BLACK EARTH ENSEMBLE
Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble (BEE) is a musical celebration of the African American cultural legacy. Founded and directed in 1998 by creative flutist/composer Nicole Mitchell, BEE has performed in festivals and art venues throughout Europe, Canada and throughout the U.S. BEE’s music embraces the ancient past and paints visions of a positive future. The music is the weaving of swing, blues, avante garde jazz, bebop, African rhythms, Eastern modes and Western classical sounds. The name “Black Earth” was chosen to honor the feminine source that our lives depend on—Mother Earth. The purpose of Black Earth Ensemble is to inspire the human spirit with thought-provoking beauty and to present a positive, healthy and culturally aware image of African Americans. As a woman-directed, co-ed, multi-generational group, it touches a range of emotional spaces rarely expressed in a “jazz” setting. Black Earth's message is intended for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. BEE has five critically acclaimed CDs: Vision Quest (Dreamtime), Afrika Rising (Dreamtime), Hope, Future and Destiny (Dreamtime), Black Unstoppable (Delmark) and Xenogenesis Suite (Delmark).
allaboutjazz.com
Co-President of the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) and voted DownBeat Magazine's # 1 Rising Star Flutist for the past two years, Nicole Mitchell is the most significant jazz flutist of her generation.
A former student of flutist James Newton, Mitchell is a peerless improviser, having fully absorbed the extended vocal techniques pioneered by Rahsaan Roland Kirk and the abstruse verticality of Eric Dolphy. Bolstering emotionally direct lyricism with edgy phrasing and expressive vocalisms without abandoning structure or form, she consistently maintains thematic focus, even in uncharted territory.
Reminiscent of the halcyon days of the Loft Era, Mitchell's writing balances inside and outside aesthetics gracefully, vacillating between extremes of freedom and structure with ease. Skillfully weaving circuitous lines of bracing angularity with accessible, buoyant harmonies that recall the glory days of hard bop, Mitchell's tunes both challenge and entertain.
Mitchell's flagship group, the Black Earth Ensemble, epitomizes the AACM's credo—Great Black Music, Ancient to the Future." Trafficking in advanced post-bop structures, free-form improvisation, stirring blues, passionate soul, simmering funk and even Afro-Beat, the Black Earth Ensemble offers a kaleidoscopic array of the finest African-American musical traditions.
Their fourth album, but first for Delmark, Black Unstoppable follows Vision Quest (2001), Afrika Rising (2002), and Hope, Future and Destiny (2004), all on Dreamtime Records. Available as a studio recorded CD and a live performance DVD, both editions of Black Unstoppable catch the band up close and personal, in brilliant sonic detail.
The Black Earth Ensemble features a stellar line-up of some of Chicago's finest improvisers. Ubiquitous guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise, New Horizons) displays boundless creativity, ranging from supple, linear introspection to acerbic, EFX-laden abstraction. Stalwart bassist Josh Abrams serves alongside cellist Tomeka Reid, a rising presence on the Windy City's vibrant jazz scene.
Lesser known, but no less accomplished, saxophonist David Boykin and trumpeter David Young form a dynamic front line with Mitchell. Boykin's turbulent tenor tantrums and Young's highly vocalized mute work add a broad sense of stylistic diversity to the group. Rounding out the ensemble are drummer Marcus Evans, playing with subtle restraint throughout; and pianist Justin Dillard, who guests on three tunes.
Singer Ugochi Nwaogwugwu contributes soulful vocals, engaging in a robust blues duet with David Young on "Love Has No Boundaries," and soaring over the infectious Afro-Beat groove of "Life Wants You to Love." With rousing soul power, she leads "Thanking the Universe," spurring the instrumentalists onward and upward.
An enthralling blend of styles and genres unified by an organic sensibility, Black Unstoppable is a definitive statement from the new face of the AACM, and a tribute to the organization's longevity. - Troy Collins
tomajazz.com
Black Unstoppable es la tercera grabación del colectivo Black Earth Ensemble liderado por Nicole Mitchell. Esta flautista y compositora es integrante de la AACM de Chicago, asociación de la que es su vicepresidenta. A lo largo de los últimos meses hemos podido escuchar a Mitchell en distintas grabaciones calificables como mínimo de interesantes. Como líder se han editado los estrenos discográficos del grupo Frequency (Frequency, Thrill Jockey) y de Indigo Trio (Live In Montreal, Greenleaf Music) donde está acompañada por el contrabajista Harrison Bankhead y Hamid Drake. También ha aparecido acompañando a Anthony Braxton en el monumental 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2007 (Firehouse 12 Records) o como integrante de la Exploding Star Orchestra de Rob Mazurek en su primera grabación, We Are All From Somewhere Else, (Thrill Jockey).
En Black Unstoppable, su estreno para Delmark Records –el veterano sello independiente de Chicago– Mitchell trabaja con una formación que varía entre los siete y los nueve componentes. Entre ellos hay que destacar especialmente al guitarrista Jeff Parker, activo últimamente en distintos proyectos relacionados con el jazz como la Exploding Star Orchestra de Rob Mazurek o el Powerhouse Sound de Ken Vandermark, además de con el grupo de post-rock Tortoise. También realizan un gran trabajo el saxofonista David Boykin (participante en las grabaciones anteriores del Black Earth Ensemble y que había echado mano de los servicios de Mitchell en su grabación 47th Street Ghost), así como el contrabajista Josh Abrams. Todo ello sin olvidar el gran trabajo de la líder de la formación, toda una referencia entre los flautistas de jazz.
Musicalmente la grabación supone una puesta al día del concepto de la Great Black Music. Ésta recoge elementos del jazz, sin importar que caminen por la senda del free o que traigan a la memoria propuestas de hace varias décadas, el soul (con la tremenda voz de la cantante Ugochi), el blues o las raíces africanas. El principal hallazgo del disco son los grandes temas allí incluidos, compuestos y magníficamente arreglados por Mitchell, que sabe sacar un enorme partido a esta formación. De esta manera hay que destacar "Cause And Effect", la magnífica "Life Wants You To Love" (quizás el mejor de los temas), "The Creator Has Other Plans For Me" o "Black Unstoppable", tema que da título al disco.
Un aspecto muy importante a destacar es la diferencia existente entre los formatos CD y DVD. Al contrario que sucede en otras ocasiones, el formato en compacto ofrece los temas grabados en estudio. La duración de cada uno de ellos es más breve que las versiones en directo recogidas en el DVD. En contraposición, el CD incluye dos temas que no aparecen en el DVD. Su grabación, en directo, se realizó unos pocos días después de la grabación en estudio. Su realización es correcta, sin grandes alardes técnicos, manteniendo la marca de la casa de los otros DVDs editados en Delmark. Las imágenes de los músicos en directo se alternan con imágenes del local, del público y también de algunos músicos de Chicago. Entre ellos se encuentra un emocionado Fred Anderson, dueño del Velvet Lounge, local en donde está grabado el concierto.
Lo más interesante de este doble formato en audio-estudio/vídeo-directo, es que ambos aportan elementos que hacen que ambos formatos resulten complementarios. En cualquier caso el resultado es un acierto más de Nicole Mitchell, una interesante artista a tener en cuenta. - José Francisco Tapiz
allmusic.com
Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble is assembled here for its fourth recording and first for the Delmark label. The intent is to play original music that synthesizes not only their complete history as a premier representative of the Chicago progressive aesthetic, but that offers a new direction in which they were headed. Combining funk and southside blues with improvisation as developed as those within the ranks of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, Mitchell and her very potent band stay true to the roots and branches of the music while reaching for a higher ground. The flute playing of Mitchell does not reflect the harmonically overblown Eric Dolphy, but is closer to the ultra-melodic ideas of her mentor, James Newton, while avoiding his hyperbolic or atmospheric trappings. The cohesiveness of the group, cemented by the tenor sax playing of David Boykin and the trumpet of David Young, allows for some astounding music in combining the aforementioned elements with accessible sounds even for the less seasoned or challenged listener. For instance, "The Creator Has Other Plans for Me" holds interest over 13 bopping minutes in a midtempo beat, as the bright unison between flute, tenor sax, and trumpet is undeniable, and their individual solos are also tasty and brief enough. 6/8 and 5/4 time signatures switch seemingly at will during the title track, a swirling concept with a solo passage from cellist Tomeka Reid, and Jeff Parker's diffuse guitar in the middle of the circling horn section interrupts and introduces a dour funk in multiple fragments. Mitchell's free or cemented-in-beat flute is never overblown, only at rare times embellished, and three-dimensional in nature. While a bit spastic during "February," with the strings in a pretty yet gray chamber fashion accented by triplet features, she's delicate alongside bells and percussion for the early morning "Sun Cycles." Closest to the Art Ensemble of Chicago or AACM/Great Black Music concept, "Cause & Effect" is a fun, strutting, funky blues and boppish swing, as Mitchell's tiny flute notes contrast the big guitar of Parker and the fine bass of Josh Abrams. "Navigator" has the kind of mixed meter emphasis and spiky horn charts that raise the ire of the ear, while "Thanking the Universe" is a deep blue funk and southside R&B/pop type groove tune Lester Bowie would approve of. Poetry and calypso combines during "Life Wants You to Live" emphasizing the contradictory line "your body is a woman, but your mind is still a child," while "Love Has No Boundaries" is a hard bop anthem where the theme of "love me like I deserve" represents a female anthem for modern, and all times. There's a DVD available of these performances, easily as scintillating as the audio portion alone. Black Unstoppable documents Mitchell's complete concept, diverse thoughts, and ever potent musical gifts without resorting to existential theories -- a woman's touch definitely gracing the powerful AACM aesthetic in a very positive light. - Michael G. Nastos
Tracks
1. Cause And Effect
2. Black Unstoppable
3. February
4. Love Has No Boundaries
5. Sun Cycles
6. The Creator Has Other Plans For Me
7. Life Wants You To Love
8. Navigator
9. Thanking The Universe
NICOLE MITCHELL flute, alto flute, piccolo flute
JOSH ABRAMS bass
MARCUS EVANS drums
JEFF PARKER guitar
DAVID BOYKIN tenor saxophone, percussion
DAVID YOUNG trumpet, flugelhorn
TOMEKA REID cello, shakere
All compositiones by Nicole Mitchell
Recorded May 28 and 30, 2007 at Riverside Studio, Chicago
Delmark Records - DE 575