Free Jazz

[Guy Berger]

Part 3: The lists

Ay caramba! I can't believe I actually did this. The list is presented

two ways, first with a simple album listing (artist, title, category,

label) then broken up by category (just artist and title number, if

necessary). The list consists only of albums that I own and recommend.

Obviously there's a lot I've never heard, much less own. Be careful on

the label information, I haven't double-checked and I know I haven't

differentiated between Black Saint and Soul Note or Elektra Nonesuch,

Nonesuch, and Elektra Musician. Some of these are out-of-print. Like

the Penguin, be careful to read the comments which follow the first list

- if I comment on an artist or one of their albums, an exclamation point

(!) will precede that artist's name. I've done my best to force albums

into a single category but I'll note what other categories I feel an

album may be borderline with in the comments. Also, if an album title

is preceded by a star, it's an album that I highly recommend. After all

that, I'll list some recommended straight-ahead albums. I suspect I'm

similar to a lot of avant-garde fans in that my collection primarily

consists of classic straight-ahead recordings (i.e. pre-1970 or so) and

avant-garde recordings from 1960 on. In other words, I don't pretend to

be an expert or to have heard a lot of post-1970 straight-ahead. Of

course, I don't pretend to be an expert on the avant-garde either.

I haven't listened to some of these albums in months and others are

being categorized after only a few listens. Caveat emptor.

The key for categories is: F=freebop, X=expressionism,

R1="odd-instrumentation, etc." restructuralism, R2="non-traditional

structures" restructuralism, and P=post-modernism. The Black Saint

label is abbreviated BS, Blue Note is BN. Hopefully the formatting

comes out OK on your system. Some titles are abbreviated with ...'s

usually replacing "in the" "of the" etc.

LIST BY ARTIST

!MR Abrams Blu Blu Blu P BS

One Line, Two Views R2 New World

!Air *Air Lore R2 RCA

Air Mail R2 BS

!Art Ensemble Urban Bushmen R2 ECM

Dreaming...Masters #1 P DIW

Soweto R1 DIW

America-South Africa R1 DIW

Albert Ayler *Spiritual Unity X ESP

Ed Blackwell What it is F Enja

What it be Like F Enja

Lester Bowie The Fifth Power F BS

Anthony Braxton Live (Montreux/Berlin) R2 RCA

*Willisau Quartets R2 Hat Art

!Roy Brooks Duets in Detroit R1 Enja

!Don Byron *Tuskegee Experiments R2 Elektra

Music for Six Musicians F Elektra

Uri Caine Sphere Music F JMT

James Carter JC on the Set F DIW

!John Carter Dauwhe R2 BS

Castles of Ghana R2 Gramavision

Dance...Love Ghosts R2 "

Fields R2 "

Shadows on a Wall R2 "

Thomas Chapin Anima F Knitting Factory

!Don Cherry Complete Communion R2 Mosaic/

*Symphony...Improvisers R2 BN

Clusone 3 I am an Indian R2 Gramavision

Soft Lights,Sweet Music R2 Hat Art

Ornette Coleman *Free Jazz R1 Atlantic

Of Human Feelings F Antilles

In All Languages F Caravan of Dreams

!Steve Coleman Def Trance Beat F RCA

!Andrew Cyrille *My Friend Louis F DIW

Dave Douglas Parallel Worlds R2 BS

Marty Ehrlich Pliant Plaint R2 Enja

Traveller's Tale R2 "

Can you Hear a Motion R2 "

!8 Bold Souls Sideshow R1 Arabesque

Ant Farm R1 "

Ethnic Heritage Dance...Ancestors R1 Elektra

Bill Frisell Have a Little Faith P Elektra

This Land R2 "

Charles Gayle *Touchin' on Trane X FMP

Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orch. P Impulse

Ballad of the Fallen P ECM

Dream Keeper P BN

!Billy Harper Black Saint F BS

On Tour, 3 vols. F Steeplechase

Somalia F Evidence

Julius Hemphill *Fat Man...Hard Blues R2 BS

Fred Hersch Point in Time F Enja

!Dave Holland *Conference...Birds R2 ECM

Extensions F ECM

DD Jackson Peace-Song F Justin Time

Joseph Jarman Calypso's Smile R1 AEC Records

Matt Kendrick Art/Jazz R2 Suitcase

Andrew Lamb Portraits in the Mist F Delmark

Last Exit Headfirst...Flames X Moers

!Joe Lovano *From the Soul F BN

Rush Hour R1 "

Quartets (disk 1) F "

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Marsalis F Columbia

Think of One F "

Black Codes F "

Citi Movement P "

!Myra Melford Jump F Enemy

Alive...House of Saints R2 Hat Art

*Even the Sounds Shine R2 "

!Pat Metheny *Song X R2 Geffen

Roscoe Mitchell Dance...Steve McCall R2 BS

Jemeel Moondoc Nostalgia..Times Square F BS

!David Murray *Ming R1 BS

Home R1 "

*The Hill R2 "

Hope Scope R1 "

Special Quartet F DIW

!Music Rev. Ens Music Revelation Ens. R1 DIW

In the Name of . . . R1 DIW

Old&New Dreams Tribute to Ed Blackwell F BS

Hann. Peterson *Angels of Atlanta R2 Enja

Ralph Peterson Presents the Fo'tet F BN

Ornettology F "

!Phalanx In Touch R1 DIW

Bobby Previte *Weather Clear,Track... R2 Enja

!Don Pullen Healing Force X BS

Live at the VV F BS

*Evidence...Unseen X BS

*Breakthrough F BN

New Beginnings F BN

Random Thoughts F BN

Dewey Redman Living on the Edge F BS

Mich. Rosewoman Quintessence F Enja

!Hal Russell The Hal Russell Story P ECM

Louis Sclavis Acoustic Quartet R2 ECM

Sonny Sharrock Guitar X Enemy

*Ask the Ages X Axiom

Archie Shepp Fire Music X Impulse

On this Night X Impulse

!Sun Ra *Jazz in Silhouette F Evidence

Magic City R2 "

Heliocentric Worlds X ESP

Horace Tapscott Dark Tree, 2 vols. R2 Hat Art

Cecil Taylor Silent Tongues R2 Freedom

Dark to Themselves X Enja

Olu Iwa X BS

Mal. Thompson Buddy Bolden's Rag R1 Delmark

!H. Threadgill Easily...Another World R2 RCA

You Don't know...Number R2 "

Rag, Bush and All R2 "

Spirit of ‘Nuff ‘Nuff R1 BS

Too Much Sugar...Dime R1 Axiom

Steve Turre Rhythm Within R1 Antilles

!McCoy Tyner Sahara F OJC

*Enlightenment F Milestone

Mal Waldron Crowd Scene R2 BS

David S. Ware Flight of I X DIW

Cryptology X Homestead

Reggie Workman Summit Conference F Postcards

Cerebral Caverns R2 "

!WSQ Metamorphosis R1 Elektra

Yos. Yamashita Kurdish Dance R2 Antilles

Dazzling Days R2 "

!John Zorn Naked City P Elektra

Spy vs. Spy P "

Masada: 1-3 R1 DIW

LIST BY CATEGORY

FREEBOP

Blackwell, Bowie, Byron 2, Caine, James Carter, Chapin, O.

Coleman 2 and 3, S. Coleman, Cyrille, Harper, Hersch, Holland 2,

Jackson, Lamb, Lovano 1 and 3, Marsalis 1 to 3, Melford 1,

Moondoc, Murray 5, Old and New Dreams, R. Peterson, Pullen 2 and

4 to 6, Redman, Rosewoman, Sun Ra 1, Tyner, Workman 1

EXPRESSIONISM

Ayler, Gayle, Last Exit, Pullen 1 and 3, Sharrock, Shepp, Sun Ra

3, Taylor 2 and 3, Ware

RESTRUCTURALISM #1

Art Ensemble 3 and 4, Brooks, O. Coleman 1, 8 Bold Souls, Ethnic

Heritage Ens., Frisell 2, Jarman, Lovano 2, Murray 1, 2 and 4,

MRE, Phalanx, Thompson, Threadgill 4 and 5, Turre, WSQ, Zorn 3

RESTRUCTURALISM #2

Abrams 2 and 3, Air, AEC 1, Braxton, Byron 1, John Carter,

Cherry, Clusone 3, Ehrlich, Hemphill, Holland 1, Kendrick,

Melford 2 and 3, Metheny, Mitchell, Murray 3, H. Peterson,

Previte, Sclavis, Sun Ra 2, Tapscott, Taylor 1, Threadgill 1 to

3, Waldron, Workman 2, Yamashita

POST-MODERNISM

Abrams 1, AEC 2, Frisell 1, Haden, Marsalis 4, Russell, Zorn 1

and 2

COMMENTS:

ABRAMS, AIR, ART ENSEMBLE: The AACM is virtually impossible to

categorize. Some postmodernism, some expressionism, lots of

restructuralism. Both _Blu Blu Blu_ and _Dreaming of the Masters #1_

strike me as more clearly postmodernist, closer to the juxtaposition of

styles. _Air Lore_ on the other hand sounds like a form of "free" jazz

that grew directly out of New Orleans music. The two AEC South African

albums go into R1 because they're mostly fairly normal except for the

inclusion of the South African vocal group and the use of African

themes.

BROOKS: A series of duets with Randy Weston, Don Pullen, Geri Allen and

Woody Shaw. How many trumpet-drum duets have you ever heard? The music

gets a little outside, but not far. Features some of Geri Allen's most

percussive playing and features Brooks on the saw on one cut.

BYRON: Another impossible call. _Tuskegee_ is close to P, but those

aspects of the album don't really appeal to me. Some great cuts that

should not be missed however.

JOHN CARTER: These 5 cd's constitute his _Roots and Folklore: Episodes

in the Development of American Folk Music_, an impressive body of work.

Taken together, they might have to go under P, but singly I'm more

comfortable under R2.

CHERRY: These are both available on Mosaic's set (with a third album),

but only _Symphony_ is currently available (first connoiseur series) so

it gets the star. Even Stanley Crouch loves these albums.

S. COLEMAN: Another impossibility. MBASE isn't all that strange

necessarily, but some may consider it too funky for an F. I think there

are some different structures in there, but not enough for an R2. Not

X. It could be P or I could treat his combination of funk and other

rhytms with jazz similarly to the way I've treated Zorn's Masada. I'm

very open to arguments.

CYRILLE: Quite frankly, this is a straight-ahead album and it's the best

straight-ahead album I've heard in the 90's and maybe the 80's. Not

like the other Cyrille I've heard.

8 BOLD SOULS: They're AACM so they're impossible to characterize. An

octet isn't really that odd of an instrumentation, but it does give this

band a different sound. But some of the best large ensemble writing and

playing I've heard since the Murray Black Saints. Catch them live.

HARPER: He's really straight-ahead, not avant-garde. But he's unknown

and has been known to squeak and honk. If you like Coltrane up through

ALS, you'll like Billy Harper. A great live show too.

HOLLAND: I consider _Conference_ to be one of the most important jazz

albums of the last 25 years (OK, that I've heard). Absolutely

brilliant. I jumped into this one cold, with no real previous

experience of serious avant-garde playing and loved this from the first

listen. All of Holland's quintet stuff is good and kinda Mingus-y.

LOVANO: What _Conference_ was for the 70's and _Ming_ for the 80's,

_Soul_ could be for the 90's. I didn't know what to do with _Rush

Hour_, probably should be P, but I don't really find the orchestral

parts distinctive. So the orchestra, the extra strings, and Silvano's

voice put this into R1. The first disk of Quartets is very Colemanish,

similar in ways to _Soul_. Disk 2 is on the straight-ahead list below.

MELFORD: I'd say she's moving progressively out and even more

interesting as time goes on. There are some po-mo aspects to these as

well. I think all three border between F and R2, but _Jump_ is probably

the most straightforward of them.

METHENY: Frankly, this is almost an X at times. Too out for an F.

MURRAY: I've had bad luck with Murray from after 1990 or so. But the

Black Saints are wonderful and _Ming_ and _The Hill_ should probably be

in most collections. Hard to categorize, parts F, R1, R2, and P.

Again, octets aren't that strange but what can you do. I'm sure that

when these came out they were much different, helping to establish

"restructuralism". Murray was so successful that at this point, they

really don't sound that odd.

MRE, PHALANX: This is James Blood Ulmer with various guest saxophonists

(Murray on the first MRE, Rivers and others on the second, George Adams

on Phalanx). Fairly Ornettish, but Ulmer's definitely non-jazz like

guitar puts this in the ‘odd instrumentation' category. Fun stuff.

PULLEN: Don Pullen meant a lot to me, his music has been very

influential on the development of my jazz tastes. I know that putting

his solo piano albums in X is controversial (Marc is surely itching to

post), but my reaction to these is overwhelmingly emotional.

_Breakthrough_ is another of those albums that has really shaped my

tastes, showing me what "true" straight-ahead music sounded like.

RUSSELL: Elements of X and R2, a tough call. Fun album, enjoy the ride.

SUN RA: _Silhouette_ is the album I jokingly referred to above. For

1956, it's amazing. At the time, its use of flutes and other

non-standard reeds and non-Western percussion, its use of non-Western

elements clearly would have set it apart. It's even post-modernist for

its time. For 1996 it is, fortunately, pretty normal sounding.

Ellington and Mingus fans should check this out.

THREADGILL: See all my previous comments regarding AACM folks. The last

2 are borderline R2.

TYNER: I know - what's he doing in this list? These albums are very

much in the spirit of Trane ca. late 64, early 65, and with a nice

little groove that hooks you. In some ways, these albums are X, though

clearly at the tamer side of X.

WSQ: I've heard, but don't own, some of the WSQ before the one listed.

Makes it hard to put them in proper perspective. Even the one listed

should probably be an R2. Other albums, with tributes to Ellington,

r&b, etc. have a somewhat more postmodernist flavor. At the same time,

they often move into X territory.

JOHN ZORN: These are a lot of fun. I'm still not 100% comfortable with

the Masada decision.

STRAIGHT-AHEAD LIST

In hopes that everyone will find this effort useful, here's a list of

good straight-ahead that I've heard, recorded in the last 20+ years.

I've heard only a very small portion, so don't get upset that

something's missing from the list.

Geri Allen Etudes BS

The Nurturer BN

21 BN

Kenny Barron Other Places Verve

Art Blakey Night in Tunisia (not the BN) Philips

Terence Blanchard and Discernment Landmark

Donald Harrison Crystal Stair Columbia

Betty Carter Feed the Fire Verve

Don Cherry Art Deco A+M

Andrew Cyrille see above

Charlie Haden In Angel City Verve

Billy Harper see above

Joe Henderson Lush Life Verve

So Near, So Far "

Hank Jones The Oracle Emarcy

Upon Reflection Verve

Joe Lovano Quartets, disk 2 BN

Wynton Marsalis see above

Mulgrew Miller Hand in Hand RCA

Art Pepper Thursday Night at the VV OJC

Ralph Peterson Volition BN

Art "

Courtney Pine Destiny's Song and the Image... Antilles

Valery Ponomarev Profile Reservoir

Dannie Richmond Last Mingus Band A.D. Landmark

Wallace Roney Obsession Muse

Gonzalo Rubalcaba Discovery BN

Pharoah Sanders Crescent with Love Evidence

Woody Shaw any Muse title

CBS Studio Recordings Mosaic

Steve Turre Right There Antilles

McCoy Tyner Remembering John Enja

Bobby Watson Love Remains Red

[Jazzmoose]

Aric can tell you a lot about "free" jazz.

[king ubu]

free jizz?

Even that label bugs me already... there's so much and so totally different stuff that's put in that shelf... same of course for avantgarde.

It's all music, give some of it a try now and then, maybe some of it clicks, other stuff won't...

Once you've been there, one really wonders why something like Ornette's beautiful Atlantic sessions may be beyond grasp and sound difficult or even ugly to some ears... that stuff's so beautiful, so simple in a way, and it grooves like hell, with Charlie Haden and Blackwell or smilin' Billy... (ever thought about the "coincidence" that Higgins played both with Ornette and at the same time was the drummer on many of your ole BN favourite groovy platters?)

Thanks for posting that Art Davis thing, I'll print it out to read on the way home tonight!

[clifford_thornton]

Especially when you consider artists, like Sam Rivers and Grachan Moncur III, who straddled both camps, recording for Blue Note as well as more "avant-garde" labels and playing in diverse contexts.

[AndrewHill]

Try the AEC's Nice Guys on ECM.

Nice one!

[AndrewHill]

I would say try the Don Cherry Blue Notes but leave Symphony for Improvisors for last, as I think that's probably the wildest of the three.

Wayne Shorter's All Seeing Eye may be a good start too.

[brownie]

I would say try the Don Cherry Blue Notes but leave Symphony for Improvisors for last, as I think that's probably the wildest of the three.

Don't get me wrong, I love 'Symphony for Improvisors' but always thought it was easy listening free jazz!

Probably because I got so used to it when I heard repeatedly Don Cherry and the quintet with Gato Barbieri play this every night at the Chat Qui Pèche club in Paris.

[porcy62]

I would say try the Don Cherry Blue Notes but leave Symphony for Improvisors for last, as I think that's probably the wildest of the three.

Don't get me wrong, I love 'Symphony for Improvisors' but always thought it was easy listening free jazz!

Probably because I got so used to it when I heard repeatedly Don Cherry and the quintet with Gato Barbieri play this every night at the Chat Qui Pèche club in Paris.

I think free jazz is easier if you start from some live performances. Even my wife enjoyed Ornette, John Zorn and the AEOC...and hate me when I put one of their record on the TT.

Anyway I started with a Sun Ra's concert.

Edited June 1, 2007 by porcy62

[Jazz Kat]

Maybe Blue Trane should start with Coltrane's My Favorite Things, then keep working his way down through Trane's discography after 1965, then get some Ornette, Cecil, and Shepp. I like this stuff, but I couldn't listen to it all the time. Free jazz lacks the two most important ingrediants in music... Melody and Rhythm.

[sal]

Free jazz lacks the two most important ingrediants in music... Melody and Rhythm.

[clifford_thornton]

I would say try the Don Cherry Blue Notes but leave Symphony for Improvisors for last, as I think that's probably the wildest of the three.

Don't get me wrong, I love 'Symphony for Improvisors' but always thought it was easy listening free jazz!

Probably because I got so used to it when I heard repeatedly Don Cherry and the quintet with Gato Barbieri play this every night at the Chat Qui Pèche club in Paris.

[sidewinder]

I would say try the Don Cherry Blue Notes but leave Symphony for Improvisors for last, as I think that's probably the wildest of the three.

Don't get me wrong, I love 'Symphony for Improvisors' but always thought it was easy listening free jazz!

Probably because I got so used to it when I heard repeatedly Don Cherry and the quintet with Gato Barbieri play this every night at the Chat Qui Pèche club in Paris.

Awesome ! Just like a Jazz 'Zelig'.

[king ubu]

jazz Zelig, ha!

I can relate to that... "Complete Communion" (more so than "Symphony for Improvisers", the third album I don't have yet) is very easy on the ears... actually I'd call it pretty mellow and groovy, but I guess that's an opinion you can only have once you "crossed over" into these territories that the starter of this thread has trouble getting into, so go figure...

[.:.impossible]

Maybe Blue Trane should start with Coltrane's My Favorite Things, then keep working his way down through Trane's discography after 1965, then get some Ornette, Cecil, and Shepp. I like this stuff, but I couldn't listen to it all the time. Free jazz lacks the two most important ingrediants in music... Melody and Rhythm.

Can someone explain to me how "free jazz" lacks either melody and/or rhythm? Maybe I am hard-headed. Let's talk about something truly free. Anything you can think of that has a minimal amount of predetermined music. Most of the examples I can think of are built almost primarily on melody and rhythm. Again, maybe I'm being hard-headed.

P.S. Over the past few days, people have been citing The All Seeing Eye as "free jazz". To me, that record is very far from free. Aside from solo space, the album is very composed! The horn arrangements are incredible!

[7/4]

Free jazz lacks the two most important ingrediants in music... Melody and Rhythm.

kids say the darnedest things.

[jazzhound]

After a lifetime of listening to jazz I still don't get it. Help with good entry points will be greatly appreciated. I love Hard bop-especially the Blue Note 60s sessions, if that helps.

Thanks in advance.

Peace,

Jeff T

there is nothing to get. just a bunch of musicians making noise.

[Chuck Nessa]

After a lifetime of listening to jazz I still don't get it. Help with good entry points will be greatly appreciated. I love Hard bop-especially the Blue Note 60s sessions, if that helps.

Thanks in advance.

Peace,

Jeff T

there is nothing to get. just a bunch of musicians making noise.

Thanks for the insight.

Notice I did not use the word "intellectual" before the word "insight" ( if that's what you really meant).

Edited June 2, 2007 by Chuck Nessa

[J.A.W.]

P.S. Over the past few days, people have been citing The All Seeing Eye as "free jazz". To me, that record is very far from free.

You're right, it's not "free jazz".

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

[RDK]

I'm not sure how "intellectual" my insight might be but I've found that a number of the free jazz artists that I initially had a hard time embracing got easier to listen to with age: both mine and theirs. I grew to really like such players as Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders not from their earliest (and arguably heaviest) albums of the sixties, but from some of their later albums, when their playing really mellowed but still had some free jazz "edge" to it. Now, Pharoah's Impulse albums hardly seem free at all anymore, nor do Shepp's albums of the early 70s. One can argue that stuff like "Creator Has a Master Plan" or "Steam" isn't free at all anymore - and maybe that's true - but either way they provide a very accessible entry point to artists who were typically considered "free."

A few more examples of "free jazz" guys doing relatively inside albums:

Check out any of Braxton's "Standards" discs. Braxton may be tough to get into, but hearing him perform familiar tunes really helps. I'm not sure if Andrew Hill is even considered "free" anymore, but I've found him to be a terrific waystation towards Cecil Taylor ("For Olim" is pretty accessible by the way). Guys like Von Freeman and Hamiett Bluitt can be really easy to listen to even though you might consider them a bit "outside," and while Marion Brown can definitely play free, his "Back to Paris" disc (available on emusic) is a delight. (Also check out his duo discs with Mal Waldron.) Sun Ra's music is often very accessible (blues-based and bop-ish) though some of it can be very outside as well. And then there are Mingus' albums with Dolphy. Who says free jazz has to lack melody and rhythm?

I can't recommend emusic highly enough for anyone looking to check out some free jazz. It's a cheap way to try some guys out since many albums are only 2 or 3 tracks long and you can hear samples of every track. It's so easy to "take chances" and expose your ears to new stuff that way. I know it's turned me on to more free players than I could count that I nevre would have checked out otherwise if I had to drop $10-15 on a disk I might just as easily hate than love.

[Chuck Nessa]

It's only been 50 years folks.

[montg]

Another for Point of Departure. It's a beautiful record. 'Dedication' is one of the most moving performances I've ever heard.

[Guy Berger]

P.S. Over the past few days, people have been citing The All Seeing Eye as "free jazz". To me, that record is very far from free.

You're right, it's not "free jazz".

A lot of what we refer to as "free jazz" isn't really "free"; these days the term is used pretty much interchangeably with "avant-garde jazz".

Guy

[Epithet]

And I only love the HAAG.

[.:.impossible]

P.S. Over the past few days, people have been citing The All Seeing Eye as "free jazz". To me, that record is very far from free.

You're right, it's not "free jazz".

A lot of what we refer to as "free jazz" isn't really "free"; these days the term is used pretty much interchangeably with "avant-garde jazz".

Guy

Let's just call it music then.

[Shawn]

Very good suggestions from all.

Let me echo the suggestion for Marion Brown, his playing is so beautiful that it makes a good starting point for the casual listener. Those ESP albums (which I believe are available on eMusic) are MUST-HAVES!

Archie Shepp was what helped me get "adjusted". I think it was because I was a huge Ben Webster fan and could hear that connection in what Archie was doing. The Way Ahead or Four For Trane are probably good places to start.

I also don't like the "free" tag for most of these players, I suppose "avante-garde" is as close to an acceptable term that I've heard.