The Gospel According to Lester Bowie

For post #399, we have another fabbo concert from those naughty Norwegian TV archives.

This one catches true trumpet deity and of course Art Ensemble of Chicago founder Lester Bowie, leading an ensemble somewhere between the AECO and his Brass Fantasy group of the mid 1980s.

This show -- appropriately titled From the Roots to the Source -- is perfect for Sunday, as it treads the territory between a jazz-rock aesthetic and straight up Gospel Rock.

I hope the hybridization of forms in this one causes Wynton Marsalis to get a really annoying itch he cannot scratch.

The singers on this one -- which include Lester's wife Fontella Bass and her sister Martha, as well as belter David Peaston -- go absolutely wild here, abetted by LB and his cohorts.

I wish there was an official DVD series of these NRK-TV things, but until there is these 1280p rebroadcasts on their website will have to do.

Lester Bowie

From the Roots to the Source

Molde Kino 

Molde, Norway

7.29.1982

01 Louis

02 Ritmo Mo

03 Everything Must Change

04 Rescue Me

05 When the Spirits Come Back to Me

06 He's Got the Whole World In His Hands

07 Oh, How the Ghosts Sing/Let The Good Times Roll  

08 end credits + applause

Total time: 43:47

Lester Bowie - trumpet and pistol

Richard Purcell-Brown - tenor saxophone

Artie Matthews - piano

Fred Williams - bass

Phil Wilson - drums

Fontella Bass - vocals and piano

Martha Bass - vocals

David Peaston - vocals and organ

HD FLV file from an NRK-TV web rebroadcast

757 MB FLV/July 2018 archive link

Not bad for a Sunday 36th anniversary special, if I do say so myself.

The first song in this is an extensive tribute to Louis Armstrong, but that's not the last we'll hear from Pops in the coming days.

That's a hint... I'll be back next Saturday with the big 400th post to this page, but for now let's have Lester leap in and take you all to church for 45 minutes!--J.

10.11.1941 - 11.8.1999