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Frank Lowe: Out Loud

By Mark Corroto
October 19, 2014
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Musical archeology has become somewhat of a trend these days. It might be explained, in part by the rebirth of vinyl and the excavation of long out-of-print titles, but also there are scores of devoted collectors who've discovered unpublished recordings of significant artists. For the serially neglected avant-garde of jazz, some of these finds have been significant.

Albert Ayler

saxophone, tenor
1936 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Albert Ayler's Holy Ghost: Rare And Unissued Recordings (1962-70) (Revenant, 2004) box set and the more recent Centering: Unreleased Early Recordings 1976-1987 (No Business, 2012) that documents the early work of bassist

William Parker

bass
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">William Parker, come to mind.

Out Loud a well preserved artifact from the early career of saxophonist

Frank Lowe

saxophone, tenor
1943 - 2003

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Lowe, adds to that list. These two LPs, released in a limited edition of 550 hand-numbered copies come with a 38-page booklet of unpublished photographs, a detailed biography of Lowe, and a technical analysis by saxophonist

J.D. Parran

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">J.D. Parran. More importantly, the music is mastered by Joe Lizzi and Ben Young to sound fresh and vibrantly uncontaminated. The sounds are pressed on heavy vinyl and are accompanied by a 40-minute video link to the RivBea loft performance.

Lowe in 1974, was preparing a follow-up to his debut Black Beings (ESP, 1973) and he assembled this quartet of trombonist

Joseph Bowie

trombone
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Joseph Bowie, bassist William Parker, and drummer

Steve Reid

drums
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Reid. Plans changed, I suspect by a producer, and the music, this suite "Act Of Freedom," was shelved for two covers of

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk's music and three originals. Fresh kept Bowie but replaced Reid with Bobo Shaw (except for one track), added trumpeter

Lester Bowie

trumpet
1941 - 1999

" data-original-title="" title="">Lester Bowie and swapped cellist Abdul Wadud for Parker.

The music heard on these two dates, the first from

Rashied Ali

drums
1935 - 2009

" data-original-title="" title="">Rashied Ali's Survival Studio on Greene Street and the second at

Sam Rivers

saxophone, tenor
1923 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Sam Rivers's Bond Street Studio RivBea loft, is a distillation of times in cross-section. Lowe, born in Memphis, joined Sun Ra's band after Vietnam, then, inspired by

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman in New York, joined bands led by

Alice Coltrane

piano
1937 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Alice Coltrane,

Milford Graves

drums
1940 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Milford Graves,

Rashied Ali

drums
1935 - 2009

" data-original-title="" title="">Rashied Ali and

Don Cherry

trumpet
1936 - 1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Cherry. His blues drenched firebrand sound can be heard in today's music by players like

Mats Gustafsson

woodwinds
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Mats Gustafsson,

Mars Williams

saxophone
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Mars Williams, and

Ellery Eskelin

saxophone, tenor
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Ellery Eskelin.

The Survival Studio date is animated by William Parker's fierce bass lines and the constantly changing drive of Steve Reid's drumming. Lowe brings the sounds of Sun Ra's Arkestra and the AACM's Art Ensemble of Chicago to bear here. His saxophone vocalizations squeeze every last drop of expressiveness for the performance. As might be expected from the times, there is a rough hewn edge here, but the energy new lags. The final side adds trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah to the mix. Like Bowie, he mixes, pokes and spars with Lowe, pressuring the music deeper and deeper. The beauty in this music is that it repeatedly shatters, then congeals. Shatter then congeals.

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Track Listing

Side A: Untitled 1; Vivid Description; Side B: Listen; Untitled 2; Logical Extensions; Side C: Whew!; Side D: Untitled 3; Closing Announcement.

Personnel

Frank Lowe

saxophone, tenor

Frank Lowe: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, voice, percussion, congas, balafon, whistles, harmonics, miscellaneous small instruments; Joseph Bowie: trombone, congas; William Parker: bass; Steve Reid: drums; Ahmed Abdullah: trumpet (Side D).

Album information

Title: Out Loud | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Triple Point Records

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