So happy to see you're writing about this explosive circle of Paris-based Americans ca. 1970. The Wright-Howard Quartet / Center of the World recordings scared the pants off me back when I first heard them in my mid teens (back in the mid-70's), but they eventually became some of my favorite free jazz albums. I remain particularly fascinated by Art Taylor's astonishing contributions — listening to one of the hardest of hard bop drummers adapting to freer forms is truly inspiring.
Taylor's adventurous spirit is already apparent on Dexter Gordon's 1964 session "One Flight Up" (especially on the Donald Byrd-penned 'Tanya') which was likely Dexter's nod to the Coltrane Quartet. In addition to his work with Wright, Howard and Few, Taylor's avant-garde leanings explode on Dizzy Reece's "From In To Out." If you haven't heard this one, it's a must! So is Randy Weston's 1969 Paris session "Randy Weston's African Rhythms / African Cookbook a.k.a. Niles Littlebig" featuring Taylor, Henri Texier, Reebop Kwaku Baah, and Niles Azzedin Weston.
Thanks for the fine article. Doyle also had a nice collaboration with Joe McPhee down in Houston, Texas in January of 1998. That was Joe’s first visit to Houston, three years before the founding of Pauline Oliveros Foundation Houston (the organization that would eventually become Nameless Sound.)
So happy to see you're writing about this explosive circle of Paris-based Americans ca. 1970. The Wright-Howard Quartet / Center of the World recordings scared the pants off me back when I first heard them in my mid teens (back in the mid-70's), but they eventually became some of my favorite free jazz albums. I remain particularly fascinated by Art Taylor's astonishing contributions — listening to one of the hardest of hard bop drummers adapting to freer forms is truly inspiring.
Taylor's adventurous spirit is already apparent on Dexter Gordon's 1964 session "One Flight Up" (especially on the Donald Byrd-penned 'Tanya') which was likely Dexter's nod to the Coltrane Quartet. In addition to his work with Wright, Howard and Few, Taylor's avant-garde leanings explode on Dizzy Reece's "From In To Out." If you haven't heard this one, it's a must! So is Randy Weston's 1969 Paris session "Randy Weston's African Rhythms / African Cookbook a.k.a. Niles Littlebig" featuring Taylor, Henri Texier, Reebop Kwaku Baah, and Niles Azzedin Weston.
Thanks for the fine article. Doyle also had a nice collaboration with Joe McPhee down in Houston, Texas in January of 1998. That was Joe’s first visit to Houston, three years before the founding of Pauline Oliveros Foundation Houston (the organization that would eventually become Nameless Sound.)
https://soundcloud.com/nameless-sound-485652014/arthur-doylejoe-mcphee-duo-at-diverse-works
I wrote about McPhee and this meeting here:
https://sunra.substack.com/p/joe-mcphee
Thanks, Tyler! Will def check out the McPhee piece