Tim Price Bloggin' For D'Addario- SOUND ; The importance of Roscoe Mitchell.

This music ranks as one of the holy grails of free jazz, like the iconic recordings from the '60s of Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler, Trane ,when that style of playing was new, fresh and not cliched. Just exquisite. Yes, this is a historic recording--the first AACM recording, but more importantly, Mitchell's record is an amazing set of music by some very original and creative musicians.There are two versions of "Ornette", an aptly named short piece.Although the title is "Sound", silence is equally important here, as the musicians examine the notes and the spaces between them. The ensemble playing shows some traces of free jazz, some traces of third stream, but ultimately is a highly original work that continues to fascinate four decades later.For any lover of creative jazz players of this era, this album is no less than essential. Personnel..... Roscoe Mitchell – alto saxophone, clarinet, flute, recorder Lester Bowie – trumpet, flugelhorn, harmonica Malachi Favors – bass Maurice McIntyre – tenor saxophone Lester Lashley – trombone, cello Alvin Fielder – percussion Arrangement-wise, it employed a number of instruments largely foreign to avant-garde jazz -- not just cello and clarinet, but the AEC's notorious "little instruments," like recorder, whistle, harmonica, and assorted small percussion devices (gourds, maracas, bells, etc.), heard to best effect on the playful "Little Suite." Structurally, Sound heralded a whole new approach to free improvisation; where most previous free jazz prized an unrelenting fever pitch of emotion, Sound was full of wide-open spaces between instruments CHECK YOU TUBE ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJST92-UNVE...Listen and learn. After the energy of Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler, and the late Coltrane, SOUND introduced an entirely different approach to the developing free jazz avant-garde -- the deliberate use of space and the elimination of the pulse.This recording of Roscoe Mitchell's compositions was the first recording by the new AACM. IMPORTANT AND VITAL MUSIC...that should be listened to by all.So, I have been a fan of Mr. Mitchell for a long time; the melodious writing is in a category by itself! Love this music!Check it out....it sounds so modern and fresh to this day. ~~ Tim Price / Blogging For D'Addario//