Fred Anderson
Yesterday was a great day of music here in Chicago, starting out at the Hyde Park Arts Center where I led a panel discussion about the realities of local musician run record labels. The panelists included Asian Improv Records co-founder Francis Wong (the other co-founder, Jon Jang didn't come out to Chicago for the festival this year), Tatsu Aoki, and co-owner/proprietors of Southport records, Bradley Parker-Sparrow and Joannie Palatto. There was a great crowd of around 75-100 people there, and it took place in a gallery enveloping us in visual art.
After talking about the history of their labels and how they came to be and interact, some interesting points came up in the ensuing conversation. One point made by Francis Wong was that they are not in the record business in the same way Columbia or Blue Note is. This might seem obvious, but his assertion tied into a recurring theme in the conversation, which was that these labels existed more to give these artists a voice than to make a lot of money. That point was hammered home by Tatsu Aoki, when asked about the role of the internet and technology in the label business, he noted that before they peddled records on the internet he sold about 10 copies a year of his solo bass album. Now that his records are all on the internet, he still sells about 10 copies a year.
Once we were done with our yapping, the first music of the day began. Billed as the Jeff Chan Trio Plus One Plus Two, it ended up being a reeds quintet featuring Jimmy Ellis on alto, Ed Wilkerson on tenor and clarinet, Jeff Chan on tenor and bass clarinet, Francis Wong on tenor and flute, and Lewis Jordan on alto and poetics.
Obvious comparisons to the WSQ aside, this was a great lineup that really took the music to a variety of interesting places. There were some very interesting compositions by Jeff Chan that added some structure while maintaining an improvisatory edge, and each member was featured at one point or another in the proceedings. One highlight was a solo montage by Jimmy Ellis who said he was going to paint a picture for the audience of a Sunday in his neighborhood growing up, where everyone would go to church in the morning and then the community would gather to spin jazz records in the afternoon, a trip to a different kind of church. Starting out slow with the sunrise and working through the church service, complete with a Come Sunday quote, once he got to the jazz portion he quoted a variety of standards in a fluid, unforced manner.
The evening festivities brought a reprise of a quartet that first got together last year for the Asian American Jazz Festival, playing two nights last year but only one this year. With Fred Anderson and Francis Wong on tenors, Tatsu Aoki on bass, and Chad Taylor in from New York on drums, I was anticipating the show since last year's music proved to be incendiary. While this year's set might not have reached the otherworldly highs that I recall from last year, it was still a superlative evening of music.
Tatsu Aoki and Chad Taylor are an incredible rhythm section, prone to locking into trance-like yet surprisingly malleable grooves that had many heads in the audience bobbing to the beat. There was one groove in the second set that any hip hop artist would have been proud to sample. It should be noted that Tatsu played incredibly well in spite of the fact that he has badly injured his back and had a full torso body cast on underneath his shirt, causing him considerable discomfort. Here's hoping he heals quickly and fully. Francis Wong and Fred Anderson both did their part, but there wasn't as much meshing of their musical sensibilities as I remember last year.
All in all, a fantastic day of music from all involved. I'm already looking forward to next year's fest.
DiggFrom the river to the ocean, and back again.
Last night a crowd convened on the north side of Chicago to see Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake lead their From The River to the Ocean band in the first of two album release parties. This one took place at the Stop Smiling headquarters, a magazine operation that produces some interesting literature if you ever get a chance to check it out. There was one memorable issue that dealt with Miles Davis' boxing prowess that stands out in my memory.
I arrived a little early at 6:45 before the posted 7 PM start time to find a crowd on the sidewalk waiting to get in. Apparently the doors wouldn't open until 7 we were told, which turned into 7:30. In the mean time, the crowd on the sidewalk swelled, to the point where people passing by became curious about what was going on inside. Add to this curiosity the fact that Stop Smiling had Nas and Madlib on the cover of their most recent issue and huge poster size pictures of the covers in the storefront window of the venue, and some people stopped thinking that Nas or Madlib would be making an appearance. This led to a few interesting conversations about Fred Anderson and who the hell he was.
The space was a small room with benches along the sides and back, and an open floor. I walked to the front and sat myself down on the ground directly in front of the stage. To call it a stage is a bit of an overstatement; it was maybe 6" high, and only 3 of the 5 band members actually fit on it, with Harrison Bankhead and Jeff Parker setting up on the floor.
John Corbett introduced the band to thunderous applause and we were off, with the first number featuring Hamid Drake on his frame drum, Josh Abrams on the guimbri, Harrison Bankhead on Cello (which he played for 3 of the 4 tunes), and Jeff Parker and Fred Anderson on their usual instruments, guitar and tenor sax respectively.
The setlist was something like this: From the River to the Ocean, Planet E, Strut Time, and a final tune that sounded like an open improv to me, perhaps based on the Sakti/Shiva track that closes the album.
The band immediately established a live rapport equal to or greater than the album. Of course I love the live setting with its immediacy and physical presence, and both the opening From the River to the Ocean and Strut Time stood out as more vibrant live than they do to my ears on the album.
Fred's booming tenor was made even louder via amplification, which was particularly unnecessary in my sitting position where Fred pointed directly at me, and his speaker did the same. At one point I had to cover my ears from the sound, lending the proceedings a Last Exitesque aural assault from my seat.
The two bass attack was particularly noteworthy, when Harrison Bankhead joined Josh Abrams on upright for one tune. Some serious low end action ensued, and they took advantage of the configuration by letting the two bassists play a solo together. They each took their turn as the lead, with Harrison Bankhead doing his double bowing to create an eerie accompaniment before Josh Abrams switched from pizzicato to arco acrobatics. Josh was on fire the whole night, especially when he played bass, at one point during a solo eliciting laughs of delight from his bandmates and a "go on Josh" from Harrison Bankhead.
Fred Anderson seemed to take a lot of happiness from the proceedings, visually enjoying the playing of the band. There was an incredibly high level of playing by every individual, with Hamid Drake providing the driving force and rhythmic variety throughout.
This same band will be playing at the Velvet Lounge tonight. I have a prior commitment that will keep me away, but if it finishes early I'm hoping to catch the second set. In my personal musical orbit, this is one of the best bands and most important music being made and I hate to miss a note of it.
The stage created this juxtaposition of a Stop Smiling banner hanging over Hamid Drake, probably one of the people most likely to smile that I know. I could not follow the banner's missive either, as I laughed and enjoyed the joyous music that poured from the stage.
It was hailed as the return of the prairie prophet.
Fred Anderson made his return to the concert stage on Sunday, choosing to make his comeback with the Great Black Music Ensemble, the AACM big band that has been doing a residency under the direction of Mwata Bowden the first two Sundays of each month at the Velvet Lounge.
That Fred chose to play his first show back with the GBME was emblematic of his dedication to the AACM and the music community at large, a commitment that has manifested itself in myriad ways in Fred's life. He made the decision to stay in Chicago rather than head to NYC as many of his peers did. He's mentored many musicians, nurturing their growth. Most of all perhaps, he's run the Velvet Lounge, a venue that has never made Fred rich but has provided a breeding ground for creative music. His return show with the Great Black Music Ensemble helped to shine a light not only on his return, but also on the band and the organization. Fred Anderson, selfless as always.
The Great Black Music Ensemble swelled to 16 pieces on Sunday (18 if you include conductor Mwata Bowden and special guest soloist Fred Anderson). They try and get as many AACM members as possible involved, but the lineup fluctuates from as few as 7 or 8 to as many as 30 for any given concert. Apart from well known names like Nicole Mitchell and Ed Wilkerson, there are a lot of younger and older musicians who come out to play who don't gig out as much otherwise, so it provides a nice showcase for their playing.
Fred's presence certainly made it a special occasion. The concert began as a 360 degree musical experience, with Fred entering from the back of the room alongside the gentle accompaniment of Isaiah Spencer on drums and the pianist whose name escapes me. Fred's huge, bold sound has to be heard in person to be believed (take note New Yorkers, and don't miss him at the Vision Festival), probably the most powerful tenor sound I've ever heard. He sounded as good as ever as he spun his usual sinewy lines through the Velvet audience.
They played one long set, about an hour and a half, playing material from a Fletcher Henderson chart, to Douglas Ewart's Mars Blues. Fred was featured as a soloist throughout, and he brought the house down each time. It was nice to see Fred honored by the community: the pianist got up and said a few words about how much he meant to the musicians and people around him, and he received several standing ovations during and after the show. The band played great, and you can tell that some of the young players really get a lot from playing with their elders and getting encouragement and feedback from them. After an effusive tenor sax solo, the young Kevin Nabors got a fist-pound of encouragement from Ed Wilkerson, and trumpeter Leon Q turned the ensembles' heads when he started spinning around, playing at them as much as the audience.
My list has been posted over at D:O, but to reiterate:
1 8 Bold Souls, Sideshow (Arabesque, 1992)
2 William Parker/In Order To Survive, The Peach Orchard (Aum Fidelity, 1998)
3 Greg Osby, Banned in New York (Blue Note, 1998)
4 Myra Melford Extended Ensemble, Even the Sounds Shine (hatHUT, 1995)
5 Douglas Ewart and Inventions Clarinet Choir, Angles of Entrance (Aarawak, 1990/1998)
6 Anderson/Crispell/Drake, Destiny (OkkaDisk, 1994)
7 Jon Jang, Two Flowers on a Stem (Soul Note, 1995)
8 Horace Tapscott, Thoughts of Dar Es Salaam (Arabesque, 1997)
9 Charles Gayle, Touchin’ on Trane (FMP, 1993)
10 Anderson/Kowald/Drake, Live at the Velvet Lounge (OkkaDisk, 1999)
FYI, these were not listed in any kind of order relating to quality. It was just how I happened to write them down.
Today I'm planning to write about two of the four of these discs that hail from the great windy city of Chicago. Namely the two Fred Anderson discs, Anderson/Kowald/Drake, Live at the Velvet Lounge, and Anderson/Crispell/Drake, Destiny.
Yes, I gave 4 out of my top 10 albums to discs made in Chicago. I told you I was biased. However, it really does reflect my listening from the decade, because when I delved into the wealth of music coming out of this great city, I did so in depth, and as such my collection has a decidedly Midwestern slant.
The first record I want to touch on is the Fred Anderson, Marylin Crispell, Hamid Drake disc Destiny. This recording was initiated by Ms. Crispell, as she was scheduled to play a Women In Jazz festival here in Chicago and was asked who she might like to play with. She chose Fred Anderson, and Hamid Drake was the other logical co-conspirator given his long association with Mr. Anderson.
Fred Anderson is one of my favorite artists. To my ears, he is singular in the so-called avant-garde for his lack of extended technique. If you ask him about it, he'll tell you it's because he's actually a bit older than a lot of the other players associated with the genre, and he was really deep into Charlie Parker. So that's where he's coming from: he plays lines, melodies, wrapping them around and around, but never getting into the realm of squonks and squeals.
Fred has a huge sound. Enormous even. He's said that's due to his early practice regimen of playing outside in the parks, and learning to really project. It's a wonder he projects as well as he does, given his hunched over posture that would seem to constrict his diaphragm. Anyone who's felt the physicality of his sound in person can tell you that it doesn't seem to hamper him one bit.
I've listened to Fred mostly in settings without a guitar or piano to frame his improvisations harmonically, allowing for my imagination to fill in the blanks. Fred paints pictures with his lines and I would fill in some of the colors. I remember the first time I heard this recording, it was revelatory to hear a piano framing his improvisations. I got this feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I liked it. Crispell obviously had enormous ears, figuratively of course, and was an empathetic improvisational partner to Fred. I've seen Fred perform with people for the first time before, and when he stops playing and allows Crispell and Drake to do their thing, I can see him standing off to the side of the stage, pensive, reflective, and with a grin on his face listening to her go.
This isn't the only recording of Fred Anderson with a harmonic instrument: Birdhouse features Jim Baker on piano, Chicago Chamber Music features Bradley Parker-Sparrow on a few tracks on piano, several recordings, including the recent From the River to the Ocean feature Jeff Parker on guitar, and with Irene Shweizer on one track on Portrait, as well as this year's trio recording, which I have yet to hear.
This CD has it all for my ears: energetic swirling improvisations, sensitive avant balladry, great solo, duo, and trio interactions, and a vitality that translates from the live performance to the disc.
The second of the two Fred Anderson discs that made their way onto my list is the 1998 Live At The Velvet Lounge, showcasing Fred in my favorite setting for his music: the trio. Here he's joined by Peter Kowald and Hamid Drake; elsewhere, he's had Tatsu Aoki, Harrison Bankhead, and William Parker as the link between him and Drake in the trio setting.
Fred, in a trio, at the Velvet Lounge is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of him. The two nights of music that became his recent Delmark disc Timeless were both incredible, and I count several of his performances in this format, at that venue, as my top listening concert experiences of my life.
This one consists of two long, 30 minute-ish improvisations that bookend a more restrained second track. Fred Anderson always manages to make music that captures my imagination, first and foremost. When I listen, I am transported, and he always brings me back down for a safe landing. His musical relationship with Hamid Drake can't be emphasized enough: they have an incredible level of comfort, while retaining the ability to challenge each other through their interplay.
I think both Destiny and the Live at the Velvet Lounge disc are out of print unfortunately. If you come across a used copy, grab it up.
More on the other two Chicago discs soon....
Apologies for the lack of activity around here lately. I've been quite busy with a number of projects, musical and scholarly, and there's been such great posts and reading amongst other blogs recently that I've been left with little left to say and plenty left to read. Throw in a little bout with some seasonal allergies and Soundslope's been left by the wayside.
Along with some fantastic reading, I've been taking the time to really listen to some music, as a primary active pursuit of sitting, absorbing, and reflecting. Most people understand that there is a difference between hearing and listening; hearing implies basic acknowledgment of auditory input, while listening connotes an active processing of the information encoded in that auditory signal. That there are degrees of listening is plainly obvious to anyone who has been ignored while speaking, or to any person who has tried to deeply listen to music or to another human being with a receptivity and stillness of mind that allows deep listening to occur. Thus, the degree of listening is more involved with the state of the mind of the listener than with the physical mechanisms of the ears, and one’s own disposition and mental framework determines the depth and extent to which one listens. Listening intently is largely a matter of where attention is placed, and how well the individual is able to maintain that attention in a focused manner, allowing them to receive without distraction or mental interruption. In that spirit I've been trying to deepen my own listening practices, with improvised music as my source of study and inspiration.
I received a recording of the Art Ensemble of Chicago live in 1977in Germany with Fred Anderson sitting in. It's rare to hear Fred Anderson playing any music other than his own - his tone and style is so singular, and he really embodies the AACM ethos of playing original music. So its fun to hear Fred sit in with the venerable AEOC, his tone instantly identifiable amongst Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman's formidable contributions.
The only other recording I have of Fred playing someone else's music is a trio recording of him with Charlie Haden and Hamid Drake. I'm one of only two people who have the recording, as the person who gave it to me has the original tapes and isn't spreading it in hopes of it eventually finding its way to an official release. In any case, with Charlie's presence, Fred actually plays some Ornette tunes, which is really a treat, since Ornette and Ed Blackwell had such an influence on both Fred and Hamid Drake's playing.
Fred's such an interesting player amongst the so-called "avant-garde" because he doesn't do any overblowing or extended technique on his horn. He seems to draw from an endless well of musical ideas and flow, with the rhythmic element really playing a huge role in his approach and his sound. He has such a strong, powerful tone on his tenor, and I've read in an interview that he credits it to the fact that he used to practice outside in the park a lot, so he got used to projecting. It's even more amazing when you realize that Fred plays all hunched over - it's amazing that his diaphragm can still produce such a huge sound.
The AEOC show is a typical tour-de-force of musical exploration. Moye's drumming never fails to amaze me, and listening to the recording makes me wish Lester Bowie had collaborated with Fred Anderson in a more developed capacity during his all too brief life.
Other new listening has included a Charles Brackeen Quartet Silkheart recording from 1987 called Worshippers Come Nigh, featuring Mr. Brackeen on tenor, Olu Dara, on cornet, Fred Hopkins on bass, Andrew Cyrille on drums and percussion, and Dennis Gonzalez on "pao de chuva" on one track. It's already up on Behearer so I'll be adding some commentary there once I dig in a little bit further. Seeing this recording also makes me want to pick up this Dennis Gonzalez record.
I've also been delving back into the work of the overlooked Japanese-american pianist Glenn Horiuchi. My friend Tatsu Aoki first hipped me to Horiuchi and I've been hooked ever since. Horiuchi had an all too brief career, dying of cancer in 2000 at the age of 45. He was a good friend of Wadada Leo Smith's, who has a tribute page up for him. His playing incorporates so much and there's a lot to absorb listening to him.
In the housekeeping department, I'd like to welcome Harris Eisenstadt's Tie A Bow Not A Knot to the blogroll - he's in west Africa with Willow Williamson on a Meet the Composer Global Connections grant, and has some fantastic stories, and video footage about his travels there. Also recently added is the blog of trombonist Jeff Albert, a musician with Chicago ties who I haven't had the pleasure of checking out yet but will be sure to do in the future.
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