Guest akanalog Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 maybe chuck can answer this. i am just curious how muhal richard abrams signed on to perform on eddie harris' "instant death" album. not that it is an overtly commercial album-just seems weird that in 72? abrams was playing plinky e-piano on a sort of funky harris album. were harris and abrams friends? i don't think abrams would play on an album just for $$$. i think i read harris and abrams and roscoe mitchell maybe had a group called "the experimental quartet" in chicago in the earlier 60s? was this the connection? any thoughts or recollections on this group, chuck? sounds interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Somewhat off-topic, Abrams is also on a MJT+3 Argo release that has seen mini-LP reissue in Japan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 I think (but can't remember the source) there was a loose connection between Eddie Harris and the AACM members - playing free from exclusively was not a criterion for membership. Eddie was well versed in free playing - he did a lot of it in his quartet with Jodie Christian, Richard Smith, and Bob Crowder. And just like the AEOC sometimes made fun of popular musics, so did Eddie. Or maybe Jodie Christian, who played on Eddie's albums up to "Instant Death", wasn't available. Christian played an electric piano of that brand in Eddie's group. Abrams played on one more session with Eddie in 1973 - one track was on the 2LP set "Excursions". And I think Eddie kept contact with his former bandmates and the Chicago scene - he invited Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, and Billy Higgins in the late 1970's, who had been on his very first Atlantic LPs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Muhal worked regularly with Eddie for a couple years. Eddie was always drawn to "individuals". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Eddie was always drawn to "individuals". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabshakeh Posted January 25, 2021 Report Share Posted January 25, 2021 (edited) I've just discovered this old thread whilst wondering exactly the same thing as the OP. Abrams is also on the even more commercial That Is Why You're Overweight, although he's less of a presence there than on Instant Death. For added AACM points, that album, once it's worked through its funk and comedy tracks, has a track of near unaccompanied solo saxophone by Eddie Harris towards the end. It's an odd thing to find on what's otherwise a funk record. On 11/04/2006 at 4:28 PM, mikeweil said: Eddie was well versed in free playing - he did a lot of it in his quartet with Jodie Christian, Richard Smith, and Bob Crowder. Does anyone know of any examples of Harris playing free on record, with this group or otherwise? Edited January 25, 2021 by Rabshakeh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 25, 2021 Report Share Posted January 25, 2021 Look for the duet album with Ellis Marsalis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabshakeh Posted January 25, 2021 Report Share Posted January 25, 2021 13 minutes ago, JSngry said: Look for the duet album with Ellis Marsalis. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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