Jazz Articles about Joe McPhee

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A Fireside Chat with Joe McPhee

by AAJ Staff
November 18, 2003

Labels are difficult to overcome. Perceptions are even more daunting. And Joe McPhee is often burdened with both: the labels of 'free jazz' or 'avant-garde' and the perception that his music is conceptual or theoretical (the same also holds true for the music of Anthony Braxton). But McPhee plays neither and his music is hardly highbrow (e.g., Underground Railroad). It is however, deep (but let's not mistake deep for complexity). Joe McPhee is a 'the,' not an 'a.' He is ...

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Dominic Duval/Joe McPhee/John Heward: Undersound II

by Jeff Stockton
June 25, 2003

An air of mysticism looms over Undersound II. The briefly cryptic liner notes from bassist Dominic Duval point toward the philosophy of drummer John Heward and the significance of & quot;th" in words that express the phases of “a journey in time," such as “birth" and & quot;death." The compositions during this hour of suspenseful and exciting improvised music are numbered rather than titled, and the band uses their instruments to articulate what the written word can only ...

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Evan Parker & Joe McPhee: Chicago Tenor Duets

by Derek Taylor
February 7, 2003

Even with all the grousing about improvised music’s marginalized status, certain circles see a glut of new releases as an obfuscating force. There’s validity to that argument, and a spectrum of quality definitely exists. But the fact remains that current offerings on record store shelves pale in comparison to what lies in the can collecting dust and awaiting circulation. As a consequence, recordings can secure near legendary status long in advance of their actual appearance on record store shelves.

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Mat Maneri Quartet featuring Joe McPhee: Sustain

by AAJ Staff
October 10, 2002

In the last couple of years, Mat Maneri has been incredibly prolific. His versatility and range, especially on the viola, have facilitated work within widely different musical contexts. On Sustain he joins a quartet of active NYC musicians, plus special guest Joe McPhee on soprano saxophone. These players have built strong intuitive relationships over time in various collaborations, enabling them to make musical statements in an unforced, natural way. Sustain offers deliberate, open individual and collective improvisation.

The ...

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Joe McPhee: Mr. Peabody Goes to Baltimore

by Michael A. Parker
October 1, 2002

Here we have a CD of live performances from Baltimore’s High Zero Festival of Experimental Improvised Music 2000, centered around one of the most noteworthy participants. I think the word “experimental” really carries some weight here, because although most improvisation is inherently predicated on the pursuit of new musical ideas, even highly celebrated examples of improvisation typically operate within certain established parameters, often set by the personal vocabularies of the musicians. In contrast, High Zero, and more generally the Red ...

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Joe McPhee's Bluette: Let Paul Robeson Sing

by Derek Taylor
August 2, 2002

The themes of cultural and spiritual emancipation as reflected through the African American experience have served as the bread and butter for the music of Joe McPhee’s Bluette since the ensemble’s origins. It seems only natural then that the group would chose to honor a figure who stands as exemplary of these too often curtailed ideals. Paul Robeson’s life story and work are rich in the principles that drive the quartet and his passion and dignity bleed directly into the ...

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Joe McPhee & Joe Giardullo: Specific Gravity

by Derek Taylor
January 1, 2002

Horn duets are often as challenging as solo horn recitals, both to listeners and performers alike. Free from the frameworks of traditional chordal and rhythmic instruments such pairings can also create a rewarding theatre of unrestrained experimentation. The two players who join forces on this disc aren’t your average Joes. Both seem bent from the onset on unlocking this shared state of being.

Cycling through reeds (and in McPhee’s case a spare brass tool) the duo charts a course by ...