Tutankhamun

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Frustrated by a lack of opportunity in America, in May 1969 the Art Ensemble left for Paris, where it would soon add "Chicago" to its collective name. This studio recording from June 1969 is one of the first fruits of its European residence. The band was a quartet with each member--Lester Bowie on trumpet, Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman on reeds, and Malachi Favors on bass--adding small instruments and percussion to make up for the absence of a regular drummer. On this session, though, the lack of a drummer contributes to a special transparency. It's apparent in the exploration of thin textures on Favors's extended title tune. Another long tune, Mitchell's "Ninth Room," is unusual in the way the light swing and subtle harmony of the head suggests the "Birth of the Cool" period of Miles Davis, not usually an apparent source in the Ensemble's repertoire. --Stuart Broomer

Tutankhamun,The Art Ensemble of Chicago,Black Lion,Avant-Garde,Avant-Garde Jazz,Free Jazz,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop

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