From The River To The Ocean

[.:.impossible]

From The River To The Ocean

Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake

Thrill Jockey 183

clem most likely hasn't checked this album out yet because it was released on Thrill Jockey, AND engineered by John McEntire. I think he may even have a distaste for Hamid Drake...

Yet, I am going out on a limb here to say that none of those reasons are good enough to keep anyone from checking out this album. Harrison Bankhead and Josh Abrams on basses (though Bankhead does play cello beautifully on a swinging take of the Anderson great "Strut Time", and piano on "For Brother Thompson" and Abrams plays a guimbri on "Sakti/Shiva), Jeff Parker on guitar, Fred Anderson on big tenor, and Hamid Drake on kit for all tunes except the title track where he plays a frame drum.

This is not typical Thrill Jockey fare, though I'd like the trend they have going here, it is a gorgeous recording to my ears, and Drake's playing at the kit on this one should certainly have any nay-sayers second-guessing their stance on his abilities. I still can't understand why anyone would have a distaste for his work, but there it is.

Highly recommended to fans of any of these musicians. Highly recommended to those who have not yet checked out Fred Anderson, this is a great starting point. Highly recommended to those who have heard everything that Fred Anderson has recorded, this is a great addition to his recorded legacy.

This should be on many "year-end" lists.

[RDK]

This popped up on emusic the other day, but had no details (yet) as to personal, etc. Glad to hear it's a good 'un, though Anderson is a bit hit or miss for me.

[relyles]

I got this one a couple of weeks ago. I really enjoyed the first two tracks, which were a bit more up tempo/groove oriented. I am going to have to give a closer listen to the remainder of the disc which seemed a little more meditative.

[.:.impossible]

Oh yeah... Strut Time is over 20 minutes long and grooves all the way!

[Nate Dorward]

Glad to hear this one's worthwhile, though their previous duo album on Thrill Jockey was so disappointing that I'm a little leery of this one......

[Alexander Hawkins]

Do you mean 'Back Together Again'? I really quite liked that one!

BTW - any recommendations for the recent one on Intakt with Irene Schweizer?

[.:.impossible]

Glad to hear this one's worthwhile, though their previous duo album on Thrill Jockey was so disappointing that I'm a little leery of this one......

Very different from that one... two bassists and a guitarist on board.

I'm surprised this isn't getting more attention. It is cool to hear Planet E so many years later, after hearing it on the Milwaukee Tapes for all these years.

What do you think of the duets with Robert Barry?

[.:.impossible]

I mean good god, Planet E is nasty. Funky as shit.

[J.A.W.]

Glad to hear this one's worthwhile, though their previous duo album on Thrill Jockey was so disappointing that I'm a little leery of this one......

Do you mean 'Back Together Again'? I really quite liked that one!

I've just listened to Back Together Again again after quite some time and I have to agree with Nate; I find it utterly boring. Nate hit the nail right on its head with his review on Amazon.com (scroll down).

Edited May 2, 2007 by J.A.W.

[Nate Dorward]

Oh, I'd forgotten about the Amazon piece. I'd originally written the disc up for Coda but the piece was a little wishy-washy, so I took a 2nd crack at it with the Amazon scribble. -- There are people I know who really like the album but, frankly, it bored me to tears.

On the other hand Hamid was absolutely amazing last year in a trio with Paul Plimley & Tommy Babin at Guelph, & I'm pretty sure it was recorded.... I'm really hoping that emerges at some point.

[J.A.W.]

Oh, I'd forgotten about the Amazon piece. I'd originally written the disc up for Coda but the piece was a little wishy-washy, so I took a 2nd crack at it with the Amazon scribble. -- There are people I know who really like the album but, frankly, it bored me to tears.

Pity, it could have been a great disc.

[John B]

Thanks for the review!

I'll grab the new disc on Thrill Jockey once my emusic account refreshes later this month.

Fred also has a new duo album with Harrison Bankhead on Ayler that was recorded at the Vision festival in 2003.

I've heard many good things about the set from people who were in attendance and am really looking forward to giving it a spin when it arrives.

Edited May 2, 2007 by John B

[Nate Dorward]

Is that the set excerpted on the Vision fest CD/DVD compilation that appeared a little while back (with a book in addition)? The compilation was extremely shoddy but that Anderson/Bankhead duo shone like a lighthouse among the rest. Likely to be a terrific CD.

[John B]

I don't own the dvd/book but, according to the AumFidelity and Ayler sites the track from the dvd appears on the new Ayler release.

[Lazaro Vega]

http://www.okkadisk.com/releases/od12001.html

[alocispepraluger102]

From The River To The Ocean

Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake

Thrill Jockey 183

clem most likely hasn't checked this album out yet because it was released on Thrill Jockey, AND engineered by John McEntire. I think he may even have a distaste for Hamid Drake...

Yet, I am going out on a limb here to say that none of those reasons are good enough to keep anyone from checking out this album. Harrison Bankhead and Josh Abrams on basses (though Bankhead does play cello beautifully on a swinging take of the Anderson great "Strut Time", and piano on "For Brother Thompson" and Abrams plays a guimbri on "Sakti/Shiva), Jeff Parker on guitar, Fred Anderson on big tenor, and Hamid Drake on kit for all tunes except the title track where he plays a frame drum.

This is not typical Thrill Jockey fare, though I'd like the trend they have going here, it is a gorgeous recording to my ears, and Drake's playing at the kit on this one should certainly have any nay-sayers second-guessing their stance on his abilities. I still can't understand why anyone would have a distaste for his work, but there it is.

Highly recommended to fans of any of these musicians. Highly recommended to those who have not yet checked out Fred Anderson, this is a great starting point. Highly recommended to those who have heard everything that Fred Anderson has recorded, this is a great addition to his recorded legacy.

This should be on many "year-end" lists.

thrilljockey has the mp3 available @$10

[BFrank]

From The River To The Ocean

Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake

Thrill Jockey 183

clem most likely hasn't checked this album out yet because it was released on Thrill Jockey, AND engineered by John McEntire. I think he may even have a distaste for Hamid Drake...

Yet, I am going out on a limb here to say that none of those reasons are good enough to keep anyone from checking out this album. Harrison Bankhead and Josh Abrams on basses (though Bankhead does play cello beautifully on a swinging take of the Anderson great "Strut Time", and piano on "For Brother Thompson" and Abrams plays a guimbri on "Sakti/Shiva), Jeff Parker on guitar, Fred Anderson on big tenor, and Hamid Drake on kit for all tunes except the title track where he plays a frame drum.

This is not typical Thrill Jockey fare, though I'd like the trend they have going here, it is a gorgeous recording to my ears, and Drake's playing at the kit on this one should certainly have any nay-sayers second-guessing their stance on his abilities. I still can't understand why anyone would have a distaste for his work, but there it is.

Highly recommended to fans of any of these musicians. Highly recommended to those who have not yet checked out Fred Anderson, this is a great starting point. Highly recommended to those who have heard everything that Fred Anderson has recorded, this is a great addition to his recorded legacy.

This should be on many "year-end" lists.

thrilljockey has the mp3 available @$10

If you're going to DL MP3s, you might as well join eMusic for a couple of dollars more....and DL a TON of other stuff while you're there.

[John B]

Is that the set excerpted on the Vision fest CD/DVD compilation that appeared a little while back (with a book in addition)? The compilation was extremely shoddy but that Anderson/Bankhead duo shone like a lighthouse among the rest. Likely to be a terrific CD.

I've had the time to spin the Anderson/Bankhead disc a few times and can highly recommend it. It must have been a fantastic set to see live.

[JSngry]

Got to hear this one last night, & oddly enough, portions of it put me in mind of Odyssey Of Iska.

It's good to hear Fred back in a full-group setting. And yeah, Hamid's a bitch. Again.

This one's going to get some more voluntary (& pleasurable) listening.

[Uncle Skid]

Bringing this one up again... this is a tremendously good record. .:.impossible's OP sums it up nicely. Indeed a good starting point for anybody unfamiliar with Anderson's work.

Listening to this record has me eagerly revisiting some of his earlier recordings. The Missing Link in particular has revealed some of its previously hidden treasures.

The two basses really work for me (vaguely reminiscent of Ornette's Sound Grammar), and Parker's guitar adds some interesting and sometimes unexpected colors. I don't hear "persistent overplaying" from Drake, but then I haven't really focused in that yet -- I've been too busy enjoying what I hear to be a very focused "group" effort.

Fred Anderson on "big tenor"!