McGregor, Chris - Up to Earth CD

SKU 39-FLED3069
Half-correct pirated versions of test-pressings of this album have circulated among collectors of Brit-jazz for literally 4 decades(!) - I had a cassette of one such 'test pressing' for over 20 years (on the other side was the unreleased session that we eventually released as "Way Back When" by John Surman!) - but this is the first time that the entire album has ever been heard - and from the original master tapes! Includes short but very insightful commentary from the album's producer, Joe Boyd. This is a lost treasure of late 60s European free jazz.

"In 1969 the Chris McGregor Group were riding high on the London jazz scene, playing and hanging out with all the rising stars of British free jazz. Sessions for the previously unreleased Up To Earth brought together a dream team of South African exiles and some of the finest young players on the British scene - Chris McGregor piano, Dudu Pukwana alto saxophone, Mongezi Feza trumpet, Louis Moholo drums, John Surman baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, Evan Parker tenor saxophone with Barre Phillips or Danny Thompson on double bass. Up To Earth was produced by Joe Boyd and engineered by John Wood at Sound Techniques studio in London, during the same months they were also working with several other luminaries of the Witchseason stable - Fairport Convention, Nick Drake and the Incredible String Band. The album was mastered and test pressings produced before the project was shelved. The group morphed into the spectacular big band - the Brotherhood of Breath – and all energies were transferred to recording the Brotherhood’s debut album. Fledg’ling Records are very proud to release this remarkable album as part of our campaign to reissue Chris McGregor’s wonderfully creative recordings from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s."
  • LabelFledg'ling
  • UPC5020393306928
Your Price $16.00
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating

Excellent Brit free jazz with wonderful players /soloists (Pukwana, Feza, Moholo, Surman, Evan Parker & Barre Phillips!). Recommended if you like the other more famous albums by these players.
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