The Milwaukee Tapes Vol. 1 is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson recorded live in 1980 but not issued until 2000 by Atavistic as part of their Unheard Music Series.
The Milwaukee Tapes Vol. 1 | ||||
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Live album by Fred Anderson | ||||
Released | 2000 | |||
Recorded | January or February, 1980 Milwaukee | |||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Length | 70:16 | |||
Label | Atavistic | |||
Producer | John Corbett | |||
Fred Anderson chronology | ||||
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Anderson took his working quartet with trumpeter Billy Brimfield, bassist Larry Hayrod and drummer Hamid Drake to play somewhere in Milwaukee in early 1980 and made arrangements to have a professional 8-track recording made of the concert. 20 years later, when Anderson started to garner attention issuing records more frequently, producer John Corbett released the tapes.[1]
Anderson and Brimfield collaborated since the beginning of the '60s when they had a pre-AACM quartet. Hayrod was a newcomer to the quartet, replacing Steven Palmore. Anderson and Drake enjoyed a close relationship dating back to the early '70s.[1]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
In his review for AllMusic, Stewart Mason states "Anderson and compatriots are at the top of their game singly and collectively."[2] The Penguin Guide to Jazz says that "there is a tendency to meander through solos in what sounds like a second-gear version of late Coltrane."[3]
In a multiple review for JazzTimes, Harvey Pekar notes that "This is not a free-jazz date; it features five varied and impressive compositions by Anderson and Drake and contains solos based on preset structures."[4]
The PopMatters review by Imre Szeman says that the album "not only allows us to get a glimpse of Anderson in the midst of one of the most exciting periods in his career, but also gives us a chance to hear this Olympian jazz man play live in all his glory."[5]