MAMA KUKU

This was the last recording for ASSOCIATION PC and it's a live one from a 1973 tour.The band here was comprised of two Dutch guys and two Germans. On this particular album American Jeremy Steig plays flute and is given equal billing really as the title on the album cover says ASSOSIATION PC + Jeremy Steig. Jeremy was gaining quite the reputation for his aggressive and daring use of the instrument.They first saw Jeremy at a Jazz Festival in Munich, Germany that was celebrating the summer Olympic Games that year in 1972. He was playing with a few bands including Tony Williams, ASSOCIATION PC liked what they saw so invited him to tour with them. This album is a taste of that. The music here is very much flute dominated and i'd guess you'd call the Free Jazz for the most part. My favourite parts are the two sections where the flute isn't leading like the first 4 minutes of track one and the 10 minutes towards the end of the side long closing track. Don't get me wrong, I like flute but it absolutely dominates here. When he starts to play it's like the band stops to listen.That's exaggerating but that gives you the idea.

"Mama Kuku" opens with a relaxed bass solo then the guitar joins in after 1 1/2 minutes followed by a full sound.This is great ! Flute then comes in before 4 minutes as it settles right down. "Bold N Steig" opens with flute then the keyboards join in. Keyboards only before 4 minutes then the flute returns to end it. "Dr. Hofmann" features laid back flute and sparse drum work throughout. "Ecnelis" has some energy. Finally ! Everyone is pitching in here. "Bassamagic" is pretty much a flute solo.

"Lausanne" is the over 21 1/2 minute closing suite. Flute and keys to start as the drums join in. It's better 7 1/2 minutes in when the keyboards become more prominant and the sound gets more intense. It settles back 10 minutes in as the flute stops.The guitar plays lazily here with drums, bass and keys. Much better. Check out the keyboards 14 1/2 minutes in. Applause 17 1/2 minutes in when they stop and bass only takes over. Flute's back 20 minutes in to end it.

I'm not a huge fan of Free Jazz and this really comes off as being a flute album of sorts.