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The Jazz Doctors: Intensive Care / Prescriptions Filled
by Chris May
Beyond its initiates, the so-called New Thing which emerged in mainly, but not exclusively, Black US jazz in the 1960s/70s, was perceived so amorphously that prairie-wide distinctions between its practitioners went unregarded. Among the general jazz audience, the musicians were lumped together as a horde of crazed zombies who lacked all technique, and who had replaced creativity with noise and anger, and beauty with ugliness. Tenor saxophonists were particularly prone to such dismissal and, given the number ...
Continue ReadingVincent Chancey Trio: The Spell
by John Sharpe
It's not everyone who gets to be name-checked in the title of an album by Sun Ra, but Chicago-native Vincent Chancey inhabits a select club thanks to Taking A Chance On Chances (Saturn, 1977), (mis-)named after an improvised duet between his French horn and Ra's piano. As well as the Arkestra, Chancey's French horn has also featured in the bands of Carla Bley, Lester Bowie, David Murray and Dave Douglas among over 300 sideman dates. But in spite of such ...
Continue ReadingWilber Morris & Reggie Nicholson: Drum String Thing
by Derek Taylor
Strings and skins are a combination that forms the crux of countless rhythm sections. Morris and Nicholson have been filling such a role together for years, most notably of late in the trio they share with German reedman Thomas Borgmann. This setting is different, divorced of a firmly designated melodic voice, but the music these two forge together is no less challenging or immersive. Morris’ commonly covers the pair’s melodic bases whether via voice or bass, but Nicholson’s supply of ...
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