Free Jazz Music

Bap-tizum is a kaleidoscope of essential energy which paints a vivid picture of how of all of God's creations,man is the only one out of sync with His master plan.These musicians are all multi-talented,playing on average six different instruments....and play them well.This is a must have for lovers of avante garde jazz !

Bap-tizum is a kaleidoscope of essential energy which paints a vivid picture of how of all of God's creations,man is the only one out of sync with His master plan.These musicians are all multi-talented,playing on average six different instruments....and play them well.This is a must have for lovers of avante garde jazz !

With sounds that range from beautiful quiet pieces to over caffeinated all out sax, bass, drums, trumpet terrorism, this album really captures your attention. The African like drum/percussion piece with chanting that begins the set characterizes the eclectecism and creativity found on Bap-Tizum. It starts as a percussion work out and diminishes gradually (after the band briefly goes nuts screaming and jumping around) down to a chanting and "poetry" vocal workout that recalls black african and american musical sources. I'd love to have a video of this performance. After the percussion/vocal part ends, the horns come in with a quiet and beautiful piece that gradually builds in intensity. The band really knows how play with dynamics. There's a great variety of music on this disc: its dense and multifaceted and eclectic: from African percussion, to ensemble pieces to avant garde free jazz to the boppish closing piece Odwalla. You could almost view this set as a kind of musical history lesson. Personally I love the fire this band is capable of conjuring. A very fine set early in their career and one of the best I've heard from Art Ensemble.

I was at this concert and it was the most amazing thing I have ever seen or heard, ever. They opened with a percusion piece that knocked you on your but and it just built from there. By the end of the set you had to just walk away for a bit. It a was at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz festival and at the that festival I also saw incredible performances by Ornette Coleman and blues legend Son House, but neither one compared to the Art Ensemble of Chicago that day.

This live disc captures The Art Ensemble at their best and kudos to Koch for reissuing this lost masterpiece. The music contained herein is not for the faint hearted, it is alternately compelling, spiritual, political, extravagant and mind blowing with each and every track being equally important to the whole concept of the record. Bowie in particuliar stands out on "ohnedaruth" taking turns brutalizing his intstrument and shouting obscenities over the ever building fragments that erupt over and over again culminating with the discs final track, a somewhat laid back rendition of Mitchells "Odwalla". Equally impressive is Don Moyes percussion piece "nfamoudou-boudougou" which opens the set and and sets the stage for the nirvana that is to follow. This is important music and taken in the context of the time it was released the revoultionary aspect cannot be dismissed. This is probably the best live document of free jazz that their is and one of the most important jazz records released in the last 30 years. A must.

A true solo album from Yamamoto,and one for only truly patient and open minded music fans.

This album has Yamamoto playing electric and acoustic guitar,although there is some multitracking,the majority of this sounds improvised.

On other albums I've heard Yamamoto pull off perfect funk licks,beautiful ambient/psychedelic stylings,classical guitar lines,even Hawaiian slack key influences and banjo playing.

But the hallmark of Yamamoto's style is kind of a cartoonish,amatuerish,short attention span.He rarely bothers to play lines perfectly(if he can at all),at times,especially on Baptism,he sounds like a kid whose been playing less than 2 years trying to pull off jazz and improv.

Most of the tracks here are just pure guitar,very little(if any)effects or postproduction sheen.While it does sound very amatuerish at times(real musicians/guitarists could give a better technical review of Yamamoto's talent),it's not without it's moments.

Yamamoto does pull off some pretty melodies while playing around,but again,it would be so much better if he just sat down and wrote out the melodies and structured them into a real song.He's been recording since the mid to late eighties so I KNOW he is capable of putting together acceptable,if simplistic,instrumentals.

Fans of experimental guitar music would do well to preview this cd before buying.

Well, folks considering the recording date of this masterpiece I can really call it the music of the future. Because when I listen to it after all these years it still sounds fresh and sparkling as it did twenty years ago. Short but hot energetic tunes ( Yugo boy, Gossip..), the versatility of melodic and rhytmic stream within the composition( Trials of an honest John) and delicate ascoustic interplays ( Mystery at dawn) never let you get bored. Truly, evergreen music, the best for my soul of a warm-hearted rebel. Highly recommended; pitty that the record is out of stock and ome can only get a used one. Obviously not very popular record among the american audience. Well, here in Europe, we know how to value good music, ha ha ha!

Well, folks considering the recording date of this masterpiece I can really call it the music of the future. Because when I listen to it after all these years it still sounds fresh and sparkling as it did twenty years ago. Short but hot energetic tunes ( Yugo boy, Gossip..), the versatility of melodic and rhytmic stream within the composition( Trials of an honest John) and delicate ascoustic interplays ( Mystery at dawn) never let you get bored. Truly, evergreen music, the best for my soul of a warm-hearted rebel. Highly recommended; pitty that the record is out of stock and ome can only get a used one. Obviously not very popular record among the american audience. Well, here in Europe, we know how to value good music, ha ha ha!

being a psuedo jazz saxophonist myself i found that listening to the various styles and techs. used by the stars on these 5 discs a pleasurable and learning experience. well worth the price of the set. coolpappy 34

The history of the record - Ra recorded it in 1957 for Transition, but they went out of business and it didn't come out until 1968. Transition did release a Ra album in 1956, "Sun Song", before they went under. So Ra had practically no visibility in the consumer market until the late 60's, while making incredible music. He released two albums on his own Saturn label (small-scale)in 1956 and 57, "SuperSonic Jazz" and "Jazz in Silhouette", and later released many sessions from the late 50's on his Saturn label; these are now available on CDs on the Evidence labels. One Saturn that he put out in 1967 (before this material had been issued by anyone) contained 4 of the tracks recorded here ("Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth", Side B of the Saturn LP and tracks 1 - 4 of the must-have Evidence CD).

The session here is a good one though I feel the mastering is not as good as on the louder Evidence releases (the 4 tracks lifted from here sound stronger on "Visits Planet Earth", with all frequencies boosted). Had this been released in 1957, it could have and should have been well acclaimed and might have thrust Ra into the limelight. The tracks are lovely orchestrated big-band jazz.