Mu (album)

Mu, First Part and Second Part, is a pair of albums by multi-instrumentalist Don Cherry. The albums, which also feature drummer Ed Blackwell, were recorded in August 1969 at Studio Saravah in Paris, and were released by BYG Records as part of their Actuel series in 1969 (First Part) and 1970 (Second Part). In 1971, BYG released both parts together as a single box set.[1][2][3][4] Mu was one of the first efforts in what would come to be known as world music.[5]

Mu
Studio album by
Don Cherry
Released1969 and 1970
RecordedAugust 22, 1969
StudioStudio Saravah, Paris
GenreFree jazz
LabelBYG Records
529.301
529.331
ProducerJean Georgakarakos, Jean Luc Young
Part 2 cover

In December 1977, Cherry and Blackwell presented a concert at New York University called "Mu, Part Three."[6]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz[7]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[8]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz[9]
Tom Hull – on the WebA–[10]

In a review for AllMusic, Brian Olewnick wrote: "This classic pair of recordings... captures Don Cherry near the height of his global quest to absorb as much music as possible from different cultures and funnel it back through his jazz sensibility. It's one of the earliest, and most successful, experiments in what would later come to be known as world music... The Mu sessions have long held legendary status and it's not difficult to hear why. Highly recommended."[5]

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings called the recordings "an exhilarating musical experience," and stated: "This one never fails to delight... [Cherry's] range is astonishing, everything from bright New Orleans vamps and marches to African songs, folksy Americana to totally free passages."[7]

Robert Palmer, writing for The New York Times, noted that the albums "were of real importance. They announced a new, world-embracing esthetic for jazz, for while they included improvising in a Coleman-inspired vein, they also reached out to include rhythm patterns, scales and instruments from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific."[6]

Author Ekkehard Jost commented: "Stripped of all frills and governed solely by the creative will and musical experience of Cherry as 'agent,' and the sensitivity of Blackwell as 'reagent,' these duo recordings afford a unique view of the quintessence of Cherry's music."[11]

The authors of Music Is Rapid Transportation wrote: "Mu... represents a powerful early example of world-jazz fusion... The way in which Ed Blackwell... can draw out dozens of referents and subtly coax Pan-African sounds from his kit is remarkable... Throughout there is an engaging energy and plenty of space for improvisation."[12]

Track listings

All music composed by Don Cherry.

First Part
  1. "Brilliant Action" – 8:50
  2. "Omejelo" – 7:25
  3. "Total Vibration (Part 1)" – 3:00
  4. "Total Vibration (Part 2)" – 6:00
  5. "Sun of the East" – 7:30
  6. "Terrestrial Beings" – 4:42

Second Part
  1. "The Mysticism of my Sound" – 4:00
  2. "Medley: Dollar Brand / Spontaneous Composing / Exert, Man on the Moon" – 3:15
  3. "Bamboo Night" – 6:07
  4. "Teo-Teo-Can" – 6:30
  5. "Smiling Faces Going Places" – 5:00
  6. "Psycho-Drama" – 2:45
  7. "Medley: Theme Albert Heath / Theme Dollar Brand / Baby Rest, Time For..." – 3:55

Personnel

References
  1. "Mu, First Part - Don Cherry". BYG Records. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  2. "Mu, Second Part - Don Cherry". BYG Records. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  3. "Don Cherry: "Mu" First Part / "Mu" Second Part". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  4. Kamiyama, Akio. "Don Cherry Discography". CD-V.net. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  5. Olewnick, Brian. "Don Cherry: Mu First Part/Mu Second Part". AllMusic. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  6. Palmer, Robert (December 11, 1977). "Jazz: Fine Duet". The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  7. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books. p. 245.
  8. Swenson, John, ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. Random House. p. 25.
  9. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2004). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz. Virgin. p. 169.
  10. Hull, Tom. "Grade List: Don Cherry". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  11. Jost, Ekkehard (1994). Free Jazz. Da Capo. p. 153.
  12. Joseph, Lawrence; Lander, Dan; Smith, Bill (2010). Music Is Rapid Transportation: From the Beatles to Xenakis. Charivari. p. 132.
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