jeudi 24 mars 2011

Alan Silva - Skillfullness


ALAN SILVA - Skillfullness (ESP, 1969)

Alan Silva: violin, cello, piano
Becky Friend: flute, vocals
Mike Ephron: piano, organ
Dave Burrell: piano
Karl Berger: vibraphone
Lawrence Cook: cymbals, rattle, percussion

01-Skillfullness
02-Solestrial

Listening to Alan Silva is always a strong and strange experience. Skillfullness is one of the weirdest Silva's recordings. This one is rather powerfull and in a constant unstable equilibrium: it's always under tension. There are a lot of unusual instruments for this time (flute, violin), a lot of different energies. Rythmic patterns are rather absent and all keys are utterly unmaked. A cosmic and solar music somewhere between Sun (Ra) and Cecil Taylor.

HERE
dedicated to Flo.

6 commentaires:

  1. hi olatunji,

    my comments are usually very positive, but not in this case. i heard this record for the first time about 2 years ago. and i will remember forever how upset i was listening to this recording. no theme, no interesting solos, in fact nothing of interest for the free-jazz/avant-garde jazz lovers. in my opinion this is one of the worst jazz (???) records i have ever heard. and i heard more than 5000 free jazz records. after listening to it i was so upset that i removed from my collection all other records under the name of alan silva. period.
    and there are so many other records well worth posting at such a good blog. for example joe mcphee, peter brotzmann, charles gayle, david s. ware etc.

    best regards.

    paul w.

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  2. Thank you. I agree that Alan Silva's works are very unique as compared to other free jazz artists, especially in youg days. "Seasons" synthesizes such characteristics and unique aspects.

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  3. At my opinion, during the 60's, all avant-garde jazz from USA (especially in Chicago) were a research more than a way (like in England). There are not much masterpieces for this time -at least in this kind of music-, and this one is really not one, but it's always interesting (for a historical point of view) to know from where are coming a lot of contemporary pieces.
    Cheers

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  4. Alan Silva - Alan Silva
    FLAC
    http://neurosis01.blog.163.com/blog/static/185709067201192810144911/

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