Don Cherry
One of the all-time greats of free-jazz, Cherry is renowned for having adopted a more humble approach to his playing. Shunning the virtuoso acrobatics of the day, Cherry preferred a more expressive style which developed into his own unique sound. Not appreciated to his just value at the time, Cherry did manage to collaborate along with many of the biggest names in free-jazz and the avant-garde elite of the day from Coleman to Coletrane to Ayler to Shepp. His unique approach to jazz also made him quite popular among rock artists including Lou Reed and The Talking Heads. Cherry is also renowned for incorporating many world music elements into his sound, ideas he would bring back from his trips to Africa and India (he has even studied under La Monte Young mentor Pandit Pran Nath). His faithful "pocket trumpet" for example was made in Pakistan.
I first came upon Don Cherry's work early on when I started exploring the outer-limits of jazz. I would read his name in many articles and actually gave his records a spin in the music store I was working in back then while living in Sweden (a country Cherry would also call home for a few years), but for some reason, I never bothered to delve deeper into his discography (I didn't have much to choose from back then). It's only in 2007, when I decided to get everything I could from the BYG/Actuel releases that I once again opened my ears for this man's work. More on the way! it is worth mentioning that Don Cherry is the father of famous swedish rockstar Eagle-Eye Cherry and stepfather to two other swedish pop sensations: Neneh Cherry and Titiyo. Proof that talent runs in the family. Cherry died in 1995 in Neneh Cherry's spanish home.
"Mu" First PartLabel: Sunspots Release: 1969 Format: CD Cat. no: SPOT 544 |
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"Mu" Second PartLabel: Sunspots Release: 1969 Format: CD Cat. no: SPOT 544 |
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