Jacques Coursil Unit - Way AheadReleased on BYG/Actuel, catalogue # 529319.
Personnel:
Beb Guérin - Bass
Claude Delcloo - Drums
Arthur Jones - Saxophone [alto]
Jacques Coursil - Trumpet
Notes: Recorded July 7 & 8, 1969 at Studio Saravah, Paris, and produced by Jean Georgakarakos and Jean-Luc Young.
1. Duke (10:07)
2. Fidel (7:37)
3. Paper (18:08)
Here's a review by Brandon Burke at AMG:
Trumpeter Jacques Coursil's Way Ahead is a highly overlooked and absolutely stunning free jazz session. The cacophonous spazzery that marks much of the BYG/Actuel series (ex: Alan Silva's Luna Surface, Dave Burrell's Echo) is almost nonexistent on Way Ahead. Whereas many of the others in this series -- as stunning and powerful as they are -- tend to be star-studded anything-goes blowing sessions, Way Ahead is a quartet date and thus, even at its most fevered moments, only sounds like four musicians letting loose as opposed to, say, twelve. Again, while these ensemble dates are enjoyable and of great historical significance, Way Ahead simply allows for more space. In this sense, while quite free, it still retains an openness that makes dates by AACM associates like Roscoe Mitchell more palatable for those inexperienced with the freewheeling "energy music" of the late '60s. The first side finds the group tackling two Coursil originals, while the entire second side is an extended version of Bill Dixon's "Paper."Like other other albums on BYG/Actuel featuring Jacques Coursil, either as leader or as an accompanist, this one is absolutely stunning. It is "way ahead" - or perhaps more to the point, the music world was way behind and is only now catching up.
Download Way Ahead.
