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Amirta Kidambi, composer and vocalist
Triptych: Prayer/Protest/Peace by Max Roach and Abby Lincoln
Expressions of “avant-garde” or “free jazz” severely underestimate the vocalist, which tends to favor instrumental shredding in a not-so-subtle patriarchal way. Abbey Lincoln’s immensely powerful voice and artistry are extremely alienated and rarely mentioned without a romantic entanglement with Max Roach. Lincoln, who died in 2010, was the definition of the avant-garde to me, and her abstract, expressive, wordless vocalizations on the seminal civil rights-era suite “We Insist!” have stood the test of time. It was light years ahead. Now is the time to be free (1964), with Roach, Coleman Hawkins, Olatunzi and other free jazz archetypes.
What I love about Lincoln is that she isn’t afraid to get dirty or ugly or make listeners intuitively uncomfortable. In her grunts, yells, and harsh vocalizations, she utilizes what academics call “extension techniques,” a term I detest as a prescriptive Eurocentric prejudice. Lincoln does not “extend” the vocal instrument, but rather excavates its absolute essential and fullest range of emotions, which, in my view, can only be approximated by imitation by horns and other instruments. She is particularly powerful and effective in her “Triptych: Prayer/Protest/Peace,” where she converses with Roach’s drums, screams, screams, cries in pain, and recounts the tumultuous years of racial violence and struggle in America in real time. reacted with Lincoln was not a supper club singer and was not interested in light entertainment, but rather in bringing the audience into the consciousness. Her Lincoln voice and messages are now available too.
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Marcus J. Moore, jazz author
“Step” by Cecil Taylor
When we talk about the beginnings of free jazz or avant-garde jazz, we often go to Ornette Coleman and start there. It’s no surprise, given the courage it took to title the 1959 album The Shape of Jazz To Come and sprinkle in a challenging structure that’s hard to argue with. But for me, Cecil Taylor has always been on the forefront of the avant-garde, his rolling piano chords tucked between relentless drum and saxophone billows. Perhaps no song exemplifies this more than “Steps,” the opening track from the 1966 album Unit Structures. I’ve always loved the unsettled feel of this city, its organized yet chaotic feel. The complex song “Steps”, with its bright colors and energetic sound arrangement, also hits my sensibilities and makes me a little uneasy. But that’s why I appreciate it the most. Jazz can be soothing or exciting, reminding us that just because it’s easy and relaxing doesn’t mean it’s good.
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VTR, recording artist, violinist, composer
“The Creator Has a Master Plan” by Pharoah Sanders
Growing up as a preacher’s kid in Memphis, my world was filled with cognitive dissonance. At home school, my father taught me the basics of music theory and composition. During this time, I was allowed to study only her two genres, gospel and classical. This felt like a daunting disadvantage, but I can now see that rigorous education laid the foundation for my music career today.
Fast forward to 2016 and I’m sitting in my bedroom in Dallas. At the time, I was just experimenting with writing my own songs. I wanted to make music that was audiovisual and enlightening to the soul. My art will be healing and manifest. While searching, I came across the book “The Creator Has a Master Plan” by Pharoah Sanders. From the first second, I was fascinated by the roar of the saxophone. Totally different from my classic background. You can feel the musicians breathing in unison and freely channeling what they call the “Holy Spirit”. Suddenly the song turns into a trance chant, but no words are uttered. Its melody is repetitive like the devotional worship I grew up with. Then a delicate solo utterance tears through the sea of sound, “The Creator has a workable plan…”.
Warm tears streamed down my face and I knew my search was over. This was the blueprint and Pharaoh was my mentor. From that moment on, I knew my music had to come from the same channel and convey his message. I am eternally grateful to Pharoah Sanders for my personal paradigm shift and I pray that everyone can experience that level of bliss.
