Agree 💯 with these appraisals. The Pilgrim and the Stars always carries with it memories of my first trip to Munich in 1975 to cover ECM and Manfred Eicher for Down Beat and the New York Times (the latter killed my piece for being too positive lol.) The first album Manfred played during a listening session of new releases was The Pilgrim and the Stars. I remember thinking that this was music, like, say, Ralph Towner’s Solstice and a few others, that could only have been created for this label. Even then, and to this day.
Curious to associate Don Cherry with utter chaos — although he could deal with that (on Ornette’s Free Jazz and with Ayler) Cherry’s free jazz usually was ( to my ears) very interested in creating form ( his “ cocktail style” suite-like sets at Cafe Montmartre, for instance, and of course Complete Communion and Symphony for Improvisers. May. I also suggest Roswell Rudd’s superb talent was as an arranger, on Archie Shell’s Impuse! albums,and particularly Numatik Swing Band with the JCOA — an album imho ripe for rediscovery.
Don Cherry is one of my favorites, I don't mean to imply he was always chaotic. However Rava does a pure lift of Cherry's atonal fast flurries, an aspect that is definitely as rough and tumble as it gets; Rava features that side of the aesthetic in the track I mention.
Thanks for your clarification Ethan, I know you dig Don. Maybe I can find my late ‘70s DownBeat interview with Rava.— I don’t recall if he spoke of his trumpet influences.
Agree 💯 with these appraisals. The Pilgrim and the Stars always carries with it memories of my first trip to Munich in 1975 to cover ECM and Manfred Eicher for Down Beat and the New York Times (the latter killed my piece for being too positive lol.) The first album Manfred played during a listening session of new releases was The Pilgrim and the Stars. I remember thinking that this was music, like, say, Ralph Towner’s Solstice and a few others, that could only have been created for this label. Even then, and to this day.
thanks for this comment, Chuck!
Curious to associate Don Cherry with utter chaos — although he could deal with that (on Ornette’s Free Jazz and with Ayler) Cherry’s free jazz usually was ( to my ears) very interested in creating form ( his “ cocktail style” suite-like sets at Cafe Montmartre, for instance, and of course Complete Communion and Symphony for Improvisers. May. I also suggest Roswell Rudd’s superb talent was as an arranger, on Archie Shell’s Impuse! albums,and particularly Numatik Swing Band with the JCOA — an album imho ripe for rediscovery.
Don Cherry is one of my favorites, I don't mean to imply he was always chaotic. However Rava does a pure lift of Cherry's atonal fast flurries, an aspect that is definitely as rough and tumble as it gets; Rava features that side of the aesthetic in the track I mention.
Thanks for your clarification Ethan, I know you dig Don. Maybe I can find my late ‘70s DownBeat interview with Rava.— I don’t recall if he spoke of his trumpet influences.