Re Tensions

One of the great recordings of the 1970s, or any time for that matter, Roscoe Mitchell's Nonaah (pronounced No Nay Ah) (1976-77) has just been reissued as an expanded & meticulously remastered 2-CD set by Nessa Records. I vividly recall being completely eviscerated upon first hearing the solo version of the title track (perhaps on WNUR -- perhaps even during my own show -- can't remember exactly). This piece was performed for an audience that had come to hear Anthony Braxton, who cancelled at the last minute. Mitchell says in the liner notes:

The music couldn't move till [the audience] respected me, until they realized that I wasn't going anywhere, and if someone was going it would have had to be them.

This only hints at the intense tension-made-audible on this track. The entire album is as fresh and relevant as ever.

This reissue, along with the recent publication of George Lewis's AACM book, and the imminent release of Mosaic's box set of Braxton's Complete Arista Recordings, will surely lead to a reevaluation of a large chunk of creative music history.

link on how to order Nonaah