Cherry, Don -& The George Gruntz Group-
Maghreb Cantata, Live 1969 (2lp)
A marvelous double album as document of the historical collaboration between Don Cherry and Swiss pianist, composer George Gruntz, a central figure in European jazz who always showed a special interest in extending his solid post bop skills through other languages such as ethnic or even baroque music. This is North-African deep flavoured jazz recorded live in Tunisia and Germany in May and September 1969, with Cherry (cornet, flute) and Gruntz (piano, celeste) leading a highly mixed line-up featuring multi reeds player Sahib Shihab, bassists Henry Texier and Eberhard Weber and Swiss dummer extraordinaire Daniel Humair, plus four North African musicians on traditional instruments like bendir, ney, bagpipes, tabla and darbouka. A trance inducing jazz ritual.