| The Great Pretender | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Recorded | June 1981 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 42:44 | |||
| Label | ECM ECM 1209 | |||
| Producer | Manfred Eicher | |||
| Lester Bowie chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Great Pretender is the debut album by American jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie, recorded in June 1981 and released on ECM later that year.
The AllMusic review by Michael G. Nastos stated: "The Great Pretender is a perfect title for this effort, a mix of funk and humor, gospel and jazz, with no small points of reference to Dizzy Gillespie, early doo wop, Mahalia Jackson, James Brown, and Sun Ra... The Great Pretender falls just short of Bowie's magnum opus The 5th Power , but not by much in terms of sheer modernism. It's utterly enjoyable creative jazz, worthy of a space in your collection." [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [3] |
All the Magic! / The One and Only is a double album by American jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie, recorded in June 1982 and released on ECM the following year—his second for the label. All the Magic! features a septet, with saxophonist Ari Brown, rhythm section Art Matthews, Fred Williams and Phillip Wilson, and singers Fontella Bass and David Peaston. The One and Only features solo trumpet improvisations from Bowie.
The 5th Power is a live album by Lester Bowie recorded for the Italian Black Saint label and released in 1978. It was recorded during a concert tour of Europe by Bowie's group "From the Roots to the Source" and features performances by Bowie, Arthur Blythe, Amina Claudine Myers, Malachi Favors and Phillip Wilson.
Live at the Lower Manhattan Ocean Club is a live album by David Murray. It was originally released as two volumes on the India Navigation label in 1978 and re-released in 1989 on a single CD. It features a live performance by Murray, trumpeter Lester Bowie, bassist Fred Hopkins and drummer Phillip Wilson recorded in concert at the Lower Manhattan Ocean Club, NYC.
New Directions is an album by Jack DeJohnette, recorded in June 1978 and released on ECM later that year. The quartet features trumpeter Lester Bowie, guitarist John Abercrombie, and bassist Eddie Gomez.
Avant Pop is the fourth album by Lester Bowie recorded for ECM and the second album by his "Brass Fantasy" group. It was released in 1986 and features performances by Bowie, Vincent Chancey, Frank Lacy, Rasul Siddik, Steve Turre, Malachi Thompson, Stanton Davis, Bob Stewart and Phillip Wilson.
Fast Last! is an album by trumpeter Lester Bowie recorded for the Muse label and released in 1974. It features performances by Bowie, Julius Hemphill, John Hicks, John Stubblefield, Joseph Bowie, Bob Stewart, Cecil McBee, Jerome Cooper, Charles Shaw and Phillip Wilson.
Duet is an album by trumpeter Lester Bowie and drummer Phillip Wilson, recorded in 1978 and released on the Improvising Artists label. It features three duet performances by Bowie and Wilson.
Bap-Tizum is a 1972 live album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago recorded at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival held at the Otis Spann Memorial Field and first released on the Atlantic label in 1973. It features performances by Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors Maghostut and Don Moye.
Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass is a 1970 album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago recorded in Paris and released on the America label in 1971 then reissued in the US on Prestige Records the following year. It features performances by Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors Maghostut, Fontella Bass, and Don Moye.
Nice Guys is an album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, recorded in May 1978 and released on ECM the following year—their debut for the label. The quintet features trumpeter Lester Bowie, saxophinists Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell and rhythm section Malachi Favors Maghostut and Famoudou Don Moye.
Full Force is a 1980 album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, their second to appear on the ECM label.
Urban Bushmen is a live double album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago recorded at the Amerika Haus in Munich over two days in May 1980 and released on ECM in March 1982. The quintet comprises trumpeter Lester Bowie, saxophonists Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell and rhythm section Malachi Favors Maghostut and Don Moye.
The Magic Touch is a 1962 album by jazz pianist and arranger Tadd Dameron and His Orchestra, released on Riverside Records. It was also Dameron's final completed work before his death three years later.
Fuego is an album by American jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd recorded on October 4, 1959 and released on Blue Note the following year. Byrd's quintet features saxophonist Jackie McLean and rhythm section Duke Pearson, Doug Watkins and Lex Humphries.
One Flight Up is an album by American jazz saxophonist Dexter Gordon recorded on June 2, 1964 in Paris and released on Blue Note the following year. The session featured Donald Byrd on trumpet, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and drummer Art Taylor.
Music from Two Basses is an album by jazz bassists Dave Holland and Barre Phillips recorded on 15 February 1971 and released on ECM later that year—Holland's second project, and Phillips' first, for the label.
Trios / Solos is an album by American jazz guitarist Ralph Towner with Glen Moore recorded over two days in November 1972 and released on ECM June the following year. The session features guest appearances from tabla player Colin Walcott and oboist Paul McCandless.
Yellow Fields is an album by German double bassist and composer Eberhard Weber recorded in September 1975 and released on ECM the following year. The quartet features saxophonist Charlie Mariano, pianist Rainer Brüninghaus and drummer Jon Christensen.
Mountainscapes is an album by American jazz bassist Barre Phillips recorded in March 1976 and released on ECM later that year. Phillip's quartet features reed player John Surman, Dieter Feichtner on synthesizer, and drummer Stu Martin, with a guest appearance from guitarist John Abercrombie.
Grazing Dreams is the second album by American sitarist and composer Collin Walcott, recorded in February 1977 and released on ECM later that year. Walcott's quintet features trumpeter Don Cherry and rhythm section John Abercrombie, Palle Danielsson and Dom Um Romão.
