Don Cherry
Brown Rice

Don Cherry became famous in the jazz world playing the trumpet (but also the "pocket" trumpet and the cornet) alongside the brilliant saxophonist Ornette Coleman at the end of the '50s. The album I am about to describe is "Brown Rice" from 1975, when Cherry had absorbed, thanks to his continuous search for other sounds, African and Indian music.

"Brown Rice" is one of his masterpieces, where he indeed mixes elements of Indian music (raga), African music, his beloved Free, and Funk, foreshadowing what would be defined as "world music". On this journey, Cherry is accompanied by Frank Lowe on tenor sax, Ricky Cherry on electric and acoustic piano, Charlie Haden and Hakim Jamil on acoustic bass, Moki on tamboura (ancient Indian instrument), Billy Higgins on drums, Bunchie Fox on electric bongos, Verna Gillis on vocals; this is the overall lineup, which changes from track to track.

The title track opens the album with a mysterious and nocturnal air, where Gillis's voice forms a mystical base that is maintained throughout the song. Cherry with his voice introduces us to a sort of mystical and magical mantra, Don and Ricky Cherry with keyboards reinforce the fabric, Haden on the acoustic bass plays with funk thanks to beautiful wah wah effects while Lowe gifts us interesting free phrasing.

"Malkauns" (a masterpiece) is nearly 14 minutes opened by a long dialogue between Haden's bass and Moki's tamboura, taking us into the deepest and most mystical India. Then there is a stratospheric trumpet solo by Don, with his typical spoken phrasing, assisted by the sensitive and swing drumming of the never too remembered Billy Higgins.

"Chenrezic", another long-duration track, begins with a decidedly more Africanizing feel, but here too, Cherry's voice is like reciting a mantra, as in the trumpet solo. Jamil replaces Haden on bass, Higgins is always sparkling, Ricky Cherry highlights everything on the acoustic piano, Lowe in another nice solo.

The concluding track is "Degi-Degi" with a decidedly funk flavor, Don on vocals (whispered) and on keyboards played as if they were his trumpet, meanwhile the group creates a hypnotic groove.

In short, if you don't know Don and want to dive into one of his journeys, this is an excellent starting point. If you already know him, restart; everything with him will still seem new.

Have a good trip!