Don Cherry Music

Don Cherry was a man of extraordinarily cosmopolitan musical tastes, and better than any other record, "Multikulti" displays this. It may not be his best work, but it is probably his most accessible, and is a highly enjoyable experience.

Moving between different moods, Cherry, backed by several ensembles including such musicians as Nana Vasconcelos, Carlos Ward, Ed Blackwell, Karl Berger and Peter Apfelbaum, the record is a stirring mix of American, European, and African musical traditions, moving seemlessly between forms. Cherry is at his most entertaining on "Multikulti Soothsayer"-- spoken word over doussn'gouni (a bassy, single stringed hunter's bow), pocket trumpet, and synthesizers-- a bizarre story about coming into a shop and meeting a woman of seemingly unlimited potential, and his skills as an instrumental arranger shine on "Birdboy" (a electronics-meets-reggae piece), "Dedication to Thomas Mapfumo (Eastern European-tinged swing with blazing soloing from Ward and Apfelbaum), "Pettiford Bridge" (tuba-driven jazz with phenomenal soloing from Cherry and Ward) and "Until the Rain Comes" (a bizarre pop meets a dozezn world traditions piece with a great vocal from Ingrid Sertso).

All in all, its a great record and there's quite a bit to hear on this. Dig it up, even out of print, its well worth the effort.

This fantastic album by Don Cherry definately rates as one of my all time favourites for its soulful charm and warm atmosphere. There is a strong element of story telling and the listener is take on a journey to the mystical land of musical dreams and traditions. I really can't believe this album is not exremely well know and talked about, thats why I'm raving on!!! I love the variety of styles, flavours, moods and instrumental timbres. A classic Don Cherry.

MULTIKULTI was originally released in the U.S. as the second Don Cherry project for A&M's Modern Masters Jazz Series (A&M CD 5323)in 1990. Unfortunately it quickly went out of print. I gave this one 4 stars because the self-indulgent experiments sometimes get in the way of otherwise beautiful music. The other project, ART DECO (A&M SP and CD 5258), with Charlie Haden, James Clay and Billy Higgins, is a more straight-ahead jazz album, which I'd give 5 stars. It should be reissued as well. What a pity so many great jazz albums go out of print so we have to depend on imports.

After helping Ornette Coleman give birth to Free Jazz, trumpeter Don Cherry became a pivotal composer/theorist and an invigorating, experimental World Music improviser. This joyful encounter, taken from the Days of Jazz Festival in Stuttgart, Germany, finds Cherry and friends weaving a shimmering, polyphonic musical tapestry that includes his originals and Monk's "Bemsha Swing." Features Peter Apfelbaum, Bo Freeman and Joshua Jones.

#1348 (57 min, Hi-Fi Stereo)

Don Cherry was a man of extraordinarily cosmopolitan musical tastes, and better than any other record, "Multikulti" displays this. It may not be his best work, but it is probably his most accessible, and is a highly enjoyable experience.

Moving between different moods, Cherry, backed by several ensembles including such musicians as Nana Vasconcelos, Carlos Ward, Ed Blackwell, Karl Berger and Peter Apfelbaum, the record is a stirring mix of American, European, and African musical traditions, moving seemlessly between forms. Cherry is at his most entertaining on "Multikulti Soothsayer"-- spoken word over doussn'gouni (a bassy, single stringed hunter's bow), pocket trumpet, and synthesizers-- a bizarre story about coming into a shop and meeting a woman of seemingly unlimited potential, and his skills as an instrumental arranger shine on "Birdboy" (a electronics-meets-reggae piece), "Dedication to Thomas Mapfumo (Eastern European-tinged swing with blazing soloing from Ward and Apfelbaum), "Pettiford Bridge" (tuba-driven jazz with phenomenal soloing from Cherry and Ward) and "Until the Rain Comes" (a bizarre pop meets a dozezn world traditions piece with a great vocal from Ingrid Sertso).

All in all, its a great record and there's quite a bit to hear on this. Dig it up, even out of print, its well worth the effort.

This fantastic album by Don Cherry definately rates as one of my all time favourites for its soulful charm and warm atmosphere. There is a strong element of story telling and the listener is take on a journey to the mystical land of musical dreams and traditions. I really can't believe this album is not exremely well know and talked about, thats why I'm raving on!!! I love the variety of styles, flavours, moods and instrumental timbres. A classic Don Cherry.

MULTIKULTI was originally released in the U.S. as the second Don Cherry project for A&M's Modern Masters Jazz Series (A&M CD 5323)in 1990. Unfortunately it quickly went out of print. I gave this one 4 stars because the self-indulgent experiments sometimes get in the way of otherwise beautiful music. The other project, ART DECO (A&M SP and CD 5258), with Charlie Haden, James Clay and Billy Higgins, is a more straight-ahead jazz album, which I'd give 5 stars. It should be reissued as well. What a pity so many great jazz albums go out of print so we have to depend on imports.

After helping Ornette Coleman give birth to Free Jazz, trumpeter Don Cherry became a pivotal composer/theorist and an invigorating, experimental World Music improviser. This joyful encounter, taken from the Days of Jazz Festival in Stuttgart, Germany, finds Cherry and friends weaving a shimmering, polyphonic musical tapestry that includes his originals and Monk's "Bemsha Swing." Features Peter Apfelbaum, Bo Freeman and Joshua Jones.

#1348 (57 min, Hi-Fi Stereo)

Don Cherry was a man of extraordinarily cosmopolitan musical tastes, and better than any other record, "Multikulti" displays this. It may not be his best work, but it is probably his most accessible, and is a highly enjoyable experience.

Moving between different moods, Cherry, backed by several ensembles including such musicians as Nana Vasconcelos, Carlos Ward, Ed Blackwell, Karl Berger and Peter Apfelbaum, the record is a stirring mix of American, European, and African musical traditions, moving seemlessly between forms. Cherry is at his most entertaining on "Multikulti Soothsayer"-- spoken word over doussn'gouni (a bassy, single stringed hunter's bow), pocket trumpet, and synthesizers-- a bizarre story about coming into a shop and meeting a woman of seemingly unlimited potential, and his skills as an instrumental arranger shine on "Birdboy" (a electronics-meets-reggae piece), "Dedication to Thomas Mapfumo (Eastern European-tinged swing with blazing soloing from Ward and Apfelbaum), "Pettiford Bridge" (tuba-driven jazz with phenomenal soloing from Cherry and Ward) and "Until the Rain Comes" (a bizarre pop meets a dozezn world traditions piece with a great vocal from Ingrid Sertso).

All in all, its a great record and there's quite a bit to hear on this. Dig it up, even out of print, its well worth the effort.

This fantastic album by Don Cherry definately rates as one of my all time favourites for its soulful charm and warm atmosphere. There is a strong element of story telling and the listener is take on a journey to the mystical land of musical dreams and traditions. I really can't believe this album is not exremely well know and talked about, thats why I'm raving on!!! I love the variety of styles, flavours, moods and instrumental timbres. A classic Don Cherry.

MULTIKULTI was originally released in the U.S. as the second Don Cherry project for A&M's Modern Masters Jazz Series (A&M CD 5323)in 1990. Unfortunately it quickly went out of print. I gave this one 4 stars because the self-indulgent experiments sometimes get in the way of otherwise beautiful music. The other project, ART DECO (A&M SP and CD 5258), with Charlie Haden, James Clay and Billy Higgins, is a more straight-ahead jazz album, which I'd give 5 stars. It should be reissued as well. What a pity so many great jazz albums go out of print so we have to depend on imports.

ALL RECORDINGS ARE NEW STEREO RECORDINGS (NOT ORIGINAL) EXCEPT
FOR TRACK 11.

1. GO AWAY, LITTLE GIRL - THE HAPPENINGS
2. 26 MILES (SANTA CATALINA) - THE FOUR PREPS
3. EARTH ANGEL - THE CREW CUTS\
4. MEXICO - BOB MOORE
5. RED ROSES FOR A BLUE LADY - VIC DANA
6. PRIMROSE LANE - JERRY WALLACE
7. BAND OF GOLD - DON CHERRRY
8. MY PRAYER - THE PLATTERS
9. HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME - MEL CARTER
10. I BELIEVE - FRANKIE LAINE
11. WITH ALL MY HEART - JODIE SANDS **
12. TIPPY-TOEING - THE HARDEN TRIO
13. TO EACH HIS OWN - THE INK SPOTS
14. NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE (YOUR STOMACH'S IN)
THE T-BONES
15. THOSE WERE THE DAYS - MARY HOPKIN

Or actually three, Mu 1 and 2 (already available on one CD, though) and Reese and the Smooth Ones.

Don't be a sucker, such as I, unless you don't already have Mu, which is a classic (1 anyway). I prefer Art Ensemble after Famadou joined.

One disc,45 min. approximately. Remastered sound. A portion of this music was used for an experimental film in the sixties. Without seeing the film itself,its difficult to determine the music's effectiveness in that context. What we're left with is avant-garde music which sounds very much of it's time and place. New York in the sixties was where a lot of these sounds eminated,and this is no exception. The first track is short(1:05)and serves as an introduction for whats to come. The second track is a bit over twenty minutes,which gives the players time to explore the tension and release,the quiet and harsher passages and the combined sound of their instruments. The final track,also over twenty minutes,is a bit more disjointed sounding(even for this music),with portions holding together over longer stretches of atonal dissonance. All compositions are by Albert Ayler and if you're familiar with his style of writing,these will come as no surprise. A look at the list of players tells a lot about what to expect-everyone is well-known as an "outside" player. However,Ayler doesn't play so much as a soloist,more an ensemble player. As with a lot of this music,repeated listenings are rewarded with an understanding and appreciation of totally "free" music. There is a constant intermingling of instruments as they weave in and out,slow down,and then accelerate through the compositions. If you're appreciation of music runs in this area,this is something you should pick up. Ayler,Cherry,Tchicai,Rudd,Peacock,and the great drummer Sunny Murray have recorded these fine tracks which,at the time,and in the present,should be much more well-known. In this day and age of cookie-cutter,bland music,its nice to see a label like ESP re-release this and other albums in their catalogue,as a presciption for some of what passes for jazz and music in general. This music needs to be heard and paid attention to,if for no other reason than to keep us from sinking under the weight of bland,short attention span listening.

One disc,45 min. approximately. Remastered sound. A portion of this music was used for an experimental film in the sixties. Without seeing the film itself,its difficult to determine the music's effectiveness in that context. What we're left with is avant-garde music which sounds very much of it's time and place. New York in the sixties was where a lot of these sounds eminated,and this is no exception. The first track is short(1:05)and serves as an introduction for whats to come. The second track is a bit over twenty minutes,which gives the players time to explore the tension and release,the quiet and harsher passages and the combined sound of their instruments. The final track,also over twenty minutes,is a bit more disjointed sounding(even for this music),with portions holding together over longer stretches of atonal dissonance. All compositions are by Albert Ayler and if you're familiar with his style of writing,these will come as no surprise. A look at the list of players tells a lot about what to expect-everyone is well-known as an "outside" player. However,Ayler doesn't play so much as a soloist,more an ensemble player. As with a lot of this music,repeated listenings are rewarded with an understanding and appreciation of totally "free" music. There is a constant intermingling of instruments as they weave in and out,slow down,and then accelerate through the compositions. If you're appreciation of music runs in this area,this is something you should pick up. Ayler,Cherry,Tchicai,Rudd,Peacock,and the great drummer Sunny Murray have recorded these fine tracks which,at the time,and in the present,should be much more well-known. In this day and age of cookie-cutter,bland music,its nice to see a label like ESP re-release this and other albums in their catalogue,as a presciption for some of what passes for jazz and music in general. This music needs to be heard and paid attention to,if for no other reason than to keep us from sinking under the weight of bland,short attention span listening.