October In November: Charlie Mariano 100

Charlie Mariano Quartet - Lucie Wrong

It's a Sunday centennial celebration in here, and you're invited.

I've covered this guy once before, but for the big 100s I allow for repetition.

A severely undersung Jazz hero, he was known for employing exotic and unusual horns, like the nagaswaram -- a South Indian classical wind instrument -- into his music.

Now they call it "world music" and it rakes in the cash, but back then such hybrid approaches were not yet a thing.

It took visionary and exploratory artists such as Charlie Mariano to bring everyone up to speed.

He passed in 2009 after a long career challenging the boundaries, as both a part of a handful of seminal bands as well as on his own, but he'd have been a century old today.

Let's pay him the proper tribute, with a sizzling 1986 concert from Austrian radio.... and just maybe a little something extra.

Charlie Mariano Quartet

Audimax

Technische Universität

Vienna, Austria

11.28.1986

    

01 Lucie Wrong

02 Gems

03 To an Elfin Princess

04 Cheops

05 Yagapriya

06 Scooter

07 Mute

08 One Day

Total time: 1:20:52

disc break goes after Track 04

Charlie Mariano - saxophones & reeds

Jasper van't Hof - piano & keyboards

Bo Stief - bass

Freddy Studer - drums

digital capture of an OE1 digital FM rebroadcast from November 2023

482 MB FLAC/direct link

There's an additional treat in the folder there, which I think will set your Funky Fusion detectors buzzing with a Greasy Gravy alert... but we'll let that be a special surprise.

I'll be back with more Business As Usual in a few days, but don't forget to enjoy these Charlie Mariano centennial expressions, as we celebrate one of the most uncompromising players ever to wail!--J.

11.12.1923 - 6.16.2009