Great Black Music
The one-hour programme on The Art Ensemble of Chicago, documentary and performance of improvised jazz 'ancient to modern'.
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The Art Ensemble of Chicago (1982) Great Black Music
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
MusiciansThe line-up of five musicians who each play several instruments together in every piece performance within the recording of this production.
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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.
Stills photography
Black and white photos edited into the show taken when visiting the artists in their Southside neighbourhood, exploring their roots, learning more about where they come from, the visual and aural motivations and inspiration.
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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
Further reading
More in WIKIPEDIA
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Why digitise and remaster?The renewed interest in the Bright Thoughts Company product we have requests for this show to be digitised and remastered for 'on-demand' audiences. If you'd like to Add Your Support and let us have an expression of interest it will help us gauge the level of interest.
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