GATO BARBIERI / DOLLAR BRAND – Confluence (LP-1974)

Label: Freedom – FLP 40118

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue / Country: UK / Released: 1974

(UK, laminated cover)

Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation

Recorded at Fonorama Studios, Milan, 16th March 1968.

Producer – Alan Bates, Mario Nicalaio

Engineer – Livio Civiera

Photography By [Back Cover] – Jean-Pierre Maurer

Photography By [Front Cover] – Ib Skovgaard Peterson

Design [Sleeve] – Hamish Grimes

A1 - The Aloe And The Wild Rose .................................................... 14:22

         Written-By – Brand

A2 - Hamba Khale! ............................................................................. 2:16

         Written-By – Brand

B1 - To Elsa ........................................................................................ 7:20

         Written-By – Barbieri

B2 - Eighty First Street ........................................................................ 8:36

         Written-By – Barbieri

Gato Barbieri – tenor saxophone

Dollar Brand – piano, cello

A real sleeper – and one of the treasures of the Freedom series! The album's a rare meeting between Argentine tenor player Gato Barbieri and South African pianist Dollar Brand – a true global meeting of the jazz minds, and a recording that's stronger than most of the work either player was recording at the time! The format is incredibly spare – just tenor and piano, plus some occasional cello work by Brand – dark and angular, but also filled with small flowers of hope, flowering in the spontaneous presence of these two titans. Tracks are long, with a free flowing quality that's infused with soul and spirit.

On his second release after recording the Umiliani film score for the “Una Bella Grinta” movie,  Dollar Brand teams up with Gato Barbieri to make a pretty hard hitting, but low key recording which really highlights both the sensitivities and ferocity of Gato Barbieri’s playing and introduces yet another side to this enigmatic player.

In many ways, Confluence feels like an exercise in contrasting shades and dynamic with the really legato modal playing of Dollar Brand, who plays the perfect supporting role, while Gato wails and screeches and honks his way through the recordings giving loads of light and shade textures.

There are moments of pure ‘Free’ Jazz but mostly its an Avant Garde Jaz record in the style of early ECM records. There is a softening behind these heavy blows and a lightness that peers out of the dark chaos of the playing.

This is a collaboration in the true sense of the word. Alternating between scintillating, angry blasts of saxophone and moments of pure beauty (Dollar Brand at his best and most atmospheric on both piano and cello), this is both sparse and in-your-face at the same time. Beautifully recorded in Milano in march, 1968 (lots of atmosphere that perfectly matches that dark, mysterious cover art).

Confluence was originally released in Europe and later in the US with a different sleeve design from the one shown above. It was reissued later and renamed Hamba Khale! which translates to ‘Farewell’ (to the dead) literally “go Well” in Xhosa language. Pretty, Frantic, Thoughtful and energetic all at once. A sweet little Jazz record that while it takes work from the listener,  is well worth the time.

If you find it, buy this album!