Heavenly Sweetness Don Cherry : Latif Khan (US,1978,re.2009)***°°
..“Brown Rice” from two years before this recording has made me suddenly appreciate trumpet, an instrument I could not stand before, for the first 20 years of my life. Analysing again what I heard, it is no doubt Don Cherry ‘s way of playing that is rather unique, and even with moment subtle wild, never is more than necessary. That’s also exactly like his music is. With the best musicians they just play only when the sound needs it, making it inspired and meditative to a degree no matter how wild things go, the subtle delicate extremely intelligent and skilful balance is always there. But Don Cherry did not always play with the professionals. He once played with the Krishna worshippers, or with some amateurs who he thought had the right feeling, also he did participate with contemporary classical composer Pederecki. He brought elements in from an African origin, in essence from what the instruments especially had to offer, and also Indian elements. Also in the free jazz, he showed some moves, like on “Orient”(1971).
This album was a cooperation between Don Cherry and Latin Knan on tablas, a studio album played as if it is a live recording simultaneously and played live by lots of musicians, while most instruments were separately recorded by Don Cherry himself. The label considered this album as one of their favourites and it shows again some incredible and original moments of don Cherry indeed it is a shame that this one never received a reissue until now.
The first track is a combination of an Ornette Colman track/melody with a new and further worked out section brought in. Don Cherry plays here piano, organ and trumpet. “Air Mali” with African bass, high breathy singing, smoothly brings in the next move. This ends with a great tabla solo with African bass. Very special is “One Dance” on an Indonesian melodic theme first played by bamboo flute and keyboards imitating the gamelan and piano, then with small parts moodily improvised upon it with trumpet and piano, and some droning tampura, and with strange vocal sounds adapted in it too. Rhythm 58 ¼ is I think in a 5/8¼ rhythm which is difficult to follow if you purely try to count with it (keyboard and tabla). Also “Sangam” is an improvisation on tabla with organ, which is rather long, while the tabla player remains really amazing. The album was divided into a ‘music’ and a ‘sangam’ side. Especially the music side shows Don Cherry’s ideas on fusing world music with jazz in a beautiful sparsely developing style.
