Don Cherry Live in Paris (Part I)

Don Cherry interacted with music differently to the others. As listeners, Cherry plunged us into his own universe, where rules were non-existent and soundscapes appeared warped, stretched, made more beautiful and astonishing. His jazz was free jazz in the truest sense, challenging us to listen and, finally, to let its healing powers wash over us. 

Here, in this 1971 performance in Paris, he is joined by the South African Jonnhy Dyani on double bass, who opens the set whispering his poetry in the Xhosa language, blending the sounds of his childhood with Cherry's mystical flute. The beats are supplied by Okay Temiz, a Turkish percussionist whose touch and intricacy are the products of a hard-won mastery. For his part, Cherry oscillates between haunting vocals, piano, flute and his infamous "pocket" trumpet. He also plays the shell, which produces a perfect sonoric balance between pain and beauty. 

Cherry was always a marvel, utterly charasmatic and a true pioneer of the fusion between sounds from around the world.