Frank Lowe Quartet — Out Loud
Each side of each LP contains either one epic 25 minute track or two massive 12 minute sessions. You sign on for a lengthy, expansive and challenging trip when you play this album, but luckily Lowe and his band are in a far less sadistic mood than on "The Loweski" album - another recently released archival recording, the only other taste of Lowe's sound I've had.
This sound is chaotic, freewheeling and unstructured, but surely doesn't shy away from soulful, wailing blues. In Lowe's band, it's evident that everyone is allowed to play loudly over each other at will, creating the sense of individual worlds diverging and re-converging. However the sound is far from pure dissonance. The whole history of jazz tonality can be heard in spontaneous shapes created by heavily practiced musicians such as these, who saw it all as it happened. Focused listening to this sound reveals a close relationship between every moment of each player. The drummer, Steve Reid, is particularly attentive in effortlessly matching the improvised rhythms of others with light, dynamic fills.
"Vivid Description" has something like a head, a call and response leading with a scalar pattern and ending with a nasty unison 'skronk' that would jolt anyone out of bed. This must have been pre-planned in some way, but shambles along nebulously as if it could collapse to pieces at any moment, which it quickly does. The section following this is intentionally drunken and stumbling, avoiding consistent meter, and illustrates a recurring theme of the album: thoughtful melodic fragments contrasted with startling atonal bleats and barks. The passion, energy and intensity is the underlying consistent element.
There's a variety and breathing room on this album I didn't hear on "The Loweski". Most bizarre and surprising perhaps is the 2 minute piece entitled "Listen" that opens side B, in which we hear xylophones, growling / spitting vocal gibberish, and abrupt / hilarious slide whistle, none of which were present in any form on the previous songs. This sort of creativity make this album a very entertaining and psychedelic listen. I think I hear a cat hissing (?) in the next part of the track. William Parker's string bass is very percussive and dominant, repeating ostinatos many times in an almost tribal fashion that has little to do with traditional jazz. The latter parts of side B show the band hitting a single chord repeatedly with varying swells of energy, much like a classic jam rock band.
The musicians show serious energy and drive as the album continues, and none of the parts closely resemble any of the previous. Fans of Miles' Bitches Brew era sounds should be able to appreciate this, with the zoned out and consistent, vaguely tribal drum groove that develops, complimented by obstinately wailing trumpet solos. "Ain't got no money, ain't got no money today" Frank suddenly yells after long periods of strange wordless noises in. His throaty, gravelly tone that wouldn't be out of place in any hardcore punk band. Soon, he deliriously begins repeating "out loud, out loud", his voice rises to a shriek, and it's clear where the album got its name. This is the end of the first LP.
The sound quality is a bit scratchy and distorted on the 1st LP, that particular analog saturation familiar to anyone who has watched a lot of old films or cartoons. There are clicks and pops throughout the sound. Seeing as the album was recorded in studio, I can only assume the master tapes must have been damaged or lost. In the end, though, the album still sounds better than "The Loweski", and many a vintage live recording, and the instruments are both audible and pleasant enough to the ear so as not to discourage listening. However, playing it loud could result in some unwanted harshness without any further audible detail. There are limits to the fidelity of this recording.
The second LP was recorded in a different studio, according to the liner notes, and has a cleaner sound. Here, the horns can blast and punctuate loudly without clipping or distorting. The extra dynamic headroom is much appreciated throughout the 24 minute longform jam "Whew!" which occupies all of side C. The drums have a clear, rounded tone as well, though the bass playing is curiously less audible than on the 1st LP. In the end, it's somewhat obvious these are archival recordings, but the vitality of the music makes up for it.
This is some of the best improvisatory jazz I've ever heard, and so I wholeheartedly recommend Frank Lowe's "Out Loud". It has what so many recordings lack; melody amidst the experimentalism, ceaseless vigor tempered with space and emotional relatability. The sound quality leaves something to be desired in places, and I do hope a cleaner version of these recordings is unearthed at some point, but seeing as these are obscure sounds and that's not likely to happen, I'm certainly content with this; these performances simply must be heard.