Jack DeJohnette's Directions
Jazz Workshop, Boston, Mass. U.S.A.
April 11, 1976 (2 sets)

 John Abercrombie- guitar
 Warren Bernhardt- piano
 Alex Foster- sax
 Mike Richmond- bass
 Jack DeJohnette- drums

source: 2nd  generation audience tape
runtime: 154 minutes
just 5 songs, all very long ones
performance quality: A-
recording quality: B+


  Not much info to offer on this except it was a transfer from a reel from
master cassettes (I think, maybe from 1st gen.) and there are a few
cuts in the songs. Hard to avoid in pre-DAT days here- 2 of these
5 songs run 45 minutes each between stoppages in play! I was going to
put this into 2 folders with one set in each but I'm not certain where
each set begins and ends. It may even be out of order but I think not,
I'm sure it's a very nice audience recording of prime Directions. I
seem to recall seeing one of these 4 nights at the Jazz Workshop, and
even hearing a song I wanted to hear, but none of the 3 sets I have
recordings of, have any recognizable songs at all (to me) from Directions
albums. I've been trying to find the 76 release on CD but have yet to see it,
(might help if I could remember its title). If you want to put this in
order it will need 3 discs, but I put track 2,4 and 5 on 1 disc and 1
and 3 on the second and it all fits on 2. My cassettes may have come
from a reel copy, or else the masters weren't made on 90 min. tapes
because there are a couple of splices in odd places. (The April 10th
late set is from a 1st gen. and I think just 1 flip cut 45 min.
in.) All three were recorded on similar recorder/mikes (good ones),
I don't know how complete this recording is since a typical JDD set
of this era ranged from 70- 90 minutes or so, but often Jazz Workshop sets
(in general) were more like 50-75 minutes when there were 2 shows (as
there almost always were there each night). That would have been a hard
push for Jack. He was really into stretching it out at this time. There
were 4 nights this run, 2 shows each night. I'd love to hear them all.
Jack is talented and experienced enough to play 8 sets and not duplicate
a single song, and if he did it would not sound at all the same. I suspect
the Jazz Workshop run was all different songs. The 3 I have are all
different songs (to the best that I can tell). Directions only made a few
albums (this was before the CD age) but knew alot more material to play live
than just that, and they play alot of it very well. This is music for
the adventurous avant-garde jazz improvisationalist- John Abercrombie
is one of the best at that, and he and J.D. are one of the most vital
guitar/drum pairings in all of music. This was Jack and John's next venture
after the "Gateway Trio" (with Dave Holland), and every bit as fine as
that was, I think more interesting with a 5 piece band rather than 3.
This is my favorite band with Jack DeJohnette as bandleader, and maybe
my favorite music of John Abercrombie too. I don't know if JDD was included
in the hefty list of WBCN broadcasts from the Jazz Workshop and Paul's Mall,
(I suspect not or I probably would have had a reel ready for it!)
but if so none of my 3 sets are from broadcasted shows as far as I can tell.
Alot of this music is way out there. A great band from a legendary
Boston jazz club. If you're a fan of Jack DeJohnette, you're gonna want
to hear this. He's one of my 4 all time favorite drummers (along with
Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, and Terry Bozzio).
Do not sell this recording.
Trade freely losslessly and gaplessly.
gaps do NOT CUT IT in Directions concerts!
(actually they do, that's the problem!)