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One of the most underrated and forgotten works in the history of music. The trumpeter Don Cherry was born in Oklahoma in 1936 and passed away in 1995 in Malaga. Deeply connected to Coleman, another genius without boundaries or rules, together with him he is a prominent figure of late 1950s jazz.
The muses: Bepop, Middle East Jazz, Africa, and India.
"Complete Communion" from '65 is the showcase of Cherry's art and one of the masterpieces of free jazz, which also features drummer Ed Blackwell. Primitive and tribal improvisation that is enormously accentuated with the ancestral "Eternal Rhythm" of '69. A forest musically accompanied by voodoo dances and indigenous dances.
A fundamental year for the evolution of rock, often crossed with jazz and fusion, in which we see another obscure work by this trumpeter, always alongside Blackwell.
The two create "Mu", an earthly paradise that transports us to wild lands where mysticism and exoticism are in the air. Cherry's distinctive sound is unique. Divine, expressive, picturesque...without neglecting the rich ensemble that supports him in every work. In this album, one is enraptured by the minimalism of the sounds. Blackwell's raw drums seem to come from distant galaxies, played by dark spirits.
And this is the mood I prefer.
There are no egocentric virtuosos behind the skins. There is soul...and this maybe is missing in some examples of fusion and 1970s jazz rock, where virtuosity is the first thing. This is best explicated in "Amajelo".
But in less rarefied territories, "Brilliant Action" is established, where Blackwell fires thunderous rolls in a masterful "call and answer" with Cherry's flute. The latter is a high-level multi-instrumentalist, not only playing the trumpet but also the flute, piano, singer...(an excellent example is "Relativity Suite" of '73)
"Terrestrial Beings" is a "percussive" piano piece arriving from another hemisphere. Cherry's keystrokes are equivalent to a tabla solo, as incisive and obsessive. We are enveloped in a sense of beatitude. "Sun Of The East" is full of the abstract character of "Mu". The more neurotic Blackwell overrides Cherry's astonished trumpet and flute solos with formidable accents. The arrangements are always perfect, although at first glance it seems an extremely aleatory concept. But I've never heard such creative digressions, especially not finding flat moments or euphoric disappointments. The eighth minute of "Sun Of The East" sees the entry of the piano and a burst of notes that capture you without mercy. Cherry has too many souls, a chameleon-like palette I would say. He treats the flute subtly, finding it an alienated, almost ramshackle tone. The trumpet is incisive, bright, exhilarating...
"Total Vibration" is the other gem of "Mu", but it cannot just be read about. This pearl must be discovered.
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