JIMMY GIUFFRE — Music for People, Birds, Butterflies and Mosquitos (aka Night Dance) (review)

JIMMY GIUFFRE — Music for People, Birds, Butterflies and Mosquitos (aka Night Dance) album cover Album · 1973 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
Reeds player Jimmy Giuffre started his musical career as a respectable West Coast cool jazz artist, but in the late 50s switched to his own chamber avant-garde jazz. Not explosive, harsh or noisy, as the dominating free jazz of the time, Giuffre built solid ground for a more intelligent and well-balanced stream, which influenced hundreds of jazz musicians for the upcoming decades and partially re-vitalized the more adventurous wing of the so-called ECM sound of 70s and 80s.

After a series of genre-defining albums, Giuffre stopped recording as a leader in early 60s, occasionally playing in rare collaborations. His "Music For People, Birds, Butterflies & Mosquitoes", originally released in 1973 after a decade of silence, wasn't noticed at the time of release, and stayed underrated for decades. This is not particularly unusual, mid-70s was a very different time for jazz.

Remastered reissue released by Candid 50 years after the original release gives the rare opportunity to perceive it now, from the distance of time. Minimalist acoustic trio with both lesser known Japanese bassist Kiyoshi Tokunaga (who played with Giuffre on few more upcoming albums) and American percussionist Randy Kaye plays bare-naked groovy compositions, heavily rooted in bluesy hard bop. Giuffre himself plays tenor sax, flute and clarinet, twelve short compositions all contain snippets of tunes, but are quite free at the same time. More than once the album's music brings an association with Eric Dolphy's "Out To Lunch", just Giuffre's drum-less trio sounds more abstract and chamber comparing with Dolphy's free-bop.

Reissued album's sound is excellent, with rich acoustic bass, well-separated percussion and spacey, but deep reeds. At best, Giuffre builds a bit melancholic but cool atmosphere with his ascetic but tuneful pieces. Still, from some point the album's music can sound a bit repetitive and directionless too.

All in all, "Music For People, Birds, Butterflies & Mosquitoes" is one among the better Giuffre post 60s albums, and an interesting addition for an underrated jazz giant legacy.
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