Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath MBA: Davashe's Dream: The Bride/Andromeda: Night Poem: Union Special. RCA Neon NE2 (239).

The Brotherhood of Breath is a big band which revolves around the nucleus of African musicians that Chris McGregor brought to this country from South Africa in 1965—and in particular the alto saxophonist Dudu Pukwane, the trumpeter Mongezi Feza and the drummer Louis Moholo. Its music draws fairly equally upon the more avant-garde kind of solos, the popular kwela tradition of South African townships, and a style of arranging which takes in a very Ellingtonish use of reeds as well as threeway dialogues between sections of trombones, trumpets and saxophones. These elements, together with McGregor's quirky but stimulating piano playing, have made this band one of the most exciting to heard anywhere at the moment. No wonder, then, that many people, including your reviewer, were waiting impatiently for the appearance of this LP.

Unfortunately, it turns out to be something of a disappointment. Part of the trouble is that The Brotherhood thrives upon enthusiastic audiences. The clinical atmosphere of a recording studio neutralizes a good deal of its spontaneity, cutting down the communication. (Something very similar happened with the earlier LPs by the Mike Westbrook Band.) Maybe the solution is to record The Brotherhood at a concert, or at least to cram the studio with an assortment of the band's many fans. As it is, infelicities which do not matter too much in the flesh—ragged Section work, a certain amount of out-of-tunencss---become exasperating when listened to in cold blood. Similarly, the kwela-based pieces, very repetitive, almost African exercises in perpetuum mobile, need thrusting across with great brio. These versions of MRA and Andromeda, not to mention the send-up march, Union Special, are very pale compared with how they usually come over in a club.

Perhaps the most satisfying track, ravishingly slow and sensual, is Darashe's Dream, the saxophones deployed in the Ellington manner (John Surman, brought in specially for the session, fills Out the sound just like Harry Carney) and with Dudu Pukwanc at his very best, tough yet lyrical. (In this setting Pukwane resembles nothing so much as a saltier version of Johnny Hodges, just as Mongezi Feza suggests a slightly berserk Rex Stewart.) The Bride, much more African, exploits the to-and-fro between trombones, trumpets and saxophones (McGregor shifts them round with the speed of a man demonstrating the three-card trick), and has John Surman playing soprano saxophone very much in the Coltrane style, bullying a small group of notes; alas, sloppy ensemble work takes away some of the impact. The longest of the pieces, Night Poem, lasting just over twenty minutes, starts and ends as programme music, full of small, exotic jungle noises, but a rhythmic theme emerges, becoming the basis for the improvising. There are plenty of effective moments; nevertheless, this formance relies on dynamic contrasts morthan overt development and the vestigial material gets stretched rather more than it canreaiIy stand. Half the length might have meant twice as good. C.F.