Search - Art Ensemble of Chicago :: Meeting

A bit late in the day....

N. Dorward | Toronto, ON Canada | 12/30/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It's a pleasure to see the Art Ensemble's surviving members reunited, though one wonders if Jarman's return is merely temporary given the album's title. As far as the album goes, though, it's nothing too remarkable. Most of the album (41 minutes of it) is devoted to rather becalmed percussion pieces, dotted with flute, whistle and recorder: they're pretty enough but it's not long before the mind begins to wander..... As for the rest, the title track is a good, fierce blowout; "Tech Ritter and the Megabytes" is nicely sardonic; "Hail We Now Sing Joy" is a rather sloppily performed song, though the lyrics raise a smile (& is it just my stereo or is the mix on this track a bit off?). In short, it's hard to get too excited by the music on the disc, alas, though any sign that these guys are still going strong is to be welcomed."

Great Recording, proof that there is still hope for music

Bill Carbone | Middletown, CT United States | 11/22/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Well, I unfortunately don't have the time to write a long in depth review but I will say what I can quickly. The Meeting is an excellent body of work. Joseph Jarmon's return is welcome and his presence felt immediately on the open track "Hail We Now Sing Joy," on which he sings those exact words. All these years later AAC seems to be sitting in the crux of all that matters musically. The Meeting is stripped of pretense and ego and free of categorization. Track 1 is a swing mantra, track 2 a spacious, percussive and decidely Third Stream piece. The album continues with funky tunes, out tunes, in tunes, yadda yadda yadda, and every tune is good.Certainly worth the purchase, this album made my day a better one."