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a r t i s t : The Revolutionary Ensemble
t i t l e : And Now...
d a t e : 2004
l a b e l : Pi Recordings (PI13)
g e n r e : Jazz
r l s. d a t e : May/2005
t r a c k s : 05
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 71,4 MB
_______________________________________________________________________
Leroy Jenkins
Violin, Harmonica, Bells
Sirones
Acoustic Bass
Jerome Cooper
Multi-Dimensional Drums: Balaphone, Cymbals, Drum Set,
Chiramia, Tonal Activator, Bass Drum, Keyboard, Sock Cymbal
And Now: the return of the Revolutionary Ensemble! The release
of a new album by the influential collective may come as a
surprise to band's many long-time fans. Not much had been
heard from the trio since the late 1970s. An avant-garde jazz
band based around stringed instruments, they were considered
unusual even on the highly experimental 1970s New York City
loft scene. The Revolutionary Ensemble is a cooperative trio
made up of three very individual musicians: Leroy Jenkins on
violin, Sirone on bass and Jerome Cooper on drums. They mixed
chamber music with free jazz and funneled it all through the
philosophy of the AACM. Their reputation, spread mostly by
word of mouth, was based on their startling live performances.
Most of their recordings were on small and often times hard to
find labels except for their one major label release: The
People's Republic, on Horizon Records, A&M's short-lived foray
into jazz. That album brought the band wider recognition and
fantastic critical accolades. Unfortunately, the Horizon
imprint folded and the catalog went out of print. Within a few
years the band dissolved, leaving only a handful of difficult
to find albums as a reminder of their greatness and influence.
Fast forward to 2004 and suddenly they re-emerge, seemingly
out of nowhere. This year saw the re-release of The Psyche, an
obscure album that had originally come out on the EnsembleÆs
own RE: Records and a standing room only performance at the
Vision Festival in New York City in May. Most significantly,
Pi Recordings brought the band back into the studio to record
And Now: their first new album in 27 years.
As in the past, the album is made up of compositions from all
three musicians. Sirone contributed Berlin Erfahrung and Ism
Schism. His pieces have almost hummable melodies and reflect a
classical influence. Leroy Jenkins' two tunes, Rumi Tales and
Light are characterized by their darker melodies and more
abstract approach. At the center of the album is 911-544, a
suite by Jerome Cooper that is his reflection on the tragedies
of 9/11, which he watched unfold from the roof of his
apartment building. He had been ruminating on the piece since
then. This piece opens up the sonic palate of the album by
utilizing a number of instruments, including balaphone,
keyboard and chiramia - a Mexican reed instrument.
The album is a mature output from this seminal band. The time
apart seems to have cemented the group's focus and direction.
For three musicians, each with great individual
accomplishments, to subsume their egos and merge into a group
sound this strong is rare. For it to happen after 25 years
apart and come out sounding fresh and assured is remarkable.
Pi Recordings is pleased to present the Revolutionary Ensemble
circa 2004, And Now.
The Band
Formed in the height of the New York City loft scene of the
70s, the Revolutionary Ensemble, Leroy Jenkins, Sirone (Norris
Jones) and Jerome Cooper, has in time become the prototype
creative-music string band. A cooperative trio, that
benefitted from the composing prowess of its three members,
the Revolutionary Ensemble, mixed blues, swing, chamber, as
well as little instruments into one of the most original
sounds of the time. They developed an underground reputation
that was oddly enhanced by the poor distribution of their
recordings, which more often than not were poorly recorded.
Times being what they were, the band frequently self produced
their own shows in odd venues, thus further limiting their
visibility but raising their profile as a band that you just
had to hear live.
Towards the middle of the 70s opportunities opened up for the
group when they recorded for the Horizon label. The People's
Republic should have been the start of new times for the band.
Instead it signaled the beginning of their end. The label
folded soon after the release of the album and it's catalog
went out of print with it. The band dissolved in 1978, right
when the time seemed ready for them to move into a bigger
forum. Although they have regrouped in the interim between 78'
and now, their recent activities truly signal the start of a
new time for them.
The return of the Revolutionary Ensemble should begin a period
of growth and recognition for the music and the minds that
produced it. They have come out of a period that was one of
the most fertile for original expressions in creative-music.
Hopefully now in time we have caught up, and their reemergence
will offer us a second opportunity to hear the band anew.
http://www.pirecordings.com/pi13/
--------------------------------------------------------------
REVIEWS
Among unexpected but welcome returns, the Revolutionary
Ensemble's current appearance both onstage at this years
Vision Fest in NYC and their recent studio recording from Pi
Records have to be a jazz highlight for 2004. The legendary
group disbanded in the late 1970's after five obscure albums,
so it is nothing short of shocking that the Revolutionary
Ensemble is back, and not just for a one off gig, but back to
stay.
After numerous poorly recorded and self released albums from
their heyday, And Now ... finds the trio at their most
sonically assured and innovative. Violinist Leroy Jenkins,
bassist Sirone and drummer/pianist Jerome Cooper chime back in
with an exquisitely recorded studio album destined to top
numerous year end best of lists.
Featuring pieces written by all three band members, the
variety is staggering but maintains a definite sense of
cohesion through out. The opening tune, "Berlin Erfahung,"
reminiscent of fellow violinist Billy Bang's sort of folksy
avant jazz, tumbles along on a catchy groove both swinging and
excitable. There are other short tunes present on the album as
well. "Rumi Tales" is a lean trio excursion that delves into
the more aggressive side of the avant garde. Cooper's loping
drum rolls and unpredictable accents push the other two along
at an excitable clip, with both Jenkins and Sirone grinding
away. "Light" on the other hand occupies a more starkly
contemplative pseudo-classical bent, with supple call and
response sections. "Ism Schism," which closes the album also
has a semi-classical structure, but not without a sense of dry
academic humor permeating it.
But it's "911-544," the albums lengthy centerpiece that
showcases the trios amazing sonic and conceptual diversity. A
melancholy and episodic suite dedicated to the multifarious
shifting emotions precipitated by the 9-11 tragedy and its
aftermath, it allows the three to explore areas of sonic
exploration vast enough to incorporate their full spectrum of
available sound. Everything from ominous synth drones, double
reed exhortations and minimalist percussive AACM styled
workouts make an appearance in this monolithic dirge. A brief
freely swinging section crops up towards the end of the suite,
emphasizing the optimistic outlook of the trio.
And Now ... is more than a pleasant surprise return to form by
one of jazz's finest ensembles. It is a strong contender for
jazz album of the year.
Troy Collins
November 3, 2004
http://www.junkmedia.org/?i=1300
_______________________________________________________________________
01-Berlin Erfahrung [05:26]
02-Rumi Tales [06:56]
03-911-544 [20:54]
04-Light [07:48]
05-Ism-Schism [09:22]
-------
50:26 min