Urban Griots

This is my favorite album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, although I should note that I'm only really familiar with about five of their albums and about that same amount of their various solo/other group projects. This is a double album (yes, this is based on the lp, which is about 90 minutes long and probably still a double on CD) recorded live in Germany twenty years ago. The Art Ensemble, along with their other peers in the Chicago-based organization (essentially a musician's co-op) the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, are the musical and spirtual heirs of Sun Ra's tenure in Chicago and, unsurprisingly then, they really shine in concert.

Like Ra's Arkestra, the group performs in costumes that reflect their collective mythology. Ra's was based on Ancient Egypt and his own unique Cosmology. The Art Ensemble here are the Urban Bushmen of the album's title, and they appear on stage in African dress with warrior's facepaint. (the LP is great, the gatefold has excellent pictures of the band in action) Urban Bushmen that they are, other attire includes well tailored, modern dress clothes.

Also like Ra, the members of the Art Ensemble all play percussion in addition to other reeds, winds and/or stringed instruments. This includes Don Moye, the groups ostensible drummer, who is credit here with playing Elephant Horn, Whistles, Conch Shell, Bike Horn (!), Vocals and a few other things including every type of percussion you can imagine and the requiste and ubiquitous Etc.

Certainly it is fair to say that there is percussion all over this record. Moye and the rest of the group overture their extended pieces (the longest here runs 18 minutes) with bursts of tribal rhythms. Some of their pieces are symphonic, complete with movements. Some adhere to more or less blues and/or ballad forms and some are free improvisations.

Side B, for instance, opens with Moye's percussion showcase Sun Precondition and is followed by saxman Joseph Jarman's Theme For SCO. In four parts, it seems to tell the story of the struggle and ultimte triumph of the Urban Bushman and it very whimsically and effectively incorporates elements of Western Martial music, quoting themes like "Over There." The Lps last cut is a version of Odwalla/Theme, perhaps the most explicit statement of the Art Ensembles mythology, first performed (with Muhal Richard Abrams) on the Fanfare for the Warriors album.

One thing fair that it is far to say that all the pieces on this LP share in common is that they are all fascinating, and even the most ambitious pieces avoid sounding pretentious through the group's humor. Actually, while it may sound--and is--very cerebral, this band is also damned funky and pretty easily accessible. Not obviously funky like bad Disco, but it makes you want to move your body even in your seat.

The Art Ensemble, at the time of this recording, featured Moye, Jarman (who later left the group), saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, trumpet player Lester Bowie (who died in October, 1999) and bassist Malachi Favors. All are excellent musicians. Jarman, Mitchell and Bowie were all arguably the pre-eminent musicians on their instrument during the decades of the 70's, 80's and 90's when the group was most active. (they played a couple tribute shows to Bowie last year at the Knitting Factory in New York, but I have no idea what their status is currently. This album is a great introduction to their music, and, having seen Jarman, Favors and Mitchell in a couple different settings over the last couple years, I recomend that you jump on the chance to see any of them live in this band or with any other that they might happen to play.