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A philosopher by academic training and a prolific author, Jim Ryan took up music during the late 1960s while living in Paris.  Already a fan of bebop, and a nascent bohemian in circles that included William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, he came under the sway of expatriate avant-garde jazz artists including Archie Shepp, Anthony Braxton, the AACM, and Steve Lacy.  When he returned to the US in 1975, settled in California in 1987, and emerged as a force in the Bay Area improv scene in the mid-1990s, Ryan brought with him a deep knowledge of jazz history and an uncompromising dedication to freedom of expression.

Forward Energy   Crew's Choice Selection
   Jim Ryan (saxophones, flute, percussion)
   John Gruntfest (alto saxophone)
   Alicia Mangan (tenor saxophone)
   Scott Looney (piano, melodica)
   Rent Romas (alto and soprano saxophones)
   Eddie Gale (trumpet)
   Adam Lane (bass)
   Damon Smith (bass)
   Spirit (drums)
   Peter Valsamis (drums)
   Donald Robinson (drums)

In May 2001 and again in January 2002, Jim Ryan gathered various configurations of the musicians on this 2-cd set together for some serious music making.  Ryan chose his collaborators for their intuitive sensitivity and flexibility, approaching the sessions with faith in the musicians rather than composed ideas about music.  As Jim Ryan says, "In Forward Energy music you hear honest, detailed and sometimes extreme articulations of the raw life force."

Ryan says he is compelled to make music because he "just wants to live."  As Derek Richardson says in the liner notes, "Moving ahead on that impulse with courage and creativity can be an act of beautiful sedition, opening us as listeners to new paths and possibilities in our own lives."

We couldn't agree more and offer this 2-cd set with our highest recommendation.

Disc 1:  9 tracks in 69:19
Disc 2:  4 tracks in 67:58

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If you like this cd, you might also enjoy listening to:

The Left Coast Improv Group (TLCIG)

Freedom of the City 2001, Large Groups

Live At Earthshaking  (SS Puft Quartet with Dave Rempis)

Freedom of the City 2001, Small Groups

Blood Motions (Rent Romus Trio)

Spirit House (Jameel Moondoc and the Jus Grew Orchestra)

Hollow World  (Tsahar's Big Band)

The Vermilion (Chris Jonas with Myra Melford)

Polish Theater Posters (Andrew Drury Octet)

Freedom & Unity (Clifford Thornton New Arts Ensemble)

Compositions for Creative Orchestra (George Lewis and the NOW Orchestra)

Fuck de Boere (Brotzmann's Big Band)