Sirius Calling

Art Ensemble of Chicago

Jazz Times

Who knows what the future holds for the Art Ensemble? Losing Lester Bowie was bad enough. The death of bassist Malachi Favors in 2004 silenced half of the band's incomparable rhythm section. It's hard to imagine the group absent Favors' melodic/percussive genius. According to the liner notes, Favors named this album-presumably the last he recorded with the band.

Composer credit on nine of the 14 tracks goes to "AEC," meaning the bulk of the music is fully improvised. As always, thoughtful interaction characterizes the group's extended improvs. On "Come on Y'all" reedists Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman finish each others' sentences-the lines seem to share a single provenance, as if they were played by the right and left hands of a single eccentric keyboardist. Favors establishes a three-note arco motif, which he gradually expands microtonally and by the use of harmonics. While sax players are almost expected to inject a melismatic quality into their work, it's less common to hear a bassist do it, and few do it as skillfully as Favors does here.

Mitchell's "Til Autumn" is a complex, Mingus-ian swinger that harkens back to the AEC's '70s and '80s heyday. Favors and drummer Don Moye have long been among the hardest swinging avant-gardists, and no contemporary rhythm section has a more comprehensive grasp of the music's history. Moye's finely shaded use of cymbals evokes light, and his subtle shifting of the beat, lightness. Indeed, the AEC's group sound is luminous. Enjoy this one, because regardless whether the band goes on, we'll not experience this particular light again.

Junkmedia

Acknowledged as THE pre-eminent avant garde jazz unit, The Art Ensemble of Chicago has soldiered on for almost four decades, continuing to push the creative envelope despite their respective ages. Formed in 1966, the group has recently undergone some dramatic and tragic changes, yet still, continue to record and tour. Sirius Calling is their final studio recording with their original bassist Malachi Favors Maghostut who died unexpectedly soon after this session was completed.

Saxophonist Joseph Jarman left the quintet in 1993, leaving the four to continue on, which they did, until 1999, when trumpeter Lester Bowie succumbed to cancer. Reduced to a trio, saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, bassist Malachi Favors and percussionist Don Moye, they remained undaunted and released one of their finest albums: 2003's Tribute To Lester. That same year Jarman returned to the fold and the group once again became a quartet. Their debut album for Pi Recordings, The Meeting, followed promptly. Their second record for Pi, Sirius Calling is sonically similar yet a slightly different affair.

Their famous stylistic variety is still present, but typical long tracks have been replaced with 14 short numbers, most under 4 minutes. For this album the group splits its efforts into duos, trios and the full quartet. As usual, there are a number of quiet free chamber-esque improvisations, such as the 9 minute "Taiko". Sprightly swinging tunes like "Till Autumn" and "Slow Tenor and Bass" share equal time with blisteringly intense free pieces like "There's A Message For You," "Cruising With JJ" and the title track.

Art Ensemble fans will no doubt consider this essential as it is Malachi's final recording with the band. But newbies will find this a more accessible release as the shorter length of the tunes may not be as daunting to those unaccustomed to the Art Ensemble's more epic length pieces. A remarkable elegy and a fitting introduction to the bands' aesthetic, Sirius Calling is also a fine tribute to an even finer musician. Malachi, you will be sorely missed.

All About Jazz

If you want a very accessible introduction to the music of Art Ensemble of Chicago, Sirius Calling is a great place to start. If you are a long time follower, it won't disappoint. The fourteen songs presented here are short in length, half clocking in at less then four minutes. Enough music to fill the 65 minute session, but nothing to try the patience of those seeking entry into the creative world of AEC.

With the passing of Lester Bowie, the retirement (then un-retirement) of Joseph Jarman, and the death of bassist Malachi Favors Maghostut, the future of AEC is anything but certain. This session was recorded on the heels of the 2003 critical favorites The Meeting (Pi) and Tribute To Lester (ECM). Sadly, after this recording Favors left this planet. The band has begun including trumpeter Corey Wilkes and Jaribu Shahid on bass to supplement its lineup.

On this session the quartet of Favors, Mitchell, Jarman, and Moye delivers the goods. One special feature of this disc is the outstanding recording quality. Every gesture on every instrument, including gongs, bells, whistles and voice, is placed accurately in this mix, and thus around your listening ears. Whether it is the bop-like “Till Autumn” or the free jazz of the title track, these veterans keep their creative principles flowing.

Especially noteworthy when you are listening to any AEC disc is their mastery of free chamber jazz work. It seems that the quieter they get on tracks like “Come On Y'all” and “He Took A Cab To Neptune,” the closer you are compelled to listen. Perhaps it is because of Malachi Favors' passing, but one certainly ponders each vibrating note he sends forth. This is a nice tribute to his music.