The wonderful Frank Lowe.
In this instance on the Freedom label.
I'm not sure how this record is 'assessed by the critics' - I took a while to find it, then loved it as soon as I heard it.
It's sort of all over the place in a sloppy-sharp kind of way. As a 'unified artifact' I suppose it doesn't really hang together as an album - but damn all that - in the end it works gloriously. It contains 2 of my favourite Monk covers (none of your a-one-atwo-athree-afour polite jazz quartet zooming through Little Rootie Tootie at the Budokan Hall here..)
Lester Bowie crackles and slaps on the opening track, Lowe himself is hypnotic on 'Fresh', 'Play Some Blues' is WAY more than the 12 or 16 bar 'stroll over changes' that one might expect from the title. If the last track's an oddity, well what the hell - great groove -though if anyone knows anything about The Memphis Four, please do tell - they sound like a soul groove band recorded in what is perhaps a rehearsal studio...
This was re-issued on CD on Black Lion, but even that has gone out-of-print. Having heard the CD and the LP, I prefer the vinyl. And thus I'd recommend the FLACs. Any which way, hope someone digs this.
Posts
18 comments:
For those with lossier preferences...
Grab this down the pipe, slam it in your iPod(tm) and THRILL those on public transport by having Frank Lowe and his free-swinging colleagues blaring from your earbuds
Or alternatively, pursue a different approach...
http://rapidshare.com/files/207187177/Fresh_FL_MP3.rar
This sounds awesome! Thanks so much!
Never Mind The Monthly Download Limit - Here's Some FLACs!
(Please note that this comment does not apply for the vast majority of interested internet users in the continental USA)
http://rapidshare.com/files/207181887/Fresh_FL.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/207166817/Fresh_FL.part2.rar
thanks a lot
feldmann
One of my favourite ones. I'm always ready to start listening to it all over again. In lossless it's heaven sent! How about a miracle, by the way. That Moers Music Lp never reissud on CD, Phillip Wilson with Frank Lowe, did someone ever hear it?
I still have the vinyl of this superb album. In fact I have a few Freedom releases and is quite an under rated label I think. a request if I may, any Human Atrs Ensemble but especially 'Junk Trap'. Loved that band that sort of morphed into Defunkt and there was astonishing band but Live - PHEW!
Regards/
Even Human ARTS Ensemble would do at a pinch!!!
Regards/
Hi Serviceton!
Thanks a lot for this present.
I had it on mp3, but as a "flac lover" this is very appreciated. I only can second other comments. Is simply a TERRIFIC record.
Happy to know you and Sotise are right.
See you!
Haven't heard this in a long while. Thanks, and congrats on your new blog.
Hi and thanks all, for taking the time to comment.
Any lurking Anonymous'es - go on, getting a blogger ID takes about 6 seconds - and you don't even need one of those if you don't want. Write a comment if you think or feel anything from the music - even something like "Track 2 was nice, but the last tune made me fall asleep" - whatever...
roberto t. - I had a friend who was going to give me his record collection when he went overseas - that Moers LP with Lowe and (the highly fantastic drummer) Philip Wilson was in there.
Only something went wrong - friend has gone, records missing in action. :o( .....
Mona, I agree with you about the quality of (Arista) Freedom as a label - what Steve Backer & Michael Cuscuna (both ex-Impulse guys) managed to record and re-issue before the inevitable happened and the plug was pulled (by the same company that was issuing Melissa Manchester and Barry Manilow) - was really an incredible achievement.
I've even been thinking about doing a little run of Freedom releases right here.
Because none of them (to my knowledge) are that rare, maybe they suffer a little in the estimation of the 'hard-core cognoscenti' of this music.
As for Human Arts Ensemble, there's a fresh rip of Under The Sun [Freedom AL1022] on the main page now.
Junkyard, being still in print, will not be found here.
But can be found here
http://www.camoriginalsoundtracks.com/site/index.php?site=&path=cd&idcd=859&label=BLKS&alpha=J
Best to all
Good to know that 'Junk Trap' is still available. Back in the UK late 70's/early 80's i used to go to the Bracknell jazz Festival every year and for a couple of tears i was manning the Mole Jazz recoed stall. found 'Junk trap' as a cut out and inside was also a folded black saint poster. as noted before it was my intro to some guys that i was previously unaware of.
Bracknell highlights included a stirring performance from lester Bowie's Brass fantasy w Fontella Bass and I wish that I still had the recording I made of that!!!
Regards/
It's a plenty of fresh air in
my room now,thank you so much.
Horace
well thanks very much, love the blog and i just wanted to say that this is one of my fave Lowes. yes its a bit sloppy but that's what i love about it. all the best and thanks
Better late to the party than never show up...just recently found the blog. This was in my college roommates collection in the 70's where we agreed to a self imposed rule of no duplication -- so I put off buying this and was never able to locate it since. This and the FLAM were staples of the outside jazz collection. Wanted to say thanks for being able to add it again after 30 years!!
Just came across this, wow! Thanks for the FLACs, can't wait to put this on.
me again.
@serviceton: Your comments on this album apply to Pound's Cantos also--
"It's sort of all over the place in a sloppy-sharp kind of way. As a 'unified artifact' I suppose it doesn't really hang together as an album - but damn all that - in the end it works gloriously."
well I'll buy that too ! Nice to have an Anthony Trollope enthusiast drop by orleyfarm (gives da place a touch o' class is all..) The John Carter retrospective will be starting soon. Did I mention that 'soon' around here is a pretty elastic term?...
bongomccongo, velobrewer, Anon-Horace - great to hear you enjoying this - some for the 2nd time round.
Can I take this opportunity to urge folks to BUY FRANK LOWE ALBUMS! His estate should get some money, - 'his estate' will be those nearest and dearest to him, it's very morally 'right', you'll feel good, the thing will sound great, you'll have an object you can hold in your hand......
can't wait to hear steve reid pounding. thanks
Post a Comment