Lowe, Frank / Black Beings
Album: Black Beings   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Lowe, Frank   Added:Jun 2008
Label:Esp-Disk'  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2008-10-19 Pull Date: 2008-12-21 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Dec 21 Dec 14 Nov 30 Nov 2 Oct 26
Airplays: 1 1 1 1 2

Recent Airplay
1. Dec 19, 2008: Memory Select (early edition)
Thulani
4. Oct 31, 2008: Memory Select
Thulani [excerpt]
2. Dec 12, 2008: Memory Select
In Trane's Name
5. Oct 24, 2008: Memory Select
In Trane's Name [excerpt]
3. Nov 28, 2008: Memory Select, Time Traveler Edition
In Trane's Name [excerpt]
6. Oct 23, 2008: A2Z
Thulani

Album Review
Craig Matsumoto
Reviewed 2008-10-17
'60s free jazz (well, 1973) with punk intensity -- a ferocious bent, full of the anger and joy of the times. Two saxophones including Joseph Jarmon of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and a very young William Parker on the bass.

This album is another classic reissue by ESP-Disk, "fire music at its best," as the liner notes put it. This is the first release of these tracks in their unedited form, since back in 1973, they had to be cut down to fit a vinyl LP.

1- (33:27) Fairly fast and free-spirited opening, just this shade of wild, with a '60s-freedom feel: Towering saxes, crazed, rattling drums. Fierce sax solos with lots of overblowing. Intense violin solo that sounds like an electric guitar (a Nels Cline nuclear meltdown)..... After about -13:00, a quiet yet fast drum solo, then a screeching, howling sax diologue.

2- (4:46) Take a breather: Solo sax, airy and spirited, with a tender side.

3- (22:09) Fast, with grand and mystical tones. Shrieking, gut-tearing soloing by Lowe (at least, I *think* it's him in the left channel). By the midpoint, both saxes are wailing away. Around -5:00 starts a more sublime solo from Jarmon.

Track Listing
1. In Trane's Name   2. Brother Joseph
  3. Thulani