The Pyramids - Birth/Speed/Merging(Originally self released on Pyramid Records,1976)
LAME -APS (vbr)
Includes: m3u, nfo, front cover, back cover
I've never been a big fan of Free Jazz (I don't mind certain elements of it: the skronk, the improv and so on, but only in small doses), but there's just something about this album that I absolutely love. I've heard a few of the tracks on this album dozens of times now (we'll get back to that later) and the only thing that I can decide on is that it's the drum rhythms and percussion that draw me in every time.
The Pyramids were formed by Idris Ackamoor sometime in the early 70s (71? 72? - their first album "Lalibela" was released in '73 and he was playing in another group called The Collective in '71) and combined elements of free jazz with african tribal styled beats, but that's not it... you'll also find hints of psychedelia, krautrock, and raga. It sounds like a really strange blend of genres, but it just flows together really nicely.
I first came across this because of another release: "Music Of Idris Ackamoor 1971-2004" which EM Records of Japan put out (along with reissuing Birth/Speed/Merging). EM Records has been held on a very high pedestal for a few years now by my favorite review site/retailer, Aquarius Records, and with the gushing praise this album received I knew I had to check it out. Thus began a heightened interest in the genre of afro-jazz and free jazz in general...always hoping to find another album that I like as much.
In all the Ackamoor retrospective is probably better, or is at least my personal favorite, but this is a great starter album (this clocks in at only 45mins as opposed to 135+ mins of the former) as it still has some great material on it (as I sort of mentioned earlier, 2 of the tracks also appear on the compilation).
Be sure to give the folks at EM Records (www.emrecords.net) a visit - they've got a ton of other essential releases out there!
Favorite Track: Birth/Speed/Merging Suite Part 1: Aomawa
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15 comments:
Hi Sweet William
WOWO i'm downloading now!
I look forward to this.
Thank you so much.
keep it up
el goog
many thanks for this, you can find their first album @ mine if you wish for more
Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to hearing this a lot.
Respect.
Cheers, SW! I'm still hurting from having missed missed this reissue before it went out of print. If you're looking, you can find their Lalibela album at Eternal Rhythm.
heiku
Many, many thanks!
My God!! My Pyramids want list has just shrunk again!! Many thanks for this.
Yeah a good week for the Pyramids. Thanks!
I feel as you do about free jazz so, based on your rec., I'm gonna try this one. Love the Blog!
Well
http://jazzzin.blogspot.com/2009/04/pyramids-birthspeedmerging.html
just copied your post, so I'm coming here to say thanks instead - so, thanks for the great music and for your efforts.
Thanks very much!This is great!
forgot to comment first time around...
so (better late than not at all): thank you for this, a brilliant album.
MUCH appreciated!
TN
This is just the thing I was looking for. Thanks so much!!
Wow!! What nice info on this post! All information really useful. I love your stuff very much.
Thanks for sharing this helpful post.
Birth Records
Just found this for a buck at a garage sale!
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