John Tchicai (tenor & soprano saxophone, bass-clarinet, vocal and backgroundsynthesizer programming)
Bent Clausen (vibraphone, percussion, acoustic guitar, synthesizer), Peter Danstrup (bassguitar & bassguitarsynthesizer)
Ole Romer (drums, percussion, el. guitar)
One of the strengths of John Tchicai's music has been its world outlook.
A look at his associations over the past 25 years bears this out. Tchicai
has played with many of the greatest names in the vanguard of American and
European jazz: John Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, Steve Lacy, Peter Brotzmann,
Misha Mengelberg and countless others. But at the same time he has also
collaborated with exponents of World Music: Don Cherry, Pierre Dorge's New
Jungle Orchestra, Johnny Dyani's Witchdoctor's Son. He's also given concerts
with Indian and Afghan musicians. And Tchicai is no Johnny-come-lately (so
to speak) to this open approach to music. One need only look to his work
with the New York Art Quartet in '65, whose members included Milford Graves,
arguably the most "African" of free jazz drummers. Or the 1969
LP "Afrodisiaca" with his large group Cadentia Nova Danica which
was argumented by a battery of percussionists.
On PUT UP THE FIGHT, Tchicai continues this exploration, this time investigating
some of the more "popular" aspects of World Music. Here, we find
him stretching out over the African pulse of Fela Kuti's "Colomentality";
spiralling wistful soprano phrases on Jobim's "Adieu Tristesse";
blowing joyfully on the Caribbean breeze of "Calypso Boswil" (a
Caribbean breeze in Switzerland?).
At the same time, PUT UP THE FIGHT gives us a good dose of the unique brand
of jazz Tchicai has always given us. "Two for Benedetto" explores
two variations on the 5/4 metre. The entire group shines on this track,
smoothly shifting from one section to the other, all the while maintaining
a propulsive swing. "Mei-Mei" is a gorgeous free flowing ballad.
And "Adam On The Rails" finds Tchicai still digging into his roots
in free improvisation.This LP is the work of a quartet. The group has been a working unit for three years. Bassist Peter Danstrup and drummer Ole Romer have been working with Tchicai since the 1976 Vallekilde Jazz Clinic. (The account of the formation of the Strange Brothers with John Tchicai is documented on the liner notes to their LP "Darktown Highlights" (Storyville 1015)).
After the Strange Brothers split in 1981, Danstrup and Romer played in a
number of groups including the New Jungle Orchestra and Jan Kaspersen's
group, until 1984 when they once again joined up with Tchicai. Vibraphonist
Bent Clausen joined the quartet after stints with Allan Botschinsky, the
New Jungle Orchestra and Thomas Clausen (among others). All three are remarkably
versatile. Clausen plays guitar on the Jobim samba and on the calypso, his
vibes take on the tone of a tenor pan from a steel drum band. Danstrup and
Romer are flexible enough to switch from the funk inflections of the title
track to the samba rhythms of "Adieu.." to the ebb and flow of
"Mei-Mei".
The session for PUT UP THE FIGHT takes advantage of the quartet being a
working ynit. It was recorded just before the group went on tour to Morocco
and Portugal. Some of the tracks were recorded as live improvisations ("Adam
on the Rails"). Other were worked up as riffs in concert (the title
track). Others were part of the quartet's book. "Two for Benedetto"
stretches back to the Strange Brothers days. And there were a couple of
surprises thrown in, too. Tchicai called "Adieu Tristesse" the
day of the session and it was new to all in the band. It's hard to tell
from the results.
A word about the final track on the album. "Yoke Them Johnny"
was the first track to be recorded and is dedicated to bassist Johnny Dyani,
who passed on last October in Germany. Tchicai was on tour with Dyani at
that time. The loss of a close friend is a difficult thing. "Yoke Them
Johnny" is an eloquent farewell to a friend. But the tragedy of Dyani's
death is made all the more acute and universal when one realizes this brilliant
artist died in exile from his South African homeland. Dyani put up his figh
t until the end by spreading the message through his music: the music of
freedom. Hopefully, the time will come when other South African exiles will
be able to return. There are plenty of people out there putting up the fight.
Putting up the good fight. And victory will be theirs.
Robert Iannapollo