October 1999

Von Freeman/Ed Petersen
Von & Ed
Delmark Records
Cecil Payne
Payne's Window
Delmark Records

By Amiri Baraka

Free Jazz, Freedom Now, Freedom Suite reflected attempts to break out of the Tin Pan Alley penitentiary where creativity is imprisoned by money. Trane, Archie, Ayler, Cecil, Ornette, Sun Ra, Pharaoh, Milford, Graves, Pullen were some of the best known escapees, their music authentic departure and resistance.

The academic tip here is ubiquitous, except for "old head" Von Freeman, the post-bop mainstream, backbone of the music. Polished instrumentalists wearing musical hearts out front and funkily blue. Freeman does elegant things to Trane's "P.C.," Miles' "Four," Diz' "Tunisia," from the hipster's canon. Peterson is contrasting, but less than organic.