Search - Art Ensemble of Chicago :: Rarum 6: Selected Recordings

Sensationally serious jazz, with humour to burn...

Robert Bezimienny | Sydney, NSW Australia | 11/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The ECM rarum series has been a great opportunity to explore artists previously heard of but not actually heard: for me, the Art Ensemble has been the biggest revelation. They combine roots in traditional jazz and blues, with influences from African and Latin music, and avant garde classical performance. Live, as documented in the sleave here, their shows featured African costumes and elements of vaudeville.

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So what's a novice in for? Here's a sample. The first track, Charlie M, is obviously in honour of Mingus, in word and in sound, as it is infused with energy, bounce, swing and melodic layering - hard not to move with this playing. Rios Negroes has a great Latin groove, with great, slightly out, horn playing from Lester Bowie, the exuberant, and now sadly deceased, trumpeter. Folkus is by the percussionist, Famoudou Don Moye, and ranges in mood, embracing clattering cacophony along with contemplative soundscapes - might be a bit much to say it's Bartok gone to Africa, but you get the drift; Magg Zelma, clocking in at close to twenty minutes, is even more diverse in texture. Prayer for Jimbo Kwesi is a beautiful incantatory composition which slowly builds to an effusive peak. Odwalla, from the much vaunted live album, Urban Bushmen, is a return to the Ellington and Mingus inspired energy, with horn wailing worthy of Eric Dolphy or (perhaps) Coltrane - there's the nice irony too,considering the fact that the band selected the tracks themselves, of including a minute of applause at the end of the track, - self congratulations are definitely in order! The invention and daring of the horns has to be emphasised, while the rhythm section is if anything more surprising, with great drive.

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The tracks are from six different albums - Full Force, Nice Guys, and The Third Decade - all AEC studio albums; the mentioned live album, Urban Bushmen; Lester Bowie's album, The Great Pretender: all these five are from the late 70's and early 80's. There's one track from Roscoe Mitchell's Nine to Get Ready, from 1997.

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The packaging is of exemplary quality, with photos augmenting the traditionally minimalist ECM approach. The sound quality, with 24 bit remastering, is excellent.

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After Lester Bowie's death, the saxophonist Joseph Jarman briefly left only to rejoin and tour and record - check Amazon for these albums. More recently the bassist, Malachi Favors Maghostus, also died. The musical legacy of this band is simply stunning. Some of the best jazz I've ever heard."

Great stuff, but not "Best of the AEC"

R. Hutchinson | a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds | 08/13/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This ECM "rarum" disc is full of great music, but don't mistake it for a "Best of the AEC" -- this is mainly late 1970s/early 1980s material. The late Lester Bowie is featured, and you get a sense of the ritualistic, atmospheric Pan-African sound of the group. Also here are a track each from a Bowie solo album and a recent Roscoe Mitchell solo album on ECM, NINE TO GET READY (1999), which is a great disc, check it out (see my review). What this "rarum" release is good for is a single disc collection of the 3 ECM studio albums (NICE GUYS, FULL FORCE and THIRD DECADE, the last of which was one of their weakest). FANFARE FOR THE WARRIORS (1973 -- see my review) is their best studio album, and URBAN BUSHMEN (1982) is the best live recording, so if you have those two, this one is a good next choice. Alternatively, if this serves as your introduction to the AEC, those would be the next ones to hear! (Caution is in order, because there are lots of AEC recordings, and they are not all of high quality.)



Roscoe, with a deep solo career alongside the AEC, plays a self-effacing role in the track selection for "rarum," a testimony to his dedication to the group. He apparently plans to keep the AEC going, even with Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors both gone. It began as Roscoe Mitchell's Art Ensemble, so he certainly can, though it will seem strange without those core members.



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Creative Brillance

A. Davis | Greenville, SC | 08/06/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Art Ensemble of Chicago was at their creative best when captured live in concert. There was a visual aspect to their art that greatly enhanced the music. During their brief stay at ECM, they were at their musical peak. This collection of songs is a testament to their creative prowess. Lester Bowie called this great black music because one could not catalog it as pop, jazz, etc. These songs cover the full range of AEC's range - from gentle swinging textures to full blown storms. The only thing missing from this disc is my favorite AEC ECM recording of "Dreaming of the Master" from their "Nice Guys" CD. That one song (A tribute to Miles Davis) opened my ears to this highly creative group. Rarum 6 is a great starter recording for new adventure seekers. Enjoy the Art Ensemble of Chicago. They don't make groups like this anymore. Thanks ECM."