MARION BROWN — La Placita - Live in Willisau (review)

MARION BROWN — La Placita - Live in Willisau album cover Live album · 1977 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
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.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Aura Safari - Jimi Tenor : Sensory Blending Exotica
JIMI TENOR
Buy this album from MMA partners
Rewilder 21st Century Modern
BORDERLANDS TRIO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tributes Post Bop
ANTONIO FARAÒ
Buy this album from MMA partners
A Study (In The Key Of Now) Third Stream
ROBERT MITCHELL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Roboquarians, Vol. 1 (feat. Kevin Shea and George Draguns) Eclectic Fusion
AYUMI ISHITO
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Stablemates
RON BLAKE
js· 1 day ago
Critique of Swing in Two Parts, Pt. 1
PIOTR ORZECHOWSKI (PIANOHOOLIGAN)
js· 1 day ago
FULL ALBUM - Oliver Lutz - Utopia w/ Leif Berger, Constantin Krahmer
OLIVER LUTZ
js· 2 days ago
Lift
DAVE WILSON (US/NZ)
js· 4 days ago
Nature is a Mother
CHARLIE PYNE
js· 4 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed