The Milwaukee Tapes Vol. 1 is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson recorded live in 1980 but not issued until 2000 by Atavistic as part of their Unheard Music Series.
| The Milwaukee Tapes Vol. 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 2000 | |||
| Recorded | January or February, 1980 Milwaukee | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 70:16 | |||
| Label | Atavistic | |||
| Producer | John Corbett | |||
| Fred Anderson chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background edit
Anderson took his working quartet with trumpeter Billy Brimfield, bassist Larry Hayrod and drummer Hamid Drake to play somewhere in Milwaukee in early 1980 and made arrangements to have a professional 8-track recording made of the concert. 20 years later, when Anderson started to garner attention issuing records more frequently, producer John Corbett released the tapes.[1]
Anderson and Brimfield collaborated since the beginning of the 1960s when they had a pre-AACM quartet. Hayrod was a newcomer to the quartet, replacing Steven Palmore. Anderson and Drake enjoyed a close relationship dating back to the early 1970s.[1]
Reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | [3] |
In his review for AllMusic, Stewart Mason states "Anderson and compatriots are at the top of their game singly and collectively."[2] The Penguin Guide to Jazz says that "there is a tendency to meander through solos in what sounds like a second-gear version of late Coltrane."[3]
In a multiple review for JazzTimes, Harvey Pekar notes that "This is not a free-jazz date; it features five varied and impressive compositions by Anderson and Drake and contains solos based on preset structures."[4]
The PopMatters review by Imre Szeman says that the album "not only allows us to get a glimpse of Anderson in the midst of one of the most exciting periods in his career, but also gives us a chance to hear this Olympian jazz man play live in all his glory."[5]
Track listing edit
- All compositions by Fred Anderson except as indicated
- "A Ballad for Rita" - 17:01
- "The Bull" - 19:22
- "Black Woman" - 13:26
- "Bombay (Children of Cambodia)" (Hamid Drake) - 10:05
- "Planet E" - 10:22
Personnel edit
- Fred Anderson - tenor sax
- Billy Brimfield - trumpet
- Larry Hayrod - bass
- Hamid Drake - drums, tablas
References edit
- ^ a b The Milwaukee Tapes vol. 1 original liner notes by John Corbett
- ^ a b Mason, Stewart. Fred Anderson – The Milwaukee Tapes Vol. 1: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
- ^ a b Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2002). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (6th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 43. ISBN 0-14-051521-6.
- ^ The Milwaukee Tapes Vol. 1 review by Harvey Pekar at JazzTimes
- ^ The Milwaukee Tapes Vol. 1 review by Imre Szeman at PopMatters