Roscoe Mitchell, the Creative Arts Collective (CAC) and Detroit/Michigan

[Rabshakeh]

Wikipedia's entry for Roscoe Mitchell says:

"Mitchell and the others returned to the States in 1971. After having been back in Chicago for three years, Mitchell then established the Creative Arts Collective (CAC) in 1974 that had a similar musical aesthetic to the AACM. The group was based in East Lansing, Michigan and frequently performed in auditoriums at Michigan State University. Mitchell also formed the Sound Ensemble in the early 1970s, an "outgrowth of the CAC" in his words, that consisted mainly of Mitchell, Hugh Ragin, Jaribu Shahid, Tani Tabbal, and Spencer Barefield."

I have seen other references to the Creative Arts Collective around.

Other than the Sound Ensemble, what sort of existence did CAC have? Were there other affiliated musicians and groups, similar to e.g. CMIF, or was it really just Mitchell and his group? Did any records result?

I reckon that some of the members here will have some insight!

Edited January 6, 2023 by JSngry
Title modified at poster's request.

[mjzee]

There's a mention of the CAC on page 203 of Mark Stryker's excellent book "Jazz From Detroit":

One of the most enduring organizations has been the Creative Arts Collective (CAC), founded in 1978 by A. Spencer Barefield and still active 40 years later. An exploratory guitarist and composer, Barefield has worked and recorded extensively with Roscoe Mitchell and produced an exceptional series of concerts at the Detroit Institute of Arts from 1979 to 1992 in which cutting-edge national artists like Mitchell and Muhal Richard Abrams mixed it up with Detroit musicians.

[Rabshakeh]

I thought there would be some Detroit based knowledge!

It's interesting that the book points to Barefield rather than Mitchell as the founder of the CAC. I only really know him from Mitchell's records. I'm aware of a record called Transdimensional Space Window but I've never heard it.

Presumably other Detroit based musicians like Tani Tabbal and Jaribu Shahid were also members.

[mjazzg]

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

 

It's interesting that the book points to Barefield rather than Mitchell as the founder of the CAC. I only really know him from Mitchell's records. I'm aware of a record called Transdimensional Space Window but I've never heard it.

 

It's worth hearing. Cover art marvellously of its time too. He has a couple of good releases on Sound Aspects too

[carville]

 One of the great disappointments for me was the death of the Geodesic label. They released 3 items from the CAC archives then went poof. Well worth acquiring!

http://beneathdetroit.com/products/

 

A little bit of history on the CAC can be found in their "about" page. I seem to recall a few well written articles about that scene either online or in print but can't lay my hands on them right now.

 

beneathdetroit.com

 

There are some full concerts (streaming only) archived on the site. Worth poking around.

 

 

[Rabshakeh]

9 minutes ago, carville said:

 One of the great disappointments for me was the death of the Geodesic label. They released 3 items from the CAC archives then went poof. Well worth acquiring!

http://beneathdetroit.com/products/

 

9 minutes ago, carville said:

A little bit of history on the CAC can be found in their "about" page. I seem to recall a few well written articles about that scene either online or in print but can't lay my hands on them right now.

 

beneathdetroit.com

 

There are some full concerts (streaming only) archived on the site. Worth poking around.

 

What are these? Archival live recordings or reissues with new sleeves?

"Formed by Roscoe Mitchell and students at Michigan State University and then carried back to fruition by Detroit guitarist A Spencer Barefield and his wife Photographer Barbara Barefield, The Creative Arts Collective continued a pattern of musical ingenuity and experimentation in the Motor City that held its ground with any movement the city had spawned. The CAC was grass roots, community created and self-published. Musicians on a regular basis included Faruq Z Bey, Tani Tabal, Jaribu Shahid, Anthony Holland, Richard Davis, Roy Brooks, Sun Ra, Anthony Braxton, The Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Lester Bowie, Roscoe Mitchell, Hugh Ragin, Arthur Blythe, Andrew Cyrille, Oliver Lake, George Lewis and legions more.

The CAC was one of the most important gathering points for music in America’s Jazz History while remaining entirely obscure to the greater story."

I know of a record by a group called Griot Galaxy "Kins" that has quite a lot of these guys on. It's a great record, and from 1982, so presumably connected.

The truth is that, even for Mitchell, whose music has a really special place for me, the Sound Ensemble / Note Factory era is probably the part of the story about which I know the least.

[mjazzg]

I'd forgotten about Geodesic, thanks for the reminder 

[carville]

17 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

 

What are these? Archival live recordings or reissues with new sleeves?

 

These are previously unreleased archival recordings.

17 hours ago, mjazzg said:

I'd forgotten about Geodesic, thanks for the reminder 

I'm going to pull mine out for a spin this weekend.

[Rabshakeh]

Interested to know what those who know this era better than I regard as the key recordings, where there by Mitchell or by his peers.

[Rabshakeh]

I should get that Barefield. I was listening to him on Sound and Space Ensembles (which has been on repeat over here for a while).

[Chuck Nessa]

December 12, 1980.

Photo by Ann Peter Nessa.

Edited January 6, 2023 by Chuck Nessa