Jazz Articles about Joe McPhee

Joe McPhee: Tenor & Fallen Angels

by Glenn Astarita
May 1, 2000

Inspired by Anthony Braxton’s solo alto saxophone performance on the 1971 release, For Alto, Joe McPhee set his sights on a similar project which was recorded at a Swiss farmhouse on September 1st and 2nd, 1976 and was subsequently released on LP for Hat Hut records. Considered a mini-classic, “hatOLOGY” records has now reissued this sparkling gem on CD which includes a previously unreleased track titled, Fallen Angels culled from a 1977 Paris, France performance.

Here, McPhee’s performances parallel that, ...

Joe McPhee: Nation Time

by Derek Taylor
May 1, 2000

Joe McPhee fans tend to be a loyal and devoted bunch. But one of the most frustrating things about digging McPhee’s music is the fact that much of it, especially the early stuff is out of print. His early albums have for far too long languished only in the hands of collectors and on the shelves of libraries and fortunate radio stations. John Corbett’s Unheard imprint is about to change all that with ambitious plans to return four of the ...

McPhee/Whitecage/Smoker/Prentice/Kowald/Duval/Rosen: CIMPhonia, Parts 1 & 2

by Derek Taylor
April 1, 2000

These discs are the musical equivalent of a snowball effect, where a germinal idea gains momentum and breadth to blossom into an unanticipated climactic event. Originally planned as a trio date for Whitecage, Kowald and Duval, under the expert production hand of Bob Rusch the core group quickly gained girth both in terms of attendant players and creative inspiration. What happens over the course of the two plus hours of music contained here is the most sublime form of musical ...

Joe McPhee's Bluette: In the Spirit

by Derek Taylor
April 1, 2000

Jazz and Blues are recognized widely as uniquely American art forms. At the root of both genres resides the African American spiritual song-form. Spirituals predate both Blues and Jazz and continue to be a life-sustaining force for both musical traditions. McPhee and his partners in Bluette fathom the primacy of this bloodline and use this date as a celebratory tribute to these sources. In addition to the handful of spirituals in the program the quartet also touches upon the work ...

Joe McPhee & Dominic Duval: The Dream Book

by Derek Taylor
November 1, 1999

Unlike Ellington celebrations, tributes to Ornette Coleman are a relative rarity. The disparity is interesting considering that many in creative improvised music circles regard Coleman’s radical innovations as of parallel importance to those of the Duke. McPhee and Duval go a long way towards rectifying this gap on this disc. Recorded live at the Knitting Factory during a series of concerts McPhee was commissioned to perform, each of the pieces in this concert is dedicated to individual members of Coleman’s ...

Joe McPhee/Dominic Duval/ Jay Rosen: Trio X: Rapture

by Derek Taylor
November 1, 1999

Back in the early days of free jazz improvisation many musicians who chose to play multiple instruments were singled out as scapegoats by critics interested in discrediting the music. The logic (or illogic) behind these naysayers’ arguments posited that a division of energy and focus between instruments would necessarily result in decreased proficiency. Many of the music’s detractors claimed that the new sounds being explored by these musicians were the direct result of such assumed deficiency. Legends like Roland Kirk ...

Joe McPhee/Dominic Duval/Jay Rosen: Trio X: The Watermelon Suite

by Derek Taylor
November 1, 1999

This magnificent session is perhaps most unusual for McPhee’s decision to stick to only one the reeds in his bulging bag of instruments throughout its entire duration. Though he limits solely to soprano his creative muse isn’t compromised in the least thanks both to his own inventive genius and that of his able associates. “Points” is a little jumbled and sounds like the players are getting their bearings for the anatomical suite to follow on which Rosen sits out as ...