Kahil El'Zabar & Muhal Richard Abrams

There is a lot of magnificent jazz out there waiting to be discovered, at least by this jazz collector.  Muhal Richard Abrams escaped my many trips through the Penguin Guide to Jazz largely because he comes very near the beginning.  Sometimes having a name that begins with "A" is not an advantage.  

Yesterday I downloaded Muhal Abrams album Blu Blu Blu (1990).  This is one of those albums you can't shut down if the house is on fire.  

Pianist Abrams began with his roots planted deep in the hard bop of Dexter Gordon, Max Roach and Sonny Stitt.  He expanded into the avant garde with Roscoe Mitchell and was one of the founders of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).  Anthony Braxton was one of the usual suspects. Blu Blu Blu is a large ensemble album.  Here is the lineup:

• Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – Robert De Bellis*
• Alto Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – John Purcell
• Baritone Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Patience Higgins
• Bass – Brad Jones, Lindsey Horner (tracks: 2, 4, 6)
• Drums – Thurman Barker
• French Horn – Mark Taylor (3)
• Guitar – David Fiuczynski
• Piano, Synthesizer, Bells, Conductor, Producer, Composed By – Muhal Richard Abrams
• Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – Eugene Ghee
• Trombone – Alfred Patterson
• Trumpet – Jack Walrath
• Tuba – Joe Daley
• Vibraphone, Timpani – Warren Smith
• Wind [Whistler] – Joel Brandon

I am playing 'Bloodline', and the title cut.  This is my favorite kind of jazz: avant garde genius digging deeply into the marrow of a New York or Chicago blues club.   Everything is here, and not a note is false. 

I also happened on Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio Live At the River East Art Center (2005).  Here is the lineup:

• Bass – Yosef Ben Israel
• Drums, Percussion, Kalimba, Producer – Kahil El'Zabar
• Tenor Saxophone – Ari Brown
• Violin [Electric] – Billy Bang

I am playing 'Return of the Lost Tribe' and 'Where Do You Want to Go?'.  Much of what I said above could be said here.   Everyone is good.  Ari Brown's sax deserves a temple.  I was intoxicated by the synergy between Brown and Billy Bang's electric violin.  If you like a great live quartet recording, here is one for you. 

Get these two albums!  Your life will be better in the future.  I promise.