Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981

Last updated
Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981
Marion Brown Dave Burrell Live at the Black Musicians Conference 1981.jpg
Live album by
Marion Brown and Dave Burrell
Released2018
RecordedApril 10, 1981
VenueBlack Musicians' Conference, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts
Genre Free jazz
Label NoBusiness
NBCD 109
Producer Danas Mikailionis, Valerij Anosov
Marion Brown and Dave Burrell chronology
Five Improvisations
(2016)		Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981
(2018)		Capricorn Moon to Juba Lee Revisited
(2019)

Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981 is a live album by saxophonist Marion Brown and pianist Dave Burrell. It was recorded on April 10, 1981, at the Black Musicians' Conference at University of Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts, and was released in 2018 by NoBusiness Records. The album features two compositions by Brown, three by Burrell, and two by Billy Strayhorn. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [4]
All About JazzStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
All About JazzStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
DownBeat Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Free Jazz CollectiveStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Tom Hull – on the Web A− [9]

In a review for All About Jazz , Mark Corroto called the album "a time capsule sent to the future (now) to awaken adventurous listeners to music's rich history," and wrote: "The theme constant here is a musical gentleness... Even though both of these musicians had their sound forged in the 1960's New York free jazz fires, this reunion opted for a suspension of hostilities." [4] AAJ's John Sharpe described the album as "a jewel from the archives," and stated: "Although boasting serious fire-music credentials, you wouldn't know it from the tuneful, often swinging, blues-inflected interpretations." [5]

Kian Banihashemi of The Free Jazz Collective commented: "The interplay between them is strong, yet kind and gentle. Brown and Burrell show a definite sense of respect and restraint around each other; their decades of working together accumulate here to create something truly wholesome and gorgeous." [8]

Dusted Magazine's Derek Taylor praised the track titled "Punaluu Peter," noting that it "features them both apart and at their most telepathically synergistic," and remarking: "The divisions where one begins and the other ends effectively blur in spots to point where the overlay of active intellects feels almost seamless." [10]

Writing for The New York City Jazz Record , Pierre Crépon and Parker Fishel stated: "Having explored the outer edges of experimentation, the musicians find themselves applying lessons learned to earlier jazz forms and improvisatory structures: there is no real difference between a free piece like 'Fortunato' or a standard like 'Lush Life'." [11]

In an article for JazzWord, Ken Waxman noted Brown's "slurry, speech-like textures," commenting: "He masticates various timbres, sucking the sweetness or tartness from them." Waxman also suggested that "like a fine wine's vintage, Burrell's playing has improved and intensified as he gets older." [12]

A writer for the Morning Star remarked: "On the final track... the melody sounds as pristine as if these two masters are reinventing it, so moving and authentic does it resonate." [13]

Track listing

  1. "Gossip / Fortunado" (Marion Brown) – 17:57
  2. "La Placita" (Marion Brown) – 8:36
  3. "My Little Brown Book" (Billy Strayhorn) – 6:19
  4. "Punaluu Peter" (Dave Burrell) – 16:08
  5. "Pua Mae 'Ole" (Dave Burrell) – 5:33
  6. "Crucifacado" (Dave Burrell) – 10:22
  7. "Lush Life" (Billy Strayhorn) – 10:13

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Strayhorn</span> American jazz pianist, composer, lyricist and arranger (1915–1967)

William Thomas Strayhorn was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take the 'A' Train," "Chelsea Bridge," "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing," and "Lush Life".

"Take the 'A' Train" is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn that was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Burrell</span> American jazz pianist

Herman Davis "Dave" Burrell is an American jazz pianist. He has played with many jazz musicians including Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Marion Brown and David Murray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny O'Neal</span> American jazz pianist and vocalist

Johnny O'Neal is an American neo-bop jazz pianist and vocalist. His playing ranges from the technically virtuosic to the tenderest of ballad interpretations. Though unique in style, he is influenced by many jazz elders, including Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. He has led many recording dates with musicians such as Russell Malone and many others. He was a 1997 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

<i>Dave Burrell Plays Ellington & Monk</i> 1978 studio album by Dave Burrell

Dave Burrell Plays Ellington & Monk is a studio album released by jazz pianist Dave Burrell. It was first released by Denon Records on April 2, 1978. All of the songs on the album were originally written by Duke Ellington, Ellington's partner Billy Strayhorn, or Thelonious Monk.

<i>Lush Life</i> (Dave Burrell album) 1978 studio album by Dave Burrell

Lush Life is a studio album released by jazz pianist Dave Burrell. It was first released by Denon Records on April 2, 1978.

Lush Life may refer to:

<i>Windward Passages</i> 1980 live album by Dave Burrell

Windward Passages is a live album by jazz pianist Dave Burrell that is considered "a widely acclaimed jazz-opera." It was recorded on September 13, 1979 in Sweden and released by hatART Records in 1980 on double-LP. hatART released the album again on LP in 1986 and then on CD in 1994.

<i>In Concert</i> (Dave Burrell and David Murray album) 1991 live album by Dave Burrell

In Concert is a live album released by jazz pianist Dave Burrell. It was recorded at the Victoriaville Festival in Quebec, Canada and released that same year on October 21, 1991, by Victo Records. The album features Burrell's long-time jazz collaborator David Murray on reed instruments. According to the AllMusic review, "their influence is profound and wide-reaching" on this album.

<i>Margy Pargy</i> 2005 studio album by Dave Burrell

Margy Pargy is a studio album released by jazz pianist Dave Burrell. It was released on March 9, 2005, by Splasc Records. It is a solo album and, in contrast, a week later the album After Love was released, which featured collaborations with such jazz greats as Roscoe Mitchell, Don Moye and Ron Miller. The Penguin Guide to Jazz described it as "A quality solo set [...] The best things are standards, including a long, troublous 'Lush Life'."

<i>Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn</i> 1992 studio album by Joe Henderson

Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn is an album by the jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson. Composed of songs written by Billy Strayhorn, the album was a critical and commercial success, leading to the first of three Grammy Awards Henderson would receive while under contract with Verve Records. The album had sold nearly 90,000 copies at the time of Henderson's death in 2001 and has been re-released by Verve, Polygram, and in hybrid SACD format by Universal. Musicians on the album are trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, pianist Stephen Scott, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Gregory Hutchinson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelsea Bridge (song)</span> Jazz standard composed by Billy Strayhorn

"Chelsea Bridge" (1941) is an impressionistic jazz standard composed by Billy Strayhorn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Williams (musician)</span> American jazz musician

James Williams was an American jazz pianist.

<i>Montreux One</i> 1976 live album by Archie Shepp

Montreux One is a live album by jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1975 and released on the Arista Freedom label.

"Isfahan" is a jazz piece credited to Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington and released on Ellington's 1967 album The Far East Suite; Isfahan is a city in Iran. It features long-time Ellington soloist Johnny Hodges on alto saxophone. It was originally called Elf when Strayhorn composed it, months before the 1963 Ellington orchestra world tour during which the group traveled to Iran.

<i>Something to Live For: A Billy Strayhorn Songbook</i> 1998 studio album by John Hicks

Something to Live For: A Billy Strayhorn Songbook is an album by the pianist John Hicks, recorded in 1997 and released on the HighNote label. The album contains ten compositions by Billy Strayhorn, along with two by Hicks.

<i>Lover Man</i> (Archie Shepp album) 1989 studio album by Archie Shepp Quartet featuring Annette Lowman

Lover Man is an album by saxophonist Archie Shepp's Quartet with vocalist Annette Lowman which was recorded in Holland in 1988 and released on the Timeless label the following year.

<i>Generation</i> (Kenny Burrell album) 1987 live album by Kenny Burrell and the Jazz Guitar Band

Generation is a live album by guitarist Kenny Burrell and the Jazz Guitar Band recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York in 1986 and released on the relaunched Blue Note label.

<i>Live</i> (The Group album) 2012 live album by The Group

Live is a live album by the cooperative jazz ensemble known as The Group, featuring saxophonist Marion Brown, trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah, violinist Billy Bang, bassists Sirone and Fred Hopkins, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. The band's sole release, it was recorded on September 13, 1986, at the Jazz Center of New York in New York City, and was issued on LP and CD by NoBusiness Records in 2012, over 25 years after the concert.

<i>Shed Grace</i> 2004 studio album by Sticks and Stones (Matana Roberts, Josh Abrams, and Chad Taylor)

Shed Grace is the second album by the collaborative free jazz trio Sticks and Stones, featuring saxophonist Matana Roberts, double bassist Josh Abrams, and drummer Chad Taylor. It was recorded during 2003, with no overdubs or edits, at Semaphore Recording in Chicago, Illinois, and was released in 2004 by the Thrill Jockey label. The music consists of original compositions by each player, plus three covers.

References

  1. ↑ "Marion Brown / Dave Burrell - Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Marion Brown discography". JazzLists. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981". NoBusiness Records. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Corroto, Mark (December 27, 2018). "Marion Brown/Dave Burrell: Live At The Black Musicians' Conference, 1981". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Sharpe, John (January 20, 2019). "Marion Brown/Dave Burrell: Live At The Black Musicians' Conference, 1981". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  6. ↑ Roggero, Vincenzo (April 3, 2019). "Marion Brown, Dave Burrell: Live At The Black Musicians' Conference, 1981". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  7. ↑ Boyd, Herb (April 2019). "Emblems of Striking Careers". DownBeat. p. 60.
  8. 1 2 Banihashemi, Kian (April 17, 2019). "Marion Brown/Dave Burrell: Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981". The Free Jazz Collective. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hull, Tom. "Jazz (1960–70s) (Reference)". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  10. ↑ Taylor, Derek (March 14, 2019). "Marion Brown & Dave Burrell - Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981 (No Business)". Dusted. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  11. ↑ Crépon, Pierre; Fishel, Parker (March 2019). "Reviews" (PDF). The New York City Jazz Record. p. 24.
  12. ↑ Waxman, Ken (March 28, 2019). "Marion Brown / Dave Burrell". JazzWord. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Jazz albums: Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981". Morning Star. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.