Joe McPhee - Nation Time
(Atavistic)
"This is a BAD record," said the record store clerk who sold this to me.
"Bad as in Michael Jackson, or bad as in awful?" I asked.
"Oh, bad as in Michael Jackson." Which means a very good "bad," or at least as Michael
intended it. And looking at the cover, I knew that he was right. McPhee, standing with his tenor
sax, was a BAD dude.
This record, originally recorded in 1970 and released into obscurity, is part of Atavistic's Unheard
Music Series, a project to release out of print or unreleased jazz and improvised music. Nation
Time is one of four McPhee records in the series, and it showcases a successful compositional
style and skillful improvisation.
McPhee's saxophone is very melodic, finely focused but exultant. The title track, an 18+ minute
call and response piece driven by the shouting of "What time is it?/Nation Time!" is never too
skronky or atonal. The piece is clearly structured, although the structure is simple, and gives
McPhee and pianist Mike Kull ample room to interact. There are two percussionists in his quintet,
and the rhythms therefore are both propulsive and dynamic.
The second track, "Shakey Jake," is the masterpiece of this record. A long free piece recorded
with a larger ensemble (the tenor/piano/bass/[percussion x 2] quintet plus an alto sax, organ, and
guitar), the composition is clearly rooted in funk. The rhythm is so powerful and repetitive that it
gives the players a common area, and at times it sounds like a more laid-back Fela Kuti piece.
"Shakey Jake" totally rocks, and while funky, there's some amazing stuff going on with the guitar
and saxophone that really threatens to tear the music apart.
The third track is a shorter free piece that shows the improvisatory abilities of McPhee and his
quartet. The momentum of the first two tracks is absent, but the creativity is still there.
Symmetrical runs of piano and sax play around the rolling rhythm section, while the total music
gets faster and more intense.
There is more energy and fire on this CD than any record I have recently heard. McPhee is really
remarkable in his ability to improvise jazz that is so vibrant. The CD is not overly aggressive, but
rather melodic; the fire of Peter Brotzmann or later Coltrane is present, but controlled and shaped
well. Nation Time is an unearthed classic, with "Shakey Jake" damn near perfect.
|
