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Jack DeJohnette, Made in Chicago (ECM)


Guy Berger

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To put it another way, unlike, say, the music of Mingus, which was deeply social conscious but firmly embedded in the sonic iconology of its idiom--or, for that matter, the music of Albert Ayler, which takes the music to its formal breaking point even as it's intended to be socially visionary--I've understood the AACM's uniquest gift to be the way in which it expanded the possibilities of what can be done, where, and with whom.

When I listen to Roscoe, Muhal, Threadgill, etc., I don't hear either terminal points or new beginnings--I see a lateral redefinition of what things are at a given point in time. You cannot understate the social value of this. Guys like Braxton and Roscoe have reconfigured what it means to be a Black American Musician--and, in turn, they have blown the doors completely away for many in subsequent generations. When I first "got" to the Art Ensemble, and when I began interacting with musicians who had come of age in the post-AACM climate of jazz, it actually kind of gave me (as a Filipino-American preoccupied with abstract improvisation) back to myself, whole. I imagine that my experience is not necessarily rare.

How rare, I can only imagine, but I can tell you that I felt a similar "liberation" when I first heard the AACM, 1974-5 or so, and time has only clarified what it was all about, which as you say, is that you are as you see yourself, and that this is a freedom/responsibility to not be surrendered or otherwise trifled with. And that, after I started learning about the ways that these people lived and survived, that pragmatism and idealism should never be viewed as enemies, that victory starts with survival.

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Started playing this in the morning, played it all day, might take it out tomorrow, might not. It's got that thing, for real.

It definitely does. On my first spin, this is my first time really listening to Muhal, Henry, Roscoe, all guys that have been on my radar, just needed to be ready to "get there". I am really liking what I'm hearing, especially "Chant" and now, "This".

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At the Chicago Jazz Festival this year:

Fittingly, one of the most notable headliners of the 37th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival is a very special reunion of pianist and composer Muhal Richard Abrams’ Experimental Band, the band that is commonly thought of as one of the first, if not the first, AACM ensembles. Says Abrams, “I am honored to have been asked to perform at the 37th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. Performing on the Chicago Jazz Festival on previous occasions and presently, is, and always was important to me. Also, the AACM 50th Anniversary Celebration makes this occasion very special.”

This special lineup will feature Abrams on piano; alto saxophonist, composer and Mills College professor, Roscoe Mitchell; saxophonist, flutist and composer Henry Threadgill; baritone saxophonist, flutist and composer Wallace McMillan; trumpeter, composer and former California Institute of the Arts professor Wadada Leo Smith; pianist, organist and composer Amina Claudine Myers; trombonist, composer, MacArthur Fellow, AACM historian and Columbia University professor George Lewis; bassist and composer Leonard Jones; drummer, vibraphonist, percussionist and composer Thurman Barker; and drummer and composer Reggie Nicholson. Several of these musicians were present at the founding of the AACM in 1965.

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At the Chicago Jazz Festival this year:

Fittingly, one of the most notable headliners of the 37th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival is a very special reunion of pianist and composer Muhal Richard Abrams’ Experimental Band, the band that is commonly thought of as one of the first, if not the first, AACM ensembles. Says Abrams, “I am honored to have been asked to perform at the 37th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. Performing on the Chicago Jazz Festival on previous occasions and presently, is, and always was important to me. Also, the AACM 50th Anniversary Celebration makes this occasion very special.”

This special lineup will feature Abrams on piano; alto saxophonist, composer and Mills College professor, Roscoe Mitchell; saxophonist, flutist and composer Henry Threadgill; baritone saxophonist, flutist and composer Wallace McMillan; trumpeter, composer and former California Institute of the Arts professor Wadada Leo Smith; pianist, organist and composer Amina Claudine Myers; trombonist, composer, MacArthur Fellow, AACM historian and Columbia University professor George Lewis; bassist and composer Leonard Jones; drummer, vibraphonist, percussionist and composer Thurman Barker; and drummer and composer Reggie Nicholson. Several of these musicians were present at the founding of the AACM in 1965.

Hopefully this will be recorded/released as it sounds like a pretty amazing lineup.

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Listened to the first track last night. Don't think I've ever heard a recording where the particular personalities of the players (insofar as I know them) was more evident. That may be a goofy way to look at it, but it's what I spontaneously thought -- that everyone was unclothed (so to speak), free of any desire or need to "present" themselves.

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I caught Made in Chicago on their last tour date in Ithaca on the 4th.  I was not alone in having traveled a long distance to attend, as I ran into a guy whom I often see at various concerts who drove 4 hours with a friend to be there.  I'm sure there were others as well, because how could you pass up the chance to see Jack DeJohnette, Muhal Richard Abrams, Henry Threadgill, Roscoe Mitchell and Larry Gray on the same stage?  

The concert opened with Larry Gray mainly bowing a beautiful intro on (a borrowed) cello.  I imagine that people may be less familiar with Larry Gray than they are with his bandmates, so I hope that Made in Chicago has brought him some more recognition.  His Solo & Quartet album on Premonition has become one of my favorite albums since I bought it last year.  Surrounded by bandmates who have known each other for 50-plus years, Gray provided energetic and quickly responsive support throughout.  
 
Gray's cello intro led to Roscoe Mitchell lending his powerful sound to a ballad melody.  Kind of like when Peter Brotzmann plays something slow and melodic, when Mitchell plays something melodic it is startlingly effective.  Eventually, Mitchell launched into a fiery solo with Gray and DeJohnette roiling behind him.  I couldn't help but smile throughout Mitchell's solo, as Jack was playing with such complete, joyful abandon that it was uplifting.
 
I haven't heard much of Abrams, but I was impressed with his touch and the way he helped to unify the group's sound with his depth and subtlety.  It's hard to believe that he is 85.  It must be very gratifying for him to see the effect he has had on the music over the years.
 
For the next song, DeJohnette played a synth drum that created this spontaneously rich soundscape that set the tone for the entire song.  Gray joined in with his bow, striking the strings and bowing, Mitchell played these whistle-like sounds on his saxophone, Threadgill played flute and Abrams plucked the piano strings.  It was a haunting, African-influenced performance that built in intensity.
 
One of the last two pieces (which included Mitchell's 'Chant') found Mitchell playing this relentless figure while the rest of the band churned behind him.  When Threadgill approached the microphone for his saxophone solo, he was like a boxer, with his notes darting in and out like well-timed punches.  Henry Threadgill is the perfect foil for Roscoe Mitchell and vice versa.  Mitchell has this incredibly disciplined, circular-breathing approach, whereas Threadgill has a more traditionally emotive (yet mysterious) approach and pauses more in between phrases.  Mitchell showed remarkable control and stamina throughout these pieces and the entire concert.  I found myself thinking that if he were to live to be 500, he could still blow out all of the candles on his birthday cake.  During the encore, he briefly punctuated some phrases by simultaneously blowing his soprano and sopranino.
 
Before and after the encore, the band received a standing ovation that included enthusiastic yells from the crowd.  Jack DeJohnette was visibly amped up after the set, like he could've run through a brick wall and wrestled King Kong.  It was a rare occurrence where both the band and audience seemed to recognize and revel in the significance of the moment.  To watch this group of longtime friends, whose playing continues to complement, push and (surely) surprise each other, was an experience I will never forget.  I hope that they can reconvene for more touring and recording.  The Made in Chicago album is representative of what the group can do, so I'm glad that it was released.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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