Milford Graves
Meditation Among Us
Kitty Records (Japan) 1977
MKF 1021 (LP) Original pressing. w/obi, insert(dirts).
sleeve : VG+(SPSE:4cm light crack on top, wear on corner, dirts.)
media : EX-/EX-(some slightly noises. the first parts on side A and B has one slightly wear that does not affect to sounds.)
A masterpiece album released in 1977 by drummer Milford Graves, one of the pioneers who worked alongside Paul Bley and Albert Ayler during the dawn of free jazz in 1960s New York. Recorded during his Japan tour in the same year, the album features studio recordings of performances with Japan's prominent free improvisers, including Mototeru Takagi (tenor sax), Kaoru Abe (alto and soprano sax), Toshinori Kondo (trumpet, alto horn), and Toshiyuki Tsuchitori (drums, percussion). The recording and remix were handled by David Baker. The A-side is just under 20 minutes, and the B-side a little over 16 minutes, with both sides featuring long improvised sessions—particularly the B-side is exceptional. Tsuchitori’s percussion, following Graves’ drumming filled with a visceral physicality and wild, African chant-like roars, is brilliant. Moreover, Graves’ piano, unleashing melodies like beams of light through relentless and continuous pounding, is outstanding. You can feel a spiritual connection to artists like Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, and Alice Coltrane. Highly recommended.