Bells for the South Side is a double album by American jazz saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, which was recorded live in 2015 at Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago in the context of The Freedom Principle, a 50th-anniversary exhibition devoted to the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and released on ECM.Bells for the South Side at ECM Records
Reception
In his review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek states, "Bells for the South Side is indeed massive, but its depth, breadth, and inspired performances border on the profound."
The Down Beat review by Bradley Bambarger says, "Pitched between avant-garde jazz and modernist chamber music, the sound poems of Bells for the South Side challenge the ear, whether they are keening or swirling, spare or textured. But the music also has an undeniable grandeur, the feel almost ritualistic."Bambarger, Bradley. Bells for the South Side review. Down Beat October 17: page 65. Print.
The Point of Departure review by Michael Rosenstein states, "This release is a tour de force in Mitchell’s impressive catalog and the result is a tribute to his singular vision and sage choice in collaborators."Rosenstein, Michael. Bells for the South Side review at Point of Departure
Track listing
Personnel Roscoe Mitchell – sopranino, soprano sax, alto sax, bass sax, flute, piccolo, bass recorder, percussion James Fei – sopranino sax, alto sax, contra-alto clarinet, electronics Hugh Ragin – trumpet, piccolo trumpet Tyshawn Sorey – trombone, piano, drums, percussion Craig Taborn – piano, organ, electronics Jaribu Shahid – double bass, bass guitar, percussion William Winant – percussion, tubular bells, glockenspiel, vibraphone, marimba, roto toms, cymbals, bass drum, woodblocks, timpani Kikanju Baku – drums, percussion Tani Tabbal – drums, percussion
References
External links A Pioneering Black Composer Keeps Pushing, by Seth Colter Walls at New York Times