1998 · Album
New World Pygmies
Recorded 1998, live at the Fire in the Valley Festival · Eremite · Produced by Unknown
Twin Preachers in a Mission Hall
Two saxophone and bass voices trade fire and grace across a live 1998 festival set.
New World Pygmies is a live duo record by Jemeel Moondoc and William Parker, recorded at the Fire in the Valley Festival in 1998 and released on Eremite. It arrived as a reunion of sorts: Moondoc had not recorded with Parker since Nostalgia in Times Square, so this is the sound of two players picking up a conversation that had been paused for years.
The format is stripped down. There is no piano, no drums, nothing to hide behind. Moondoc's alto is mostly the agitator, pushing hard and bending phrases into shouts, while Parker's bass keeps the floor moving and sometimes answers with a gruff, funky push of its own. The Penguin Guide to Jazz described the pair as twin preachers, one threatening brimstone while the other offers redemption, and that's a fair way to hear it. The energy is loose and combative in places, but it stays focused.
The record is worth hearing if you already know Parker's work and want to hear him in a more exposed setting, or if you like free-leaning saxophone and bass duos with real heat. "Another Angel Goes Home" is a tribute to drummer Denis Charles and is the track to hear if you want a more reflective moment. It isn't the best entry point into either musician's catalog, but for listeners who want a raw, unadorned meeting of two strong voices, it delivers.
Who's playing
William Parkerdouble bass
Jemeel Moondocalto saxophone
