Roscoe Mitchell Music

If your expecting "Sound" or an Art Ensemble release forget it, this recording features Mitchell in a much more laid back mood than many of his releases and as such is much more excessible than say "Sound" or the AEC's "Bap-tizum which is a testament to Mitchell's ever changing persona and song writing skills. Mitchell is one of jazz's premere composers and this release alternating between laid back ethereal and non-compromising improvisation is a must have.

This CD contains a rich alternative to the normal everyday boring stuff. It's definitely worth a listen.

Roscoe Mitchell, like Anthony Braxton, long ago obliterated the boundary between "jazz" and "classical" music. Since his first record, SOUND, Mitchell has been developing his innovative and personal sound world. On this new one with the Note Factory nonet, the journey continues, a worthy successor to the astounding NINE TO GET READY on ECM in '99 (see my review). Spencer Barefield on guitar and Jaribu Shahid on bass are still on board from the Sound Ensemble of the 70s and 80s, and Gerald Cleaver is also back from the '99 record on percussion, as is Craig Taborn on piano, while other players are new. The band is 2 drums, 2 bass, 2 pianos, sax, trumpet and guitar.

As on some earlier records of Roscoe's, formal compositions alternate with free improvisations -- "Sagitta," "When the Whistle Blows" and "The Inside of a Star" are the improvised pieces. The diverse compositions are what make this a brilliant record. "Song for My Sister" is the most conventional jazz piece, with a lovely melody. "The Megaplexian" utilizes a percussion instrument designed by Mitchell, along with piano. "this," "Step One, Two, Three" and "Wind Change" are the highlights of the album, and would fit seamlessly with a program of contemporary classical or "new music." Of course, the record ends with Roscoe's traditional funky number -- remember "Big Red Peaches" from NINE TO GET READY, or the AEC's "Odwalla Theme"?

This record reminds me of the Muhal Richard Abrams great record THINGS TO COME FROM THOSE NOW GONE in its diversity and clarity. One of the best of 2002, without a doubt.

On this album Roscoe is going for it. He has his own
voice that is so strong , that it lingers throughout
the whole group. The trumpeter on the album has some
exceptionally strong chops as well!

Scott. Don't blame yourself. This type of stuff is hard to listen to on record.

I guarantee you though if you've ever seen the Art Ensemble live you'd be a fan. Fabulous show every time.

Get five friends. Rent a studio for an hour or so. Throw a bunch of musical instruments into the studio. Fisher-Price toy instruments, different kinds of drums, and every wind or reed instrument known to man are good choices. Start the tape machine. You and your friends begin to walk around the studio. Pick up and randomly throw, bang, or blow into whatever instrument you happen to be near. It is okay to bang non-percussion instruments and to blow into non-wind instruments. It is also acceptable to step on instruments. When you run out of tape, press into a CD. It will sound like crap, but tell everyone you play it for that it is avant-garde jazz a la Roscoe Mitchell. Wait for the money to roll in.

Seriously, this album sounds like that is how it was made. I'm impressed that they were able to keep it up as long as they did. I'm even more impressed it made it into a number of jazz music collection lists. I'm disappointed I bought it, because, I'm not into avant-garde, and I don't get this type of "music". If you are not SERIOUSLY into avant-garde, this is not for you. The minimum requirement is to "really dig" Eric Dolphy, because this is a lot farther out that that. If you're filling out your music collection (as I was) or you are an avant-garde fanatic, go for it. Otherwise, spend your $12 somewhere else.

This lp released in 1966 is a monumental effort. Not only is it the first recorded music to emerge from the groundbreaking AACM it changed the face of free jazz and sent it into new and unexplored territory that would be further expanded on by The Art Ensemble of Chicago and Anthony Braxton among others. At any rate "Sound" is essentially an Art Ensemble....recording minus Joseph Jarman. The cd issue contains alternate cuts of "Ornette" and the two versions of "Sound" are seperated. On "Ornette" Mitchell pays homage to the master; high energy Ornette inspired tonal jazz, music that bombards from all sides. On "Sound" the breakthrough on this album the musicans alternate soloing interspaced with periods of silence. At times the intruments wail over crashing cymbals and other times they cry as if in agony. A very moving experience indeed. The piece is not without structure though, there is a method to Mitchells madness. The "Little Suite" employs the various little instruments that later became a signature for the Art Ensemble of Chicago. All in all this is a landmark recording and deserves to be on the same shelf as Colemans "Free Jazz" and Coltranes "Acension". Mitchell has never ceased to amaze both as a muscian but more importantly as a composer and this is an important record that both documents the beginning of Mitchells career as well as The Art Ensemble of Chicago.

Yes, this is a historic recording--the first AACM recording, but more importantly, Mitchell's record is an amazing set of music by some very original and creative musicians.

There are two versions of "Ornette", an aptly named short piece that does indeed owe more than a little to Ornette Coleman. However, the focus here is on the highly original title track. As others have noted, on this cd issue we are treated to the two full versions of this track. Although the title is "Sound", silence is equally important here, as the musicians examine the notes and the spaces between them. The ensemble playing shows some traces of free jazz, some traces of third stream, but ultimately is a highly original work that continues to fascinate four decades later.

For any lover of creative jazz players of this era, this album is no less than essential.

After the manic energy of Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler, and the late Coltrane, SOUND introduced an entirely different approach to the developing free jazz avant-garde -- the deliberate use of space and the elimination of the pulse. Of course, this was not accepted within the parameters of "jazz" by many, but it shared that fate with all of the above-mentioned innovators. Though I know Mitchell has denied the connection, his sound innovations created common ground with the European avant-garde in the form of improvising groups like AMM and the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (which included Evan Parker), as well as the experimentalists of the classical tradition.

This recording of Roscoe Mitchell's compositions was the first recording by the new AACM, Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, which at first centered around pianist and composer Muhal Richard Abrams. Robert Koester's Delmark label was important in documenting the AACM in those early years, recording Abrams, Anthony Braxton, and others. This delmark CD reissue, from 1996, the 30th year anniversary of the original recording, is a remarkable expansion of the original vinyl edition. First, an alternate recording of "Ornette" is added. Second, the original "Sound," as it turns out, was a splice from two recordings -- here we are presented with both versions in their entirety, one 26'26, and the other 19'20. "Ornette" is the most conventional of the three compositions, and serves as a gateway into the realm of pure sound abstraction of the title track. "The Litte Suite," which introduced what became a core element of the Art Ensemble's repertoire in later years, a bewildering battery of little percussion instruments, whistles, harmonicas, and so forth, brings a humorous note, which would also become so key to the AEC sound palette.

SOUND is attributed to the Roscoe Mitchell Sextet, but it already features Malachi Favors on bass and Lester Bowie on trumpet. Joseph Jarman would soon join Mitchell, Favors & Bowie in what was originally called Roscoe Mitchell's Art Ensemble. They left for Paris in 1969, where Don Moye joined, and "Chicago" was added, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago was born.

SOUND may not be as well-known as Ornette's THE SHAPE OF JAZZ TO COME, or Coltrane's A LOVE SUPREME. It may be only slightly more obscure than Cecil's UNIT STRUCTURES, come to think of it. But the point is, it should be more widely known -- it's not easy listening music, it is a voyage into the unknown. It represents the creative spirit of music at its best.

See my AACM -- THE CHICAGO AVANT-GARDE list for more recordings and reviews.

Listened to this in my car on the way to work this morning and was blown away by the intesity and passion of all of the players on this record. Jodie Christian's piano work is simply breath-taking. THe entire Flow of things piece is basically one continuous line without pause for breath. Incredible Stuff.