GregK Posted February 19, 2005 Report Posted February 19, 2005 I know, this has gotta be the 4th or 5th thread on Art Ensemble recommendations, but I've already started my collection, so now I need some direction. Thanks to all who have pointed me in the right direction by starting with Chuck's box set. I've now discovered my local Borders has two limited edition Art Ensemble CDs on Actuel from 1969-Message to our Folks and Reese and the Smooth Ones. I need someone to recommend to me which one I should buy (assuming I'll buy only one......you never know, I may suddenly decide to just get them both!). Also, around the corner at a used shop I found a 2-disc set that came out on Fuel last year; one disc is Don Cherry and the other the Art Ensemble (both of their tracks are titled Reese). What does anyone know about that set? Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted February 19, 2005 Report Posted February 19, 2005 I think 'Message to our Folks' is also issued somewhere with 'A Jackson in your House'. This - the two album incarnation - was the first Art Ensemble I bought, and it immediately attracted me. I think, with a little bit of perspective now, that it gives a good broad representation as well: the longer forms, with lots of quiet work ('A Brain for the Seine', 'Song for Charles'); the funkier stuff ('Rock Out'); the humour (is it 'Get in Line'? In any case, the first two tracks of 'Jackson...' especially); the ritual ('Old Time Religion'); the respect for what's been before ('Dexterity'); and lots else besides. I still haven't really clicked with 'Reese...' the way I have with other AEC albums, but I'm sure it'll come! Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted February 19, 2005 Report Posted February 19, 2005 p.s. I would add that the shortcomings on 'Reese...' are entirely my own - I know lots of people speak incredibly highly of it! Quote
John B Posted February 19, 2005 Report Posted February 19, 2005 I like both of them. Reese gets the most mentions, but you won't go wrong either way. Quote
GregK Posted February 19, 2005 Author Report Posted February 19, 2005 Well, I went back to Borders, and they were having one of those buy 3 get a 4th CD free sales, so I got both Art Ensemble discs, plus an Archie Shepp limited edition Actuel (Poem for Malcom) and 4 for Trane, all for $51!! And so far, Message to our Folks is fantastic!! Quote
Epithet Posted February 20, 2005 Report Posted February 20, 2005 Without trying to derail the thread: I've heard The Third Decade, Urban Bushmen, and Coming Home Jamaica. I appreciate that the last of those is hardly definitive, but if I've heard the first two have I got a pretty good idea of what the AEC really sound like? Or is their oeuvre a lot more complicated than that? Quote
John L Posted February 20, 2005 Report Posted February 20, 2005 Reese and the Smooth Ones is definitely worth a listen. Quote
Martin Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 (edited) Hello to all Organissimo guys and gals and all you funny rats! I posted this at another board, but have not got any reply to my inquiry so far. The question is a bit out of place here (but only a bit, as I think the record concerned is an excellent one). Maybe one of you AEoC fans can answer this: Please, can anyone here check their copies of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago's Message To Our Folks? On my CD copy, the track A Brain For The Seine has complete silence between 3:12 and 3:21, and to my ears it sounds unintentional - like a very long drop-out that occured during the process of transferring the LP to CD. By the way, my version is the disc on the Italian Sunspots label.[/color=blue] Edited February 21, 2005 by Martin Quote
brownie Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 Please, can anyone here check their copies of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago's Message To Our Folks? On my CD copy, the track A Brain For The Seine has complete silence between 3:12 and 3:21, and to my ears it sounds unintentional - like a very long drop-out that occured during the process of transferring the LP to CD. By the way, my version is the disc on the Italian Sunspots label. Martin, welcome to this Board! I have an original copy of the Actuel 28 vinyl of 'Message to Our Folks'. There is no silence in the timeframe you state. Percussion and voices are heard at that point in that performance. I'm happy with that vinyl and did not check on reissues of this session! Quote
Guest Chaney Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 Martin: Welcome to the Funny Rat Board! Er, I mean, Organissimo, featuring Funny Rat. I'm pretty certain that I have the disk you're asking about but either someone has broken into my apartment and taken nearly all my AEoC disks -- and no others -- or I've misplaced it (them). I'm calling the police. Quote
Guest Chaney Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 Good I checked first. FOUND IT! I have the twofer: A Jackson In Your House / Message To Our Folks ( Actuel 1 / Fuel 2000 / Varese Sarabande 302 061 146 2). Sorry, but it looks like you got a dud as there's no silence at that point in the piece. Quote
John B Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 No silence on my copy, either. (also the Fuel 2000 version) Quote
Guest Chaney Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 (edited) WTF Maybe I spoke too soon, but not because of the gap Martin mentions. While the liners note a total of 9 tracks between the 2 albums and a total running time of 72:57, the actual CD shows 12 tracks and total running time of 68:57 (tracks: 8:44, 7:29, 9:28, 7:54, 4:35, 3:52, 2:42, 7:00, 6:04, 4:42, 2:23, 4:01) I've had a look HERE. Anyone have a clue as to what's on the CD I had believed to contain A Jackson In Your House and Message To Our Folks? John: Do you have the same problem? Very strange. Edited February 21, 2005 by Chaney Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 This was a well know screw up at the time. You have Don Cherry's Mu. Quote
Guest Chaney Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 (edited) SONOFABITCH! What I dope I am. You're right, Chuck... and thanks! (I also own Mu!) Wonder if it's worth the trouble to try and get a replacement. Guess I'll try. ON THE EDIT: I hope I just never got around to listening to this one and that I'm not THAT stupid, especially considering that Mu features a duo and the AEoC material the quartet. ON THE EDIT: I sent Fuel 2000 and e-mail on September 21, 2005 asking if they could help me. Let's monitor their (re)action time, shall we? September 23, 2005: No repsonse yet. I'll ask again. March 3, 2005: Still no response and so... I'll ask again. April 9, 2005: Somewhat surprisingly: no response, and so... Edited April 9, 2005 by Chaney Quote
catesta Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 Okay guys, I must admit I have only one AEoC cd on my shelves. This one... I enjoy the recording very much. I realize this is without Bowie, so I assume I'm not getting the full effect. What should I pick up next? Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 Well, since you started there you might want to work backwards. Try Nice Guys next. Quote
sal Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 After "Nice Guys" get "Fanfare for the Warriors". AEC is an addiction. Quote
catesta Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 Well, since you started there you might want to work backwards. Try Nice Guys next. I know, it's an odd place to start, but once I looked at the cover I couldn't put it down. B-) Sal, I listened to some samples of "Fanfare for the Warriors" on cduniverse yesterday, I liked what I heard on the 20 or 30 seconds they give per track. Thanks for the help, guys. Quote
Martin Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 Thanks for clarifying this, all you nice guys. Looks like a should get an intact replacement disc for my faulty copy asap. Caiman lists the Jackson/Message twofer at quite an agreeable price... I originally bought individual cd copies of A Jackson In Your House and Message To Our Folks, as I wanted to get as much as possible from the original cover art (and the photos on Message indeed are great!). OK, now I have the artwork, but paid for it with a damaged Brain... Quote
John B Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 Anyone have a clue as to what's on the CD I had believed to contain A Jackson In Your House and Message To Our Folks? John: Do you have the same problem? Very strange. No, I lucked out. My Mu is Mu and my AEC is the AEC. Quote
Guest Chaney Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 Anyone have a clue as to what's on the CD I had believed to contain A Jackson In Your House and Message To Our Folks? John: Do you have the same problem? Very strange. No, I lucked out. My Mu is Mu and my AEC is the AEC. Lucked out? I'm working on convincing myself that what I have is the Art Ensemble performing Mu. VERY rare! Quote
John B Posted February 21, 2005 Report Posted February 21, 2005 Lucked out? I'm working on convincing myself that what I have is the Art Ensemble performing Mu. VERY rare! see what you can get for it on ebay. List as "extremely rare oop cd of the Art Ensemble performing Don Cherry's Mu, in it's entirety, while sounding eerilylike two people rather than four." Quote
GregK Posted February 22, 2005 Author Report Posted February 22, 2005 (edited) Okay guys, I must admit I have only one AEoC cd on my shelves. This one... I enjoy the recording very much. I realize this is without Bowie, so I assume I'm not getting the full effect. What should I pick up next? I am one of many on this board who has asked for recommendations of the Art Ensemble, and most told me to get the box put out by Chuck, so I just went for it and got it without knowing anything about them beyond the ECM rarum disc (which is a great place to sample their ECM catalog, not including Tribute to Lester of course). And I am so glad I did!! It is full of some fascinating music-get it and listen to the ferocious versions of Number 2. Yes, you really need to hear Lester with them. Edited February 22, 2005 by GregK Quote
John L Posted February 22, 2005 Report Posted February 22, 2005 (edited) SONOFABITCH! What I dope I am. You're right, Chuck... and thanks! (I also own Mu!) Wonder if it's worth the trouble to try and get a replacement. Guess I'll try. ON THE EDIT: I hope I just never got around to listening to this one and that I'm not THAT stupid, especially considering that Mu features a duo and the AEoC material the quartet. For all you knew, some of the AEC were just playing very very small instruments. I had the opposite problem. My first purchase of Mu on CD turned out to be Jackson in Your House/Message to Our Folk. Now that was a lot of sounds out of just Blackwell and Cherry. Edited February 22, 2005 by John L Quote
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