Where Is Brooklyn? is an album by Don Cherry featuring Henry Grimes, Ed Blackwell, and Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1966 and released on the Blue Note label.
In 2022, the Ezz-thetics label reissued the album along with Eternal Rhythm on the compilation Where Is Brooklyn? & Eternal Rhythm, Revisited.[1]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [4] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | A−[5] |
The AllMusic review by Steve Huey states: "Where Is Brooklyn? is much more about energy and thoughtful group interaction than memorable themes, and so there's just a little something missing in comparison to Cherry's prior albums, even though they did also emphasize the qualities on display here. Nonetheless, it's still a fine record for what it does concentrate on; Sanders is in typically passionate form, and the rest of the ensemble members have already honed their interplay to a pretty sharp edge. It's worth hearing, even if it isn't as essential as Complete Communion or Symphony for Improvisers".[2]
The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings called the album "a great piece of work," and commented: "Though it seems to go back to the less adventurous format of Complete Communion and to focus on discrete compositions rather than flowing improvisation, it has enough detail and enough thoughtful energy stashed away in each track... to create the same feel."[4]
Writing for All About Jazz, Ollie Bivens remarked: "Where Is Brooklyn? can be challenging music. There are no melodies or toe-tapping beats. The playing is in-your-face, take-no-prisoners stuff. While certainly not an easy listen, it is still rewarding due to the heartfelt playing... For jazz fans curious about the avant-garde, the challenging music on Where Is Brooklyn? is as fine a place to start."[6]
Legacy
Free jazz trio The Thing took their name from a track on the album.[7]
Track listing
All compositions by Don Cherry
- "Awake Nu" – 6:55
- "Taste Maker" – 6:48
- "The Thing" – 5:50
- "There Is the Bomb" – 4:51
- "Unite" – 17:48
- Recorded at the Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on November 11, 1966
Personnel
- Don Cherry - cornet
- Pharoah Sanders - tenor saxophone, piccolo
- Henry Grimes - bass
- Ed Blackwell - drums
Charts
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[8] | 193 |
References
- ^ "Don Cherry: Where Is Brooklyn? & Eternal Rhythm, Revisited". Bandcamp. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Huey, Steve. Where is Brooklyn? at AllMusic. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 40. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 245. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Hull, Tom. "Grade List: Don Cherry". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ Bivens, Ollie (May 13, 2006). "Don Cherry: Where Is Brooklyn?". All About Jazz. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ Rogers, Jude (May 22, 2012). "Neneh Cherry: 'Jazz Can Be the Way You Make Love'". The Guardian.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Don Cherry – Where Is Brooklyn?" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
External links
- Where Is Brooklyn? at Discogs (list of releases)
