McGregor, Chris - Very Urgent CD
SKU
39-CD-FLED-3059
Despite the fact that for some reason this album was released as being by ‘The Chris McGregor Group’, this is, in fact, the ONLY album ever made by Chris and The Blue Notes in the 1960s (there are some live recordings that were released later, but this is essentially IT!)
These is the only recordings by the band who left apartheid South Africa (McGregor, Dudu Pukwana, Mongezi Feza, Ronnie Beer, Johnny Dyani and Louis Moholo) to play at the Antibes Jazz Fest and eventually found their way to London, where they totally shook up the somewhat rather staid UK jazz scene of the mid 1960s, inspiring the next wave of players such as John Marshall, Mike Westbrook, John Surman, etc. This is a classic that has never-before appeared on CD and, in fact, has been out of print almost from the time it was released 40 years ago! HIGHLY recommended!
"In 1968, the Chris McGregor Group were riding high on the London jazz scene, playing and hanging out with all the rising stars of British free jazz. Very Urgent, their eagerly awaited debut recording, was a joyful call of intent.
The album mixes simple but utterly unstoppable tunes and exhilarating horn charts -- immediately establishing a vitality and exuberance that would continue to define the group. 'Nevertheless, their evident preference for raw energy and rough spirit over absolute precision never quite obscures the technical proficiency available to the ensemble. There is often a sense of things falling effortlessly into place that's only found in the most exceptional units.'
Very Urgent was produced by Joe Boyd and engineered by John Wood at Sound Techniques studio in London. Forty years later, Fledg'ling Records are very proud to bring this splendid album back into print. The passing years have not diminished the album's impact. Very Urgent is the third release in our campaign to reissue McGregor's wonderfully creative recordings from the late '60s and early '70s."
- LabelFledg'ling
- UPC5020393305921