Charles Bracken: Worshippers Come Nigh

I suppose it’s emblematic of the enigmatic career of Charles Brackeen that although word of his death this past November has been circulating online, as of today, his Wikipedia entry refers to him in the past tense but provides no death date. Back in the day I remember seeing Rhythm X, his debut LP on Strata East in the bins at Back Alley Discs in Charlottesville, but didn’t pick it up (I now have in on the Mosaic Clifford Jordan/Strat East box but haven’t played it yet). To my knowledge, he didn’t lead another date until he did three records for the Scandinavian label Silkheart, all issued in 1987. He also recorded with Paul Motian on ECM and was part of the Melodic Art-Tet, which h recorded an album in 1974 that was released a few years ago by a Lithuanian label, No Business Records (currently on order).

Despite never really hearing any of his music, I was curious enough to click on a random YouTube link to the tile track of one of the Silkheart albums—Worshippers Come Nigh. I was blown away to the extent that I paid way more that I usually to buy the CD, and it’s really killing, as the jazz robots say. In addition to Brackeen, Olu Dara is on trumpet, Fred Hopkins on bass (I heard him in the 1970s with the great trio Air), and Andrew Cyrille on drums, with and assist on congas from Brackeen’s friend and fellow artis, Dennis Gonzalez. The liner notes indicate that Brackeen insisted on extensive rehearsals before recording, and it shows. The theme statements (all compositions written by Brackeen, and good ones) are crisp and declamatory. Brackeen was a fine post-Ornette player, Dara is a strong voice on trumpet, and Fred Hopkins is a hugely impressive soloist and, along with Cyrille, really drives the band—freebop at its best. Really, this is some of the most impressive music I’ve heard lately. Do give it a listen. Health issues may have deprived us of much more music from Charles Brackeen, but let’s be thankful for what we do have.