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Harry Miller: Which Way Now
Miller formed his own record label Ogun and his own group, Isipingo (named after a vacation spot in South Africa), performed now memorable concerts and did historic and important recordings to document the activity, mostly, of his South African fellows. Cuneiform has been beautifully documenting this scene and they have now chosen to release Which Way Now, a previously unreleased 75-minute radio concert. It's a wild and wonderful raucous affair, with four extended performances by the only Isipingo recording to feature Feza and including Nick Evans (trombone), Louis Moholo (drums), Mike Osborne (alto sax) and Keith Tippett (piano).
The music is melodic and danceable yet also noisy and rambunctious and it seethes with the energy of its time and a timeless spirit of invention. Miller wrote all the tunes and the creativity never flagsthese men sound as if they're creating something important and, amazingly, as if they're having a great time. Though all of the solos are strong, particular standouts are Tippett, who powers the music forward and also looks backward to the jazz tradition, and Feza, who brings the folk spirit of his home country and finds the places where it is in harmonic and cultural sympathy with the creative jazz of the time. The spirit of this whole recording informed a generation of music and continues to inspire with its freedom.
Track Listing
Family Affair; Children at Play; Eli
Personnel
Harry Miller
bassNick Evans: trombone; Mongezi Feza: trumpet; Harry Miller: bass; Louis Moholo: drums; Mike Osborne: alto saxophone; Keith Tippett: piano.
Album information
Title: Which Way Now | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Cuneiform Records
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