专辑简介

by François Couture

This short (37 minutes) live set of the Art Ensemble of Chicago was recorded in August 1980, while the group was enjoying a gust of popularity, and released by the label Praxis under the title Among the People. Kostas Yiannoulopoulos was not authorized to publish it, so it came out in bootleg form with track titles and credits all messed up. In September 2001 the label Golden Years of New Jazz reissued it on CD with corrected information and the approbation of the musicians. Still, sound quality remains unconvincing and the album lacks the historical notes usually included with titles in the Golden Years series. The group performs three pieces, "Tutankhamun," "Illinstrun," and "A Jackson in Your House," all regular features in their concerts at the time and available elsewhere in better condition. As unessential Live in Milano is, it still presents one hell of a performance. Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors are in particularly good shape, everyone is good-humored and playful. And the audience is as enthusiastic as can be -- have you ever heard a crowd go wild because someone starts playing a rattle? The finale of "A Jackson in Your House," cartoonish and self-mocking, summarizes the set. If these tracks had been added as bonus material to another, better-recorded performance, they would have been heartily welcomed. Presented as a stand-alone album, Live in Milano is for the completist only.