Marion Brown and Dave Burrell
Live at the Black Musicians’ Conference, 1981
(NoBusiness)

WOULD the founding pioneers of jazz in New Orleans at the turn of the 19th century ever have thought that a future nucleus of their music would be created in Vilnius, Lithuania, more than a century later?

That is where one of the music’s hottest labels is based and among their newest releases is a marvellous 1981 encounter between alto saxophonist Marion Brown and pianist Dave Burrell at a black musicians’ conference.

It was opened by Archie Shepp with a lecture on revolutionary concepts in African-American music, a theme which Burrell and Brown develop with the utmost commitment.
 
This jewel of a previously unreleased session begins with the Brown composition Gossip/Fortunado, prefaced by a beautifully toned unaccompanied Brown before Burrell’s single chimes create an improvised colloquy.