F. VATTEL CHERRY: is it because i'm black

F. Vattel Cherry

is it because i'm black

© 1999 Commercial Free Jazz

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Solo Double Bass. Gut-Bucket to the Cosmos...

tracks

1 1982
2 Lynchin' In Central Park
3 Ev'ry Time I feel the Spirit
4 Oh Freedom
5 Go Down Moses
6 Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Chile
7 We Shall Overcome
8 Wade In the Water
9 Go Tell it on the Mountain
10 We Are Climbing Jacob's ladder
11 Four Haikus
12 is it because i'm black

notes

1997. In the dark haze of pre-revolutionary America, dimly visible through the smoke of burning dreams, stands a tall Black man with an upright bass in his hands.

Bells dangle from him as he shines a light that penetrates the smog and battlehaze. He proclaims the truth in a voice as serious as a heart attack and connects the line streching back into time between spirituals and free jazz. Projected forward, this line becomes our escape trail out of the world of necessity.

Fall in love with this recording, and it will reward you more each time it's played. Love, Gary Heidt Brooklyn, NY

reviews

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  • a calling card which promises much for the future.
    author: Richard Cochrane - Musings

    F Vattel Cherry has a big, swaggering style which would fit right in with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, should Malachi Favours ever have an off-day. He seems to enjoy a funky way with rhythm which can often ramble in odd directions like a pub anecdote. Here, he's captured in a solo set playing a mixture of spirituals and his own compositions. The recording is extremely "intimate", which is nice in a rough and ready way, although the first track is marred by some massively distorted bottom notes. But what other way is there to capture a player like this, who seems to have various bells attached to his limbs whilst playing and who clearly enjoys a down-home flavour? Whether that flavour was intentional or just the result of using cheap equipment is hardly important: there's a semiotic effect which would totally spoil a classical recital (supposed to be pure and perfect) but which lends this set of bluesy tunes a slightly spurious "authenticity". Not that any of this is done in bad faith, but it's a part of the package, a performance which propels one into some late '60s loft session and a world of dodgy tape recorders and dodgier protest poetry. That's a Romantic notion -- we live in a different world now and although, yes, there are still racists about, jam sessions never really did solve that particular problem -- but there's nothing intrinsically wrong with it. Whether you enjoy this record really depends on how much you enjoy that notion. The bells chink on Cherry's arms out of synch with his bass (of course they do) -- irritating or charming? Intended or not? One can't be sure about the latter, but the effect is rather jarring at times. At others, it sounds as if Cherry's whole body is bouncing up and down and the beat, a kind of flowing relay between bells and bass, becomes so irresistable one is tempted to jump up and dance. This is a mixed session. Cherry really can't sing, and shouldn't -- the mercifully brief "Oh, Freedom" can set off howling dogs -- but he can play the bass with a thumping verve and energy which few players have any more. It's so much more common for free jazz bassists to concentrate on playing arco or otherwise working out timbral extensions that this kind of forcefully jazz- and blues-based playing has fallen into disfavour. Given better production values and perhaps an understanding duo partner (best of all, a singer), this would have been a really fine record. As it is, it's a calling card which promises much for the future.

  • facile bass work with percussive possibilities
    author: Derek Taylor - [one Final Note]

    Considering the rich and circuitous history of jazz, solo recordings, particularly those featuring double bass, are a relatively recent innovation. Sadly such authorities as Pettiford, Mingus, Ware and Chambers never had the opportunity to apply their talents to such an unadorned setting. With the eventual advent of such recitals it became apparent immediately what we were missing. Today the numbers of bassists who have taken up the challenge of solitary expression are many. Malachi Favors, Peter Kowald, William Parker, Dave Holland and Barré Phillips are just a few of those who have turned in stunning solo documents of their skills on the strings. To their roster comes Cherry, a former member of Charles Gayle's trio, who now fronts several groups of his own. How does he stack up in the company of his peers? Very well indeed. Both in conception and in sound Cherry's solo disc bears most referential resemblance to Favors' Natural & the Spiritual recorded in 1977. On that now rare and legendary date (released on the Art Ensemble's own AECO recording label) Favors blended bass, percussion and vocal recitation into an improvised whole that delved deeply into African consciousness and culture. Cherry does Favors one better augmenting his facile bass work with simultaneous ethereal percussion derived from small devices hung about his person. A light patter of shakers and cymbals serves as a delicate rhythmic chaperone to his stout reverberating plucks on the disc's opening "1982" and remains in close proximity for much of the program's duration. Another commonality with the Favors date is the live recording setting and the use of vocal recitations Cherry employs to punctuate his improvisations. Over the course of these soliloquies Cherry ruminates on what it means to be Black in America. The spirituals that serve as fertile soil for his improvisations are a fitting compliment to his words. His sound on bass is also akin to Favors' favoring the lower regions of his strings and a cavernous resonance that envelops as it engages. None of these comparisons are meant to suggest that Cherry's music is derivative or lacking in originality. They're simply points of reference to his art. In Cherry's hands the bass becomes an guiding beacon into the confident and reverential awareness he has of his African American heritage. Steeped with percussive possibilities he wields it with taut snaps and slaps as on "Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit" or visceral sawing bow as on "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." There are instances where his rhythmic lines become so impassioned and voluble that they overwhelm the recording equipment, though these minor sonic imperfections are of little consequence when compared to the immediacy of the music. With this outing Cherry has designed an offering that succinctly demonstrates his prowess on his instrument while still actively engaging his audience and their emotions, a feat that is no easy task when the only one to fall back on is yourself.

  • an interesting statement an interesting statement
    author: Glenn Astarita

    F. Vattel Cherry utters his sentiments while paying tribute to “pre-Revolutionary” America through the mouthpiece of his double-bass, small percussion instruments and spoken word on Is It Because I’m Black. Cherry displays formidable technique yet digs deep from within while performing on his rich, resonant double-bass as he stylishly renders deeply personalized if not passionate versions of public domain pieces, such as “Oh, Freedom”, “Go Down, Moses” and others. His composition titled, “1982”, features Cherry tapping out a engagingly melodic and bouncy theme while somehow utilizing bells and percussion in unison – I would suspect that Cherry may have these instruments dangling from a limb or perhaps his waist since this is a live recording. On his piece, “Lynchin’ In Central Park”, the bassist displays a silvery tone, yet his overall execution coupled with the deeply wooden sound of his acoustic bass takes on rustic or earthy characteristics. “Wade in the Water” is captivating as Cherry plucks the bass strings in synch with faint or subtle percussion instruments while his composition, “Four Haikus” features the spoken word recital of guest artist Laura Ludwig. On several pieces, Cherry recites lyric atop his bass lines and at times, takes on the persona of an American folk artist. Is It Because I’m Black is an interesting statement from this Baltimore-based bassist who performs from the heart while not simply content to dazzle with technique! It may not be for everyone, yet Cherry’s unique conceptual approach and resolve speaks loud and clear through the voicings of his mighty double bass. * * * ½

  • author: Steven A. Leowy

    F VATTEL CHERRY IS IT BECAUSE I'M BLACK/ April 12, 1997/ Commercial Free Jazz/ 3½ stars STYLE: JAZZ (TRAD, FREE) This short solo CD by Baltimore native Vattel Cherry features the bassist on eight spirituals and four originals. Cherry is best known, perhaps, for his work with tenor saxophonist Charles Gayle and others in the realm of free-style jazz. For this recording, the bassist reaches back to his roots, with poignant though fairly straight versions of timeless classics such as "Go Down Moses," "Wade in the Water," and "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." He does stretch out, particularly on his own compositions, but he seems very much aware of his audience and the need to pace the program with accessible items. Cherry supplements with voice on occasion, but it is his bass that carries the day. Its rich sonorities ring through with grace and elegance. An important, though not indispensable contribution to the bass discography. Steven A. Loewy

  • author: Mark Maxwell

    Your CD is a blessing. Within 15 minutes or so of opening the envelope I found myself broadcasting "1982" over the air. Since then I've had a chance tocheck the whole CD out. I like it and plan to give it some regualr play onthe show. Thank you. More Peace & Blessings, Max (Mark Maxwell, "Rise" - KPFK, Los Angeles)

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