Sonic Liberation Front

Oliver Lake: Justice

by Alberto Bazzurro
December 15, 2022

Il sottotitolo dell'album parla di The Vocal Works of Oliver Lake ad opera della somma di due gruppi gemelli. In realtà questo prezioso lavoro contiene ben di più: una visione cameristica della musica da parte del grande sassofonista, fresco ottantenne, con i colori di quell'approccio al mondo dei suoni, ma attraverso una visione al tempo stesso eloquentemente calata in tutto l'universo nero (ci sono qua e là accenti funkeggianti, così cari a Oliver Lake, interventi tenoristici anche ruvidi, e svariati ...

Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts: Hang Time

by Jack Bowers
October 20, 2013

Hang Time consists of music written and performed by two student ensembles at the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts: Group Giz, an octet directed by trumpeter Greg Gisbert, and Group Gunn, a septet presided over by pianist Eric Gunnison. The CCJA is a non-profit organization “dedicated to empowering youth to creatively express themselves through the language of jazz." Drummer Paul Romaine serves as the Conservatory's artistic director. Aside from its reassurance that the future of jazz ...

Sonic Liberation Front: Meets Sunny Murray

by Mark Corroto
April 26, 2011

Sonic Liberation Front--the inheritors of both Sun Ra and the Art Ensemble of Chicago's traditions--teams up with jazz legend, drummer Sunny Murray, to create both a studio and live recording. The music continues SLF's dedicated effort to mine the percussive traditions of Afro-Cuban, Yoruba/West Africa, and American-fostered free jazz. The percussion-heavy band's previous release, Change Over Time (High Two, 2006), included some electronic flavors. Here, the sound is all acoustic, with free jazz drummer Murray providing the inspiration ...

Sonic Liberation Front: Change Over Time

by Jeff Stockton
January 29, 2007

Twelve musicians play in the Sonic Liberation Front on Change Over Time, but only three appeared on the group's previous release, 2004's critically acclaimed Ashe a Go- Go, including musical directors Kevin Diehl and Chuckie Joseph. As you would expect from a band led by drummers, the music leads with an African/Cuban/Caribbean percussive attack that reminds you of David Murray's work with the Gwo-Ka Masters, Fela's blend of ripping saxophone, multiplicity of drums and hypnotic vocals--and, when they talk trash ...

Sonic Liberation Front: Change Over Time

by Nic Jones
December 20, 2006

There are a lot of elements to this music--too many, in fact--and they gel only intermittently. Percussion workouts, vocals, the overt use of Pan-African music, and horn solos all vie for attention, but after a few listens, many of them just seem to fade into the background.

The programme starts well enough with “The Next Thing That Happens," but over the course of its four minutes, its promise far exceeds its realisation, and the Ornette Coleman-esque line of the horns ...

Sonic Liberation Front: Ash

by Brian P. Lonergan
March 30, 2005

At Satalla in late January, Sonic Liberation Front delivered a rousing set that was representative (almost song-for-song) of the group's new album, Ashé A Go-Go. Their second release since forming in 2000, Ashé continues the Front's compelling combination of Afro-Cuban batá drumming from the Nigerian Yoruba tradition with angular horn melodies in the style of Ornette Coleman and others. The group opened the set at Satalla with the album's title track, written by percussionist Kevin Diehl, which features ...

Sonic Liberation Front: Ash

by John Kelman
September 4, 2004

Sonic Liberation Front, led by percussionist Kevin Diehl, straddles the space between Afro-Cuban music and free jazz. The music on the group's second release, Ashé a Go-Go , is filled with infectious primitive rhythms, but what Diehl layers over those beats is another beast entirely. Utilizing an up to four-piece horn section over the percussion and bass, Diehl puts to work some of the lessons learned from his studies with free jazz drummer Sunny Murray, and demonstrates that one can ...

Sunny Murray Meets Sonic Liberation Front on High Two CD

Source: Gapplegate Music Review by Grego Edwards
June 25, 2011

The student of the music we call jazz at some point must come to terms with the impact of the avant-garde from the '60s onwards. Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler, later John Coltrane, and the musicians who associated with him brought about a vast infusion of musical vocabulary and ways of speaking into improvisational practice. Looking back we can see that regardless of the rhetoric let lose in the years that followed, the innovations of these important artists have ...
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Sonic Liberation Front Meets Sunny Murray (High Two, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland
April 9, 2011

Drummer Sunny Murray is a legend in avant-garde jazz circles, performing with everyone from Albert Ayler to Cecil Taylor, as well as recording several sessions as a leader. An accidental phone call led him to get together with the Philadelphia based ensemble Sonic Liberation Front, and it was a fortuitous meeting for all concerned.

This disc is split between two sessions, the first half from a studio meeting in 2008, and then the second half of the disc was recorded ...
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Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio featuring Billy Bang and Sonic Liberation Front, November 10 at The Five Spot in Philadelphia

Source: All About Jazz
October 31, 2006

Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio featuring Billy Bang + Sonic Liberation Front November 10, 2006 8:00 PM The Five Spot Philadelphia, PA www.arsnovaworkshop.com

Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio is not about the return of the fire- breathing brigades of the '60's, come back to reclaim musical space inhabited by a young generation of buttoned-down post-bop clones. It is, rather, a very current version of progressive improvisational music - ...
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Sonic Liberation Front @ Tritone - Sat. Sept.10, 8:30 PM with Matrix 12:38

Source: All About Jazz
September 6, 2005

Sonic Liberation Front's first Philly gig since their hugely successful show at Mauro Pezzente's (God Speed You Black Emperor) “Suoni per il Popolo" Festival in Montreal. Sonic Liberation Front Tritone- 1508 South st. info: 215 545 0475 Saturday Sept 10 at 8:30 PM w/ new SLF member, Olufemi Mitchell plus Charles Ellerbe's Matrtix 12:38 $10 Matrtix 8:30 PM, SLF 9:30 PM SLF's newest member, Olufemi Mitchell is one ...
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SONIC LIBERATION FRONT w/ DJ Dan Buskirk - Appearing At Tritone Thurs. March 14th, 2002

Source: All About Jazz

Philadelphia's SONIC LIBERATION FRONT returns to Tritone (1508 South St.) on Thursday March 14th, 2002. The brainchild of percussionist and composer Kevin Diehl, Sonic Liberation Front is an eight piece group the brings together traditional and avant-garde jazz, Afro-Cuban music and electronics into a surprising and ground-breaking mix. Since the release earlier this year of their debut WATER AND STONE (Eye Dog), Sonic Liberation Front has received an avalanche of rave press from a long list of magazines internationally. As ...
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