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d i s s i d e n t
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a r t i s t : Art Ensemble Of Chicago
t i t l e : Les Stances A Sophie
d a t e : 2000
l a b e l : Universal Sound / Soul Jazz Records
g e n r e : Jazz
r l s. d a t e : Feb-05-2002
t r a c k s : 08
b i t r a t e : 192kbps
s i z e : 46,5 MB
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With this release, Soul Jazz Records are re-issuing a long
lost album by The Art Ensemble Of Chicago, one of the most
important and radical Jazz groups to come out of the USA.
"Les Stances A Sophie" was recorded in Paris in 1970 and
features the regular Art Ensemble members (Lester Bowie, Joseph
Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell and Malachi Flavors) alongside the
newly recruited drummer Don Moye and Fontella Bass on vocals
and piano. Fontella Bass (who was married to Lester Bowie) had
a successful career as a soul singer ("Rescue Me" was her
biggest hit in the sixties). The addition of these two
performers may, in some way, explain the uniqueness of this
recording, especially "Theme de Yoyo". Vocals (and lyrics),
alongside a constant drum and bass beat, were new elements to
the recorded music of the Art Ensemble at this time and this
recording would appear to contradict the AEC's ambition for
music to be heard and played simply without the limitations of
working within the accepted structures of traditionnal musical
forms (ie. Blues, Jazz, etc).
Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Albert Ayler were the
forerunners of Free Jazz (The New Jazz). Far from being simply
a musical concept these musicains began to redefine the concept
of the African-American musician in society. A new period of
self-respect and spirituality among musicians was led by these
musicians. Parallel to this, of course, was the Civil Rights
Movement led by Martin Luther King and Malcom X that was
encouraging self-determination in every African-American.
The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians
was formed in Chicago in 1965 by Muhal Richard Abrams with
members including future AEC members Bowie, Jarman, MItchell
and Flavors as well others such as Anthony Braxton and Amina
Claudine Myers. The AACM began promoting concerts, teaching
music, Black history and offering spiritual guidance to
youngsters in the Chicago community. This radicalisation of
thought happened as the AACM musicains turned their back on the
accepted path of a Jazz musician (as nightclub
performer/entertainer) and began to look to a more African
concept of the musician as part of the community both
responsible to him or herself and fulfilling a spiritual role
within that community. They also began to define the role of a
Jazz musician as an artist rather than an entertainer.
Sun Ra had begun a similar concept with his Arkestra.
Before moving to New York in 1960, Sun Ra had been based in
Chicago in the second half of the 50's. Many in the Arkestra
lived together communally. No one in the commune was allowed to
drink or take drugs and as Sun Ra explored Jazz, Science
Fiction, Theatre and History in his music he also brought to
the members of his Arkestra the importance of a sense of
self-respect as a musician. The musical void left by Sun Ra
when his Arkestra moved to New York was initially filled by the
formation of Richard Muhal Abrams' Experimental Band, which, in
turn, led to the formation of the AACM in 1965.
The Art Ensemble was formed in 1968 by the aforementioned
members of the AACM: Bowie, Jarman, MItchell and Flavors. In
June 1969 they headed for France where, for the next two years,
they recorded an astonishing amount of music. Over fifteen
albums were recorded for various labels such as BYG, Freedom,
Nessa, Arista and EMI. They played at numerous festivals
throughout Europe during this period, before returning to
America in 1971.
Archie Shepp, DOn Cherry, Sunny Murray, Anthony Braxton,
Dewey Redman, Andrew Cyrille. These are just some of the New
Jazz African-American musicians who came to record, and some to
live, in Pris at this time (the summer of 1968). Their cry for
a musical freedom obviously hit a chord with French thought at
the time and French labels such as BYG and Actuel were at one
point recording these artists in Paris on a daily basis. From
the musicians side, these European recording sessions gave the
artists the freedom and respect they had been asking for (and
which many ways they could not find in America at that time).
"Les Stances A Sophie" came about when the director of the
film Moshe Misrahi befriended the Art Ensemble and asked them
to record the soundtrack. At the actual filming the Art
Ensemble were asked to appear in the film and for a few minutes
in the film the group can be seen performing. (The photos on
the cover are stills from this scene). The film remains,
unfortunately, one of the most obscure French New Wave films
ever made.
The fact that the music for the film was recorded before
filming may be one of the reasons that the music stands so
successfully on its own.
"Great Black Music - Ancient To Future" is how The Art
Ensemble of Chicago came to describe their music. By avoiding
the issues of wether their music was Jazz or not the AEC were
able to continue making music that could be as abstract as
"sound". They could call upon the music of Africa, or discuss
Monteverdi, while at the same time, referring to the musical
legacy of Duke Ellington or the Blues.
The Freedom that the AEC was employing allowed them the
right to enter any area of music that they chose. It's in this
way that "Theme de Yoyo" makes sense. Lester Bowie and Fontella
Bass had met through Oliver Sain who, as a producer and
bandleader, played with many Rhythm and Blues artists. Bowie
and Bass both played with Sain before Fontella Bass started her
solo career. "Theme de YoYo" is the Art Ensemble drawing upon
Bass and Bowie's Rhythm and Blues Background to produce their
interpretation of a Soul/R'n'B song with all the power of the
AEC's collective musicianship on board. The AEC continued to
explore other areas of popular Black music during their career.
For instance their "Ancient to the Future: Tribute to the
Masters" album covered songs by artists such as James Brown,
Fela Kuti and Jimi Hendrix.
"Les Stances A Sophie" was originally released on EMI France
and later in the US on Nessa Records. Both Editions have been
out of print for many years and Soul Jazz Records are releasing
it for the first time in England.
--liner notes
Roscoe Mitchell: soprano, alto and bass saxophones, clarinet,
flute and percussion instruments
Joseph Jarman: tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, flute and
percussion instruments
Lester Bowie: trumpet, flugelhorn and percussion instruments
Malachi Favors: acoustical bass, electric bass and percussion
instruments
Don Moye: drums
Fontella Bass: vocal and piano
Recorded in the studios of Pathe Marconi
in Boulogne on july 22, 1970
In 1970, the members of the Art Ensemble of Chicago were living
as expatriates in Paris. The group had only recently expanded
to its permanent quintet status with the addition of
drummer/percussionist Don Moye when they were asked by New Wave
director Moshe Misrahi to provide the soundtrack for his movie,
Les Stances a Sophie. The music was never used in the film but,
luckily, it was recorded. The result was one of the landmark
records of the burgeoning avant-garde of the time and, simply
put, one of the greatest jazz albums ever.
On two of the tracks, the Art Ensemble is joined by vocalist
Fontella Bass, at the time the wife of trumpeter Lester Bowie
and riding the success of her pop-soul hit Rescue Me. She's
featured most prominently on the opening number, Theme De Yoyo,
an astounding piece that has achieved legendary status as the
finest fusion of funk and avant-garde jazz ever recorded. The
mix is indeed seamless, with Moye and Favors laying down a
throbbing, infectious groove, Bass singing the surreally erotic
lyrics with enormous soul and the horn players soloing with
ecstatic abandon.
The remaining pieces cover a wide range stylistically with no
less beauty and imagination, including two variations on a
theme by Monteverdi, intense free improvising and soft, deeply
probing sonic investigations.Their extensive knowledge of prior
jazz styles, love of unusual sound sources (the so-called
"little instruments) and fearless exploration of the furthest
reaches of both instrumental and compositional possibilities
came into full flower on this record.
--allmusic.com
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01-Theme de YoYo [09:10]
02-Theme de Celine [03:04]
03-Variations Sur Un Theme de Monteverdi (i) [03:03]
04-Variations Sur Un Theme de Monteverdi (ii) [01:50]
05-Proverbes (i) [02:38]
06-Theme Amour Universel [03:51]
07-Theme Libre [08:49]
08-Proverbes (ii) [01:22]
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33:47 min
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