Ode to the Living Tree | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1995 | |||
Recorded | December 18 and 19, 1994 | |||
Studio | XIPPI Studio, Dakar, Senegal | |||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Label | Venus Records TKCV-790982 | |||
Producer | Tetsuo Hara | |||
Andrew Cyrille chronology | ||||
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Ode to the Living Tree is an album by drummer Andrew Cyrille. It was recorded in December 1994 at XIPPI Studio in Dakar, Senegal, and was released by Venus Records in 1995, as well as by Evidence Music in 1997. On the album, Cyrille is joined by saxophonists Oliver Lake and David Murray, pianist Adegoke Steve Colson, bassist Fred Hopkins, and percussionist Mor Thiam. According to Cyrille, it was the first jazz album recorded in Senegal. [1]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Tom Hull – on the Web | B− [2] |
In a review for AllMusic, Alex Henderson wrote: "the drummer leads an inspired, cohesive quintet... the performances are generally quite melodic; in fact, Ode is essentially an album of inside/outside post-bop... rather than ultra-radical, ultra-dissonant free jazz... Although not as radical as some of Cyrille's other work, Ode to the Living Tree is an excellent CD that he should be proud of." [1]
Willard Jenkins, writing for Jazz Times , called Cyrille "a vital and very much underrated percussionist and bandleader" who "always brings a sense of the Motherland to his music, whether exploring free landscapes, or structured outings like most on this date... There is a feeling of Trane meets Sun Ra at the corner of Murray & Lake on this date as the spirits of those two grand masters are in the air." [3]
Andrew Charles Cyrille is an American avant-garde jazz drummer. Throughout his career, he has performed both as a leader and a sideman in the bands of Walt Dickerson and Cecil Taylor, among others. AllMusic biographer Chris Kelsey wrote: "Few free-jazz drummers play with a tenth of Cyrille's grace and authority. His energy is unflagging, his power absolute, tempered only by an ever-present sense of propriety."
Milford Graves was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, Professor Emeritus of Music, researcher/inventor, visual artist/sculptor, gardener/herbalist, and martial artist. Graves was noteworthy for his early avant-garde contributions in the 1960s with Paul Bley, Albert Ayler, and the New York Art Quartet, and is considered to be a free jazz pioneer, liberating percussion from its timekeeping role. The composer and saxophonist John Zorn referred to Graves as "basically a 20th-century shaman."
Oliver Lake is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, poet, and visual artist. He is known mainly for alto saxophone, but he also performs on soprano and flute. During the 1960s, Lake worked with the Black Artists Group in St. Louis. In 1977, he founded the World Saxophone Quartet with David Murray, Julius Hemphill, and Hamiet Bluiett. Lake worked in the group Trio 3 with Reggie Workman and Andrew Cyrille. Lake has appeared on more than 80 albums as a bandleader, co-leader, and side musician. He is the father of drummer Gene Lake. Lake has been a resident of Montclair, New Jersey.
Reginald "Reggie" Workman is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey.
Fred Hopkins was an American double bassist who played a major role in the development of the avant-garde jazz movement. He was best known for his association with the trio Air with Henry Threadgill and Steve McCall, and for his numerous performances and extensive recordings with major jazz musicians such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Arthur Blythe, Oliver Lake, and David Murray. He was a member of the AACM, and a frequent participant in the loft jazz scene of the 1970s. He also co-led a number of albums with the composer and cellist Diedre Murray. Gary Giddins wrote that Hopkins' playing "fused audacious power with mercuric reflexes." Howard Reich, writing in the Chicago Tribune, stated that "many connoisseurs considered [Hopkins] the most accomplished jazz bassist of his generation" and praised him for "the extraordinarily fluid technique, sumptuous tone and innovative methods he brought to his instrument."
Norris Jones, better known as Sirone was an American jazz bassist, trombonist, and composer.
Metamorphosis is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released in 1990 on the Elektra/Nonesuch label and features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, Arthur Blythe, Oliver Lake and David Murray with Chief Bey, Melvin Gibbs and Mor Thiam. It was the first album recorded by the group after the departure of foundation member Julius Hemphill and their first to feature additional musicians.
Four Now is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet, released by the Canadian Justin Time label. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, John Purcell, Oliver Lake and David Murray, with guests Chief Bey, Mor Thiam, and Mar Gueye on African drums.
In the 1970s in jazz, jazz became increasingly influenced by Latin jazz, combining rhythms from African and Latin American countries, often played on instruments such as conga, timbale, güiro, and claves, with jazz and classical harmonies played on typical jazz instruments. Artists such as Chick Corea, John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola increasingly influenced the genre with jazz fusion, a hybrid form of jazz-rock fusion which was developed by combining jazz improvisation with rock rhythms, electric instruments, and the highly amplified stage sound of rock musicians such as Jimi Hendrix. All Music Guide states that "..until around 1967, the worlds of jazz and rock were nearly completely separate." However, "...as rock became more creative and its musicianship improved, and as some in the jazz world became bored with hard bop and did not want to play strictly avant-garde music, the two different idioms began to trade ideas and occasionally combine forces." On June 16, 1972 the New York Jazz Museum opened in New York City at 125 West 55th Street in a one and one-half story building. It became the most important institution for jazz in the world with a 25,000 item archive, free concerts, exhibits, film programs, etc.
The Elements is an album by the American saxophonist Joe Henderson, released in 1974 on Milestone. The musicians included violinist Michael White, bassist Charlie Haden, drummer Leon Chancler, percussionist Kenneth Nash, and featured guest Alice Coltrane on keyboards & harp.
Live in Willisau is the debut album by Trio 3, a jazz group consisting of saxophonist Oliver Lake, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille. It was recorded in 1992 at the Swiss Jazz Festival Willisau and released in 1997 on the German Dizim label.
Encounter is an album by Trio 3, a jazz group consisting of saxophonist Oliver Lake, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille. It was recorded in 1999 and released on Lake's own Passin' Thru label.
At This Time is an album by Trio 3, a jazz group consisting of saxophonist Oliver Lake, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille, with guest pianist Geri Allen. It was recorded in 2008 and released by Intakt Records.
Refraction – Breakin' Glass is an album by Trio 3, a jazz group consisting of saxophonist Oliver Lake, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille, with guest pianist Jason Moran. It was recorded in 2012 and released by Intakt Records.
The Declaration of Musical Independence is an album by drummer Andrew Cyrille. It was recorded in July 2014 at Brooklyn Recording in Brooklyn, New York, and was released by ECM Records in 2016. On the album, Cyrille is joined by guitarist Bill Frisell, Richard Teitelbaum on synthesizer and piano, and Ben Street on bass.
The News is an album by the Andrew Cyrille Quartet recorded in August 2019 and released on ECM in 2021. The quartet features guitarist Bill Frisell, David Virelles on synthesizer and piano, and bassist Ben Street—the same lineup as 2016's The Declaration of Musical Independence with the exception of Virelles, a last-minute replacement for Richard Teitelbaum, who was suffering from health problems at the time of the recording session, and who died in 2020.
My Friend Louis is an album by drummer Andrew Cyrille. It was recorded in November 1991 at Power Station in New York City, and was released by DIW Records in 1992. On the album, Cyrille is joined by saxophonist Oliver Lake, trumpeter Hannibal, pianist Adegoke Steve Colson, and bassist Reggie Workman. "Louis" refers to drummer Louis Moholo, to whom the album is dedicated.
Galaxies is a live album by percussionists Andrew Cyrille and Vladimir Tarasov, recorded in 1990 at multiple concerts, and released in 1991 by Music & Arts.
Andrew Cyrille Meets Brötzmann in Berlin is a live album by percussionist Andrew Cyrille and saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, recorded in 1982 at the Workshop Freie Musik, Academy of Arts, Berlin, and released in 1983 by FMP.
Live in New York is a live album by saxophonist Archie Shepp and trombonist Roswell Rudd. It was recorded in September 2000 at the Jazz Standard in New York City and released by Verve Records in 2001 as part of its Soundscape Series. Shepp and Rudd are accompanied by trombonist Grachan Moncur III, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille. They are joined on one track by poet Amiri Baraka.