DJ Hairy Larry Presents the Art Ensemble Of Chicago Playing Lori Song
From The Archives Of Something Blue 2026-11-01
Art Ensemble Of Chicago – The Spiritual – Freedom
Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear a free jazz pioneer play a piece he wrote and released on a recording in 1969.
Joseph Jarman was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on September 14, 1937. He was a founding member of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, a seminal free jazz group. Chicago was a hotbed of Free Jazz at the time and remains so today.
Free Jazz is not the easiest music to play or to listen to and yet somehow it continues to grow in audience and in Free Jazz composers and performers. It has also exerted an influence on all types of contemporary jazz. There are few contemporary jazz composers not influenced in some way by Free Jazz.
The Art Ensemble Of Chicago began performing in the sixties. They released “The Spiritual” in 1969. It included the Joseph Jarman tune, “Lori Song” which I will play for you today. Unlike most Free Jazz songs “Lori Song” is short and very listenable.
Sun Ra also played in Chicago from 1945 to 1961. Marshall Allen joined Sun Ra in the late sixties and led the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1995. On Saturday we will also hear pieces by Sun Ra and Marshall Allen including songs from Marshall Allen’s new album “101: An Audio Odyssey”. Marshall Allen is now 101 years old and I can only hope that 23 years from now I will still be leading bands and releasing albums.
Pharoah Sanders is another Free Jazz pioneer from Arkansas. They say it’s in the water. When Ferrell Sanders went to New York it was Sun Ra who suggested he use Pharoah Sanders as his stage name.
In the sixteis and seventies Sanders played on thirteen John Coltrane albums starting with “Ascension” and ending with “Infinity” including Coltane’s famous albums, “Om” and “A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle”.
This Saturday I am featuring Pharoah Sanders playing with an African group, Maleem Mahmoud Ghania with Pharoah Sanders, called “The Trance Of Seven Colors”. This album was release in 1994.
All of the song selections I made are accessible, that is enjoyable to listen to even if you’re not already a fan of Free Jazz. I think of it as a gateway into Free Jazz. If you like these songs you might want to step up and listen to some of the more difficult Free Jazz music including John Coltrane’s album, “Om” and much of the work by Sun Ra and Ornette Coleman.
As always I will leave links on the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.
And now here’s the Art Ensemble Of Chicago playing the Joseph Jarman piece, “Lori Song”, recorded in 1969.
music
Something Blue Archives Featured Concert
Art Ensemble Of Chicago – The Spiritual – Side A
archive.org/details/art-ensemble-of-chicago-the-spiritual-freedom-127.301-side-a
Something Blue Archives – List Of Concerts
archive.org/details/somethingbluearchives?sort=-publicdate
Sun Ra Arkestra – Sleeping Beauty
sunramusic.bandcamp.com/album/sleeping-beauty-expanded
Marshall Allen – 101: An Audio Odyssey
ropeadope.bandcamp.com/album/101-an-audio-odyssey
Maleem Mahmoud Ghania with Pharoah Sanders – The Trance Of Seven Colors
zehra.bandcamp.com/album/the-trance-of-seven-colors
encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/pharoah-sanders-3614/
John Coltrane
www.johncoltrane.com/
Genesis of Genius: The Contemporary Recordings
ornettecoleman.bandcamp.com/album/genesis-of-genius-the-contemporary-recordings
And that’s “Lori Song”, written by Joseph Jarman and played by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago. Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00, to hear more from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Pharoah Sanders, Sun Ra, and Marshall Allen.
Marshall Allen – 101: An Audio Odyssey
DJ Hairy Larry With Marshall Allen Playing Slingshot Effect
Something Blue – Toro – 29 second spot
This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Joseph Jarman, Marshall Allen, Pharoah Sanders, and Sun Ra. For more about the show visit the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.
Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00 PM Central, at kasu.org.
Pharoah Sanders
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