Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath - Brotherhood

2006 reissue

Brotherhood – a classic title from 1972, the second album by CHRIS McGREGOR’s magnificent big band: the BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH.
Mighty music for the head, the heart and the feet. Long out of print, this wonderful album continues the ground-breaking music of their spectacular debut album (now on FLED 3062).
“The Brotherhood of Breath is the kind of band you want to tell people about. It’s not for private enjoyment, or for worship by a elitist cult. The Brotherhood’s music is for sharing with the world, and that’s what makes its name so apt: the musicians and the audience are brothers (and sisters), and they share the same breath, becoming merely parts of the same giant metabolism.

Chris McGregor came out of South Africa in 1964, leading a band called the Blue Notes. Three of those Blue Notes can be heard on this record, and the fact that Mongezi Feza, Dudu Pukwana and Louis Moholo are still with Chris is some tribute to the fantastic empathy they share, both personally and in the music they make together.” From Richard Williams contemporary sleeve note.
Chris McGregor ~ leader, piano, African xylophone
Malcolm Griffiths ~ trombone
Nick Evans ~ trombone
Mongezi Feza – pocket trumpet, Indian flute
Mark Charig ~ cornet
Harry Beckett ~ trumpet
Dudu Pukana ~ alto saxophone
Ronnie Beer ~ tenor saxophone, Indian flute
Alan Skidmore ~ tenor and soprano saxophone
Harry Miller ~ bass
Louis Moholo ~ drums, percussion
Mike Osborne ~ alto saxophone, clarinet
Gary Windo ~ saxophone
“An energetic mixture of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Sun Ra.”
track list:
Nick Tete
Joyful Noises
Think Of Something
Do It
Funky Boots March