Clifford Thornton – "Ketchaoua" (BYG Records – 529.323) 1969

Cliff Thorton and friends featuring Gregory Peck on Bass.

"Music has no colour",said the French Jazzer...I'm certain Archie Shepp would disagree,as he plays Soprano for his buddy Cliff Thornton on this afro-centric polyptych of free jazz. Both he and Thornton were trying their level best to remove as much whiteness as possible from this french released miesterwerk. Africans may not have invented the wheel, as some enlightened bigot pointed out alongside our advocate of 'colourless music'in the comments section, but they certainly gave us honkies virtually all our modern musical forms.For which they are rarely acknowledged,but after-all it belongs to all of us innit.....sorry Archie?

Shepp's presence gives this platter a distinctive Archie Shepp flavour with his instantly recognisable style,augmented by Thronton's very capable horn blowing.

Would you believe it?...there's Béb Guérin once again on the Bass, and this time the photo of him reveals the distinctive look of Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab in "Moby Dick", as the White Whale In the Room.

Tracklist:

A1 Ketchaoua 12:35
A2 Pan African Festival 7:50
B1 Brotherhood 10:40
B2 Speak With Your Echo (And Call This Dialogue) 9:15

DOWNLOAD the tomato ketchaoua of slavery HERE!

Clifford Thornton's New Art Ensemble – "Freedom & Unity" (Goody – GY 30001) 1969

This one was actually recorded in New York 1967 rather than France,which I guess Cliff didn't relocate to until his Draft number came up for Vietnam in '69. He wasn't rich enough to pay a doctor to help him dodge the draft, like Donald Trump was,so,logically,he avoided the madness by being an American Free Jazzer in France...why not, everyone else was over there at the time.

This outing seems more dated than his output post 1969,a tad more jazzier than Cliff's 1970's stuff,but jolly fine nonetheless.

Tracklist:

1 Free Huey 13:09
2 15th Floor 8:51
3 Miss Oula 4:48
4 Kevin (The Theme) 0:22
5 Exosphere 10:07
6 Uhuru 8:31
7 O.C.T. 4:38
8 The Wake 14:18

DOWNLOAD using the rapidly diminishing freedom of the internet HERE!

Clifford Thornton – "The Panther And The Lash" (America Records – 30 AM 6113) 1971

The eye-catching collage on the front cover of this crazy cornet wielding Kat's second solo album, is like something i'd have knocked up for an album without artwork for this blog....yes,it's that good. It screams "Buy Me",but you don't have to do that shit no more,'cus you can download this work of near genius at the bottom of this page.

Also thanks is again due to the French.....choke,spit,......some of whom had the wherewithal to release this platter on the ironically named 'America Records'.....the place Clifford,who is only ever pictured in profile, struggled to find an audience. 

French people will turn out in numbers for anything exotic enough to assuage their post-colonial guilt, even for a moment; "Raciste????...Moi!?....Non! J'adore le Reggae et Le Jazz!?".

They,along with The Brits managed to fuck up the third world,possibly for good;but to say sorry, they are keen to look interested in Jazz and World musics of all creeds and colours,and buy that awful 'ethnic' art to pose with in their Salon's. Although this can backfire,especially when a Frenchman tries to play Reggae,or,please lord help us...dance!

There's even a Frenchman on this recording,one Beb Guérin,who was rather accomplished on the contra bass until his untimely death at a youthful 39.As far as i can see photograph-wise,he had the dashing good looks of a pre-mustachioed  Freddie Mercury from one angle, and the fresh-faced intensity of Billy MacKenzie from another.....both also dead.....is anyone left alive out there to greet me when I surface from my Bunker?

Awwwww he's sad.......Billy MacKenzie circa Party Fears Two

Freddie Mercury working on Bohemion Rhapsody 2...Free Jazz version.

As for Cliff,at the time of writing,is no longer alive too,and has worked with all the Jazz greats from Sun Ra to Sanders to Shepp.And he sure can handle a Trumpet....even beyond the grave thanks to his recordings.

Tracklist:

1.Huey Is Free 12:25
2.El Fath 13:35
3.Tout Le Pouvoir Au Peuple 4:15
4.Paysage Désolé 4:00
5.Right On ! 3:30
6.Shango / Aba L'Ogun 11:15
7.Mahiya Illa Zalab 4:30

DOWNLOAD cliff and associates HERE!