The Art Ensemble of Chicago (1982) Great Black Music
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A clip from Great Black Music featuring The Art Ensemble of Chicago, made by The Bright Thoughts Company for Channel 4. Broadcast 20th November 1982, and unseen for 40 years.
LICENSING ENQUIRIES: - Contact The Bright Thoughts Company (Please note - we are unable to provide copies for private use) |
Avant-garde Jazz
"So what we were doing with that face painting was representing everyone throughout the universe, and that was expressed in the music as well. That's why the music was so interesting. It wasn't limited to Western instruments, African instruments, or Asian instruments, or South American instruments, or anybody's instruments"
Joseph Jarman
Musicians
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Running Order
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Composition and improvisation
A selection of screen-shot images from the studio recordings. Each piece is a structured jazz composition and yet is largely improvised within that framework and therefore can take different directions and duration for all sections. Each and every performance is therefore unique.
About the showThe Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz group that grew out of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians in the late 1960s. The ensemble integrates many jazz styles and plays many instruments, including "little instruments": bells, bicycle horns, birthday party noisemakers, wind chimes, and various forms of percussion. The musicians wear costumes and face paint while performing.
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Our understanding was that the Art Ensemble of Chicago generally do not perform in studio. Not only that, it can be remarkably difficult to record improvisation which can use several tonnes of acoustic instruments of all kinds.
This commission gave us a very special opportunity to produce the whole thing in Chicago, to rehearse/record the improvised jazz compositions in studio through several days, to interview the guys and allow them to introduce themselves, and also to go with them into their community and neighbourhood in Southside Chicago to learn more about their motivation, their inspiration, and their roots.
The tricky thing was to edit it into a one hour show for transmission for UK audiences. However, to much relief this did receive the blessings of Andy Park, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4. We understand it did fulfil the brief and although it was always aimed toward a minority viewing audience it received favourable notices from the music press.
On a personal note, it was hugely challenging but also a joy to work on, the guys were great to hang-out with and it was a privilege to be welcomed into their world and to gain a real insight into their music.
This commission gave us a very special opportunity to produce the whole thing in Chicago, to rehearse/record the improvised jazz compositions in studio through several days, to interview the guys and allow them to introduce themselves, and also to go with them into their community and neighbourhood in Southside Chicago to learn more about their motivation, their inspiration, and their roots.
The tricky thing was to edit it into a one hour show for transmission for UK audiences. However, to much relief this did receive the blessings of Andy Park, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4. We understand it did fulfil the brief and although it was always aimed toward a minority viewing audience it received favourable notices from the music press.
On a personal note, it was hugely challenging but also a joy to work on, the guys were great to hang-out with and it was a privilege to be welcomed into their world and to gain a real insight into their music.
Neil Anthony, Producer