Home » Jazz Articles » Film Review » Nicole Mitchell: Black Unstoppable

248

Nicole Mitchell: Black Unstoppable

By

View read count
Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble
Black Unstoppable
Delmark
2007

This DVD is representative of lighter, airier aspects of flautist Nicole Mitchell's music, and the seven- piece Black Earth Ensemble puts a whole new spin on the notion through skillful deployment. The music is never forced and always the product of organic growth. Delmark's customary no-frills presentation of a live set ensures that the focus remains on the musicians throughout, and they breathe life into the music in a way that can only come from an ensemble schooled but not drilled in a leader's music.

Caught over two nights in June of 2007 the continuity between one set and the other lends this document a seamless quality. It also affords the viewer and listener the opportunity to appreciate the multiplicity of voices within the group, all of them seemingly intuitively appreciative of the music's history. Thus the swagger in the playing of tenor saxophonist David Boykin is right in the pocket beneath the vocalising of Mitchell, Ugochi Nwaogwugwu and trumpeter David Young on "Love Has No Boundaries" before the latter instrumentalist evokes the spirit of Cootie Williams while hinting broadly at the best and most raucous of times.

"The Creator Has Other Plans For Me" at times comes on like a soulful, less cerebral version of the Jimmy Giuffre trio with Jim Hall, but here the music is grounded in entirely different soil, with Mitchell herself pleasingly showing no overt, dominant stylistic allegiance despite the passing references to Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

"Black Unstoppable," the title piece, is indicative of the range of Mitchell's music, characterized by low volume yet containing overtly active passages idiomatically reminiscent of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, while guitarist Jeff Parker's string manipulations call Fred Frith to mind. It all makes for the most intriguing piece here, not least because it suggests whole worlds of musical possibility.

At a push, however, it might be the attempts of Albert Ayler in his later years to produce a more inclusive music that are the most pertinent point of reference. On this occasion the ideal is closer to realization, and the set-closing "Thanking The Universe" is ample evidence. Boykin's blend of the cerebral and the gutbucket encapsulates the quest, and the impassioned vocalizing of Mitchell and Nwaogwugwu gives the whole a positive spin.


Tracks: The Creator Has Other Plans For Me; Life Wants You To Love; Cause And Effect; Love has No Boundaries; Black Unstoppable; February; Thanking The Universe.

Personnel: Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, percussion, vocal; David Boykin: tenor sax, percussion; David Young: trumpet, flugelhorn, vocal; Jeff Parker: guitar; Tomeka Reid: cello; shakere; Josh Abrams: bass; Marcus Evans: drums. Ugochi Nwaogwugwu: vocals (2, 4 and 7)

Production Notes: 167 minutes. Recorded: June 8 & 9 2007 at the Velvet Lounge, Chicago. Extras: Nicole Mitchell Commentary (82 minutes); Fred Anderson DVD Trailer (3 minutes)

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



Nicole Mitchell Concerts

Oct 17 Fri
Oct 18 Sat

Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Jazz article: Sunday Best: A Netflix Documentary
Jazz article: The Session Man: Nicky Hopkins
Jazz article: Marley: Collector's Edition (2DVD)
Jazz article: Bob Dylan: A Complete Unknown

Popular

Read Take Five with Pianist Irving Flores
Read Jazz em Agosto 2025
Read Bob Schlesinger at Dazzle
Read SFJAZZ Spring Concerts
Read Sunday Best: A Netflix Documentary
Read Vivian Buczek at Ladies' Jazz Festival

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.