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BYG Actuel

Aco Dei De Madrugada (One Morning I Waked Up Very Early)
*2019 repress. 2022 stock* In the studios Saravah, Grachan Moncur III sympathizes with two Brazilian musicians, the pianist Fernando Martins and the drummer Nelson Serra de Castro. They decide to play together Brazilian standards, whose names are slightly retouched to avoid having to pay copyright, as well as Grachan Moncur III compositions, almost forgetting the free, but making a beautiful harvest of sun rays and shimmering music.
An Even Break (Never Give A Sucker)
*2022 restock* 32nd volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "Avant-garde jazz drummer Sunny Murray was a major player in the experimental jazz community throughout the 1960s. After three years as a member of Albert Ayler's band (1964-1967), Murray traveled to France where, after releasing two LPs on the BYG label, he recorded An Even Break, (recorded on November 22, 1969) for Affinity. Although his first release for the Affinity label, this was Murray's third release of…
Hommage To Africa
*2019 repress. 2022 stock* Third volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "After three years as a member of Albert Ayler's band (1964-1967), avant-garde jazz drummer Sunny Murray traveled to France where he recorded for Affinity and BYG. The amazing Homage to Africa was recorded on August 15, 1969 for BYG and features Archie Shepp, Alan Silva, Grachan Moncur III, Lester Bowie, Clifford Thornton, Roscoe Mitchell, Kenneth Terroade and Jeanne Lee. "One of the more spiritual…
Live at the Panafrican Festival
**2019 Repress, 51st volume in the BYG Actuel series, gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl** "Striking live performances recorded at the first Panafrican Festival in Algiers during July of 1969. Archie Shepp with a stellar line-up including Clifford Thornton, Grachan Moncur III, Dave Burrell, Alan Silva, Sunny Murray and poets Ted Joans and Don Lee teaming up with Algerian and Touareg musicians for some wonderful and haunting ethno new jazz."
Yasmina, a Black Woman
2013 repress; Fourth volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "A great recording session for the French BYG Actuel label dated August 12, 1969. Tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp met up with members of the Chicago avant-garde school including Art Ensemble of Chicago members Lester Bowie, Roscoe Mitchell and Malachi Favors. Featuring also Dave Burrell, Sunny Murray, Philly Joe Jones, Art Taylor, Clifford Thornton, Earl Freeman among the others."
Luna Surface
12th volume in the BYG Actuel series; 180 gram vinyl. "Super-session recorded in Paris on August 17, 1969. Alan Silva collected here many of the top free jazz players of the time, an incredible 11-piece ensemble featuring, among others, Grachan Moncur III, Archie Shepp, Anthony Braxton, Dave Burrell, Leroy Jenkins, and Malachi Favors. As a result, this is a very free record and a historical document of Pan-African high art music. Two tracks."" I haven't given up my quest of finding music that tr…
Ketchaoua
2019 small repress. 23rd volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "This album was recorded in Paris on August 18, 1969 by Clifford Thornton (cornet and conga drums) with Grachan Moncur III (trombone), Archie Shepp (soprano saxophone), Arthur Jones (alto saxophone), Dave Burrell (piano), Sunny Murray (drums), Beb Guerin (bass), Earl Freeman (bass) and Claude Delcloo (drums)." "'Clifford Thornton was a player and a composer whose obscurity was offset by the high esteem in …
Live In Antibes (Vol. 1)
38th volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "Super live recordings (dated July 18 and July 20, 1970) captured in France at the Antibes-Juan Les Pins Jazz Festival. Archie Shepp and the Full Moon Ensemble (including Allen Shorter, Clifford Thornton, Joseph DeJean, Beb Guerin and Claude Delcloo) playing four long and really intense tracks."
Sunshine
48st volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "This album was recorded in Paris on August 15, 1969 with Lester Bowie, Dave Burrell, Roscoe Mitchell, Archie Shepp, Alan Silva, Malachi Favors, Arthur Jones and Kenneth Terroade. Sunny Murray is 'rightly regarded as jazz's first free drummer. His belief in the drum as an extension of the human soul's vibration allowed him to create a sonic firebed for tonal instruments to dance across. He spent the '60s developing his propul…
Mu Second Part
2013 Rpress. 31st volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "An album recorded at Studio Saravah in Paris on August 22, 1969 by Don Cherry (pocket trumpet, piano, Indian flute, bamboo flute, voice, bells, percussions) with Ed Blackwell (drums, percussions, bell)." "His duets with Ed Blackwell, a drummer whose playing Cherry was very conversant with through a shared history in the Coleman group, were the first recordings released in the Actuel series." --Thurston Moore and…
Mu First Part
2013 repress. Exact repros of the original BYG Actuel LP series from the early 70s. "Originally recorded on August 22nd, 1969 at Studio Saravah in Paris, this album became the first one of the whole BYG/Actuel series. Don Cherry's electrifying duets with Ed Blackwell are memorable. 6 tracks. Gatefold sleeve, 180 gram HQ vinyl. The BYG Actuel Series has remained one of the most authentic portals into the free expression of sound during the 60′s and 70′s, opening up the bridge between the b…
The solar-myth approach (vol2)
The vision of Sun Ra is placed within an experimental framework, as ambient music is shaped through the use of a Mini-Moog synthesizer in the pair of releases that were recorded in 1970-1971. The Solar-Myth Arkestra capture the special textures through the oboe, flute and drums of James Jacson. The landscape has a wonderful symmetry of colors and Sun Ra brings a sonic harmony to some of his most challenging works within his vast discography.
Monkey-Pockie-Boo
**180 gram vinyl. 37th volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve** The quintessentail Actuel album and your basic cornerstone of Free Music 101. "An album recorded in Paris (on June 22nd, 1969) with his wife Linda Sharrock plus Ben Guerin (bass) and Jacques Thollot (drums). Sonny Sharrock was one of the top avant-garde guitarists and his playing was intense and ferocious. He mixed together Jimi Hendrix and Pharoah Sanders." "Sharrock was the first guitarist to really embrace fire music. H…
Reese and the smooth ones
29th volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "Originally released on the French BYG Actuel label, this a classic album recorded in Paris during August 1969 while the Art Ensemble was on its initial stay there with just a quartet featuring Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, Malachi Favors and Joseph Jarman. Reese And the Smooth Ones has a continuous piece featuring all the members playing lots of little instruments (horns, gongs, logs, bells, sirens, whistles, steel drums, m…
Message To Our Folks
28th volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "Originally recorded at Studio Davout in Paris on August 12th, 1969... the Art Ensemble Of Chicago stands out as one of the most influential and long-lasting avant-garde and free jazz bands of all time. 4 tracks."
B-X0 NO-47A
15th volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "The first one of Braxton's two albums originally released in the BYG/Actuel series... this one was recorded at the Studio Saravah in Paris on September 10th, 1969 with the help of Leo Smith (trumpet), Leroy Jenkins (violin) and Steve McCall (drums)." From the Jazz Actuel boxset's liner notes: "Anthony Braxton's approach to music is a fantastic, almost alchemical fusion of elements, involving academic schemata, chess master l…
Keyboard Study 2 / Initiative 1 (+ Systèmes)
Rare original copy of the split release between Terry Riley and French avant-garde composer Pierre Marietan that was recorded in Paris on September 30th and October 1st, 1969. Riley's piece is a 24-minute work for 2 pianos (Gérard Frémy and Martine Joste of the GERM ensemble - Groupe d'Etude et Réalisation Musicale). Marieten's piece is performed by the full GERM ensemble including Philippe Blachette (violin), Philippe Drogoz (double bass), Louis Roquin (trumpet), Chantal Lemaire (cello), Gérard…
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