LESTER BOWIE'S BRASS FANTASY / CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL 1992 (1CDR)

Lester Bowie - trumpet
E.J. Allen - trumpet
Gerald Brazel - trumpet
Earl Gardner - trumpet
Vincent Chancey - French horn
Frank Lacy - trombone
Louis Bonilla - trombone
Bob Stewart - tuba
Vinnie Johnson - drums
Don Moye - percussion

1. Intro
2. Night Time Is the Right Time
3. Journey Toward Freedom
4. Remember the Time
5. Strange Fruit
6. Siesta for the Fiesta
7. Saving All My Love for You
8. Three for the Festival
9. The Great Pretender
10. Unknown composition

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This is a soundboard live recording of "Brass Fantasy," a horn ensemble led by Lester Bowie of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. The tuba serves as the bass instrument. Their rendition of "Strange Fruit"—famously associated with Billie Holiday—is a masterful performance that conveys the full weight of the lyrics, even without a vocalist. The set also includes "The Great Pretender," the title track from one of Bowie’s own albums. While Bowie is frequently associated with releases on the ECM label, the music here is far from the cool, Nordic aesthetic often linked to that label; instead, it is deeply rooted in a strong, soulful, "black" musical tradition.