1988 Charles Brackeen Quartet “Attainment” on Silkheart

Someone posted this recently and so had to dig it out. One of my favorite things about this (almost entirely) positive and educational IG vinyl community experience is that it makes me feel multi-lingual. Like, I know I am talking a language that a relatively smallish group of people dig enough to get fluent in, and it’s both a relief and a sort of celebration not to have to explain WHY while amongst fellow musical immigrants. In my non-pixel life I often am called upon to deconstruct not only a (mild) obsession with vinyl, but aging hi-fi equipment, jazz in theory, jazz in practice, an inexplicable preference for, say, one measure of Eric Dolphy as opposed to the entire Eagles catalog, and why Steely Dan is not, in fact, jazz. You get back exactly what you put into this life, which is primarily why more complex, nuanced, and intentional forms of art are more engaging than those displaying rudimentary skills and/or overriding commercial concerns, although in the right mood I dig a spin of “Deacon Blues” or “I Can’t Tell You Why” as much as the next dude. All of which is to say, I am thankful for y’all on Instagram Vinyl. For decades I did this almost entirely on my own, when sharing literally meant exchanging records by hand, and every day I see a title I wasn’t aware of or that needs a fresh spin, and Charles Brackeen is case in point. Who knows how long this has sat in the stacks, and continued to do so, especially since it’s excellent otherwise? Features the mighty Andrew Cyrille, and as you would expect, a fair amount of in-pocket Free Blowing on cornet from Olu (NAS’s dad) Dara, and drums by Fred Hopkins. Oh yea.