''Ascent of the Nether Creatures'' is a live album by bassist Rashied Al Akbar, drummer

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

, trumpeter

Earl Cross Earl Cross (December 8, 1933 – 1987) was a free jazz trumpeter best known for his association with saxophonists Noah Howard and Charles Tyler and percussionist Juma Sultan, as well as with the 1970s loft jazz scene in New York City. Career Cr ...

, and saxophonist

Idris Ackamoor Idris Ackamoor (born Bruce Baker, January 9, 1951) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, actor, tap dancer, producer, administrator, and director. He is also artistic director of the jazz ensemble The Pyramids. The Pyramids He founded t ...

. It was recorded on July 12, 1980, in the Netherlands, and was released on LP in limited quantities by

NoBusiness Records NoBusiness Records is an independent record label, based in Vilnius, Lithuania. History The label was founded in 2008 by Danas Mikailionis and Valerij Anosov. The latter is the owner of a jazz-oriented record store in Vilnius named Thelonious; a ...

in 2014.

Reception

In a review for ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'', John Sharpe described the album as "spirited and still vital music," and wrote: "The polyphonic blending of Cross' waspish angularities and Ackamoor's sinuous legato is what creates the excitement on this date... on bass Rashied Al Akbar furnishes a sturdy foundation in tandem with drummer Muhammad Ali." Derek Taylor of ''Dusted Magazine'' stated: "the music offers more than trading card scarcity in its snapshot of American players holding court in Europe at the cusp of the loft jazz era." Writing for '' The List'', Stewart Smith called the album "a thrilling live set from four undersung Loft-era musicians," and commented: "The raw fidelity only adds to the excitement, with the music working itself into a blurry ecstasy as the small crowd whoops and cheers." A reviewer for ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...

'' remarked: "Cross tilts his trumpet towards heaven, unspooling knotty bop themes and engaging in spiralling interplay with Ackamoor's saxophone... Ali is on explosive form throughout, maintaining a free pulse while unleashing rolling thunder around the toms. Encompassing classic fire music, free bop and abstract night-music, ''Ascent'' is one of the archival jazz releases of the year." ''

The New York City Jazz Record ''The New York City Jazz Record'' is a New York City based monthly free newspaper about jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries ...

s Ken Waxman described the recording as "Startlingly high-class free jazz from an unheralded quartet of journeymen Americans," noting that "certainly no one in this sometimes raggedly recorded club date from somewhere in the Netherlands, was drawn by star power." He wrote: "The organization of this strong performance shows that avant-garde impulses had permeated the DNA of even less-celebrated players working clubs in the '80s. More crucially, a long-drawn-out near-orgasmic squeal from someone present as the quartet concluded its performance corroborates that the audience was enthralled as well."

Track listing

Track timings not provided. ;Side A # "Earl's Tune" (Earl Cross) # "Ascent of the Nether Creatures" (Idris Ackamoor) ;Side B # "Ascent of the Nether Creatures (Continues)" (Idris Ackamoor) # "Evenings" (Earl Cross, Rashied Al Akbar, Muhammad Ali, Idris Ackamoor) # "4 for 1" (Earl Cross, Rashied Al Akbar, Muhammad Ali, Idris Ackamoor)

Personnel

– alto and tenor saxophone *

– trumpet * Rashied Al Akbar – bass *

– drums

References

{{Reflist 2014 live albums Live free jazz albums NoBusiness Records live albums