Don Cherry Music

Like the previous afficionado I was intrigued by this release and couldn't tell what it was "from the outside" of the packaging. I brought a 180 Gram vinal copy. Good news: it IS rare (and may not stay around too long), there are moments of startling trumpet playing, the percussionist IS neat and the sound is pretty good. Not as good: I am not a fan of Don's piano playing (he is pretty plain and elemental to my ears)and the limitations show up in the Dollar Brand (now Abdullah) compositions if you (as I am) are an Ibrahim fan. All in all, the extraordinary moments (especially trumper interludes) make this worthwhile especially if you are a Cherry fan. I would recommend the Old and New Dreams and Codona work before this but is is a NEAT release!

In my never-ending quest for the recordings of Don Cherry (why are so many recordings of such an influential master still out of print and so hard to find?) I came across this cd as well as the one with the ant on the egg yolk on the cover (orient) in a big record store in a large city on the east coast. "Never seen this before! Wonder what's up with it?" I say to myself as I scour the front and back covers for clues as to what to expect before forking over almost 20 bucks for it. Well, other than the fact that they both seem to be brand new italian reissues of albums from somewhere sometime in the 70's, i'm pretty well stumped by these ones. Then I realize that they are packaged just like a gatefold LP and there will probabbly be more info on the inside. OK, i'm really trying to resist opening it in the store right now, but, if you're reading this, you know what the quest for more D.C. can do to you, so, I just say to hell with security camereas and open it up right there in the store. And the liner notes are in Japanese! [DARNIT]!!" Ok now I know where it originally comes from, but (because of it being Japanese) it could still be anything, so I casually slide it back onto the rack and decide to spend my money on "El Corazon" a much "safer" bet.
Weeks later Xmas time rolls around and I find myself recieving this album as a present. Of course I'm exited, but still a little apprehensive about it. Now all I can say is it is a great album! Turns out to be a live recording from France in 71' I think. Featuring S. African Bassist Johnny Dyani and Turkish percussionist Okay Temiz, this is extremley sparse and diverse music. You cannot tell from what country this music is from because it is truly international. Each player is representing his country of orgin, and then going other places, (like India) which makes for a very interesting listen! If you like "MU" but need more, you should get these albums! Cherry is mostly playing piano and singing on this one, but he makes sure to rip you a new one with some serious trumpet/drumset firespitting, as well as playing some really beautiful Native American flute at the beginning. What's also cool is he does a good bit of talking between the songs about the music, musicians, and stage setting, made by his wife Moki. Mr. Dyanni is a good sonic addition to the Mu-style duo lineup, but there are many times when I wish he would just lay down some really solid and funky riffs to support the other guys, instead of opting for over the top Arco freakouts. For me, the real shining star of this album, however, is Okay Temiz. He blends Blackwell/Max Roach style drumset with turkish doumbek/darabuka playing and throws in the ambient bells and "color instruments" in a way that is very tasteful and enjoyable. I'm definitley keeping my eyes out for more of his work in the future. After checking out his website, I suspect that he is a percussionist on a level with Brasilianos like Airto, Nana, and Cyro Baptista, but with a unique point of view, being from Turkey and very versed in the music of his native land. Very good music indeed!

Don Cherry - one of the most unique and revolutionary of jazz musicians - lets it all hang loose as the crescendos pour forth from his amped-up pocket trumpet on this Zen inspired masterpiece from the late 1970's, his "Old and New Dreams" period. A classic with substance which, happily available again after nearly two decades on this UK reissue, ought not get lost in the shuffle of far less profound releases.

This is one of my favorite records. Lovably cheezy, great immersive listening. The Ornette-style blowing by Cherry, Billy Higgins and Charlie Haden takes an interesting, non-Western turn.

Don Cherry - one of the most unique and revolutionary of jazz musicians - lets it all hang loose as the crescendos pour forth from his amped-up pocket trumpet on this Zen inspired masterpiece from the late 1970's, his "Old and New Dreams" period. A classic with substance which, happily available again after nearly two decades on this UK reissue, ought not get lost in the shuffle of far less profound releases.

This is one of my favorite records. Lovably cheezy, great immersive listening. The Ornette-style blowing by Cherry, Billy Higgins and Charlie Haden takes an interesting, non-Western turn.

This is an exemplary issue, part one of the two part complete Victor recordings of Lucrezia Bori from Romophone. Sadly this issue is now out of print, but it's a standout, and anyone who likes Bori should find a way to acquire it through Amazon's used listings.

The set includes 46 chronological recordings spanning the years 1914 through 1925, the last four sport Victor's electric designation, and must be among the earliest electric recordings. There are eleven from 1914 and six more from 1915; following an extended hiatus while Bori recovered from a serious vocal condition the recordings begin again in 1921. In the following years Bori would return regularly to the studios, making on average half-a-dozen new recordings each year.

Bori was one of the finest lyric sopranos of her time, and excelled in the lighter soprano roles. Reading through the three volumes of Opera on Record (a must purchase for those of you interested in opera!) you can find a remarkable unanimity of high praise for Bori from a wide range of critics. Her musicality and intelligence, coupled with extraordinary dramatic gifts, make her one of the finest lyrics of the century. The only drawback was her voice simply didn't record well. Marston gives us as good a dubbing of her singing as we can hope to hear through CDs.

Bori's singing doesn't hit you over the head with a hammer; be prepared to relisten to her to fully gauge her gifts. Victor recorded her in many songs as well as opera arias, these generally are of a much higher standard than the norm. Although Bori is by no means a coloratura she essays a fair share of runs up the stave; I prefer her in roles where her acting, rather than any pyrotechnical gifts, plays the greater role in her singing. Of special note: Her Verismo singing does not receive the credit it deserves -although Bori, among the most patrician of singers, is not given to exaggeration or vulgar diplay, she seems right at home in the works of Mascagni. Indeed, her singing from L'Amico Fritz is wonderful, as is her brave go at the spine-curdling demands of Iris.

The adulatory notes, by William Ashbrook, convey the effect Bori had on her audiences, while helping the listener imagine through the recordings the distinctive achievment of Bori's art. Incidentally, there are surprisingly full notes for the second Romophone Bori set by John Steane.

See my review of CODONA 3 to get a feel for the Codono projects. It's marvelous, multiethnic music, ethereal and lovely. CODONA 3 is my favourite, tho', along with Walcott's GRAZING DREAMS, which Cherry is also on (tho' not Vasconcelos). Stevie Wonder fans might be curious to note that this disc includes "Colemanwonder," a medley that somehow fuses an Ornette Coleman tune to a Stevie Wonder one. Non-Stevie Wonder fans can rest assured that, if you don't already know the tune, you won't even notice it. I didn't. Still don't. Nice music to fall asleep to, too.