Rabble Without A Cause
Wednesday March 29th, 2017 with Bernard Stepien
Roscoe Mitchell and the Transatlantic Orchestra

There is a fine line between composition and improvisation. Composer Arnold Schoenberg considered composition as slow improvisation already in 1933. But of course, most Jazz musicians consider improvisation as instant composition. Bach and Mozart were great improvisers and notated their works only so that other musicians could play them. Who is right? Probably the improvisers! Chicago legendary saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell who played an immense amount of concerts with the Art Ensemble of Chicago teamed up with Evan Parker, the Free Jazz musician who recorded 430 Lps or CDs making the music industry statisticians green of envy. The project consisted in rehearsing and playing concerts for a week under either Roscoe Mitchell or Evan Parker conducting this large big band and finally recording it all at ECM. Collective Blues laden or European abstract improvisations, it is all there mashed up with unforeseen results.