This historically significant LP has six selections recorded by
the New York Contemporary Five
on November 11, 1963. The short-lived group, which consists of cornetist
Don Cherry
, altoist
John Tchicai
,
Archie Shepp
on tenor, bassist
Don Moore
, and drummer
J.C. Moses
, was avant-garde for the period, influenced most by
Ornette Coleman
's Quartet; the participation of
Coleman
's cornetist certainly helped. However,
Tchicai
(although sometimes hinting at
) had a different approach than
, and it was obvious that
Shepp
had already developed his own original voice and was the group's most passionate soloist. Together this very interesting quintet (which would soon break up) performs pieces by
Thelonious Monk
(there's a short melodic renditions of "Crepescule with Nellie"),
Bill Dixon
, and
Cherry
. ~ Scott Yanow