snobb Altoist Marion Brown, renown by his collaboration with Coltrane on 1965's "Ascension", released a series of strong solo albums in the late 60s. On this obscure 1977 Dutch release, "La Placita", Brown, very unusually, plays two standards, and three free-bop low-tempo originals (plus guitarist Brandon Ross' "I'm Sorry").

Recorded live during a jazz festival of the same year in Willisau, Switzerland, this album's music is only of average sound quality and not the best edited. The entire set sounds quite melancholically and by its spirit, belongs more in the late 60s.

The opener, "La Placita"(a Brown original) is quite catchy, and recalls a lot of Eric Dolphy's music from early 60s. The rest of the compositions are predominantly hard-bop rooted ballads with soulful, but not much inspired soloing from Brown. Drummer Steve McCraven will participate on a series of similar ballad albums while recording with Archie Shepp. Brandon Ross' guitar adds some special feel to the album's music though.

By far not the best Brown release, studio or live, still it is quite listenable, especially for fans of Brown's more straight and lyrical side.

snobb "Marion Brown Quartet" is the debut album for the American free jazz alto sax player, recorded in 1965 - the same year when Brown participated on one of John Coltrane's most noticeable avant-garde albums, "Ascension".

The album contains just three longish compositions, all played very much in a fashion of the time and the ESP Disk label aesthetics. Still, different from the noisy, aggressive and chaotic free jazz, which is almost a trademark of the mid-60s, Marion's music is quite well organized and is spiritual and even lyrical in moments. Playing with such strong collaborates as bassist Reggie Johnson, drummer Rashied Ali and sax player Benny Maupin among others, Marion is an obvious leader of this session. His free and lyrically-colored sax soloing is in formation period, but one can hear a lot of Brown's future characteristic sound.

Of the three album songs, one is recorded with bassist Ronnie Boykins (two with Reggie Johnson on bass), and on one more, sax player Benny Maupin replaces trumpeter Alan Shorter. Generally, the different players don't make a big difference in the quite relaxed and acoustically warm album's sound. With an obvious leader, there is enough space for each participant in the album's music.

It's interesting to note, that on many later album reissues, the track "Exhibition" was replaced by "Mephistopheles", recorded at the same session with Alan Shorter, but without Bennie Maupin. Covers of many of these reissues use the original track listing, which can be confusing. The 2005 CD reissue contains all the tracks(four songs in all).

Very much a characteristic evidence of its time, this album preserves the spirit of early free jazz era quite well and can be recommended for everyone interested in better examples of late 60s free jazz as well as fans of Marion Brown's music, he sounds good here.

Sean Trane While The ECM label holds a lot of prestige in my eyes, I have two main gripes about their overall output: a good deal of their releases are a bit too close to new-agey elevator music, or another consequent part is very close to obtuse dissonant music approaching music concrete. Needless to say that with Braxton’s presence on the present album, Afternoon is very much in the second category, this despite Chick Corea or Bernie Maupin’s inputs.

Don’t start running away either, because if I spoke of dissonance, it’s still quite bearable, because the music is quite reflective and descriptive (of the Georgia Faun soundscapes), and you won’t have to deal with the raging madness of Peter Brotzmann’s sonics. It’s also easy to dismiss this kind of album as “something done 100 times before”, but the album was released in 1970, which means that it is more of a groundbreaker in the genre than a consolidating block. It’s rather difficult for me to describe the two lengthy pieces (one aside), because I somewhat lack the tools of comprehension and the patience for this type of music. Of course, it’s not hard to imagine a deep forest where different species of animals are occupying the territory like a woodpecker via percussions, other birds via the wind instrument’s squeaks and some mammals ‘s growls via Braxton and Brown’s sax squeals. Maybe extra kudos should be given to the musicians for not taking the easy way out by playing on creek/river, rain or wind sounds, but thinking about it now, it might have made the album more accessible. Which I’m sure was not the intended goal.

darkprinceofjazz Here is a nice slice of 70's jazz you don't hear much about, Marion Brown's Sweet Earth Flying, in my mind,this music is a direct decedent of the mid 60's free bop albums from Miles Davis, a looseness to the music, an elastic style that bends the rules, but doesn't quite break them, the music never ventures too far into avant garde territory, Muhal Richard Abrams and Paul Bley alternate between acoustic and electric piano, I think they really drive this album, Brown has a unique style and sound on alto and soprano sax, he enters in to the tunes in a shy way, understated, but gradually builds up momentum in each performance, Sweet Earth Flying was inspired by poet Jean Toomer, none of Toomer's poetry is actually used like on Geechee Recollections, but the music is what I like, Sweet Earth Flying was a nice treat, I will investigate more of Marion Brown.