Jazz Articles about Art Ensemble Of Chicago

Art Ensemble of Chicago: Chi-Congo

by Rex Butters
May 11, 2006

The reissue of Chi-Congo fills a very big hole in the active Art Ensemble discography. Since the mid-1970 recording, these sessions have seen light on at least five other labels in different formats. Released between Certain Blacks and Live on Affinity, Chi-Congo introduces Famoudou Don Moye as the group's permanent percussionist. “We moved towards the direction of developing as percussionists before we took on another drummer, Roscoe Mitchell said recently in an AAJ interview with Fred Jung.

The title track ...

Art Ensemble Of Chicago: Sirius Calling

by Mark Corroto
January 2, 2005

If you want a very accessible introduction to the music of Art Ensemble of Chicago, Sirius Calling is a great place to start. If you are a long time follower, it won't disappoint. The fourteen songs presented here are short in length, half clocking in at less then four minutes. Enough music to fill the 65 minute session, but nothing to try the patience of those seeking entry into the creative world of AEC.

With the passing of ...

Art Ensemble of Chicago: Kabalaba

by Rex Butters
November 3, 2004

With the recent passings of founding members Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors Maghostut, Art Ensemble of Chicago's reissues take on new resonance. With 1974's Kabalaba , the Art Ensemble performs with Muhal Richard Abrams at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival before an apparently appreciative and enthusiastic audience. With the elder musician present, the Art Ensemble more sincerely bulldozes the borders while downplaying its signature humor and theatrics.

The continuous performance begins with a segment called “Kabalaba-Bees." Several of the musicians ...

Art Ensemble of Chicago: Tribute to Lester

by AAJ Staff
October 16, 2003

It's ironic that the longstanding Art Ensemble of Chicago, reduced here to a trio by the passing of trumpeter Lester Bowie, can have such an expansive sound. It's not just that these musicians work with several instruments each, or that these pieces span the range from meditative music to swing to free bop and the wild beyond. I guess decades of combined experience means that everyone knows where to share space and where to blow it up.

The ...

A Fireside Chat With The Art Ensemble Of Chicago

by AAJ Staff
October 16, 2003

I once read how Sam Rivers heard Billie Holiday and, listening to the anguish in her voice, wept. Jazz can be just that profound because it is history. But along with history comes the inevitable politics and prejudices. Jazz is not beyond such human frailties, but it can be. As exemplified by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, jazz can be more than individuality, more than self-aggrandizement, and more reflective of the times. Without Lester Bowie, the Art Ensemble didn’t relegate ...

Art Ensemble of Chicago: After Lester Bowie

by Clifford Allen
October 12, 2003

After Lester Bowie, renowned trumpeter and regular Art Ensemble of Chicago (AEC) member (daresay frontman) passed away in 1999, there was some question as to what the fate of the group would be. Of course, many lesser groups have folded with fewer catalysts than the death of a major contributor. But continue the group did, as a trio composed of Roscoe Mitchell, reeds and percussion; Malachi Favors Maghoustut, bass and percussion; and Don Moye, percussion. Now, as of The Meeting, ...

Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Meeting

by Dan McClenaghan
October 4, 2003

The average jazz listener's evolution into jazz-fan-dom might start in New York with Charlie Parker and Ellington, then fly across country to Los Angeles for Birth of the Cool and Miles Davis and Gerry Mulligan, sticking with the major label offerings based on the two coasts. Chicago (or Madison, Wisconsin today) can slip under the radar of less devoted music fans.Which is a shame, because the Art Ensemble of Chicago is an essential experience.Trumpeter Lester Bowie ...