Current Trends in Racism in Nth America - Butch Morris [Sound Aspects SAS-4010]

Given the necessary discussion of 'conduction' in talking about the career of Butch Morris, and the repeated mention of conduction in obituaries of the man, it seems only fitting to add one of Morris' conduction albums to the earlier small-group post.

This one was the first one - first conduction on record, and one of the first times  - if not the first - that he got up in front of an ensemble with a baton, blank-sheet-of-paper open mind and possibly a slight sense of trepidation. "Conduction No.1" as it says on the back jacket.

The results are sometimes wildly successful and at other times less absorbing in terms of musical tension - an occupational hazard of the conduction method perhaps.

Overall, it's a very worthwhile listen and Morris' ensemble largely do him proud.

Nearly didn't post this - it's been out previously in blogland I'm sure, although possibly only at low-bitrate.

Have just been made aware too, that the guys at Destination Out posted one piece off this [as well as the second side of the previous In Touch But Out of Reach].  So, looks like I can't be accused of originality of selection !  Coincidence - never mind.

This here is the entire record.

Sound Aspects - Pedro De Freitas' label - has its entire catalogue available only on the 2nd hand market these days, which is a pity. This album was issued on CD it seems - this is a vinyl rip however. 

The first piece runs to a side and a half long.

Hopefully anticipating the intent of artist and producers, I have edited out the break that occurs due to the side break so that Part One is one continuous piece.

Some tasty textures and some nice tumultuous sounds. Feel free to leave a comment, and enjoy .

1. Current Trends in Racism in Modern America Part One

2. Current Trends in Racism in Modern America Part Two

Butch Morris -conductor

Frank Lowe -tenor saxophone
John Zorn  -alto saxophone, game calls
Tom Cora -cello
Curtis Clark -piano
Brandon Ross -guitar
Zeena Parkins -harp
Eli Fountain -vibraphone
Thurman Barker -marimba, snare drum, tambourine
Christian Marclay -turntables
Yasunao Tone -voice

Recorded live at The Kitchen, NYC, 1st February 1985

Sound Aspects sas4010   

1986

Live at the Village Vanguard - Noah Howard [Freedom FLP40127]

Here again - Earl Freeman playing bass. Fuzz-bass in fact, on part of 'Dedication (To Albert Ayler)'. Fuzz bass should probably be outlawed as just being awful and thoroughly bad. But this record isn't either of those. [And Earl thankfully stomps on his pedal to turn the distortion off after a few minutes.].  Sotise posted files from the
(rather dodgy-looking, [bootleg?]) CD of this album a few years ago on Inconstant Sol. I was inspired to go and track down a LP copy at the time.  Those files he posted back then at IS. seem long gone, so I thought this vinyl rip could be timely.

3 tunes.  One excellent solo saxophone number from Howard, one side-long congregationally wailing Ayler tribute, and one extended workout on a simple, even naive, bluesy
riff (reminiscent of Schizophrenic Blues [FMP] and other simple themes of Howard's).

Earlier in 1972, Noah's band had consisted of Freeman, drummer Art Lewis and Arthur Doyle.
By August though, with a 2 month residency of Sundays at the Vanguard, Frank Lowe had replaced Doyle on tenor. This was 'young' Frank Lowe (he was 30) - who had already
played in Alice Coltrane's group, but had yet to record the turbulent Black Beings for ESP or Duo Exchange with Rashied Ali - both to come, in 1973.
Rashied Ali himself was a reported late sub for Art Lewis who couldn't make the gig.
Piano player Bob Bruno has had a kaleidoscopic musical career - in the late 1960s he made 2 albums with Jerry Jeff Walker - be-hatted country music troubadour of 'Mr
Bojangles' fame. By the early 70s he was playing free jazz piano. Since then he seems to have played all kinds of music, on all kinds of instruments as well as moving into
visual computer art.
Juma Sultan is of course the same percussionist that played with Hendrix and whose own Aboriginal Music Society played on the New York loft scene and was more recently the
subject of the excellent 'Father of Origin' boxset from Eremite.
These 6 guys make a big sound, the recording is a typical rough and ready club taping and in all honesty I have difficulty hearing Sultan at all in this.

There's additional material that exists of Noah Howard's 1972 Vanguard residency - with a slightly different group - Art Lewis for Rashied Ali, another percussionist for
Sultan, and  a French Horn player as well as Lowe, Bruno, Freeman and Howard. In addition, Noah Howard reportedly had extra taped material of this band that he would allow
played on European radio.
In terms of chronology of issued material of Howard's playing, Live at the Village Vanguard sits between Frank Wright's Uhuru Na Umoja and Church Number Nine, both featuring Howard and Wright’s twin saxophone frontline.

Old hands will have this material and remain unexcited, although some might wish to upgrade their old 192kbps files.
To others coming afresh to this, I hope you enjoy the sounds from these dynamic musicians .

Interesting Links

Noah Howard's site, still maintained by his wife Lieve, a new recording available, older titles for sale - VISIT ! - http://www.noahhoward.com/
Juma Sultan's Archive - http://www.jumasarchive.org/
One of Bob Bruno's many web pages - http://www.freewebs.com/superdreamer/ourmusicians.htm

Vis-a-vis the front jacket - I don't think that the bass player pictured is Earl Freeman, nor the robed tenor player to be Frank Lowe.  Anyone ?

Live at Moers Festival - Phillip Wilson Quartet [Moers 01062]

I have been playing a lot of Frank Lowe lately.
This LP has been on the stack next to turntable, as Frank's on this.
Some great mentions, recognition & posting of the music of the fantastic drummer Phillip Wilson recently at inconstantsol , brought the 2 into co-junction
I think I normally write too much - and bore people - so this time just a few words about this performance: -
'Wish I was there' . . .


Phillip Wilson -Drums, Percussion
Frank Lowe -Tenor Saxophone
Olu Dara -Trumpet
Fred Williams -Bass

Side 1
1. Broadway Rhumba
2. Cha Cha
3. This Is For You

Side 2
1. F & L
2. It's A Party

Recorded live Moers Festival - 15th May 1978.

Fresh - Frank Lowe [Freedom FLP41015]

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.