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William Parker: Universal Tonality
by John Sharpe
Bassist William Parker has originated a personal philosophy which he calls Universal Tonality. He expresses his idea thus: “all sounds, like human beings, come from the same place. They have different bodies and faces, but the soul of each sound comes from the same perfect 'creation.'" The near two-hour double album which bears the same name (also aptly chosen for the title of Cisco Bradley's 2021 Parker biography) represents one of the first occasions on which Parker put his theory ...
read moreFrancisco Mela: Music Frees Our Souls Vol. 2
by John Sharpe
The three protagonists gaze out from the cover, variously smiling, appearing wryly amused, and looking stern. The image suggests a will to tackle things head on, without artifice or adornment. To tell it like it is. And that is the result: a thrilling no-nonsense representation of the combined artistry of drummer Francisco Mela, pianist Cooper-Moore and bassist William Parker. Though billed as Volume 2 of Music Frees Our Souls it isn't more from the same session. In ...
read moreAndrew Cyrille, William Parker, Enrico Rava: 2 Blues for Cecil
by Giuseppe Segala
È già stato detto molto, di questo album. Appuntamento al vertice di tre musicisti, che in momenti diversi hanno incrociato la personalità magmatica di Cecil Taylor e la sua musica. Andrew Cyrille, William Parker ed Enrico Rava, nell'ordine alfabetico in cui sono elencati dal disco, hanno dato vita al trio per la prima volta nel 2016, con un'esibizione al Whitney Museum di New York. Dopo un nuovo incontro in Francia, nel 2020, sono entrati in studio a Parigi ...
read moreWhit Dickey, William Parker, Matthew Shipp: Village Mothership
by Alberto Bazzurro
Inciso nel febbraio 2020 e pubblicato alla fine dell'anno seguente, questo notevole album, frutto di una seduta di libera improvvisazione ma il cui principale responsabile è l'oggi sessantottenne batterista newyorchese Whit Dickey, che nell'ultimo trentennio non ha mancato di fornire ampie testimonianze del suo valore, è di quelli che ci fanno capire quali ragguardevoli risorse e possibilità rigenerative possa ancora vantare una formula che per anzianità di servizio e assiduità di frequentazione potrebbe apparire a occhi distratti persino consunta (come ...
read moreChad Fowler: Alien Skin
by John Sharpe
Although the group responsible for Alien Skin might be a one-off, unlikely to meet again in this exact configuration, it contains sufficient prior connections to vouchsafe cohesion, to go with the undoubted quality. Bassist William Parker furnishes the common denominator, having previously recorded with all of the participants, even relative newcomer, reed player Zoh Amba, while pianist Matthew Shipp's releases with saxophonist Ivo Perelman are legendary and abundant. Label boss reedman Chad Fowler hooks up regularly with drummer Steve Hirsh, ...
read moreWilliam Parker, Gretchen Parlato, Miles Davis and More
by Jerome Wilson
This show, from August 2021, features what was then brand-new music by William Parker, Mark Masters, and Gretchen Parlato as well as older music by Miles Davis, Roberta Piket, and Hal McKusick. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) 00:00 Yes Trio “Tokyo Dream" from Groove Du Jour (Jazz&People) 00:59 Lucas Pino “Frustrations" from That's A Computer (Outside In) 5:51 Host ...
read moreChad Fowler: Alien Skin
by Mike Jurkovic
Just from the paperwork alone, it was duly expected that Alien Skin would be unruly, raw, and cathartic. That is just the nature of the beast. That is just the way the big man planned it. But even with all that said, no one (including the players) saw Alien Skin coming down the runway. A bayou bebop rave-up of the highest order, the album's madcap namesake rips the veil, drops the mic, and makes subversive a badge of ...
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