The mother lode for devotees of the jazz avant-garde and outré music in general, Jason Weiss’Always in Trouble: An Oral History of ESP-Disk’, the Most Outrageous Record Label in America is a collection of incisive Q&As with the principals and players behind the game-changing company founded by Bernard Stollman in 1964. Sonny Simmons, Roswell Rudd, Burton Greene, Milford Graves, Sirone and many other label-associated greats are interviewed, in addition to ESP admirers, like Roscoe Mitchell and Ken Vandermark, and musicians who’ve recorded for the label in recent years, such as Joe Morris.
But the most and best material comes from Stollman himself (who takes a beating throughout the other conversations, from artists still waiting for royalties). With impressively detailed recall, Stollman discusses sessions, artists, deals and conspiracies, and reveals tales that have nothing to do with free jazz but are fascinating nonetheless. Like the music he purveyed, Stollman’s stories are full of strangeness as well as lyricism. Following this issue’s drum theme, we present Weiss’ July 2009 interview with Sunny Murray. —EVAN HAGA
A pioneer of free-jazz drumming, Sunny Murray first became known from Cecil Taylor’s seminal groups of the early 1960s, which led directly to his tenure as Albert Ayler’s drummer throughout 1964-65, appearing on all of Ayler’s original ESP-Disk’ recordings. At the end of ’65, he made his first record as a leader, Sonny’s Time Now (for the fledgling Jihad label founded by LeRoi Jones, now Amiri Baraka), with Ayler and Don Cherry in the group playing Murray’s compositions.
He then led a date for ESP on July 23, 1967, Sunny Murray, where his quintet included bassist Alan Silva, trumpeter Jacques Coursil and alto saxophonists Byard Lancaster and Jack Graham. He often led his own groups after that, and in 1968 went to Paris for a few years. There he recorded various albums under his own name, for BYG and other labels, and played on dates by Archie Shepp, Dave Burrell and François Tusques; he also played the Pan-African festival in Algiers and the festival in Amougies.
Also see: Essential Sunny Murray recordings.
Read more: http://jazztimes.com/articles/62690-the-sunny-murray-interview
He then led a date for ESP on July 23, 1967, Sunny Murray, where his quintet included bassist Alan Silva, trumpeter Jacques Coursil and alto saxophonists Byard Lancaster and Jack Graham. He often led his own groups after that, and in 1968 went to Paris for a few years. There he recorded various albums under his own name, for BYG and other labels, and played on dates by Archie Shepp, Dave Burrell and François Tusques; he also played the Pan-African festival in Algiers and the festival in Amougies.
Also see: Essential Sunny Murray recordings.
Read more: http://jazztimes.com/articles/62690-the-sunny-murray-interview
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