On ne les présente plus, on les écoute. C'est du jazz par ceux qui l'ont fait, le font toujours. C'est passé par le free, ça y repasse. C'est passé par le blues, ça en regorge. C'est une contrebasse qui aime valser autour de la batterie. C'est un alto lacéré comme jamais. Ce sont des tambours serrés au maximum et dansant sur des aigus surréels. Ce sont des harmoniques délivrées. Ce sont des tempos cabossés. Ce sont des cymbales cristallines. Ce sont des dialogues ludiques et lucides. C'est M'sieur Ornette qui vient faire un petit tour. Ce sont les échos d'un lointain solo chez Byg. Ce sont des chants à iamais immortels. Et ce sont bien sûr Messieurs Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman et Oliver Lake.

Nous retrouvons un trio fidèle à Intakt, le Trio 3 des vétérans afro-américains du (free) jazz, Oliver Lake (saxophone), Reggie Workman (contrebasse), et Andrew Cyrille (batterie), cette fois sans pianiste invité(e) comme Irène Schweizer, la regrettée Geri Allen à deux reprises, Jason Moran et Vijay Iyer (cf. Culturejazz « Trois grands orchestres et quelques pépites » 27/10/2014 ; « C’était en 2013 : 2e séance de rattrapage » 14/01/2014). Ces trois créateurs jouent une musique de plus en plus épurée, donc essentielle et qui s’inscrit dans le temps : racines et liberté. Aucune contrainte de mode ou de business ne les commande, ils sont parmi les derniers, ne les ratez pas.

https://www.culturejazz.fr/spip.php?article3360

Reggie Workman Working Man

Reflecting on a career spanning six decades, bassist Reggie Workman speaks with subdued restraint. Adding to a remarkable resumé, Workman's history of mentoring young jazz musicians led to a long-standing Associate Professorship of the New School yet, staring down 80, he's as busy as ever. "Yes, there's a lot going on. There always is," he mused.

Born in 1937, just outside of Philadelphia, Workman was ingrained in musical activity from early on. "Many musicians lived in that community," he explained. "Lee Morgan and I grew up together. Archie Shepp lived around the corner." Others in his immediate purview were Benny Golson, Kenny Barron, Mickey Roker, Donald Bailey and Bobby Green. Workman's father, a chef, owned a restaurant frequented by musicians who often visited the family home. The addition of a piano in their living room brought about an array of jam sessions. Jackie McLean was a regular when he played the area and after John Coltrane moved to Philadelphia, he too was drawn to the scene. "And Philly Joe Jones was a conductor on the trolley that passed the house," Workman said. "He sometimes stopped his car, faking mechanical problems, just to come in and say 'hello' to the fellows."

Through the visceral drive of the music, Workman's role became increasingly active. "Archie went to college at Goddard to study drama and I continued playing the streets. We didn't have universities to teach this; we sneaked into clubs. The Showboat and the Aqua Lounge hosted Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, they all came through. The bouncer at one of the clubs would let us in; he'd give us fruit punch and sit us in a dark corner." But by 1956, upon high school graduation, Workman began organizing performances. Once he took over the hearse his father used for deliveries, he could get to gigs out of town and transport the players. A first taste of success occurred when Workman joined the quartet of popular pianist-vocalist Freddy Cole, brother of Nat. "The music took me out of the brickyard and around the country. For me, this was also an education on the art of the ballad."

Performances with Cole centered on New York, so Workman moved his base to Harlem. "My evolution happened in New York. Many of the greats lived there. Gigi Gryce started hiring me regularly." Calls began coming in from Sun Ra, James Moody and Roswell Rudd. "I also played Minton's with Chick Corea and George Coleman and Babs Gonzales started hanging out uptown", which led to gigs with the bebop vocalist. "Then in 1958 Frank Gant and I went to San Francisco to work with Red Garland. It was a two-week gig we couldn't turn down due to his Miles association. Red wouldn't pay for plane tickets so we traveled by train." Quickly, Workman became established as a first-call bassist within the music's highest order. "Thelonious Monk was very particular about what happened on the bandstand and he expected the bass to be in a certain place, at a certain time, regardless. It was like school. That was difficult for me because I was used to a more open setting. The band's saxophonist Paul Jeffrey was a great help to me and Ed Blackwell too."

Increasingly busy -and aware of the rigors- Workman became a founder of a musicians' support and referral organization; however, the shadow of Jim Crow invaded the solidarity. "The group had conflicts because the black musicians had different problems than the white ones," Workman recalled. Collective Black Artists (CBA) grew from this reality. Artists including Amiri Baraka, Jimmy Heath, Jimmy Owens, George Benson and Don Moore became central members. "We renovated a store front to make an office and organized classes taught by Leonard Goines and Owens. Our newspaper, Expansions, was filled with articles and poetry." CBA also recorded an EP dedicated to Muhammad Ali featuring Gonzales' vocals and ran a concert series at Town Hall with Ornette Coleman, Max Roach and Herbie Hancock among their features. Within Workman's tapestry, Coltrane stands out as a luminary. "It was 1961 and the band included McCoy, Elvin and Dolphy. I was working with Jaki Byard and Roy Haynes down the street from Coltrane's band and invited Eric to check us out. He brought John, but they left soon after, so I thought nothing of it. However, they were going on the road and John called to ask if I wanted in. I said: 'Is the Pope Catholic?" After stateside shows, Norman Granz paired the band with Dizzy Gillespie's for a European tour. "We boarded the plane together but John, Dizzy and Norman sat in first class. The rest of us rode coach...the salary was miniscule and we had to pay for our own hotel rooms. Meanwhile, Granz got a suite." However, the gig cemented a powerful relationship with Coltrane, then on the cusp of ascendency. "We recorded Africa Brass. So many great musicians were in Van Gelder's studio. Dolphy wrote voicings for the horns. Cal Massey did orchestration too." Olé Coltrane was out next and within a year Liv...

Vitale veteraner

Andrew Cyrille, Oliver Lake og Reggie Workman er tre av de store veteranene i amerikansk jazz. Her kommer to bevis på at de fortsatt har mye å melde.

Andrew Cyrille, Oliver Lake og Reggie Workman – for en trio!

Med Trio 3 og Oliver Lake Organ Quartet forteller disse spydspissene i moderne amerikansk jazz at de på ingen måte har tenkt å kompromisse mot slutten av sine karrierer.

Alle tre er pluss minus 80 og har vært sentrale skikkelser udi jazzens avantgardisme siden 60-tallet. De har spilt med og alle har spilt med dem, inkludert John Coltrane, Lou Reed, World Saxophone Quartet og Cecil Taylor. Til sammen er herrene i besittelse av vel 130 års jazzerfaring og som Trio 3 har de eksitert siden 90-tallet.

Likevel er "Visiting Texture" bandets første studioalbum som trio siden 2006 – i mellomtida har de jobba mye som kvartett både live og i studio med pianister – og ikke hvem som helst: Geri Allen, Irène Schweizer, Vijay Iyer og Jason Moran.

Her er de altså tilbake i urformatet og i komposisjoner fra alle tre, en kollektiv improvisasjon og "coverlåta" "A Girl Named Rainbow" av Ornette Coleman, forteller de oss nok en gang hvilke unike stemmer de har både individuelt og kollektivt.

Sjølsagt er dette løst og åpent, men hele tida med en indre struktur som mer enn antyder at hver eneste tone er viktig. Dette har blitt nok et herlig møte med veteranene.

I den tjukke bunka på venteværelset har Oliver Lakes skive, "What I Heard", med hans orgelkvartett blitt liggende til langmarinering. Det har den så avgjort ikke tatt skade av og her viser Lake ei helt annen side av sitt musikalske jeg.

Lake har nemlig, i tillegg til sitt forhold til avantgardismen, også hatt en fascinasjon for orgelsounden, spesielt den Larry Young skapte på 60- og 70-tallet. Sammen med et fint lag med betydelig yngre musikere enn han sjøl, Chris Beck på trommer, Jared Gold på orgel og Freddie Hendrix på trompet, har han skapt et småfunky/groovy landskap som er like originalt som alt annet han har holdt på med, men likevel helt annerledes.

All musikken er skrevet av Lake (75) og med hans umiskjennelige altsaksofontone i front blir materialet, som opprinnelig var skrevet for poeter, nesten sjølsagt ulikt alt annet man har hørt av sjangeren orgeljazz – det blir alltid det når Oliver Lake er involvert.

https://torhammero.blogg.no/1522776192_vitale_veteraner.html

Trio 3 maakte twintig jaar geleden zijn debuut met 'Live In Willisau', het vermaarde Zwitserse jazzfestival. Sindsdien zijn bassist Reggie Workman, saxofonist Oliver Lake en drummer Andrew Cyrille een trio, al brachten ze de laatste jaren vooral albums uit met diverse gastpianisten. Nu is er echter eindelijk weer een trio-album: 'Visiting Texture'. "Nothing wrong with a quartet," zo stelt Lake, "but we all enjoy playing in an very open setting. I guess it's because that's the way we've worked for so many years."

De heren zijn inmiddels op leeftijd, Workman werd afgelopen juni 80, maar daar is op dit album weinig van te merken. In de composities, op een na van de hand van de leden van dit trio, is die 'open setting' in alles ****- en voelbaar. In 'Bonu' staat Lake's expressieve geluid centraal, terwijl we op de achtergrond Workman en Cyrille horen in die cryptische vorm van ritmiek waar we hierboven reeds over spraken. 'Composite' is een nog beter voorbeeld van het type drummen waar Cyrille zijn faam aan dankt, iets wat overigens ook voor het basspel van Workman geldt. Alle drie de leden van het trio spelen hier een eigen, onafhankelijke rol, brengen hun eigen typische kleur in. Van een ritmesectie is geen sprake.

'Epic Man' valt met name op door de ingetogen solo van Workman, die hier met behulp van zijn strijkstok zijn bas prachtig laat zingen, en de solo van Lake, hier op sopraansax. Daardoorheen beweegt Cyrille zich, de gaten opvullend met zijn stuwende spel. De cover op dit album is van Ornette Coleman. Cyrille nam eerder, in 1980, 'A Girl Named Rainbow' op. Lake speelt hier een grote rol met een intense, fragiele solo op tenorsax. Cyrille en Workman horen we op de achtergrond, minimale accenten aanbrengend. Tot slot speelt het trio het titelstuk 'Visiting Texture', een lang uitgesponnen ode aan de stijl van muziek maken waar Cyrille voor staat.

https://draaiomjeoren.blogspot.com/2017/12/cds-andrew-cyrille-quartet-declaration.html

Visiting Texture är Trio 3:s första rena trioskiva på elva år, däremellan har trion samarbetat med pianisterna Geri Allen, Irène Schweizer, Vijay Iyer och Jason Moran. Allt detta har dokumenterats på skiva av det schweiziska bolaget Intakt.
Det här är en alldeles underbar skiva med tre av den fria jazzens stora och numera åldrade musiker; Reggie Workman är 80 år, medan Andrew Cyrille och Oliver Lake är 77 respektive 75 år. Av det märks nu inget, eller kanske är det just ålder och erfarenhet som avspeglas i det mogna och koncentrerade spelet och i det högt drivna samspelet. Musiken är vital och laddad men samtidigt med ett sorts inre lugn; inget hetsas fram. Utöver Ornette Colemans vackra och gåtfulla A Girl Named Rainbow och den kollektivt improviserade Combosite står musikerna var för sig för skivans något skissartade kompositioner. Själv hade jag närapå glömt vilken stark och liksom uppfordrande improvisatör Oliver Lake är. Och Andrew Cyrilles flexibla spel borde fler trummisar lyssna på. Han är fantastisk här - mycket långt från de fri- jazzbatterister som, likt exempelvis Hamid Drake, har en tendens att banka sönder musiken. Skivan är en studie i mästerskap.

No próximo mês de novembro teremos em Portugal uma importante figura histórica do jazz, Andrew Cyrille. O baterista vem ao Guimarães Jazz com seu mais recente projeto, o inesperado quarteto de "The Declaration of Musical Independence", no mesmo ano em que soma quatro décadas a existência do grupo mais antigo do qual participa, com o saxofonista alto Oliver Lake e o baixista Reggie Workman: Trio 3. Pois eis que acaba de sair o 11° título da formação, o primeiro em 10 anos sem um pianista como convidado (foram "guests", lembre-se, Geri Allen, Irene Schweizer, Jason Moran e Vijay lyer). A ausência de um instrumento harmônico tão determinante em termos de temperamento quanto o piano solta mais a música (torna-a mais ambigua, se quiserem), mas fica muito claro, até pela versão feita de um tema de Ornette Coleman ("A Girl Named Rainbow"), que o vanguardismo jazz dessa cooperativa de veteranos não é exatamente a do free estrito. Poucas vezes foi no passado e nesse disco menos ainda assim é.

Ou seja, se a música do Trio 3 é bem mais cartografada que a da trupe que reúne músicos tão diferentes quanto Bill Frisell (em Guimarães substituído por Ben Monder) e Richard Teitelbaum, ela ainda tem a propriedade de nos trocar algumas voltas. Lake sempre foi um músico melódico, mas "Visiting Texture" pode aparecer no topo de alguma lista que liste as glórias do avant-melodismo jazzístico. O que é notável, considerando que as peças tocadas são simples "esquetes" estruturais, não exatamente composições, e que uma delas é mesmo uma improvisação integral. O fato de uma delas, "7 for Max", ser uma dedicatória de Cyrille a Max Roach, o mais melódico dos percussionistas, indica quais eram as intenções desses três grandes ao adoptarem uma abordagem a fogo brando que é tão lírica e poética na expressão quão exploratória no tratamento dos materiais - o termo "exploratório", na verdade, representa com exatidão o que, muito particularmente, Workman e Cyrille fazem por trás do sax, nos maravilhando em par e passo. Pois, velhos são os trapos.

Parmi les Américains, une formation fidèle, Trio 3, réunion de trois légendes de la free musique : à l’alto, Oliver Lake, un des fondateurs du World Saxophone Quartet; à la contrebasse, Reggie Workman, compagnon de Coltrane et, à la batterie, Andrew Cyrille, batteur fétiche de Cecil Taylor. L’album Visiting Textures est l’occasion de revisiter différentes « textures » : trois compositions de Lake, deux de Cyrille, une de Workman, un thème collectif et un d’Ornette Coleman : sonorité tranchante de l’alto, équilibre rythme-mélodie de Workman (Epic Man) et pulsion rythmique constante de Cyrille. Par ailleurs, le trio a invité de nombreux pianistes : Geri Allen (At this time, Celebrating Mary Lou Willians), Jason Moran (Refraction), Vijay Iyer (Wiring) ou Irène Schweizer (Berne Concert).

http://jazzaroundmag.com/?p=16219

Diese drei Männer arbeiten seit einer Ewigkeit zusammen, und je mehr Zeit vergeht, desto wünschenswerter wird, dass sie weitermachen. Oliver Lake hat sich vor allem auf dem Alt-Saxophon die Quecksilberphrasierung von Eric Dolphy angeeignet. Er ist an diesem musikalischen Vorbild gewachsen und längst selbst zur Ikone geworden. Andrew Cyrille hat alles beieinander, um Zeit, Raum und Leere mit seinem Schlagzeug nach Belieben zu formen und Reggie Workman erdet die Musik mit seinem wunderbar lyrischen Bass. Alle Musiker sind auch ambitionierte Komponisten und so vergehen ihre Kurzgeschichten wie im Fluge. Für mich ist dies das gelungenste Album von „Trio 3". Denn kaum ein Moment vergeht, in dem man nicht spürt, wie sehr und wie gerne die Musiker aufeinander hören, ohne sich in Ihrer Freiheit einzuengen. New Food from Old Men!

Ecco l'ennesimo capitolo della pregnante avventura del Trio 3, iniziata una trentina di anni fa con l'incontro di questi titani della musica e dell'improvvisazione contemporanea. Personalità forti, che nell'incontro hanno saldato una sintonia matura fin dal primo momento, ma nel corso del tempo sempre più organica e dialettica, tra libertà e rigore.

Vengono alla mente le parole dello stesso Andrew Cyrille, nel testo As serious as your life di Valerie Wilmer, quando parlando del ruolo del batterista asserisce che è paragonabile alla struttura ossea della musica, una struttura che sostiene il corpo musicale e nel contempo gli permette di articolarsi in diverse funzioni. Lo stesso concetto può essere ampliato per il trio in questione: alla struttura ossea fornita dal batterista si aggiungono fasce muscolari, nervi pronti a vibrare, vasi sanguigni pulsanti.

Ancora meglio che nelle occasioni di incontro ad alto livello che hanno scandito la vita del trio, dove Oliver Lake, Reggie Workman e Cyrille hanno inglobato di volta in volta il lavoro di musicisti quali Jason Moran, Geri Allen, Vijay Iyer, Irene Schweizer, la musica funziona a meraviglia proprio nella consolidata formula a tre, dove si mette in gioco non solo la salda triangolazione, ma una stupefacente capacità di continua trasformazione pur nel rispetto di una consapevole impronta di identità. Sono qui messe a profitto tutte le strategie e le tecniche del jazz contemporaneo, dal post-bop al free, in un continuo travaso di vitalità e creatività.

Inutile andare a sottolineare i singoli brani, e all'interno di quelli gli episodi in cui la musica diventa dialogo, tessuto intricato, poesia intensa. L'apporto compositivo è di tutti e se da un lato mette in risalto le singole personalità, dall'altro ribadisce le comuni intenzioni. Non manca nel CD un brano di Ornette, tra quelli meno frequentati e più lirici: "A Girl Named Rainbow." Tra tutti, vorremmo però segnalare il brano che Cyrille dedica a Max Roach. La melodia sui tamburi è un tesoro di sintesi, di rispetto e sensibilità. Ci sembra di scorgere, oltre all'impronta di Max, l'ombra danzante di Ed Blackwell, protagonista con Cyrille nelle fasi storiche del free di un approccio in cui fine strutturazione e libertà si confrontano e incontrano. La stessa sintesi che si ritrova in modo significativo nel lavoro di questo splendido trio.

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/visiting-texture-trio-3-lake-workman-cyrille-intakt-records-review-by-giuseppe-segala