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Buy Low Price From Here Now The release of a new album by the Revolutionary Ensemble should come as a shock to many. From their start in the ‘70s they were a mysterious band. They were one of the first string bands to record free jazz. They were a cooperative trio made up of three very individual composers. They mixed chamber music with free jazz and funneled it all through the philosophy of the AACM. Their recordings were on small and often hard-to-find labels or self-released, for the most part. Their one major label release was on Horizon Records; a label owned by A&M that was designed to release class projects. Soon though the label folded and the catalog went out of print. Within a few years the band dissolved and with them their recorded output faded away.
Fast-forward 27 years and suddenly the band emerge again as if time had stopped. This year has seen the re-release of The Psyche, an album that had originally come out on their own RE Records; a sold out standing-room performance at the Vision Festival in NYC in May; and now a new studio album. As in the past, the album is made up of compositions from all three members.
The album opens with Sirone’s "Berlin Erfahrung." The piece has a lovely, hummable melody that carries it throughout. The center of the album is "911-544," a five-piece suite by Jerome that opens the palette of the album up sonically. The album closes with a piece of mini chamber music in "Ism Schism." Graceful yet cutting, the album sounds matured in a way that their output from the ‘70s didn’t. Perhaps it is the improved sound quality, or the time and experience that have filled their playing, but somehow the time apart seems to have cemented the group’s focus and direction. The challenge of playing avant-garde string music has reached a new level and the sound of the cooperative trio has come together to be more than the three individuals were on their own.
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"Quite possibly the Best Jazz Album of 2004" 2004-11-04
By Troy Collins (Lancaster, PA United States)
Among unexpected but welcome returns, the Revolutionary Ensemble's recent appearance both onstage at this years Vision Fest in NYC and their current studio recording from Pi Recordings have to be the jazz highlight for 2004. The legendary group disbanded in the late 1970's after five obscure albums, so it is nothing short of shocking that the Revolutionary Ensemble is back, and not just for a one off gig, but back to stay.
After numerous poorly recorded and self released albums from their heyday, "And Now ..." finds the trio at their most sonically assured and innovative. Violinist Leroy Jenkins, bassist Sirone and drummer/pianist Jerome Cooper chime back in with an exquisitely recorded studio album destined to top numerous year end best of lists.
Featuring pieces written by all three band members, the variety is staggering but maintains a definite sense of cohesion through out. The opening tune, "Berlin Erfahung," reminiscent of fellow violinist Billy Bang's sort of folksy avant jazz, tumbles along on a catchy groove both swinging and excitable. There are other short tunes present on the album as well. "Rumi Tales" is a lean trio excursion that delves into the more aggressive side of the avant garde. Cooper's loping drum rolls and unpredictable accents push the other two along at an excitable clip, with both Jenkins and Sirone bowing and grinding away. "Light" on the other hand reveals a more starkly contemplative aesthetic, with slowly building call and response sections. "Ism Schism," which closes the album has a semi-classical structure, but not without a sense of dry academic humor permeating it's explosive improvisational interjections.
But it's "911-544," the albums lengthy centerpiece that showcases the trios amazing sonic and conceptual diversity. A melancholy and episodic suite dedicated to the multifarious shifting emotions precipitated by the 9-11 tragedy and its aftermath, it allows the three to explore areas of sonic exploration vast enough to incorporate their full spectrum of available sound. Everything from ominous synth drones, double reed exhortations and minimalist percussive AACM styled workouts make an appearance in this monolithic dirge. A brief freely swinging section emerges towards the end of the suite, emphasizing the optimistic outlook of the trio.
"And Now ..." is more than a pleasant surprise return to form by one of jazz's finest ensembles. It is a strong contender for jazz album of the year.
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