John Tchicai (1936 â 2012) was one of the most important free improvising saxophonists of the 20th Century: an artist of rare vision and aptitude whose lines soared and stood out even in the most hallowed company, and whose body of work as a leader / composer is among the most singular and distinct within the entire canon of that music. But Tchicaiâs importance doesnât end there. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to a Danish mother and a Congolese father, his life and career represent a crucial bridge between the European and American traditions of free jazz. Initially trained on violin as a child, Tchicai shifted his focus to the clarinet and alto saxophone during his mid-teens, and began touring Europe as a professional musician by his early 20s, which landed him at a socialist youth festival in Helsinki, Finland, where he met the trumpeter Bill Dixon and saxophonist Archie Shepp. Impressed by what they heard, Dixon and Shepp encouraged the young saxophonist to move to New York, and in so doing changed the history of jazz forever.
Tchicaiâs arrival in New York marks the rare occurrence of a European player joining the intimate circle that was first wave of American free jazz. Following his landing in the city in November of 1962, in addition to regularly sitting in with Don Cherryâs group, Tchicai began playing with Bill Dixon's band alongside Archie Shepp and Roswell Rudd, forming the nucleus of the foundation of the New York Contemporary Five - one of the most important groups of the era - which counted Tchicai, Shepp, Cherry, Don Moore, and J. C. Moses as its members. From the ashes of this group, Tchicai would go on to found the legendary ensemble, New York Art Quartet, with Roswell Rudd, Milford Graves, and Lewis Worrell, as well as working within Albert Ayler's band, recording âNew York Eye and Ear Controlâ, Sheppâs band, recording âFour for Traneâ, the ensemble that recorded John Coltrane's âAscensionâ, and the Jazz Composer's âOrchestraâ.
By the time he decided to return to Denmark in 1966, had Tchicai chosen to record little else, his legacy within the history of music would have been ensured. Incredibly ambitious, his arrival home marked the beginning of an incredible period of activity which saw him radically expanding his creative explorations, which by the end of the decade would include becoming a founding member of Amsterdam's Instant Composers Pool and helping to record John Lennon and Yoko Ono's âUnfinished Music No.2: Life with the Lionsâ. This, however, was proceeded the formation of a new orchestra, Cadentia Nova Danica, led by Tchicai, dedicated to radical cross-disciplinary exploration. Remaining together between 1966 and 1971, the group and its shifting membership regularly fell into collaboration with artists and composers, notably Musica Elettronica Viva, who existed beyond the realms of jazz, as well as participating within multi-media events that incorporated the visual realms.
Cadentia Nova Danicaâs only two LPs - âCadentia Nova Danicaâ (Polydor, 1968), and âAfrodisiacaâ (MPS, 1969) - are effectively Tchicai recorded efforts as a leader, and are legendary. Thereâs little mystery, once heard, why the later landed on Thurston Mooreâs iconic âTop Ten from the Free Jazz Undergroundâ, published by Grand Royal in 1996. Sadly, despite playing extensively during their five year run, with exception of a CD documenting a performance at Jazzhus Montmartre, in 1966, until now there has been no other publicly available recordings that allow us to capture a glimpse of this astounding band at work. Alga Marghen / Formaliberaâs vinyl pressing of a never before released body of recordings, made in Copenhagen between 1969 and 1970, changes that in the most exciting of ways.
Comprising three pieces - âMc Gub Gub, (IâVIII)â; âOde to Skt. Johnâ; and âPladepipâ - the material on this stunning LP comes from two specific events. The first, which encompasses the first side, âMc Gub Gub, (IâVIII)â was recorded by Cadentia Nova Danica - in this instance, Tchicai, Sune Weimar, Theo Rahbek, Christian Kyhl, Niels Holt, JĂžrgen Thorup, Michael Schou, Morgens Bollerup, Allan Gregersen, Ole Matthiessen, Pierre DĂžrge, Willy Jaegert, Anthony Barnett, and Jon Finsen - on May 29th, 1969, at the ABC-Theatre in Copenhagen. Penned by Tchicai, the piece is a sprawling, evolutionary composition at the outer reaches of free jazz, rooted in large blocks of colliding tonality and rhythm - a sound only accessible to larger ensembles - that push territories explored by Charles Mingus to previously unimagined heights, threaded by moments of hard blown fire. Writhing like a stormy sea - skronking and devilish - âMc Gub Gub, (IâVIII)â is a work of profound complexity that singlehandedly illuminates not only Tchicaiâs singular vision as a composer, but also the power and uniqueness of Cadentia Nova Danica during the bandâs most vital period.
The two pieces - âOde to Skt. Johnâ and âPladepipâ - taking up the flip side, were recorded on February 21st, 1970, at the Danish Broadcasting Corporationâs Radio House, and are the outcome of Cadentia Nova Danicaâs extended residency there between 1969 and 1970. In many ways, these two recordings offer some of the best insights into the broad collaborative approaches that defined the band, in this case encountering them working with Danish experimental composer, Svend Erik Werner, who was among the earliest in his country to embrace stylistic pluralism and the use historical forms within a modern context. âOde to Skt. Johnâ - based on aspects of Gregorian music - was penned by Werner, incorporating heady improvisation by the members of Cadentia Nova Danica, this time made up by Tchicai, Sune Weimar, Hugh Steinmetz, Theo Rahbek, Christian Kyhl, Michael Schou, Morgens Bollerup, Ole KĂŒhl, Torben Enghoff, Mauritz Tchikai, Kjeld Ipsen, Willy Jaegert, Ole Matthiessen, Ole Thilo, Pierre DĂžrge, Steffen Andersen, Jon Finse, and Clause BĂžje. The piece is a fascinating binary of the composed and improvised, utilising the bandâs large scale to introduce a remarkable sound within its slow progressions and furious, driving free moments, in this incredible meeting of worlds.
The albumâs final piece, âPladepipâ, is arguably its most historically significant: an entirely singular piece, unlike anything in Tchicaiâs recorded canon as his foray into musique concrĂ©te. Drawing upon two recordings of full-band improvisations by Cadentia Nova Danica, for its creation Tchicai also gouged the surfaces of 78rpm records in his collection to skip and create repeated phrases and patterns, creating a stunning sound collage of hard angles and abrupt phrase, that creates a striking counterpoint to the bandâs flowing improvisations that bookend those passages. The result is an engrossing listen and easily one of the most unique and culturally important gestures in the entire history of musique concrĂ©te.
Truly incredible, Alga Marghen / Formaliberaâs vinyl pressing of this never before released body of recordings, made by John Tchicaiâs Cadentia Nova Danica, in Copenhagen between 1969 and 1970, offers an unprecedented window into one of the most important groups working in Europe during that period, significantly expanding their rare and slim discography to date. Accompanied by extensive exploratory liner notes by veteran jazz writer, Ed Hazell, this is easily one of the most historically important archival releases of the year and is impossible to recommend enough. Absolutely essential on every count.