Milford Graves & Don Pullen: Nommo (1966)
- Details
- Written by T. Rake
There are a few duo records which transcend either participant's identity and craft a wholly other experience encapsulating both a vibe and a statement.
- 1966: Milford Graves & Don Pullen, Nommo.
- 1967: John Coltrane & Rashied Ali, Interstellar Space.
- 1969: Don Cherry & Ed Blackwell, Mu.
- 1971: Rashied Ali & Frank Lowe, Duo Exchange.
With Nommo, Graves and Pullen establish a context for a conversation with a spirit a.k.a. Nommo, which is both an internal monolog as well as an ancestral projection.
It was recorded live in 1962, and then later released in 1969. The production values are stark with each performer occupying a single channel opposite each other. While the listener is likely to hear a conversation at times, I more often hear parallel soliloquies. The conversation as a musical metaphor is seen as interplay, as obtainment. In contrast, these sounds stand testament to the coherency of a shared vision.The individual is complemented without sacrifice their identity.
The power of the drum and piano are immediate with both voices distinct throughout the side-long joints. Absent are the melodic instruments which typify free jazz of years to come. Instead, the presentation is reductive: rhythm and harmony.
Pullen is in fine form attacking the keyboard with a specificity he would later lose as the 70s drew to a close. Graves, on the other channel, focuses not on beats or patterns but delivers contrasts in time establishing a dynamic backdrop for this record.
Pairs well with Goose Island India Pale Ale.