| Ave B Free Jam | |
| Type: | live |
| Artist: | Laurence Cook, Jacques Coursil, Warren Gale, Perry Robinson, and Steve Tintweiss |
| Cover: | Cook_Coursil_Gale_Robinson_Tintweiss_Ave_B_Free_Jam.jpg |
| Released: | 2021 |
| Recorded: | May 12, 1967 |
| Venue: | New York City |
| Genre: | Free jazz |
| Length: | 1:18:42 |
| Label: | Inky Dot Media CD 005 |
Ave B Free Jam is a live album by drummer Laurence Cook, trumpeters Jacques Coursil and Warren Gale, clarinetist Perry Robinson, and bassist Steve Tintweiss. Consisting of a continuous, extended free improvisation, it was recorded on May 12, 1967, in New York City, and was issued on CD in 2021 by Inky Dot Media.[1] [2] [3]
In a review for The New York City Jazz Record, Pierre Crépon described the album as "a leaderless collective free improvisation devoid of themes or structure, elements that long remained staples of the avant garde when presented publicly," and wrote: "This is free playing of the busy kind, with nearly continuous contributions from all participants... The extended length gives the impression that what is being heard is an unedited version of what would have been trimmed down live... but when the musicians hit, they hit."[4]
George W. Harris of Jazz Weekly noted that the album "gives an aural history of what the free jazz movement of the time was all about," and commented: "The sound is pretty clear, and the music pretty wild... It's like listening to 3 Wagner operas simultaneously, without the overtures."[5]
The Big Takeovers Michael Toland remarked: "The group keeps the pedal to the metal for most of the album... giving it all they've got in a nearly unbroken string of freeform self-expression. That can be a lot to take in for one sitting... But it's difficult to imagine jumping on this ride only to get off a few minutes later, no matter how exhausted, before Ave B Free Jam reaches its destination."[6]
Writing for All About Jazz, Richard J Salvucci called the album "a historical artifact of the avant-garde... Strictly for aficionados of the genre. Others will likely be mystified."
In an article for Contemporary Fusion Reviews, Dick Metcalf wrote: "if you're an improvised music aficionado, this is one of the most important albums you will ever have... over an hour... of freestyle madness that will make your head spin lol... the recording is an improvisor's treasure and gets a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating."[7]
A reviewer for Take Effect called the album "an avant-garde experience you’re not going to hear anywhere else," and remarked: "it's amazing that this was recorded way back in 1967... and it clearly illustrates just how ahead of their time these musicians were."[8]
The music is continuous. Track marks were embedded to enable segment identification.