Hartmut Geerken, Famoudou Don Moye, John Tchicai - 1985 - Cassava Balls

Hartmut Geerken, Famoudou Don Moye, John Tchicai

1985

Cassava Balls

01. Patriotic Poem Number One Forty Years After

02. Sawasawa

03. Races Places Faces And Asses

04. Cassava Snake One Pot

05. Mikel Black

06. Rosty Metal

Recorded live during "PRAXIS '85" festival, at Orpheus Theater, Athens, Greece, May 8, 1985.

Drums, Percussion, Voice – Famoudou Don Moye

Piano, Percussion, Horn, Swarmandel, Instruments, Voice – Hartmut Geerken

Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Voice – John Tchicai

Hartmut Geerken, John Tchicai, and Famoudou Don Moye are all masters of improvisation and of deeply-felt music that smolders with passionate zeal. This disc was recorded live at the "Praxis '85" festival in Athens, Greece on May 8, 1985, a night when, by the sound of things, each man was in thorough musical command.

They begin at the absolute height, and then fill the rest of the night with other colors. The opening track, "Patriotic Poem Number One Forty Years After," was powered by Geerken's instructions to the other two to play absolutely as loudly and furiously as possible. Then for "Sawasawa" the pianist lays down a driving ostinato, over which Tchicai solos with his characteristic fervent melodic energy. "Races" is a showcase for the evidently multi-armed Moye.

The center of the disc is formed by two tributes: Charlie Parker's "Mohawk," played superbly by Tchicai over a scatted vocal and thunderous drums and other effects; and Albert Ayler's "Mothers," on which Tchicai captures all the pathos and drama of Ayler's best work.

Rounding out the program we have artfully deployed noise effects ("Marconison"), tribal flute work ("Cassava Snake One Pot"), rhythmic and deeply affecting African chant ("Mikel Black"), and more driving tenor ("Rosty Metal"). A high-energy, high-passion, all-around great recording.