over and over and over again. The connection with Wayne and Joe runs so deep there is an absolute feeling for freedom within this track. I always figured this was an improvisation. I think it heavily leans that way through Wayne’s compositional genius. This track never gets old.
I spent a few days when I was 19 at Jack Dejohnette’s house thanks to dear friend Matt Garrison inviting me. It was an unbelievable weekend of playing, hanging, and growth. Jack and Lydia were super amazing. Jack, Matt, and I played trio most of the weekend in his basement. Jack playing piano. Upon leaving, Jack handed me some music. One of the records was Keith Jarrett’s Changeless. I remember putting it on when I got back to Boston and being blown away. Totally improvised but compositional and super deep.
Pat Metheny has been an inspiration for decades. I was very fortunate to get to play with him. He introduced me to two very important musicians: Ornette Coleman, and Nana Vasconcelos. Pat’s record Song X was a revelation at 16 years old. I love that Wikipedia says this: Song X is a collaborative studio album by American jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and saxophonist Ornette Coleman. It is a free jazz record that was produced in a three-day recording session in 1985.” There is it, “free jazz”. Okay so, what the hell does that mean? They’re playing compositions? Welp…hahahaha. I saw that band live and that changed everything. The way the music moved, the sounds, the feeling. I’m right back there as I write this. Life changing.
Pat’s record Travels has Nana Vasconcelos playing percussion and singing. Nana… wow! Once I started digging I could not stop. His own records, his records with Egberto Gismonte, Pat’s Off Ramp, and more. I never got to see Nana live. But I did get to meet him in a hotel lobby in Istanbul, Turkey, which was a thrill! There’s a uniqueness to Nana that was so intriguing and inspiring it helped shape me as a musician, a drummer, and composer, and helped open my ears to more possibilities with sound and more.
Paul Motian took drumming and composing to a very unique place. His trio with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano was super unique and super deep. I was fortunate to see the trio and Paul in other situations live. Paul is someone who always seemed completely free to me. The trio record Time and Time Again I’ve spun a ton. As well as other Motian records. I’m a little unsure I should mention this, but I’ve been fortunate to hear an upcoming posthumous release that’s completely improvised that he’s on and it’s incredible! Also Garden of Eden is a favorite.
The Dewy Redman/Ed Blackwell duo album “Red and Black in Willisau” was a revelation. Deep groove, conversation, melodic, and a duo. I’ve had a saxophone/drum duo with Phillip Greenlief for a long time. We’re about to drop a new album of improvisations. Dewey and Ed triggered an interest in this combination. I love playing duo. With Philip, Nels Cline, Ben Goldberg, Charlie Hunter, Wil Blades… Duo is great because of the space one can use to NOT play, or play.
There are more records that I would consider “free jazz”, but we’d be here for way too long! And I’m probably forgetting other important ones. Alas. These records had profound effects on me. Check them out!
Black Thorn Rose from Mysterious Traveler by Weather Report
Changeless by Keith Jarrett Trio (with Gary Peacock & Jack DeJohnette)
Song X by Pat Metheny & Ornette Coleman
Danca Das Cabecas by Egberto Gismonti
Time and Time Again & Garden of Eden by Paul Motian Trio
Red and Black in Willisau by Dewey Redman and Ed Blackwell
Zev Feldman: Record Producer, Archivist, Resonance Records
New York Concerts by Jimmy Giuffre 3+4 (2014, Elemental Music)
Jimmy Giuffre, clarinet & tenor sax
Richard Davis, Bass
Joe Chambers, drums
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Jimmy Giuffre, clarinet & tenor sax
Don Friedman, piano
Barre Phillips, Bass
Joe Chambers, drums
Working with my friend and mentor George Klabin has been an exciting experience since I began working for him in 2009. I'm always learning about different recordings he made back in his early years as a teenager and I was taken with these recordings he shared with me of the late sax and clarinet great Jimmy Giuffre at Judson Hall as part of the New York Festival of the Avant Garde, and the other date at an empty concert hall at Wollman Auditorium, which gave it the ambiance of a studio recording. The Judson Hall show was a quartet with Don Friedmen, Barre Phillips, and Joe Chambers, and the other a was a trio with Richard Davis and Joe Chambers. It was a lesson in counterpoint working on this project. I felt this intensity listening to these recordings. I'm grateful George Klabin allowed me to strike a deal with Juanita Giuffre to put this out officially, along with other musicians too. This is the first project I did with my friend Jordi Soley in Barcelona, on the Elemental Music label which we co-founded in 2010. The album was reviewed in the NYT Arts & Leisure section on June 6, 2014.
Revelations: The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondation Maeght Recordings by Albert Ayler (2022, Elemental Music)
Albert Ayler, tenor saxophone, vocals
Mary Parks, soprano saxophone, vocals,
Call Cobbs, piano
Steve Tintweiss, bass
Allen Blairman, drums
Working on Revelations was an enormous thrill for me, and to play a part in contributing to Albert Ayler's legacy was very meaningful. I've been working with the folks at INA in France (the Institut national de l'audiovisuel) for many years searching for recordings and clearing intellectual property rights, and in 2015 I made a discovery that complete concert recordings from Albert Ayler at the Fondation Maeght in 1970 existed. I knew when I made this discovery how important it was. I had been doing a lot of searches for American artists that were traveling through France in the '60s and '70s and this was truly a revelation to me and for a lot of people. It was very exciting to present for the first time these concerts the way they transpired.
Searching In Grenoble: The 1978 Solo Piano Concert by Mal Waldron (2022, Tompkins Square)
Mal Waldron, piano
It's been very nice having a couple projects with my friend Josh Rosenthal at Tompkins Square. Besides a collection of Penthouse recordings from the great guitarist Bola Sete, Josh also expressed passion about the great pianist Mal Waldron, whom I appreciated very much as well. Waldron is not recognized as much as he should be and doesn't get enough credit for his great musical legacy. Working with INA France once again, I had conducted searches in the Summer of 2021 for Mal Waldron and discovered this solo piano recording from Grenoble, France as part of the "Five Days of Jazz" series in 1978. It was so enriching getting a chance to work on this project, and learn more about the importance of Waldron's musical language. He was such a brilliant pianist and great composer as well. It was a wonderful experience and I was very happy to work on this production.
MU (First Part / Second Part) by Don Cherry (1969-1970, BYG Records)
Don Cherry, trumpet, piano, flute, voice, bells, percussion
Ed Blackwell, drums, percussion, bells
In my late teens I was really trying to discover as many jazz trumpet players as I could. The Tower Records in Rockville, MD, which I would frequent, had this album in stock and it looked interesting. I believe it was an Infinity label release. The music was really interesting and hauntingly beautiful with the way Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell played together.
Body Meta by Ornette Coleman (1978, Artists House)
Ornette Coleman, saxophone, alto saxophone
Charlie Ellerbie, guitar
Ronald Shannon Jackson, drums
Bern Nix, guitar
Jamaaladeen Tacuma, bass
When I was fortunate enough to work at PolyGram in the mid-1990s, they did a deal with Ornette and Denardo Coleman and their Harmolodic label and put out several exciting albums including Body Meta, Soapsuds Soapsuds, Tone Dialing and Sound Museum, as well as an album from Denardo's mother Jayne Cortez (Taking the Blues Back Home). I listened to the Body Meta album over and over again and was drawn to its complexity, textures and rhythms. It's a beautiful album. Other Ornette highlights include me seeing him for 4 nights at Avery Fisher Hall in NYC, with 2 nights of Skies of America with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins, and the Prime Time band the other 2 nights. I love so many albums in Ornette's discography, but this one captures a special happy time in my life when I think of this.
One Step Beyond by Jackie McLean (1964, Blue Note)
Jackie McLean, alto saxophone
Grachan Moncur III, trombone
Bobby Hutcherson, vibraphone
Eddie Khan, double bass
Tony Williams, drums
Out of all of Jackie McLean's work, this album struck me as being out on a whole other plane completely. Listening to this album in my early 20s, I heard so much freedom. This was also one of drummer Tony Williams' early dates, and there are a lot of McLean albums I would put into this category as well, such as Destination Out, of course. Another more out but semi-inside leaning favorite for me is Let Freedom Ring. I heard that album for the first time on Whitmore John's WDCU radio show in the early 1990s and it set me off on a whole path of discovery, including the album New and Old Gospel. Jackie was such a brilliant musician and composer, and is simply beyond category.
Special Quartet by David Murray (1991, DIW/Columbia)
David Murray, tenor saxophone
McCoy Tyner, piano
Fred Hopkins, bass
Elvin Jones, drums
I've been an enormous fan of David Murray for a very long time. I'm not even sure where it all started, but this was one of many albums I bought in my early years when I spent so much hard-earned money at the record store on a regular basis. I played this CD, which featured McCoy Tyner, Fred Hopkins and Elvin Jones, over and over again. I remember I had this job working the overnight shift at a gas station and I spent a lot of time playing this album for some reason. I also discovered the Soul Note and Black Saint labels because of Murrays' association. I just appreciate so much about him. He plays it all, the inside and the outside and celebrates other legacies which have touched him such as Ben Webster. I also rank high up there the Sweet Basil recordings. What a brilliant musician. At a loss of words. He means something to me.
Thembi by Pharoah Sanders (1971, Impulse!)
Pharoah Sanders, tenor and soprano saxophones, alto flute, koto, brass bells, balaphone, maracas, cow horn, fifes
Lonnie Liston Smith, piano, electric piano, claves, percussion, ring cymbal, shouts, balaphone
Michael White, violin, percussion
Cecil McBee, bass, finger cymbal, percussion
Roy Haynes, drums
Clifford Jarvis, drums, maracas, bells, percussion
Nat Bettis, Chief Bey, Majid Shabazz, Anthony Wiles, African percussion
James Jordan, ring cymbal
This is another great record that I used to listen to over and over again in my late teens and I still cherish today. There's a lot of really cool songs on this one, and when I was working in college radio I used some parts of this album for a music bed. When it starts out with "Astral Traveling" you're just floating, then it gets really intense with "Red, Black & Green," and on and on. It's one of my personal favorites.
Far Cry by Eric Dolphy with Booker Little (1962, New Jazz/Prestige)
Eric Dolphy, bass clarinet on "Mrs. Parker of K.C.," "It's Magic," and "Serene"; flute on "Ode to Charlie Parker" and "Left Alone"; alto sax all other tracks
Booker Little, trumpet
Jaki Byard, piano
Ron Carter, bass
Roy Haynes, drums
I don't know how you categorize this album. When people think about Booker Little, they think hard bop, but it's Dolphy, so it's never going to be just straight ahead. I have an original pressing of this album in my vinyl collection that I bought 20+ years ago and I still listen to it to this day. Brilliant recordings.
Sunshine of My Soul by Jaki Byard (1967, Prestige)
Jaki Byard, piano, guitar
David Izenzon, bass
Elvin Jones, drums
This is such a brilliant album by the incomparable Jaki Byard. There are so many different moments on this one, from blues to gospel, inside and outside. I'm a huge fan of this record.
Playing by Old and New Dreams (1981, ECM)
Don Cherry, pocket trumpet, piano
Dewey Redman, tenor saxophone, musette
Charlie Haden, bass
Ed Blackwell, drums
I really love Old and New Dreams. I love their sound and incredible music that's rooted in Ornette Coleman, of course, but other musical forces as well. It's some of my favorite musicians intertwined in a tight unit that made so much great music. I hope to one day discover an unissued recording of this band that I can put out. I just love listening to these guys play together.
The Sixth Sense by The Don Pullen Quintet (1985, Black Saint)
Don Pullen, piano
Olu Dara, trumpet
Donald Harrison, alto saxophone
Fred Hopkins, bass
Bobby Battle, drums
I first heard the song "The Sixth Sense" on Branford Marsalis' NPR show "JazzSet" back in the early 90s. It was a live version of the song (solo perhaps) and they were highlighting the great pianist Don Pullen. I had to track down the album which featured the great Olu Dara on trumpet, Donald Harrison on alto sax, Fred Hopkins on bass and Bobby Battle on drums. This was a great record. I also enjoy the Blue Note recordings as well. I'm grateful I got a chance to see him live on a couple of occasions in Washington DC and NYC. I also attended his memorial service at Saint Peter's Church in NYC, where I briefly met Fred Hopkins who sadly died shortly after.
***WHAT? No one mentioned Symphony for Improvisers by Don Cherry, Barbed Wire Maggots by Borbetomagus or The Magic of Ju-Ju by Archie Shepp? What is that all about? Oh, maybe because even with all of the albums mentioned on this digital page, there is soooo much more good stuff. Happy Listening and may we all be more free.
I could not find an audio sample of the record, but I did find one for the same band, from a release from the following year.
Eric decided to only focus on one release per artist
Coltrane's Live at the Village Vanguard Again is my touchstone in this genre
Thanks so much for this!