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The music of Fred Anderson: written or improvised?


colinmce

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I have been on a huge Fred Anderson kick lately. One thing I've always wondered is if his music contains any written material, or if it's entirely improvised. It sure sounds like the latter, but I can't be sure. The notes I've read from several albums don't really speak to this, nor does anything else I've read on him. I'm sure Chuck knows the answer; anyone else?

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Thanks for the link to the Steinbeck article. Steinbeck is valuable. There were occasional exceptions to the general rule that Fred improvised entire performances, like 2 evenings when he played Ornette Coleman songs - once when he and Hamid played with Charlie Haden, once when he helped me peddle my Ornette book. Uli, how long did Fred and Ajaramu play together (beginning sometime in the '80s) and were they playing Fred's own songs some of the time?

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Uli, how long did Fred and Ajaramu play together (beginning sometime in the '80s) and were they playing Fred's own songs some of the time?

I don't really know, John. I came to Chicago 1990 and think I heard him only once playing wIth AJ in a afterfest jam. iirc he regularly played with Tatsu Aoki and Afifi Phillard in the early 90ies.

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  • 11 months later...

I was searching a thread dedicated to Fred Anderson and this wa the only one I could find. I've been enjoying a number of titles by FA recently including Missing Link, Milwaukee Tapes Vol1 , Duets 2001. I was looking for later recommendations , there seem to be a number of Okka Disk titles which look pretty intersting. The one with Kowald & Drake looks to be good but I'd welcome any thoughts on later Fred Anderson.

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A) There is no Fred Anderson album that's not worth owning, so in a sense you can't go wrong!

My favorite, though, is Black Horn Long Gone from 1993 with Malachai Favors & Ajaramu. The two niels mentioned are obviously very strong. I would also put in a good word for Destiny & the DKV trio (both Okka), as well as Staying In the Game, his last.

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2 days in April with Kidd Jordan, WP & HD includes maybe the best recorded Fred Anderson solo EVER "hidden" within these 2 amazing discs.

On eremite - recorded live 1999

When you get the recording, let me know if you find the solo:)

Yes - Blue Winter is a great recording with Anderson in more relaxed later form. Drake and Parker are sublime and the actual recording is as good as recorded jazz gets. Recorded December 2004.

Edited by Steve Reynolds
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Usually Fred Anderson improvised on his own songs before, say, the 1990s - he had good musicians like Bill Brimfield, Douglas Ewart, George Lewis to play them with him in the 1970s. By the end of the last century he typically improvised entire concerts. I believe the reason the AACM kicked him out once or twice was because he played themes by non-AACM composers in AACM concerts.

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