Free Jazz is kind of the haven of total music nerds and serious jazzmo's and it seems to range from completely wild recordings of almost indecipeherable nature to excellent examples of what really good players can make of a totally free musical piece. I'm constantly drawn to it and the range of expressive sounds from some of the better records out there makes an indelible mark on me that I cannot deny.
Alan Silva was mostly known for his work as a sideman for guys like Sun Ra and Albert Ayler and only recorded a few records as leader, most notably for his work on Luna Surface and Seasons on the short-lived French Actuel label and on Skillfullness for the ESP Disc label.
Here, Alan Silva has some excellent talent backing him, including Malachi Flavors from The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Grachan Moncur III, Anthony Braxton, Archie Shepp, Claude Delcloo and Dave Burrell. The mass of talent is apparent when you listen to the record and they play so well off each other that it at times feels like a rehearsed and structured piece, at least, moreso that it surely was!
It's less agressive than most other free jazz records of the time, which sometimes feel punctuated with an urgency that leaves you feeling empty as if someone was shouting, but not really saying anything. Here, you get a much more mellow feeling, more stylized and melodic, less fire music and more hypnotic. It's a stellar release for the Actuel label.
I snagged this copy at Logan Hardware from my friend Zespy for a very reasonable price. It's a great store to stop into, one I certainly recommend if you are planning on hitting Chicago on a record buying spree.
Hi, thanks for the shopping tip. I'm in Joliet but will definitely hit them up, when next in Chicago. My main comment though is to say I found a beautiful copy of Mr Silva's magnum opus Seasons on eBay! Vinyl looks unplayed across all 6 sides! There are two corner bends, but otherwise perfect. Cost was $120.00 total and worth every penny. It is an amazing piece of music, with so much going on, you'll never hear it all. Also, I enjoyed yr review of Luna Surface and need to get that next. Thanks
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