World Saxophone Quartet — The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint and Soul Note (2012) RM | 6CD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Probably the first of several saxophone-only ensembles that proliferated in jazz after 1975, the WSQ was unquestionably the most commercially (and, arguably, the most creatively) successful. Of course, commercial success is a relative thing in jazz, especially when one is speaking of an avant-garde group. But unlike most free jazz artists, the WSQ managed to attract an audience of significant size, large enough to have garnered a major-label record deal in the '80s, an almost unheard-of occurrence in that retro-jazz decade. The band did it on merit, too, with only a hint of compromise (manifested mainly by albums of R&B and Duke Ellington covers). By the time their first record on Elektra/Musician came out in 1986, the band had evolved from its fire-breathing, free-improvising, ad-hoc beginnings into a smooth-playing, compositionally minded, well-rehearsed band. At its creative peak, the group melded jazz-based, harmonically adventurous improvisation with sophisticated composition. All of the group's original members (Julius Hemphill, alto; Oliver Lake, alto; David Murray, tenor; and Hamiet Bluiett, baritone) were estimable composers as well as improvisers. Each complemented the whole, making them even greater than the considerable sum of their parts. As a composer, Hemphill drew on European techniques (though his tunes were not without an unalloyed jazz component), while Bluiett was steeped in blues and funk. Lake and Murray fell somewhere in between. As soloists and writers, the early WSQ covered all the bases. Chris Kelsey
Tracklist :
World Saxophone Quartet - Steppin' With The World Saxophone Quartet
World Saxophone Quartet - W.S.Q.
World Saxophone Quartet - Revue
World Saxophone Quartet - Live In Zurich
World Saxophone Quartet - Live At Brooklyn Academy Of Music
World Saxophone Quartet - Moving Right Along
All Credits :

MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS ft. AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS – Duet (1981-1993) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Muhal Richard Abrams recorded several memorable and successful duet sessions during the 1970s and '80s. Few covered more territory or were as invigorating as the album with Amina Claudine Myers, a capable player on either organ or piano. Myers discarded the organ for this date, as both she and Abrams used Yamaha C3D pianos. While Myers displayed her gospel and blues influences, Abrams' muscular riffs and solos resulted in exciting dialogues and marvelous complementary, contrasting and dueling passages. This was an intense, yet also swinging, enjoyable session, one in which Abrams displayed the mastery of multiple genres that's distinguished his music, and Myers her distinctive mix of secular and spiritual elements. Ron Wynn
Tracklist & Credits :

ANTHONY BRAXTON - The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note (2011) RM | 8CD BOX SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Cam Jazz's Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note series rolls on with this set by Anthony Braxton, who cut eight full-lengths for then owner Giovanni Bondarini. The first of these is an excellent studio duet with Max Roach, entitled Rebirth, recorded in 1978; the final album in this box is a curiosity piece composed for a multimedia performance entitled Braxton: Compostion No. 173, recorded in 1996. While the bookends are compelling for Braxton's devotees, the real attraction to this budget-priced box lies in his quartet recordings. There are two with Marilyn Crispell, Gerry Hemingway, and Mark Dresser: Four Compositions (Quartet) 1983 and Six Compositions (Quartet) 1984. On Five Compositions (Quartet) 1986, David Rosenboom replaced Crispell. Six Monk Compositions 1987 is an entirely new band with Mal Waldron, bassist Buell Neidlinger, and drummer Bill Osborne holding the greatest appeal. The other two recordings are Ensemble Compositions 1992 (with Guy Klucevsek, Don Byron, and Marty Ehrlich as part of a larger group), and Eugene 1989 (where Braxton conducted the Northwest Creative Orchestra). It's easy to claim that anyone who would buy an Anthony Braxton box is a hardcore fan anyway, but in his case there are levels of that distinction. That said, this set is almost worth the purchase price just to have remastered versions of the two albums with the Crispell/Hemingway/Dresser group; these are standouts even in Braxton's vast catalog.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
CD1    Birth And Rebirth
CD2    Four Compositions (Quartet) 1983
CD3    Six Compositions (Quartet) 1984
CD4    Five Compositions (Quartet) 1986
CD5    Six Monk's Compositions (1987)
CD6    4 (Ensemble) Compositions 1992
CD7    Eugene (1989)
CD8    Composition No- 173 For 4 Actors, 14 Instrumentalists Constructed Environment And Video Projections    
All Tracks & Credits

MAX ROACH ft. ANTHONY BRAXTON - Birth & Rebirth (1978) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The first of drummer Max Roach's two duet sets with multireedist Anthony Braxton consists of seven fairly free improvisations that they created in the studio. Each of the selections (particularly "Birth" which builds gradually in intensity to a ferocious level, the waltz time of "Magic and Music," the atmospheric "Tropical Forest" and "Softshoe") have their own plot and purpose. Braxton (who performs on alto, soprano, sopranino and clarinet) and Roach continually inspire each other, which is probably why they would record a second set the following year. Stimulating avant-garde music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Birth    9:40
2    Magic And Music    6:36
3    Tropical Forest    5:05
4    Dance Griot    5:06
5    Spirit Possession    6:44
6    Soft Shoe    2:57
7    Rebirth    7:16
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Clarinet – Anthony Braxton
Composed By – Anthony Braxton, Max Roach
Drums – Max Roach

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Four Compositions (Quartet) 1983 (1983) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Before getting to the music of this Anthony Braxton recording, the listener is confronted with a highly calculated methodology. The album bears the stark title Four Compositions (Quartet) 1983, and each song (itself merely a cataloged number) is accompanied by its own highly cryptic diagram. This sets up a struggle, whereby musical/emotional ends must be achieved through Braxton's analytical compositional means. For this 1983 session, Braxton selected materials from his collection of notebooks to provide the focus for quartet improvisations. The resulting performances lack a sense of continuity. Composed themes are tight, awkward structures delivered by the hornmen with mechanical precision. The improvised sections that follow bear little resemblance (in structure or mood) to any point of origin, rendering irrelevant the themes themselves. What saves Four Compositions is that the musicians are willing to see the composer's ideas through, employing every facility. Braxton gives everyone a great deal of freedom and space. John Lindberg lays down a wonderful bass solo on "Composition No. 69 M," speaking in tongues with clustered, rumbling notes. Elsewhere he adds undercurrents of throbbing, bowed tones. George Lewis has an equally strong grasp of the trombone's possibilities. On the vibrant theme to "No. 69 M," he holds the rhythmic pulses from which Braxton springs forth. Elsewhere, he disguises the horn's recognizable characteristics, opting for sheer sound. Avoiding scattered flurries of free rhythm, Gerry Hemingway dictates with spacious, careful percussion. On "Composition No. 69 Q," he even hints at a stiff, snare-led swing. Among these musicians, Braxton is an equal, stretching from vivid, Middle Eastern-flavored clarinet lines on "No. 69 M" to grittier tenor on "No. 69 Q." According to Braxton, the goal of Four Compositions was to select materials that would comprise a "creative and diversified" album. Yet while the musicians do seem largely free and highly expressive, the Four Compositions themselves feel unbalanced and oddly subdued. Maybe the composer's forethought established too much structure. It seems like there is always a set of imposed elements holding them back. Nathan Bush  
Tracklist :
1    Composition No. 105 A    19:58
2    Composition No. 69 M    7:14
3    Composition No. 69 O    8:45
4    Composition No. 69 Q    5:29
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Liner Notes – Anthony Braxton
Bass – John Lindberg
Percussion – Gerry Hemingway
Trombone – George Lewis

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Six Monk's Compositions (1987) (1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The band Anthony Braxton assembled for this unique exploration of the compositions of Thelonious Monk is one of the wonders of the composer's retinue. Braxton, pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Buell Neidlinger, and drummer Bill Osborne use six Monk tunes and go hunting for harmonic invention; in order, they are "Brilliant Corners," "Reflections," "Played Twice," "Four in One," "Ask Me Now," and "Skippy." From the jump, the listener can tell this is no ordinary Monk tribute. The music is fast, skittering along at a dervish's pace on "Brilliant Corners," and Braxton's horn -- an alto on this album -- moves right for that street where interval meets modulation and sticks his solo in the center, careening over the arrangement -- which is what the tune is in essence, an arrangement rather than a "song" -- and slipping just behind the beat to allow Waldron's brittle, almost angular percussive sonority to define the melody enough to move around the harmonic framework. And this is only the beginning. The other five compositions here are treated in a similar fashion, in that they are radically reinterpreted, played and executed with a degree of musicianship seldom found on any tribute. Braxton's intent was to get at the knotty -- even nutty -- harmonic and rhythmic idiosyncrasies that make Monk's music connect so deeply and widely yet remain difficult to interpret correctly. If all you get is a listen to "Four in One" or "Skippy," just listen to how completely each of these musicians reinvents himself to approach the material. On alternating tunes, Braxton and Waldron provide the catalyst, but all four become changelings in light of this intense and addictive harmonic conception.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    Composition No. 131    7:09
2    Composition No. 88 (+108C)    5:56
3    Composition No. 124 (+108D+96)    9:07
4    Composition No. 122 (+108+96)    9:33
5    Composition No. 101 (+31+86+30)    11:31
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
Bass – Buell Neidlinger
Composed By – Thelonious Monk
Drums – Bill Osborne
Piano – Mal Waldron

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Five Compositions (Quartet) 1986 (1986) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Anthony Braxton has spent his career plying a mostly inspired blend of complex compositions and free group improvisation, reserving choice spots in his works for the parade of talented jazz musicians he's employed. In the '70s, lean years for the avant-garde jazz set, his forbidding form of music forced him to make the occasional buck hustling chess games in New York's Washington Square Park. Fortunately, those days were short lived. Now Braxton is utilizing his considerable talents in the Wesleyan University music department as a professor. By the time of this mid-'80s quartet date, Braxton was just starting to get better compensated for his music and was also formalizing his heady compositional formula; this advance was helped along considerably by his stellar quartet, including pianist Marilyn Crispell, percussionist Gerry Hemingway, and bassist Mark Dresser. Five Compositions features this group minus Crispell (ably replaced by David Rosenboom). Things kick off with the relatively straightforward, Braxtonized bebop number "Composition No. 131," featuring a complex head statement followed by some swinging passages, albeit with plenty of gritty horn work by the leader. Some deliberate and mercurial chamber jazz follows on "Composition No. 88" and the livelier "Compostion No. 122," spotlighting Hemingway's incredibly intuitive and sophisticated drum work. Braxton loosens up a bit on the more free-form "Composition No. 124" and "Composition N. 101"; these last two feature Braxton's engaging soprano work and a distortion-riddled, bowed bass solo by Dresser. Knotty music to be sure, but some of Braxton's most rewarding. Stephen Cook 
Tracklist :
1    Composition No. 131    7:09
2    Composition No. 88 (+108C)    5:56
3    Composition No. 124 (+108D+96)    9:07
4    Composition No. 122 (+108+96)    9:33
5    Composition No. 101 (+31+86+30)    11:31
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Saxophone [C Melody Saxophone], Clarinet, Flute, Composed By – Anthony Braxton
Bass – Mark Dresser
Drums – Gerry Hemingway
Piano – David Rosenboom

ANTHONY BRAXTON WITH THE NORTHWEST CREATIVE ORCHESTRA - Eugene (1989) (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The innovative alto-saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton leads the Northwest Creative Orchestra (a 16-piece big band) through eight of his compositions on this CD. Few of the sidemen have yet gained more than a local reputation (trumpeter Rob Blakeslee is the biggest "name"), but they perform the complex music quite well, although it would have been nice if the liner notes had identified the soloists and listed what reeds the saxophonists play. A stimulating set of avant-garde music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Composition No. 112    10:02
2    Composition No. 91    9:53
3    Composition No. 134    10:49
4    Composition No. 100    8:48
5    Composition No. 93    8:26
6    Composition No. 45    12:55
7    Composition No. 71    10:32
8    Composition No. 59    8:01
Credits :
Bass – Forrest Moyer
Composed By, Conductor, Alto Saxophone, Producer – Anthony Braxton
Guitar – Joe Robinson
Percussion – Tom Kelly
Percussion, Vibraphone [Vibes] – Charles Dowd
Reeds – Carl Woideck, Mike Curtis, Thom Bergeron
Reeds, Piano – Mike Vannice
Synthesizer – Todd Barton
Trombone – Mike Heffley, Tom Hill
Trumpet – Ernie Carbajal, John Jensen, Rob Blakeslee

ANTHONY BRAXTON - 4 (Ensemble) Compositions 1992 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Composition No. 100    15:41
2    Composition No. 96    10:16
3    Composition No. 164    23:09
4    Composition No. 163    24:09
Credits :
Accordion – Ted Reichman
Accordion, Other [Bodysounds] – Guy Klucevek
Artwork [Cover Art] – Niridan
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Randy McKean
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – Don Byron
Conductor, Composed By [All Compositions By] – Anthony Braxton
Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Piccolo Flute – Marty Ehrlich
Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Alto Clarinet, Flute [Bamboo] – J.D. Parran
Harp [Uncredited] – Anne LeBaron
Marimba, Vibraphone – Jay Hoggard
Organ, Voice – Amina Claudine Myers
Percussion – Warren Smith
Steel Drums – Lynden Achee
Trombone – John Rapson, Roland Dahinden
Trumpet – Robert Rumboltz

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Composition No. 173 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This musically and textually complex composition examines movement-strategies that occur in normal life in various spaces (a living room, an airport, a theater space, an open outdoor area "I hear an influence coming on from the CKA AREAS," dream spaces, etc.); the actors describe in subtle detail several "movement-execution strategies." Body areas are examined as analogs for the occurrence of sound, the imagery of a "body-examination logic." As one actor describes the purpose of the text "... all I need are allies who are willing to risk a moment to change fundamental established 'positions, ' really Arnold, it's time for a change." The music is exciting and contrapuntally dense, and at other times mysteriously sustained. Maps of geography (sounds moving about the real and imaginary and video "virtual" lands) and musical graph strategies are treated as analogs. A thoughtful and innovative "multimedia" work. "Blue" Gene Tyranny
Composition No- 173    
1    Opening Music - Introduction    15:39
2    Scene One - Interlude Duo    16:16
3    Scene Two (A) - Interlude Ensemble    14:22
4    Scene Two (B)    5:12
5    Closing Music    7:26
Credits :
Artwork [Cover] – Maria Bonandrini
Bass – Dirck Westervelt, Joe Fonda
Bass Clarinet – Brandon Evans
Bassoon – Bo Bell
Cello – Jacob Rosen, Sandra Miller
Clarinet – Jennifer Hill
Composed By, Conductor – Anthony Braxton
Guitar – Kevin O'Neil
Koto – Brett W. Larner
Oboe – Melinda Newman
Percussion – Josh Rosenblatt
Sopranino Saxophone – Brandon Evans
Violin – Danielle Langston, Nickie Braxton
Voice Actor – Baba Ben Israel, Isha Beck, Laura Arbuckle, Steve Ben Israel

ARCHIE SHEPP - A Sea of Faces (1975-1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     Hipnosis 26'10
Maracas – Bunny Foy
Tambourine – Charles Greenlee
Written-By – Grachan Moncur III
2     Song for Mozambique/Poem: A Sea of Faces 8'12
Soprano Saxophone, Vocals, Written-by [A Sea Of Faces] – Archie Shepp
Tambourine, Vocals – Beaver Harris
Vocals – Charles Greenlee, Rafi Taha, Bunny Foy
Written-by [Song For Mozambique] – Semenya McCord
3     I Know About the Life 5'20
Lyrics By – Aishah Rahman
Music By, Piano – Archie Shepp
Vocals – Bunny Foy    
4     Lookin' for Someone to Love 9'34
Written-By – Cal Massey
Credits
Bass – Cameron Brown
Drums – Beaver Harris (pistas: 1, 3, 4)
Piano – Dave Burrell (pistas: 1, 2, 4)
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp (pistas: 1, 4)
Trombone – Charles Greenlee (pistas: 1, 3, 4)

DON CHERRY | DEWEY REDMAN | CHARLIE HADEN | EDDIE BLACKWELL - Old and New Dreams (1977-1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist  :
1    Handwoven 6:53
Composed By – Ornette Coleman
2    Dewey's Tune 5:52
Composed By – Dewey Redman
3    Chairman Mao 7:33
Composed By – Charlie Haden
4    Next To The Quiet Stream 6:42
Composed By – Don Cherry
5    Augmented 10:05
Composed By – Don Cherry
6    Old And New Dreams 6:26
Composed By – Dewey Redman
Credits :
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums, Gong – Eddie Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone, Suona [Musette] – Dewey Redman
Trumpet [Pocket Trumpet] – Don Cherry

DEWEY REDMAN | ED BLACKWELL - Red And Black In Willisau (1980-1985) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman and drummer Ed Blackwell had first met up in the late '60s in Ornette Coleman's band and later on as half of Old And New Dreams. This set of live duets from the Willisau '80 Jazz Festival succeeds due to Redman's huge sound, Blackwell's colorful rhythms, and the close interplay between the two. Redman's musette playing on "We Hope" is an acquired taste, but otherwise, his tenor playing is heard in top form on his originals, particularly "Communication" and "Willisee," which clock in at just over 14 minutes apiece. Although some listeners will miss the usual chordal instruments (and particularly the bass), this combination works. Scott Yanow
Tracklist  :
1    Willisee    14:11
Composed By – Dewey Redman
2    We Hope    9:22
Composed By – Dewey Redman
3    F 1    2:00
Composed By – Dewey Redman
4    Communication    14:10
Composed By – Dewey Redman
5    S 126 T    6:40
Composed By – Dewey Redman
Credits :
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone, Suona [Musette] – Dewey Redman

DEWEY REDMAN QUARTET - Living on the Edge (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The great tenor Dewey Redman has always been a versatile player and he really gets a chance to show off his individuality on this set, whether it is some freebop a la early Ornette Coleman, "Mirror Windows" (which is an explosion of sound and pure energy), the soulful "Blues for J.A.M. - Part 1," a free and speechlike tenor-piano duet with Geri Allen on "As One" and a boppish "Lazy Bird." On "If I Should Lose You," Redman has a rare chance to play some conventional but cliché-free alto. With bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Eddie Moore forming a solid team, this is an easily recommended set of inside/outside music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Boo Boodoop 9:46
Composed By, Arranged By – Dewey Redman    
2     Mirror Windows 8:32
Composed By, Arranged By – Dewey Redman
3     Blues or J.A.M., Pt. 1 5:02
Composed By, Arranged By – Dewey Redman
4     If I Should Lose You 8:07
Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin    
Arranged By – Dewey Redman, Geri Allen
5     As One 5:58
Composed By, Arranged By – Dewey Redman
6     Lazy Bird 6:20
John Coltrane
Arranged By – Dewey Redman, Geri Allen
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Bass – Cameron Brown
Drums – Eddie Moore
Piano – Geri Allen

ED BLACKWELL TRIO - Walls-Bridges (1992-1997) 2xCD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The unique drummer Ed Blackwell gets first billing on this CD (he would pass away just a little more than seven months later) but the main star is tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman. The concert (which features a trio also including bassist Cameron Brown) is an example of superior freebop. Although some of the music is boppish and there are explorations of Miles Davis' "Half Nelson" (which is over 19 minutes long), "Everything Happens to Me" and "Take the 'A' Train," there is also a lot of space for Redman's fairly free improvising. The communication between the three masterful musicians (Blackwell shows no signs of weakness) is quite impressive, and overall this is a highly recommended set of explorative yet fairly accessible music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist 1 :
1    Half Nelson 20:57
Composed By – Miles Davis
2    Everything Happens To Me 14:21
Composed By – Matt Dennis, Thomas Adair
3    Boo-Boo Doop 15:04
Composed By – Dewey Redman
Tracklist 2 :
1    Dewey Square 3:45
Composed By – Charlie Parker
2    Walls-Bridges 14:51
Composed By – Dewey Redman
3    Obeeso 11:25
Composed By – Dewey Redman
4    Blues For J. A. M. 6:09
Composed By – Dewey Redman
5    Take The "A" Train 3:31
Composed By – Billy Strayhorn
Credits :
Bass – Cameron Brown
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Musette – Dewey Redman (pistas: 2-3)
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax] – Dewey Redman

DON PULLEN ft. SAM RIVERS - Capricorn Rising (1976-1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Break Out 12'35
Composed By – Sam Rivers
2    Capricorn Rising 11'48
Composed By – Don Pullen
3    Joycie Girl 6'36
Composed By – Don Pullen
4    Fall Out 15'04
Composed By – Sam Rivers
Credits :
Bass – Alex Blake
Drums, Tambourine – Bobby Battle
Piano – Don Pullen
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Sam Rivers

SAM RIVERS WINDS OF MANHATTAN - Colours (1983) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Stomping, swinging arrangements. Exuberant 11-piece orchestra supervised and spurred by Rivers. Ron Wynn
Tracklist :
1    Lilacs    5:44
2    Colours    5:01
3    Spiral    8:36
4    Matrix    7:53
5    Revival    1:58
6    Blossoms    11:24
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Bobby Watson, Steve Coleman
Baritone Saxophone – Jimmy Cozier, Patience Higgins
Clarinet – Nat Dixon, Talib Kibwe
Flute – Bobby Watson, Chris Roberts, Jimmy Cozier, Marvin Blackman, Nat Dixon, Patience Higgins, Sam Rivers, Steve Coleman, Talib Kibwe
Oboe – Bill Cody
Piccolo Flute – Eddie Alex
Sopranino Saxophone – Talib Kibwe
Soprano Saxophone – Chris Roberts, Marvin Blackman, Sam Rivers
Tenor Saxophone – Bill Cody, Eddie Alex, Marvin Blackman, Nat Dixon, Sam Rivers, Talib Kibwe

ROSCOE MITCHELL & MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS - Duets & Solos (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     Scenes And Color (piano Solo) 26:25
Muhal Richard Abrams
2     Ode To The Imagination (Duet 1) 10:19
Muhal Richard Abrams / Roscoe Mitchell
3     Star Night (Saxophone Solo) 14:55
Roscoe Mitchell
4     Reunion (Duet 2): March/Prelude/Dance/Finale 27:42
Muhal Richard Abrams / Roscoe Mitchell
Credits :
Piano – Muhal Richard Abrams (faixas: 1, 2, 4)
Saxophone – Roscoe Mitchell (faixas: 2 to 4)

AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS TRIO – The Circle of Time (1983) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In terms of depth, spirit, originality, and diversity, this is the recording that best brings those vibrant elements of Aminda Claudine Myers' musicianship to ultimate fruition. With bassist Don Pate and drummer Thurman Barker, Myers freely explores jazz, blues, and gospel-tinged creative music in her own inimitable way. All of these six pieces were written by Myers, each showcasing a different side of her joyous persona, making her music deep, listenable, tuneful, and emotional.

Starting off with the hot instrumental modal bop number titled "Louisville," the pianist proves to be a capable, refreshing melodicist in this area, with Pate's complimentary lines to the piano and Barker's crackling drums setting the upbeat pace nicely. "Plowed Fields" has a loose structure with equally peaceful and soulful, tender and poignant motifs. Myers sings the line "seeing the plowed fields, made me want to go barefooted, until my mother spoke of soles (souls?) tied to her feet." "Do You Want to Be Saved?" is an anthem for the ages -- organ and piano strains are overdubbed for this hip, steady tempo gospel blues. Inexorable caravan-like processional pacing for "Christine" has a dual line of Myers cascading piano apreggios with a deft chordal four-bar line that is dramatic and dynamic. Pate's avant bowed bass introduces "The Clock," which has several aspects of time musically represented. Creaking bass, meandering piano, free stride, and completely free segments are featured, and are liable to speed or slow at a moment's notice. "The Circle of Time" further illuminates this with the lyric "time moves by slowly, time moves by quickly." Myers adopts a little girlish falsetto over another patiently slower, steady rhythm, injecting ai-yi-yis in a rather Native American inflection on this song that represents Myers at her creative, free-flowing zenith. This recording and Sings Bessie Smith are must-buy items for fans of this brilliant musician, and iconic signposts for where African-American expressionism can be directed. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist :
1 Louisville 6:50
Amina Claudine Myers
2 Plowed Fields 7:08
Amina Claudine Myers
3 Do You Wanna Be Saved 8:13
Amina Claudine Myers
4 Christine 8:58
 Amina Claudine Myers
5 The Clock 6:26
Amina Claudine Myers
6 The Circle of Time 6:43
Amina Claudine Myers
Credits :
Thurman Barker - Percussion
Amina Claudine Myers - Composer, Harmonica, Organ, Piano, Vocals
Don Pate - Bass (Electric), Contrabass