''Breath Rhyme'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Rob Brown recorded in 1989 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label.

Background

After his debut album co-led with pianist

Matthew Shipp Matthew Shipp (born December 7, 1960) is an American pianist, composer, and bandleader. Early life and education Shipp was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and began playing piano at six years old. His mother was a friend of trumpeter Clifford B ...

, '' Sonic Explorations'', which was privately recorded and then sold, this was his first real studio date. It features a trio with bassist William Parker and drummer

Denis Charles Denis Alphonso Charles (December 4, 1933 – March 26, 1998) was a jazz drummer. Biography Charles was born in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, and first played bongos at age seven with local ensembles in the Virgin Islands. In 1945, he moved to Ne ...

playing all original Brown compositions. Parker and Charles had worked together a lot before, with

Jemeel Moondoc Jemeel Moondoc (August 5, 1946 – August 29, 2021) was a jazz saxophonist who played alto saxophone. He was a proponent of a highly improvisational style. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and studied clarinet and piano before s ...

and some other bands. Brown first played with Parker in a trio with drummer Frank Bambara in 1987. He put together the trio with Parker and Charles for a gig at the

Knitting Factory The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United States. The Knitting Factory gave its audience poetry readings, perform ...

the same year.''Breath Rhyme''
at SilkheartWilliam Parker Sessionography by Rick Lopez
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Reception

In his review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Scott Yanow says about the trio that "is a throwback in ways to the intense projects recorded by the ESP label in the 1960s, but it is also more modern, looking toward

Cecil Taylor Cecil Percival Taylor (March 25, 1929April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet. Taylor was classically trained and was one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an energetic, physical approach, resulting in complex ...

." ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled by ...

'' states "Brown first record looked back to the frantic avant-gardism of the '60s and forward to a new, third way approach which combine that freedom and radicalism of purpose with a more melodic and expressive idiom." The ''

Cadence Magazine ''Cadence: The Independent Journal of Creative Improvised Music'' is a quarterly review of jazz, blues and improvised music. The magazine covers a range of styles, from early jazz and blues to the avant-garde. Critic and historian Bob Rusch fou ...

'' review by Carl Baugher says about the album that "It makes a strong case for Brown's place amongst today's better alto improvisers and is another unqualified winner for Silkheart".

Track listing

:''All compositions by Rob Brown'' # "Firewalk" – 10:50 # "Stillness" – 5:58 # "Breath Rhyme" – 7:31 # "PB" – 10:47 # "The Light" – 4:47 # "Beehive" – 11:33 # "Awake" – 7:28 # "Escape Velocity" – 6:38 :''3 & 4 does not appear on original LP''

Personnel

* Rob Brown –

alto sax The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

* William Parker –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

References

{{Authority control 1990 albums Rob Brown (saxophonist) albums Silkheart Records albums