''Live at Willisau'' is a live album by South African pianist and composer

Chris McGregor Christopher McGregor (24 December 1936 – 26 May 1990) was a South African jazz pianist, bandleader and composer born in Somerset West, South Africa. Early influences McGregor grew up in the then Transkei (now part of the Eastern Cape Provin ...

's big band

Brotherhood of Breath The Brotherhood of Breath was an English-South African big band established in the late-1960s by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor, an extension of McGregor's previous band, The Blue Notes. History The Brotherhood of Breath i ...

. It was recorded on January 27, 1973, in Willisau, Switzerland, and was released on LP by

Ogun Records Ogun Records is a jazz record label created in London in 1973 by South African expatriate bassist Harry Miller, his wife Hazel Miller, and sound engineer Keith Beal. They recorded British avant-garde jazz musicians Keith Tippett, Mike Osborne ...

in 1974. In 1994, the album was reissued on CD with extra tracks.

Reception

In a 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 wrote: "This is intriguing music that should have been more extensively documented. Adventurous listeners can be grateful that at least this document and a few others exist." The authors of ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''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 ...

'' stated: "this is affirmative music of a rare sort, bringing together African ''kwela'', free jazz, post-Ellington swing and even touches of classicism in a boiling mix that grips the heart." In an article for ''Bells'',

Henry Kuntz Henry Kuntz is a free jazz saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. In 1979 he founded Hummingbird Records and Tapes, which released, among other things, live recordings of his free jazz trio, Trio Opeye. Cadence Magazine described his multitrack r ...

called the album "McGregor’s best record yet," and commented: "McGregor's scores stem mainly from strong and simple themes that reflect the South African idioms that did so much to fuel his sextet and, later, Spear, and from the song tradition bequeathed from Albert Ayler... They ride easily over a good rhythm section where for once Louis Moholo has been recorded at his unrestrained best. There are plenty of good solos too."

LP track listing

;Side A # "Do It" (Chris McGregor) – 9:54 # "Restless" (Chris McGregor) – 2:38 # "Kongi's Theme" (Chris McGregor) – 6:45 ;Side B # "Tungi's Song" (Tungi Oyelana) – 6:45 # "Ismite is Might" (Chris McGregor) – 4:30 # "The Serpents Kindly Eye" (Chris McGregor) – 8:30

CD track listing

# "Do It" (Chris McGregor) – 11:08 # "Restless" (Chris McGregor) – 2:40 # "Camel Dance" (Chris McGregor) – 7:13 # "Davashe's Dream" (Mackay Davashe) – 7:44 # "Kongi's Theme" (Chris McGregor) – 6:40 # "Tunji's Song" (Tungi Oyelana) – 6:51 # "Ismite is Might" (Chris McGregor) – 4:28 # "The Serpent's Kindly Eye" (Chris McGregor) – 8:25 # "Andromeda" (Chris McGregor) – 3:58 # "Union Special" (Chris McGregor) – :57 # "Funky Boots" (Gary Windo, Nick Evans) – 5:41

Personnel

– leader, piano *

Dudu Pukwana Mthutuzeli Dudu Pukwana (18 July 1938 – 30 June 1990) was a South African saxophonist, composer and pianist (although not known for his piano playing). Early years in South Africa Dudu Pukwana was born in Walmer Township, Port Elizabeth, S ...

– alto saxophone *

Evan Parker Evan Shaw Parker (born 5 April 1944) is a British tenor and soprano saxophone player who plays free improvisation. Recording and performing prolifically with many collaborators, Parker was a pivotal figure in the development of European free ja ...

– tenor saxophone *

Gary Windo Gary Windo (7 November 1941, in Brighton, England – 25 July 1992, in New York City) was an English jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Windo came from a musical family in England. By age six he took up drums and accordion, then guitar at twelve and ...

– tenor saxophone *

Mongezi Feza Mongezi Feza (11 May 1945 – 14 December 1975) was a South African jazz trumpeter and flautist. Biography Feza was born in Queenstown, Cape Province, Union of South Africa, into a family of musicians, His elder brother, Sandi Feza, who ...

– trumpet *

Harry Beckett Harold Winston "Harry" Beckett (30 May 1935 – 22 July 2010) was a British trumpeter and flugelhorn player of Barbadian origin. Biography Born in Bridgetown, Saint Michael, Barbados, Harry Beckett learned to play music in a Salvation Army ...

– trumpet *

Marc Charig Mark Charig (born 22 February 1944 in London) is a British trumpeter and cornetist. He was particularly active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when he played in settings as diverse as Long John Baldry's group, Bluesology, Soft Machine, and K ...

– trumpet * Nick Evans – trombone *

Radu Malfatti Radu Malfatti is an Austrian trombone and harmonica player, and composer. He was born in Innsbruck, in the province of Tyrol, on December 16, 1943. Malfatti is associated with the style of music known as reductionism and has been described as "a ...

– trombone * Harry Miller – bass *

Louis Moholo Louis Tebogo Moholo (born 10 March 1940), is a South African jazz drummer. He has been a member of several notable bands, including The Blue Notes, the Brotherhood of Breath and Assagai. Biography Born in Cape Town, Moholo formed The Blue ...

– drums

References

{{Reflist 1974 live albums Brotherhood of Breath live albums