Manhattan Cycles | ||||
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Live album by | ||||
Released | 1973 | |||
Recorded | December 31, 1972 | |||
Venue | St. Marks Theater, New York City | |||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Length | 41:00 | |||
Label | India Navigation IN 1023 | |||
Producer | The Revolutionary Ensemble | |||
Revolutionary Ensemble chronology | ||||
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Manhattan Cycles is a live album by the Revolutionary Ensemble, violinist Leroy Jenkins, bassist Sirone and drummer Jerome Cooper, which was recorded on the last day of 1972 and released on the India Navigation label the following year. [1] [2] [3] The album documents a performance of an extended composition by Leo Smith.
Author Bob Gluck referred to the first half of "Manhattan Cycles: Side One" as shifting from foregrounded solos to what he calls "parallel play," a technique at which the group excelled, and "a performance mode in which all three musicians pursued their own direction while contributing to a shared overall construction. The 'glue' for such performance is a combined energy level, density, texture, and sense of shared purpose." [4] He noted that, due to the trio's cooperative orientation, "The Revolutionary Ensemble had no leader looking in from outside the hub of activity, no Miles Davis to limit musical forays from continuing until their logical end, however anarchic the journey." [5]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The AllMusic review awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars. [6]
A reviewer for Destination Out commented: "Recorded on New Year's Eve, 1972/73, there was doubtless plenty to be bombastic about at that time. But what we get instead is as un-bombastic as it gets. This is perhaps the most revolutionary aspect: no foreground, no background, a cooperative enterprise that enlists every technique at the artists' disposal... The entire performance is a model of interplay." [8]
All compositions by Leo Smith.
Leroy Jenkins was an American composer and violinist/violist.
Ahmed Abdullah is an American jazz trumpeter who was a prominent member of Sun Ra's band.
The Revolutionary Ensemble was a free jazz trio consisting of violinist Leroy Jenkins (1932–2007), bassist Sirone and percussionist/pianist Jerome Cooper (1946–2015). The group was active from 1970–1977, and reunited briefly in 2004. Musician George E. Lewis described the trio as "one of the signal groups of the period." Writer John Fordham stated that the group "was remarkable for its concentration on texture, tone colour and the then unclaimed territory between jazz and contemporary classical music." A DownBeat reviewer, writing in 1972, described them as "a unique, utterly contemporary unit of extraordinarily talented players who possess a world understanding of what 'organized sound' is all about."
Robert Gluck is a writer, educator, rabbi, pianist and composer whose repertoire spans jazz, live electronic music, and avant-garde music. Bob Gluck is currently an Associate Professor for the Department of Music at The University at Albany.
Conference of the Birds is an album by the Dave Holland Quartet, recorded on 30 November 1972 and released on ECM the following year—Holland's debut as bandleader and fourth project for the label. The quartet features alto saxophonist Anthony Braxton, tenor saxophonist Sam Rivers, and percussionist Barry Altschul.
Jerome Douglas Cooper was an American free jazz musician. In addition to trap drums, Cooper played balafon, chirimia and various electronic instruments, and referred to himself as a "multi-dimensional drummer," meaning that his playing involved "layers of sounds and rhythms". AllMusic reviewer Ron Wynn called him "A sparkling drummer and percussionist... An excellent accompanist". Another Allmusic reviewer stated that "in the truest sense this drummer is a magician, adept at transformation and the creation of sacred space".
Norris Jones, better known as Sirone was an American jazz bassist, trombonist, and composer.
James Emery is an American jazz guitarist. He grew up in Willoughby, Ohio and Shaker Heights, Ohio. Emery plays archtop guitar, semi-acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and soprano guitar.
The Legend of Ai Glatson is an album by American jazz violinist Leroy Jenkins, recorded in 1978 for the Italian Black Saint label.
Listen to the Ahmad Jamal Quintet is an album by American jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal featuring performances recorded in 1960 and released on the Argo label.
Revolutionary Ensemble is an eponymous live album by the free jazz group consisting of violinist Leroy Jenkins, bassist Sirone and drummer Jerome Cooper, which was recorded in Austria in 1977 and released on the German Enja label and in the U.S. on Inner City Records the following year.
The People's Republic is an album by the Revolutionary Ensemble, violinist Leroy Jenkins, bassist Sirone and drummer Jerome Cooper, which was recorded in late 1975 and released on the A&M/Horizon label the following year.
Vietnam, also referred to as Vietnam 1 & 2 is a live album by the Revolutionary Ensemble, violinist Leroy Jenkins, bassist Sirone and drummer Jerome Cooper, which was recorded in 1972 and released on the ESP-Disk label.
The Psyche is a live album by the Revolutionary Ensemble, violinist Leroy Jenkins, bassist Sirone and drummer Jerome Cooper. It was initially released on LP in 1975 by the group's own label RE Records, and was reissued on CD in 2002 by Mutable Music.
And Now... is an album by the Revolutionary Ensemble, violinist Leroy Jenkins, bassist Sirone and drummer Jerome Cooper. It was recorded in June 2004 and released later that year by Pi Recordings. It was the first recording by the group following a hiatus of roughly 25 years.
For Players Only is a live album by violinist and composer Leroy Jenkins, his first as a leader. It was recorded in January 1975 at Wollman Auditorium, Columbia University in New York City, and was released by JCOA Records later that year. On the album, Jenkins is joined by members of the Jazz Composer's Orchestra.
Beyond the Boundary of Time is a live album by the Revolutionary Ensemble, violinist Leroy Jenkins, bassist Sirone and drummer Jerome Cooper. It was recorded in May 2005 in Warsaw, Poland, and was released in 2008 by Mutable Music. The album contains one composition by each group member, along with two collective improvisations. It captures one of the group's last performances, and is dedicated to Jenkins, who died in 2007.
Counterparts is a live album by the Revolutionary Ensemble, violinist Leroy Jenkins, bassist Sirone and drummer Jerome Cooper. It was recorded in November 2005 in Genoa, Italy, and was released in 2012 by Mutable Music. It documents the group's last live performance, and is dedicated to the memory of artist Frederick J. Brown.
A Magical Approach is a live solo percussion album by Jerome Cooper. The first track was recorded in April 1978 at Environ in New York City, while the remaining tracks were recorded in September 2007 at an AACM concert in New York City. The album was released by Mutable Music in 2010.
Circle 1: Live in Germany Concert is a live album by Circle, a free jazz quartet that featured multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton, pianist Chick Corea, double bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Barry Altschul. It was recorded by German radio on November 28, 1970, in Iserlohn, West Germany, during an extended European tour that also took the group to the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, and was released on vinyl in 1971 by CBS/Sony Japan. Along with Circle 2: Gathering, the album was reissued on CD by Corea's Stretch label during the 1990s.