This historically significant LP has six selections recorded by
the New York Contemporary Five on November 11, 1963. The short-lived group, which consists of cornetist
Don Cherry, altoist
John Tchicai,
Archie Shepp on tenor, bassist
Don Moore, and drummer
J.C. Moses, was avant-garde for the period, influenced most by
Ornette Coleman's Quartet; the participation of
Coleman's cornetist certainly helped. However,
Tchicai (although sometimes hinting at
Coleman) had a different approach than
Coleman, and it was obvious that
Shepp had already developed his own original voice and was the group's most passionate soloist. Together this very interesting quintet (which would soon break up) performs pieces by
Coleman,
Thelonious Monk (there's a short melodic renditions of "Crepescule with Nellie"),
Bill Dixon,
Tchicai,
Shepp, and
Cherry.