Ed Blackwell

[Milestones]

I have always enjoyed Ed Blackwell. I loved his work with Ornette, though I also loved Billy Higgins--and then I found that Higgins played with everyone. Blackwell had considerably less visibility. I recently heard him on an early Don Cherry record, and then there's his work with Old and New Dreams (in effect, an Ornette alumni band). I know he played with Randy Weston, one of my all time favorite artists; but there seems no trace of them recording together. Late in life he appeared with Joe Lovano, Jay Hoggard, Ray Anderson, and some others--all good records made even better by his fine drumming.

Please talk about your favorites.

[paul secor]

I heard Ed Blackwell play live a couple of times with Jane Ira Bloom in the 1980's. I was impressed by the subtlety of his playing and his use of dynamics in his playing. He never overwhelmed the other musicians in the band.

[Milestones]

Another fine record is Mighty Lights with Jane Ira Bloom.

[B. Goren.]

This is one of my favorite:

[jlhoots]

What It Is & What It Be Like are 2 of my all time favorites.

[Joe]

Another vote for the Enja dates (WHAT IT IS / WHAT IT BE LIKE).

This, too, is essential, IMO.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Joe

[Milestones]

Who is in the band on What It Is & What It Be Like?

[mjzee]

I saw him once with Don Cherry. What a great groove, totally his own.

[JSngry]

Who is in the band on What It Is & What It Be Like?

Ed Blackwell: Drums

Mark Helias: Bass

Carlos Ward: Sax, Flute

Graham Haynes: Trumpet

This, too, is essential, IMO.

Absolutely definitely inarguably yes.

Edited December 18, 2012 by JSngry

[brownie]

Ed Blackwell was a unique, vitalizing drummer.

The Ornette Coleman albums from the early 60s were my discoveries of his talent. The Eric Dophy at the Five Spot were confirmations (still my favorite albums with Blackwell), then the duo sides with Don Cherry on Actuel-Byg. So many more...

Heard him live with Don Cherry on a couple of occasions.

Edited December 18, 2012 by brownie

[John L]

If I see a session with Ed Blackwell that I don't have, I usually try to grab it. Ed Blackwell is one of a handful of artists like that. It is pretty hard to make a bad record with Ed Blackwell on drums.

[king ubu]

Still haven't heard the BYG duos with Cherry, darn!

But I fully endorse the recommendations for the two Enjas and for "Red and Black"!

[soulpope]

always loved his colaboration with Mal Waldron

Soul Note (It) SN 1118 Mal Waldron - The Git-Go: Live At The Village Vanguard

Soul Note (It) SN 1148 Mal Waldron - The Seagulls Of Kristiansund

Both of these plus Waldron`s remaining Soulnote output can be found rather cheaply on subject 4CD Box-Set ;-)

http://www.amazon.de/Quintets-Waldron-Mal/dp/B0065HDLJE/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1355823511&sr=1-2

[kh1958]

I heard him live only once, at the Village Vanguard, with Don Cherry (plus Carlos Ward and a tuba player). From my seat, I could not really see him, as my view was obstructed by the pillar, but he sure sounded great.

[mracz]

The trio albums with the same rhythm section as the above (Waldron, Workman, Blackwell) are also very good indeed: Breaking New Ground and You and the Night and the Music. I downloaded the former from emusic a couple of years ago and just picked up an LP of the latter. Breaking New Ground includes a Michael Jackson cover (!) and You and the Night is mostly standards. It has Reggie and Ed well forward in the mix, and it's wonderful to hear the trio as a TRIO rather than piano + bass and drums. The interaction between the three is very special and very intense. Ethan Iverson refers to them admiringly as the "Mal Waldron Evil Trio". They also recorded an LP of Satie covers (sic) which I would be intrigued to hear at least once... Ed was a master and always brought something special to the music-making. I love his work on Don Cherry's Complete Communion as well. I only heard him live once, in the Ornette Quartet with Dewey and Charlie Haden at Princes Street, back in the early 70s, a real treat.

[Joe]

More greatness from Ed and Dewey (in a trio with Cameron Brown)...

The Waldron collaborations are also fine, as mentioned... but it bear remembering that this partnership goes all the way back to the Dolphy / Little band Five Spot recordings of 1961.

The recently issued duets with Wadada Leo Smith are excellent, too, and make for an fascinating comparison with the many Cherry collaborations.

Finally, a word for some of the earliest Blackwell on record, from his days as one of NO's pioneering modernists...

This same group (I believe) also recorded a "reunion" date for Black Saint in the late 80s, FROM BAD TO BADDER.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Joe

[jeffcrom]

Finally, a word for some of the earliest Blackwell on record, from his days as one of NO's pioneering modernists...

This same group (I believe) also recorded a "reunion" date for Black Saint in the late 80s, FROM BAD TO BADDER.

I was going to mention Blackwell's work with the pioneering New Orleans modernist group The American Jazz Quintet. This is another good one - studio recordings for AFO:

And yes, From Bad to Badder is a reunion, with Earl Turbinton added:

It was recorded in Atlanta in 1987 at a three-day Ed Blackwell Festival, which also produced Old and New Dreams Tribute to Blackwell album. The highlight was a performance by the Ornette Coleman Quartet with Cherry, Haden and Blackwell.

[Steve Reynolds]

for me the best Ed Blackwell recordings are the later ones - number one being Joe Lovano's 'From the Soul' from 1992

also great is 'Sounds of Joy' with Lovano andf Anthony Cos from maybe 1990

of the older records, the fulcrum has to be the legendary Five Spot recordings from 1961 with that one in a million band.

[Guy Berger]

Love the Redman/Blackwell duets album.

[Milestones]

Yeah, Lovano is a big fan. He had Blackwell on at least two records and did the tribute to him: "Message from Blackwell" (I think that's the title).

[Chuck Nessa]

How can anyone ignore Blackwell's recordings with Ornette? That's the shit.

[kh1958]

My favorite Ed Blackwell recordings are This is Our Music and Ornette!

[colinmce]

Agreed, kh1958. Ornette! especially.

I enjoyed his work on Braxton's Six Compositions (Quartet) 1982 the other day. I wish he and Braxton were able to lay down a duo.