MUSIC REVELATION ENSEMBLE — Cross Fire (review)

MUSIC REVELATION ENSEMBLE — Cross Fire album cover Album · 1997 · Eclectic Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
snobb
Music Revelation Orchestra has been a best kept secret for European and American listeners until recently. Their (not very successful) debut was released back in 1980 on the tiny German Moers Records and wasn't noticed at the time. Eight years later the band was contracted by the Japanese DIW label and in 8 years released 6 great albums in Japan.

I expect even the band's name tells nothing even to experienced NY avant-garde/fusion fans. But under the unknown name one can find leading names of the genre. The band's central figure is guitarist James Blood Ulmer, other more or less regular project collaborators include drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson and sax player David Murray.

"Cross Fire" is the last in a line of 7 albums and only Ulmer himself and drummer Cornell Rochester are on board from their early line up. But the newcomers are as great as the previous collaborators were - Calvin "Fuzz" Jones plays acoustic bass and two great sax players alternate solos - Pharoah Sanders on tenor and John Zorn on alto! Not every day you can hear Ulmer, Sanders and Zorn all playing together!

This album's music is built around Ulmer's guitar - energetic, rhythmic and featuring Ulmer's unique tonal language. The rhythm section gives excellent support and the sax men both show a lot of hell with their solos! Pharoah Sanders obviously feels more comfortable with Ulmer's bluesy material, but Zorn, besides some not very impressive moments, demonstrates all of his usual excellent fast and screaming improvs.

Great, great album - no filler could be found! Probably not the best entry to Ulmer's music, but a real (and unfortunately very rare) jam for Ulmer, Sanders and/or Zorn fans!
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