South African born & raised pianist/bandleader Chris McGregor formed the racially mixed Blue Notes in the early 1960s. By 1964, facing continuous government harassment, Chris & the Blue Notes fled their South African homeland: first to France, then to Switzerland, and finally settling in London in 1966, where they made a huge impression on London's jazz scene. In 1969, Chris formed The Brotherhood Of Breath, which was essentially the Blue Notes augmented by a large number of the brightest names in contemporary British jazz. Due to the death of many of the key players, the band was mostly forgotten and at best a historical footnote when Cuneiform started releasing albums by them in 2001. These albums were released to great sales and huge acclaim and kick started a Brotherhood Of Breath revival, which continues to this day. Includes a 16-page booklet with detailed liner notes and unpublished photos from the concert. Professionally recorded for German radio, this was recorded in front of a huge crowd in Berlin in November, 1971 and this recording is released for the first time here!
Recorded November 4, 1971 at the Berliner Philharmonie during Berliner Jazztage, Germany. |