Jump to content

Free America


cayetano

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 345
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

What's the personnel on the Alan Shorter and the Black Gipsy (is that a Shepp session or a Clifford Thornton session?).

I'm really only interested in the Cal Massey tune on Black Gipsy - I'm trying to put at least one version of each of his compositions on my ipod. Then I'll create a Cal Massey playlist.

Eventually, I may start a thread in the offering/looking for section related to my ipod quests. Among other things, my goal is to have the only ipod on the planet containing the COMPLETE Jackie McLean discography. One caveat: I may leave out Monuments if I run out of room :)

Bertrand.

Edited by bertrand
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bertrand, the Alan Shorter album was recorded in New York with Gary Windo, tenor, Johnny Dyani, bass, flute, etc., and Rene Augustus, bells.

I have the America LP 'Black Gipsy'. It's an Archie Shepp album with Chicago Beau (the singer) getting second billing.

Personnel is: Shepp, soprano, Clifford Thornton, trumpet, Noah Howard, alto, Chicago Beauchamp, vocals, Julio Finn, harmonica, Leroy Jenkins, violin, Dave Burrell, piano, Earl Freeman, bass, Sonny Murray, drums. Recorded in Paris.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone have a convenient text-list which they can post, please?

David, try this search. It yields all 15 titles, and you get to read some very understated prose from our favorite bards ...

Thanks! :tup

Wow, it seems that these are going to be more 'stunning' than anyone could have imagined! Some of the 'best ever' that these artists ever made!! :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great stuff recorded by the Art Ensemble in Paris -- and only briefly issued in the US by Prestige during the early 70s. The band is in great form, with a lot more fire than on later recordings, and they're joined by Fontella Bass -- the famous 60s soul singer who was also the wife of Lester Bowie. The album features two long tracks -- "How Strange/Ole Jed" and "Horn Web" -- both of which feature a stunning array of instruments and percussion!

Oh dear. I prefer instruments to percussion ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Received the 5 I ordered from France...the Rudd, Wright, Shepp, Thornton and Shorter.

Haven't listened all the way through each, but my sampling already confirms - FANTASTIC job in every respect. The sound is fabulous, but the packaging is what blew me away - first, they are in cardboard slipcases which have a very good reproduction of the original covers, right down to the spine. There is NO print on the front cover showing artist or title. there is a cutout panel inside where the artist & title graphic can be seen through. The booklets are absolutely fantastic - lots of great info & rare pics.

A model of a series. Too bad this kind of thing can't be done in the US.

Get all the titles you can. Worth every penny.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Received the 5 I ordered from France...the Rudd, Wright, Shepp, Thornton and Shorter.

Haven't  listened all the way through each, but my sampling already confirms - FANTASTIC job in every respect. The sound is fabulous, but the packaging is what blew me away - first, they are in cardboard slipcases which have a very good reproduction of the original covers, right down to the spine. There is NO print on the front cover showing artist or title. there is a cutout panel inside where the artist & title graphic can be seen through. The booklets are absolutely fantastic - lots of great info & rare pics.

A model of a series. Too bad this kind of thing can't be done in the US.

Get all the titles you can. Worth every penny.

That's great news - when I saw the images on the website I thought they looked crappy and feared the worst... Glad I was wrong! :tup

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Packaging is really nice, indeed! Bought six today :w

Rudd, Wright, Lacy, Waldron/Lacy, AEC Phase One, and Alan Shorter.

The goof on the Wright is not so bad, as the front text is just a sticker on the shrinkwrap, and once that is off, the goof is only on the spine.

Listened to the Shorter, not sure I really like it, but will need a few more listens. Then went on to the Wright, and HELL THAT ONE IS GOOD!!! Beautiful music, on all accounts, Howard and Wright match very well, Few is cool, and Art Taylor - odd man out, his first "free" date the liners say (was it his last, too?) - is GREAT!

Now started the Rudd. Should be nice if it goes on like it started...

Oh, and the cover of the Lacy says Aebi is no cello only, while the Waldron/Lacy says "cello & vocal"...

ubu

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the Downtown Music Gallery newsletter:

JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEK - IF NOT BEFORE XMAS - [WE HOPE!]:

THE LEGENDARY FRENCH 'AMERICA' LABEL, SUCCESOR TO THE 'BYG/ACTUEL' SERIES: FRANK WRIGHT, ANTHONY BRAXTON, STEVE LACY, ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO...and even more!!

15 LIMITED, NUMBERED REISSUES FROM THE EMARCY LABEL [FRENCH DIVISION] !!!

You all remember the legendary BYG [for jacques Bisceglia/jean-luc Young/jean Georgakarakos; Young later started the infamous Charly label, and 'Karakos started Celluloid] ACTUEL series, most of which were live recordings - and some studio dates - of the great New Jazz musicians [read Avant & Free] from the U.S. who found a more receptive audience/home in Europe for their work than their own country.

For whatever reason, the Actuel series did not continue past #53 [the second Gong album, Camembert Electrique]. Recordings which likely would have appeared on later #s instead were relegated to another imprint controlled by them: the French 'America' label, which until that time, had been acting primarily as a reissue label.

In fact, a couple of the Actuel series titles [Jacques Coursil 'Black Suite' and Arthur Jones 'Scorpio'] wound up with new covers on the America label whilst containing LPs within that had the BYG/Actuel labels on them!] A few of the 'America' releases [Art Ensemble, Archie Shepp] later appeared on LP in the U.S. on the Prestige label and Inner City in the early '70s, but most have never seen the light of day since those original French LP pressings!

[from Jacques Bisceglia: But, for sure, America was not a "successor" to BYG-Actuel. The label even stole tapes from BYG; they were judged and heavily fined!]

Following are 15 SUPER-RARE TITLES THAT HAVE NEVER SEEN CD REISSUE ANYWHERE [to our knowledge; with the exception of a brief appearance 15 years ago of the AEC 'With Fontella Bass' title on Europe's Musidisc imprint] out of our wish list of 30+ 'America' titles that we're drooling for here at DMG! Yes, they are inordinately expensive compared to what we normally sell most European imports, but we have made every attempt to insure that we paid the lowest price for them possible [just short of ordering warehouse theft!], but nonetheless THEY ARE MUST-HAVES [bruce and MannyLunch are both buying a set!]

They have already shipped to us and are expected to arrive in the middle of next week. We are taking PRE-ORDER RESERVATIONS NOW simply because WE ARE BEING SHIPPED LESS THAT THE QUANTITIES ASKED FOR! We are scrambling to get more, but who knows...?

Price? $24 each. <_<

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...