McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath, Chris - Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath


Year of Release: 2002
Label: Akarma
Catalog Number: AK-200
Format: CD
Total Time: 45:02:00

Avante garde, experimental, fusion ... all of that and more is what this music encompasses. Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath was formed in 1970. Although the lifespan of the group was very short, there was enough great music recorded to fill an album's worth of material. This music is very similar to Miles Davis' ground breaking jazz fusion.

The track "Night Poem" is over 20 minutes of free-form jazz. I actually found it to be overkill. All the rest of tracks were typical length for the genre and very entertaining with a solid foundation. McGregor plays the piano and xylophone nimbly and with enough visionary creativity to invite the listener to enjoy their own private show inside the confines of their own mind. His support is beyond stellar; every member of the band contributes with equal amounts of musical intelligence. Everyone plays to their own strength, thereby letting it all come together seamlessly.

This has to rate as a fusion classic, and one that few too many people haven't had the pleasure to hear. Now it's available in glorious vinyl and CD. Either format will prove to be a worthwhile purchase. Staunch jazz traditionalist need not bother; this is for those that have the free form mindset. Those listeners that have the gift of hearing all the parts of the musical composition at once, and separately, will find this to be a most enjoyable experience.

First released in 1970 by Neon (cat no 2); recently reissued by Fledg'ling UK (3062, CD) and Vinyl Lovers in 2009 (900755, LP)


Tracklisting:
Side One: Mra (4:58) / Davashe's Dream (7:25) / The Bride (7:35)

Side Two: Andromeda (4:05) / Night Poem (20:37) / Union Special (1:42)

Musicians:
Chris McGregor - piano, xylophone
Nick Evans - trombone
Mongezi Feza - pocket trumpet, Indian flute
Mark Charig - cornet
Harry Beckett - trumpet
Dudu Pukwana - alto saxophone
Ronnie Beer - tenor saxophone, Indian flute
Alan Skidmore - tenor and soprano saxophone
Harry Miller - bass
Louis Moholo - drums, percussion
Mike Osborne - alto saxophone, clarinet
John Surman - baritone and soprano saxophone

Discography:
Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath (1970/2002/2007/2009)
Brotherhood(1972)
Travelling Somewhere (1973)
Live At Willisau (1973)
Live At Toulouse (1977)
Country Cooking (1988)
Memorial Concert (1994)
Thunderbolt (1997)
Jazz: The African Sound (1999)
In Memoriam: Brotherhood Of Breath (2002)
Bremen To Bridgewater (2004)
Eclipse At Dawn (2008)
Very Urgent (2008)
Up To Earth (2008)
Our Prayer (2008)

Genre: Other

Origin VA

Added: June 2nd 2002
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
Score:
Artist website:
Hits: 1842
Language: english

  

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