In 1968, the Chris McGregor Group were riding high on the London jazz scene, playing and hanging out with all the rising stars of British free jazz. Very Urgent, their eagerly awaited debut recording, was a joyful call of intent. The album mixes simple but utterly unstoppable tunes and exhilarating horn charts -- immediately establishing a vitality and exuberance that would continue to define the group. 'Nevertheless, their evident preference for raw energy and rough spirit over absolute precision never quite obscures the technical proficiency available to the ensemble. There is often a sense of things falling effortlessly into place that's only found in the most exceptional units.' Very Urgent was produced by Joe Boyd and engineered by John Wood at Sound Techniques studio in London, during the same months they were also working with several other luminaries of the Witchseason stable -- Fairport Convention, Nick Drake and the Incredible String Band. Forty years later, Fledg'ling Records are very proud to bring this splendid album back into print. The passing years have not diminished the album's impact. Very Urgent is the third release in our campaign to reissue McGregor's wonderfully creative recordings from the late '60s and early '70s. |