Plays Butch Morris - New York City Artists' Collective [NYCAC 503]

So this is the 3rd tribute posting here for Butch Morris that had just been sitting unpublished for weeks, uploaded and all ready to go - pending saying something vaguely interesting or intelligent about it.
The filehost link is going to expire, so here's the post and nevermind about 'interesting or intelligent'.

Not a jazz record - nor is it really 'compositional' in the sense that the title implies.
Is it 'downtown improv pop'? Someone tell me what to call it cause I don't know.

New York City Artists' Collective was initiated in the mid 1970's by vocalist Ellen Christi and underground drummer Tom Bruno (underground drummer, literally - he spent much of his performing life in the NYC subway system).

Check out the late Tom Bruno - member of TEST with Daniel Carter, Sabir Mateen & Matthew Heyner - here. For some time he resided at 501 Canal Street (NYCAC 'headquarters') with 1970's outsider fellow travellers David S. Ware and Cooper-Moore. Jeanne Lee, Keshavan Maslak, Ray Anderson and drummer Jimmy Hopps amongst other musicians were making use of the rehearsal and/or available living spaces in the building.

Check out the very much alive and underappreciated Ellen Christi at her website-  ellenchristi.com

Juan Quiñones as far as I know, is still playing guitar in NYC . He played with with the NYAC on record again, with the legendary Arthur Rhames, informally and moved away from music altogether at at least one period.
Lefferts Brown was a punky, pretty, synthy experimenter in the mid to late 1980's. By the time he drowned in 2005 he was 'a respected electronic music composer, sound designer and installation artist' with tenure at Long Island University in Brooklyn.
Steve Buchanan is still playing saxophones & guitar in experimental styles and performing. He is very probably this youtube contributor I think.
Of the 2 bass players, Rita Wood and Issac Falu, I know next to nothing . If anyone knows.. ?

Website of the New York City Artists' Collective

Go buy some music of  some unknown musician you vaguely like the sound of.
Or buy the music of anyone mentioned above.

Vale Butch Morris. And Vale Tom Bruno .

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Extra Note April 11th 2013

My identification of who's who on the cover is
Back Row [left to right] - Juan Quiñones, Isaac Falu, Rita Wood, Ellen Christi.
Front Row [left to right] - Lefferts Brown, Tom Bruno, Steve Buchanan

For Tom Bruno I meant to add, have a look at this CD release and read Thom Jurek's cogent summation - http://eremite.com/album/mte-22 . For ten dollars, it's an absurdly cheap buy.

I mentioned Ellen Christi's website. If you're of the vinyl persuasion and you enjoy her avant vocal stylings, a good (inexpensive) buy is Christi's Live at Irving Plaza LP. One of the seemingly least loved Soul Note releases (admittedly an uninspiring cover), copies can be found plenty of places for reasonable money. Her band on the record is 'Menage' - co-vocalist Lisa Sokolov with William Parker, Tom Bruno, and piano player Rahn Burton. The audio fidelity ain't great, but the music's real.
If you're not vinyl obsessive, Christi's diverse back catalog of recordings (including Grateful Dead theme records[!]) can be seen summarised here - some of which are still readily available.
I haven't heard, but am wanting to, Reconstruction of a Sound from - I think - 2000. Masahiko Kono's on there, the samples sound intriguing ...



Side 1
1. Beyond
2. Music For the Love of It

Side 2
3. Alexandre at 2
4. The Current and The Feather

Butch Morris    -conductor, arranger, acoustic piano
Ellen Christi    -vocals
Lefferts Brown    -synthesizer
Tom Bruno    -drums
Juan Quiñones    -guitar, harmonica
Steve Buchanan    -alto saxophone
Rita Wood    -electric bass on Music For the Love of It & The Current and The Feather
Issac Falu    -electric bass on Beyond, Alexandre at 2 & Music For the Love of It

Recorded November 19th 1982, NYC

NYCAC 503
1984