Organic Music Theatre - Television Session Summer 1976

After Magogiallo's generous contributions of rare unreleased live by Don Cherry, here is one more very close to the RAI session with the same personnel and almost same titles.

The music if not so incredible as his early recordings show very well the musical personality of Don Cherry who was interested in the music itself before the style.

It remain me a story that composer and violinist Jean Yves Bosseur told me some years ago. He was invited to play violin by Archie Shepp but he said:
-"I'm not a jazz musician".
Then Shepp answered:
-"we won't play jazz, we will play music".

This might be a good definition for Don Cherry's music.

-Moki: Tampura, percussion, vocals
-Gianpiero Pramaggiore: guitar, flute, vocals
-Nana Vasconcelos: percussions, berimbo, vocals
-Don Cherry: trumpet, dous'n goni, flute, vocals

Summer 1976 for Italian télévision

JON HASSELL "VERNAL EQUINOX" (LOVELY MUSIC, 1976/77)

Jon Hassell, trumpet, fender rhodes (1, 3)
Naná Vasconcelos, congas (1, 5, 6), shakers (1, 3), bells (2), talking drum (2)
William Winant, kanjira and rattles (3)
Miguel Frasconi, bells and claves (3)
Nicolas Kilbourn, mbira and talking drum (3)
David Rosenboom, mbira (2), rattles (3), tabla & dumbek (5)

Andy Jerison, [Arp Synthesizer Alteration] (3)
David Rosenboom, [Buchla Synthesizer Alteration] (1, 3)
Larry Polansky, [Special Rhodes Tuning] (1, 3)

Additional sounds:
Ocean (1)
Tropical birds (2)
Drone: Serge synthesizer (4, 5)
Drone: Motorola scalatron (256Hz pitch standard) (5)
Night creatures of Altamira, Distant barking by Perrasita (6)

Fender Rhodes is specially tuned and altered by Buchla and Arp Synthesizers



1. Toucan Ocean (3:53)
2. Viva Shona     (7:08)
3. Hex     (6:29)
4. Blues Nile     (9:59)
5. Vernal Equinox (22:03)
6. Caracas Night September 11, 1975  (2:14)


Recorded at the York University Electronic Media Studios (Toronto, Ontario), October/November 1976.
Mixdown and additional recording: Mastertone Recording Studios (New York), September/October 1977.


Lovely Music LCD 1021 (1990)

Originally released on LP in 1977 (Lovely Music LML 1021)

DON CHERRY'S NU - Live at the Bracknell Jazz Festival, 1986

DON CHERRY - pocket trumpet, piano, vocals, doussn'gouni
CARLOS WARD - alto saxophone, flute
MARK HELIAS - bass
ED BLACKWELL - drums
NANA VASCONCELOS - percussion, berimbau, vocals

1. Lito  23:29
2. Chopin Chopeen  8:01
3. Foolish Heart  6:58
4. Traffic  6:39
5. O Berimbau  4:35
6. Untitled  11:20
7. Limbo  8:37
8. Mopti  5:00


Live At The Bracknell Jazz Festival, 1986  (BBC Jazz Legends)

I remember John Stevens at the side of the stage intently studying Ed Blackwell's drumming.

Happy Christmas.

Dwight Andrews - Mmotia. The Little People (Otic 1979)

There was a request for this not long ago. Now it looks totally oop.

Probably a name not well known,  All Music Guide says  'Andrews is a multi-instrumentalist and composer best known for his work with pianist Anthony Davis, saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell and other members of the Chicago and New York avant-garde schools (Geri Allen, Andy Bey, Hamiett Bluiett).'

Dwight Andrews - Soprano & Alto Saxophones. Bass & Contra Bass Clarinet, Alto Flute, Indian Wood Flutes, Percussion;
Nat Adderley - Piano;
Nana Vasconcelos - Percussion, Flex-Tone, Corpo, Voice, Bottles, Beads, Atumpan

A1. Um Girrasol
A2. Nao e'?
A3. Moers 1978
B1. Danca Das Kashala e Sarhanna
B2. Mmotia-The Little People
B3. Vamos Para Casa

recorded january 11 and 12, 1979 at Blue Rock studios, New York
Otic records 1979