15 May 2008

Lester Bowie New York Organ Ensemble - Live Germany 1995


Another one for you Hammond B3 fans. This has a real New Orleans feel about it - the first track almost starts off like a church service. Bowie is in excellent form, and is superbly supported by Lacy and Carter. I've never heard of the lady on the organ, but I see that she started out playing with and conducting church choirs, before graduating to the likes of AEOC and Archie Shepp. She plays with great sensitivity without being to intrusive which is all too easy with such a powerful instrument.
Details:
Lester Bowie's New York Organ Ensemble
Grillo Theater
Essen, Germany
3. April 1995

Lester Bowie tp, flh
Amina Claudine Myers Hammond B3-org, voc
James Carter ts
Frank Lacy tb
Kelvyn Bell g
Don Moye dr, perc

1. 23:42
2. 9:26
3. 6:16
4. 20:07
5. 14:48
6. 8:00
7. 12:13
8. 4:28
total time 1:39:00 - complete
This is an audience recording, sound is OK, but a little echoey. Probably not much enhanced by flac, so MP3 link only. Thanks to seeder and taper.

13 comments:

Boromir said...

Link (high quality VBR)

http://rapidshare.com/files/115047747/LBNYOE_MP3.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/115072866/LBNYOE_MP3.part2.rar

Wallofsound said...

Thanks for sharing.

Funky T. Cool T. was a great record. I presume this is the Live band version. I'll see if I can work out any of the track names.

ag said...

I'm much surprised you're not acquainted with Amina C. M. :) I must admit I don't know her own output, but she was featured on a number of albums by other well-known artists; she did some duets with Muhal Richard Abrams, for instance, and is featured on Lester Bowie's Fifth Power. Besides, I guess she was a mainstay of the Organ Ensemble. :)
Thanks very much for the share, up until now I only heard this band once, on a studio album, and it made me wish to hear them live...

Anonymous said...

thanks for this concert
and 'always a pleasure to listen
Lester Bowie
its sound and 'single

ighirossi
italy

Wallofsound said...

I've been a long-term admirer of Myers playing (and on one track here I'm converted to her singing as well). Along with Don Pullen, she has the ability to dig deep into the blues, fund and soul jazz, and renew them in a more abstract context.

I struggled a bit with the track titles as only track 2 (What's New) is repeated from the Funky T DIW studio record. Track 7 is Lonnie Liston Smith's Peace, and Bowie announces 5 as Angel Eyes. I always struggle to bring names to mind, and I can't quite get the other tracks straight. I'd really recommend the Funky T album if you like this recording. Nevertheless, I though this was a superb concert.

Boromir said...

I thought track 2 was that tune made famous (briefly) by the trouser-splitting crooner PJ Proby (who subsequently inspired numerous drunks to perform renditions at karaokes). The tune is called "There's a place for us" - I think it came from Oklahoma, West Side Story or some such - musicals are not my forte. I've heard Bowie play it at other concerts - perhaps he was a fan of PJ Proby.

Boromir said...

I was wrong. The tune is of course called "Somewhere". Amusingly, on Youtube, there is a video from as recent as 2001 of a silver-haired Proby performing it.The years have not been too harsh on him. First I've heard of him for forty years. All this is nothing to do with jazz of course, but I bet a few of you remember the guy from your youth.

Wallofsound said...

You're right, Boromir. I was listening through again this morning and track 2 seems to start as What's New, but then quickly resolves into Somewhere. The same sort of thing seems to be happening on other tracks (especially track 1) as pieces of recognisable melodies move into and then out of focus.

Bowie is notoriously interested in pop melodic material, coining the term Avant-pop when working with his Brass Fantasy ensemble. He seems particularly drawn to bombastic pieces. I've always loved his take on the Great Pretender.

kinabalu said...

Amina Claudine Meyers is also prominently featured on "African Children" and the first track, covering side one of the record, is appropriately called "Amina". It will be up here soon; just need to co-ordinate with Pierre.

francisco santos said...

re post please...
THX!...

francisco santos said...

again re post, please...
THX!...
someone ?...kinabalu ?...please...

mew23 said...

New link

francisco santos said...

SURPRISE!...YOU NAIL IT!...
HUGE BIG THX!...