Art Ensemble of Chicago - Tribute to Lester

[Clay Fink]

On ECM. This is the AEC as the trio of Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors and Don Moye.

This is anything but a somber recording. Everyone is playing at the top of their game on this. Not that I don't miss Lester and Joseph, but these three really pull it off. I love it. Roscoe is in especially fine form. Between what I heard at the Chicago Jazz Fest and on "Song for My Sister" from The Note Factory, I think Mitchell's playing (especially on soprano) is some of the best I've ever heard from him. Favors anf Moye are, of course, one of the greatest (and maybe way too unappreciated) rhythm sections in the music.

I still haven't heard "The Meeting" yet, but these guys still got it and the return of Joseph Jarman can only take them to another level.

The AEC, AACM and all the other stuff from the late 70s and early 80s is the first stuff I really tuned into that wasn't rock. I love this stuff. It's like coming home.

[Nate Dorward]

Haven't heard the ECM disc, but no, I wouldn't exactly say that the reintroduction of Jarman on The Meeting "takes it to another level". It's mostly gentle, meandering, rather pleasant percussion pieces with a little recorder, flute & whistle--about 41 minutes of it. Plus a song & a couple of harder-hitting pieces. It's OK but not all that great.

[Clay Fink]

Originally posted by Nate Dorward
Haven't heard the ECM disc, but no, I wouldn't exactly say that the reintroduction of Jarman on The Meeting "takes it to another level". It's mostly gentle, meandering, rather pleasant percussion pieces with a little recorder, flute & whistle--about 41 minutes of it. Plus a song & a couple of harder-hitting pieces. It's OK but not all that great.

Thanks, Nate. I read your review of "The Meeting" in Cadence right after I started this thread. I'm still interested in hearing it anyhow. If you get a chance to hear the ECM disc, I'd like to know what you think.

Jarman sometimes, it seemed to me, played the role of a colorist in the group, leaving the energy to Mitchell and Bowie. I'll probably like "the Meeting", being one of those hardcore AEC fans.

[chuckyd4]

I wrote a review of this album here . I agree that the ECM album was a notch above the Pi album, but I liked them both.

[Lois Gilbert]