Grape Escape - The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Bowie, Lester
Odwalla/Theme - The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Mitchell, Roscoe
Jamaica Farewell - The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Mitchell, Roscoe
Mama Wants You - The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Bowie, Lester
Strawberry Mango - The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Art Ensemble of Chi
Villa Tiamo - The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Bowie, Lester
Malachi - The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Mitchell, Roscoe
Lotta Colada - The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Art Ensemble of Chi
Coming Home Jamaica, the Art Ensemble's first studio album since 1992's Thelonious Sphere Monk: Dreaming of the Masters, Vol. 2, (which also featured Cecil Taylor), was actually recorded in 1995. Except for the long the de... more »lay, AEC fans will have little to complain about since Jamaica is an entertaining, great-sounding release. While it's not as adventurous as the group's finest material, AEC comes off here as tight, confident, and swinging. After 32 years in the business, the Art Ensemble still sounds great. --S. Duda« less
Coming Home Jamaica, the Art Ensemble's first studio album since 1992's Thelonious Sphere Monk: Dreaming of the Masters, Vol. 2, (which also featured Cecil Taylor), was actually recorded in 1995. Except for the long the delay, AEC fans will have little to complain about since Jamaica is an entertaining, great-sounding release. While it's not as adventurous as the group's finest material, AEC comes off here as tight, confident, and swinging. After 32 years in the business, the Art Ensemble still sounds great. --S. Duda
"For those who have actually heard the Art Ensemble of Chicago before, you will find that this is more conservative in comparison to their other output. Most of the compositions use the theme-solo format typical of straight ahead jazz, and they don't really get into the high energy free playing that they have on earlier work such as Horn Web. It is not dissonant at all. In spite of this, the solo improvisations are very well constructed, and Don Moye as always is a fantastic drummer. This is the sound of well played jazz. Who needs the Caribbean sound?"
Excellent jazz but pass if your expecting a Jamaican sound
11/04/1998
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a fine jazz albumn (thus the four stars) but I'm oddly disappointed. I guess I was expecting a much heavier Carribean sound. The players are all top notch but most tracks sound like what you would expect to hear in any American club. There is one song, Strawberry Mango that has a satisfying reggae sound and sounds like they are having a lot of fun playing. The rest of the cd is good but sounds more Chicago than Carribean."
Great to hear new music from the greatest band ever
Eric Wagner | Freetopia | 08/14/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I love this album. The band plays some terrific music as a quartet. I miss Joseph Jarman, but I really like the tunes and the rhythms on this album. Check it out. Fun and beautiful."
Emotional but still Euphonous
07/08/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this album only knowing that the Art ensemble was an avant-garde group from the free jazz period. Now I am a comitted fan. They retain their ability to float in and out of time and through dissonance and consonance effortlessly while adding incredibly solid semi-carribean grooves.I like it because of the attention given equally to melody and also improvisation (with Lester Bowie and Roscoe Mitchell showing supreme command of their instruments) while leaving room for the unwavering support provided by the rhythm section.If you are a traditional jazz fan looking to begin acquiring a taste for the avant-garde, this cd along with some of Coltrane's later works (Ascension) and Miles Davis' (...) Brew are great. Also, if you are an established Art Ensemble fan from their earlier work, this cd demonstrates more of the group's melodic prowess. Lastly, the grooves on Grape Escape, Mama Wants You, Strawberry Mango, and Lotta Colada along with the looping, floating feel of Odwalla Theme are great for casual listeners."