Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 The album dates to 1970, the first year of ECM, when the label offered a fresh new sense of artistic freedom in light of the increasingly commercial output of Blue Note and Impulse! -- but before the stereotypically sterile ECM "sound" became its dominant approach to production. The personnel is as follows: Marion Brown: alto sax, zomari, percussion Anthony Braxton: alto sax, soprano sax, clarinet, contra-bass clarinet, Chinese musette, flute, percussion Chick Corea: piano, bells, gong, percussion Andrew Cyrille: percussion Larry Curtis: percussion (Side B only) William Green: Top o'lin, percussion (Side B only) Jack Gregg: bass, percussion Jeanne Lee: voice, percussion Billy Malone: African drum (Side B only) Bennie Maupin: tenor sax, alto flute, bass clarinet, acorn, bells, wooden flute, percussion Gayle Palmore: voice, piano, percussion The music feels warm, organic, and personal -- appropriate for a record intended to conjure images of such a specific place. Although Brown's liner notes on the the title track (Side A) mention Atlanta, it is clear that he is attempting to evoke a forest, perhaps an undeveloped area in the middle of a city, or even a semi-false idealized memory of lazy childhood summers. Whatever the case, the mood is a pastoral one. The title piece starts with a shower of "wooden raindrops," followed by more "metallic" percussion, before Brown sounds a call on the Zomari (a sort of "primitive"-sounding African instrument) and Braxton and Maupin enter on flutes. Then Chick Corea plays what is probably my favorite solo of his, one that literally redefined my concept of what a piano solo could be. He starts inside the piano, and produces all manner of Cage-ian "prepared piano" sounds, introduces more "traditional" elements, but maintains a constant sense of logic (within the context of the record) and forward momentum. Brown has special words of his own for the solo in the liner notes. It is followed by the avant-garde vocalizing of Jeanne Lee as Chick continues to play and the flutes come back. The piece finally returns to the gentle percussive rainstorm where it originated. It may go without saying that "Afternoon of a Georgia Faun" has more in common with 20th century classical music than with jazz. There are no recognizably "jazz" chords or phrasings for the entire piece. "Djinji's Corner," written to welcome Brown's new son into the world, begins with a blast from Braxton and Maupin that brings the listener back into a more obviously "free jazz" realm, although the basic framework again draws more from contemporary classical. The piece is built around an "instrument-changing" concept where the musicians move from one "station" of instruments to another, long enough to state a theme on whatever they decide to pick up. Braxton and Maupin move to their primary axes, but everyone doubles on hand percussion at some point or another. Chick's playing here is along the lines of the Circle records. Coming on the heels of the title track -- one of my favorite pieces of recorded music -- "Djinii's Corner" inevitably disappoints somewhat as feeling less original. But it remains a highly engaging piece of early 70s free jazz, perhaps distinguished by the beautiful craziness of Lee's vocals (wish she were on more records). Others may disagree that it is the lesser of the two sides. Anyway, I am interested to hear any and all opinions on this album. I realize that some of you may not own it, as it is long out of print on CD. I picked up mine on vinyl a few years ago. It was sold to the record store by a pimp, from from the collection of the father of one of his prostitutes. A sad story in more ways than one, but at least other got to enjoy some of the man's amazing record collection, which ranged from classic 60s Blue Note to rare Stockhausen (which got snapped up within a couple of days) and included almost every ECM from the 70s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 QUOTE(freeform83 @ Jun 24 2007, 04:05 PM) * Anyway, I am interested to hear any and all opinions on this album. I realize that some of you may not own it, as it is long out of print on CD. I picked up mine on vinyl a few years ago. This album is OOP in the United States, but available in Europe. Unfortunately I haven't heard it yet but will rectify this problem in the next few months. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 This is the most beautiful "free jazz" album I have heard - gave it a spin recently when searching out Bennie Maupin sessions. Just beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 (edited) This album is OOP in the United States, but available in Europe. Hmm .... I can't find it on the ECM website ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Edited July 2, 2007 by Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 That's a cover I found on some webshop site - liked the LP cover better. (IMG: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 This album is OOP in the United States, but available in Europe. Hmm .... I can't find it on the ECM website ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Damn, it must have gone OOP recently. I may just download a copy, then. If anybody is aware of a source to obtain this CD in new or like-new condition for up to $25 (incl. shipping), please PM me. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 A google search reveals some interesting mentions of the album: An academic-type review: http://www.jstor.org/view/00907790/ap040003/04a00170/0 Bennie Maupin talks about it: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=22723 Marion Brown is called "the most neglected musician of our time" (I might agree with that but I think Maupin is up there!): http://www.idiocentrism.com/marion%20brown.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 This seems to be available from Amazon Germany for 22 euros. I don't read German but it appeared in my shopping basket with what I think is a delivery of 4-6 weeks. There also seem to be several Amazon sellers offering this via this site. Again its all in German. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 Wow, it's been some time since I heard this one. It's interesting, I picked this up early on in my "free-jazz" listening on the strength of Three for Shepp (my first Marion Brown record). I remember being taken aback, though at the time I also liked AACM music a lot, so I could dig it. Now, my opinion has sort of shifted somewhat. My feeling is that as Marion was investigating this more "pastoral" side of his music, there were some occasions where the fire was lost. Listening to Marion's work with Leo Smith or Gunter Hampel, both of which expand on the pastoralism first hinted at with tunes like "Fortunato," there's still a coiled and tense energy about the proceedings. The ECM (and the Impulses that came out a little later) seemed to lose a bit of that energy. You've given me cause to give this record a needed spin, and I will dutifully report back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 It's a lot better than I remember it (nearly a decade since I listened to it last). Not very AACM-ish upon this revisiting. Side one is very modern-classical inspired - Kagel, Berio perhaps - and side two is very in keeping with some of the work Brown was doing with Hampel and Jeanne Lee prior to 1970. Glad I kept it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 This seems to be available from Amazon Germany for 22 euros. I don't read German but it appeared in my shopping basket with what I think is a delivery of 4-6 weeks. There also seem to be several Amazon sellers offering this via this site. Again its all in German. A delivery span of 4-6 weeks with amazon.de usually indicates an item gone oop. The sellers offering used copies ("gebraucht") usually really have it in stock ("auf lager"), but those offering new items not always actually do have it in stock. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeform83 Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Thanks Guy, and everyone feel free to add comments on Geechee Recollections (Impulse, 73) or anything else that may be in a similar vein. Sadly, the only other 70s Brown I have is Harold Budd's Pavillion of Dreams (EG, 78), where he plays alto on one track. It's essentially an early New Age album, slightly more varied and intellectually challenging, but nothing that great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donald petersen Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 free, i don't really know what you are asking but my favorite 70s marion brown i have heard is probably sweet earth flying. geechee is good, though. vistas is also good but feels a bit produced. sweet earth flying is less um earthy than geechee-it has some electric keys going on...not funky at all or anything...just kind of spacy. vista has a tune also on the budd album and has some boring parts like a dull stevie wonder cover but also some pretty moments. some good live bootleg stuff around from the mid to late 70s....at the end of the 70s brown got kind of straight again, to my ears. a bit back towards tradition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeform83 Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 free, i don't really know what you are asking but my favorite 70s marion brown i have heard is probably sweet earth flying. geechee is good, though. vistas is also good but feels a bit produced. sweet earth flying is less um earthy than geechee-it has some electric keys going on...not funky at all or anything...just kind of spacy. vista has a tune also on the budd album and has some boring parts like a dull stevie wonder cover but also some pretty moments. some good live bootleg stuff around from the mid to late 70s....at the end of the 70s brown got kind of straight again, to my ears. a bit back towards tradition. I'm asking about this particular kind of "pastoral" free jazz that Brown was working with at the time, as opposed to his earlier hard bop/free bop/inside-out/whatever albums. But I have a feeling that Afternoon of a Georgia Faun is somewhat unique. I, for one, have never heard anything else like it. So are you saying that the song on the Budd album is on Vista as a different version? That's strange because I thought it was written by Budd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Larsen Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Does Marion Brown still live in NYC? I'm asking because when I saw Cecil Taylor at the Blue Note a month or two ago, I was seated with a very, very old man absorbed in revising a thick stack of handwritten sheet music who looked for all the world like Mssr. Brown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Are those Impulse LPs available anywhere? CD perhaps? I always regretted that I didn't buy them at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 (edited) Marion lives in a nursing home in Hollywood, Florida. As some of you probably know, his foot was amputated (wrongly) several years ago, for which he received a malpractice settlement. He does go to gigs in New York still, apparently, when they warrant travel, so it's entirely possible he was there. He's starting to play alto again, and has expressed desire to record another album. Edited July 4, 2007 by clifford_thornton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felser Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Are those Impulse LPs available anywhere? CD perhaps? I always regretted that I didn't buy them at the time. Vista is available on a Japanese CD. I have it and love it. It is very different than Brown's work that came before it, but very beautiful. Stanley Cowell's influence is strong on it. Sweet Earth Flying and Geechee Recollections have not been out on CD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2007 Steve Lake posted the following on Jazz Corner: Marion Brown’s record is currently out of print, yes. I hope not permanently. I remember buying that when it first came out, in 1970, in the grip of Braxton Completist Compulsion at the time, but really feeling that the recording opened up some new areas in its own right. As to its present unavailability: ECM has tried for decades to keep its titles in print but sometimes you have to balance idealism against practicality and face the (less than thrilling) logistics of warehouse shelf space and related expenses, particularly the escalating expense of continually reprinting/repressing titles in small quantities. When you have a catalogue of a thousand titles, it’s no longer viable, unfortunately, to keep everything available and in stock all the time. Too bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted July 11, 2007 Report Share Posted July 11, 2007 It'll be back. I hope next time they press it, they keep the original artwork intact. Maybe a Japanese Mini-LP version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ep1str0phy Posted July 11, 2007 Report Share Posted July 11, 2007 Afternoon... was a part of that "text over drab, pictureless earth tones" CD reissue series a while back (the same one that included Drum Ode, but then I've never seen a CD issue of Drum Ode...)--that's the copy I have. Regardless, the LP reissue--moody B&W cover art and all--is very readily accessible, and can be found cheap ($8.99 in CA) at your local music superstore (Amoeba, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted July 12, 2007 Report Share Posted July 12, 2007 The original is cheap, too. I get the feeling Guy doesn't have a turntable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted November 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2009 I have a crazy question - is the Gayle Palmore who contributes vocals, piano and percussion to this recording the same as Gayle Moran who married Chick Corea and played on some 70s fusion recordings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted November 11, 2009 Report Share Posted November 11, 2009 I would tend to think not, but hey: http://delilah1234.wordpress.com/2009/10/2...lake-placid-fl/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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