Fanfare for the Warriors
The compositions on this 1973 studio recording demonstrate some of the individual directions that its members brought to the Art Ensemble. Lester Bowie's "Barnyard Scuffel Shuffle" suggests a key source in the music of Charles Mingus with a kinetic mix of swing, R&B;, bop, and free-jazz elements, with Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell providing great honking tenors. "Nonaah" is an intriguing early performance of a permutational composition that Mitchell has continued to recast to the present. Jarman's title piece is a driving free-jazz anthem, highlighted by the composer's blazing alto solo. Muhal Richard Abrams, a crucial early mentor, is added to the Ensemble for much of the date. His piano is a striking complement to the group, thoughtfully expanding the music's harmonic languages.--Stuart Broomer