Search - Cecil Taylor :: Olu Iwa

B Ee Ba Nganga Ban'a Eee!

Joe Pierre | Los Angeles, CA United States | 03/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is an interesting live concert, recorded during the Workshop Freie Musik in Berlin in 1986 and featuring Cecil with a larger ensemble including Thurman Baker (marimba, percussion), William Parker (bass), Steve McCall (drums), Earl McIntyre (trombone), Peter Brotzman (tenor sax, taragato), and Frank Wright (tenor sax). Actually though, most of the playing is by the quartet (CT, Baker, Parker, and McCall) as they begin track 1 (entitled, "B Ee Ba Nganga Ban'a Eee!") feeling each other out in explorative fashion before the horns join in at minute 23. First the horns play some notated phrases, then McIntyre solos, and then one of the tenors (surely Brotzman?) tears it up with some fiery playing. But it's cut short by the intrusion of audience applause at minute 33 and thereafter things get spaced out, with Cecil soloing a bit before turning to vocalisms, the horns emitting slow wails or punctuated outbursts, and then group vocalisms to conclude the piece (track 1 is 48 minutes long). Track 2 ("Olu Iwa [Lord of Character]") has the horns sitting out altogether, with the quartet returning to what they'd started in the first third of track 1. First, some explorative playing with Parker bowing his bass, but by minute 6 the quartet heats up into blistering, thunderous interplay that doesn't let up until the last 4 minutes of the 27 minute track. Cecil does exercise some restraint when Baker hits the marimba, allowing for some sharing of the "melody."



And so, an interesting record. Looking at the personnel, I always thought of this as a larger ensemble date, but really the contribution of the horn players is pretty meager, and with Brotzman there, you kind of wish he'd been given more of the limelight -- I mean, we're only talking 5 minutes each of earnest solo space by McIntyre and Brotzman in the middle of track 1. On the other hand, the quartet music is sizzling with the pairing of CT and Baker harkening back to "Looking Ahead!" (with Earl Griffith on vibraharp), but now with CT at the peak of his improvisatorial powers. Still, this date lacks some cohesion for me -- I find myself either wishing Brotzman had a chance to play like the wild-man that he is, or that the horns were left out completely."

Mp3 download is a great deal!

Christopher K. Koenigsberg | Norman, OK USA | 10/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"hey this is good Cecil Taylor stuff, well recorded, and I like it along with all the other stuff I have by him (which is a lot).



And right now (Oct. 2009) the mp3 download is only $1.78 USD! can't beat that, for a whole hour of Cecil Taylor with drums and marimba and brass.....

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