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| www.ochs.cc | Electric Ascension the new album |
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Electric Ascension (Atavistic) An Interpretation of John Coltrane's Ascension (63:49) Massive & intense LIVE IN CONCERT interpretation of John Coltrane's masterwork, Ascension—as performed by an all-star ensemble (see below). Coltrane's Ascension belongs right up there in the pantheon of multi-recorded masterworks; this composition—so unassuming on paper, is in fact a master form. If Coltrane were still alive and still as adventurous, he would have organized a similar band to play this piece in 2003—and I definitely believe that what we have here on record could never have been made 40 years ago. Both technologically and conceptually, this performance couldn't have happened. Why I say that may be obvious to some, but for those of you who think I'm dissing Coltrane, Sanders, et al., let me explain: 1965 was very much in the early stages of what is usually called "free jazz", but what I think of as "structured improvisation" (a more all-encompassing term). At that time, asking seven wind players, two basses, a drummer, and a pianist to come together and blow collectively, with no rehearsal, was more than ground-breaking. Almost none of these artists had had that experience before. And MUCH more importantly, as far as I know, neither had almost anyone else. And certainly there were virtually no recordings to study. Simply put: the entire concept of free improvisation was barely an idea in anyone's mind. Forty years later, the concept is not only a known quantity, but it's been absorbed, analyzed, worked on, thought about, discussed, "improved." So it only follows that we'd be able to take Coltrane's beautiful piece and intuit implications for it that the original sound-explorers could not have realized at that time—the first time... The respect everyone has for the composer, for the other musicians involved, and for the form called "structured improvisation" makes the music what it is. We are indebted to John Coltrane (and other great artists) for inspiring us to engage uncompromisingly in the risky business of creativity. Rhythm & Noise: Chris Brown: electronics Nels Cline: electric guitar Fred Frith: electric bass Ikue Mori: drum machines, sampler Don Robinson: drums Otomo Yoshihide: turntables, electronics Strings: Carla Kihlstedt: violin & effects Jenny Scheinman: violin ROVA Saxophones Bruce Ackley: soprano saxophone Steve Adams: alto saxophone Larry Ochs: tenor saxophone Jon Raskin: baritone saxophone |
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