DON CHERRY LIVE AT CAFE MONTMARTRE 1966
Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 02/14/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON THIS REVIEW ALSO SHOWS UP FOR VOLUME TWO OF CHERRY'S MUSIC,RECORDED AT THE SAME VENUE. THIS REVIEW IS FOR VOLUME ONE ONLY! One disc 47 minutes approximately. Remastered sound which is clean and fairly immediate. I do wish the bass was a bit more upfront in general,but that's a minor quibble. This is music that could only have been appreciated in Europe then and even in the present time. Those jazz listeners who know of Cherry will know of his association with Ornette Coleman's quartet in the early sixties. This music at times sounds much like Coleman's-intelligent,thought provoking,and at times intense. The group is made up of well known players from Europe:Gato Barbieri-tenor sax;Karl Berger-vibes;Aldo Romano-drums;Bo Stief-bass. This music finds Cherry working out several tunes and ideas from his Blue Note Records release SYMPHONY FOR IMPROVISERS. This is music that cries out for undivided listening in order to best enjoy it. There is a logic to this music that only starts to become apparent after several hearings. The group sometimes plays as one unit,sometimes Cherry or Berger will come to the forefront for a solo. The best tracks are when the group as a whole play with,against,or weave in and out of each other. What at first seems to be random notes played by the group begins to form as a unit which moves the music ahead and is very satisfying. Most people will not think of Barbieri when thinking of an "outside" player,but here he plays with and against Cherry and the group very well. For those who know of(and like) Cherry this would be a good addition for the jazz shelf. If you're a fan of Coleman this album too will be very satisfying. One thing I do have to point out is track four,Complete Communion,where the group, very subtly, begins to weave in the song A Taste of Honey into the middle portion of the composition. It's a real surprise and adds that certain "something" into an already great track. It's that kind of thinking(and playing) which makes this a great listen. The notes are informative and help set the scene for the music. Included with this disc is a dvd from ESP which is a showcase for their other artists. If this is your thing there is a second volume out which is it's equal. There is a third volume which as of this writing has not been released. Fans of this music should watch out for it."
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1
