Codona Trilogy

It seems strange that I read that Codona created world music before the term world music was created. Yet Codona recorded music between 1978 to 1982 while the group Oregon, which includes 1 member of Codona, started in the early 1970's as a further expression of the Paul Winter Consort. Therefore the award should be given to Paul Winter as the original expression of this type of music. Maybe Paul Winter made more music about the world (animal sounds) rather than world music (culture)? Either way world music can be defined as cultural based music (folk melodies & rhythms) from around the world added to modern Rock or Jazz structures or rhythms. Each culture has their own unique expression with their own unique instruments which can be used or mixed with modern instruments.What makes Codona so special is the interesting combination of talent starting with Don Cherry. I have so many great Jazz CDs with Don Cherry playing in some group or another. He played with the Ornette Coleman's group in the early 1960's "Free Jazz" movement. He normally plays the pocket trumpet & cornet with half slurs & running notes. On these recordings he plays trumpet, doussn'gouni, flutes, organ, melodically, & voice.Collin Walcott is the Indian instrument master of the group Oregon who died in a car accident in East Germany when there was such a nation. He was taught by Ravi Shankar & Alla Rakha. On these recordings he plays sitar, tabla, hammered dulcimer, stanza, timpani, & voice.Nana Vasconcelos was born in Brazil & was one of top percussionists with Jazz greats like Egberto Gismonti, Pat Metheny, & Jan Garbarek to name a few. I can recognize Nana Vasconcelos musical style of toned drums in these recordings. The percussion sounds like his work with Pat Metheny on "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls". On these records he plays berimbau, cuica, talking drum, percussion, & voice.This box set comes with all 3 of Codona's recordings in their own separate paper cover inside with 20 page booklet. Most people write they like the 1st & 2nd CDs. The 2nd CD is the most abstract with a lot of percussion sound effects.A rating of 5 should be given for the talent & the fine recording, but a 4 is given for the sometimes "wandering around" of the music. Maybe 3 CDs is a bit much for me to take in & I can't give a perfect score.I need to play this set a little more & will add to the review.

One star for each musician. One star is awarded for the music itself. The final star is bestowed for the very reasonable price required to make this a must-have addition to any avant garde jazz collection.

Very good packing, good price for three MUST HAVE album! Those three albums must be part of any music collection. Sound is perfect!

Good collection of great music!

Don Cherry is one of my favorite artists, and these CDs have some of the most unique songs I've ever listened to. Great collaboration between these artists

Great music from great musicians. This was world music before anyone even thought to call it that. And it has rarely been done with as much style and breadth since.

I don't have this package, but I bought the three Codona LPs when they were initially issued.I really miss Collin Walcott. He was a brilliant student of Indian traditional music, but adapted the tabla and sitar to a variety of contexts. He also played a good deal of hammered dulcimer, and a kalimba-type instrument I think he made from a gas can. Oregon hasn't been the same without him, and, of course, Codona has ceased to exist at all. His rhythms, his facility with improvisation, his palette of musical colors were unique and irreplacable.I miss Don Cherry too. He was one of Ornette's original collaborators in Los Angeles in the late '50's with his lithe pocket trumpet lines. But Don was an amazing person, expatriated himself to Scandinavia, grew his own food and sewed his own clothing. He taught himself piano, douss'n gouni and some pennywhistle-type flutes. He brought the freedom and joy of Ornette's music to a variety of musics, and was the perfect partner for Collin.I miss Nana as well. I saw him play first with Pat Metheny's band in the late '70's or early '80's. A friend who joined me thought he was going to shoot someone with that "bow and arrow" (the berimbau). He could coax such a wide variety of unlikely but appropriate and oh so musical noises from the oddest looking devices. Collin and Don have passed, I don't know if Nana has as well.There was nothing like this band, and I fear there never will be. They played simultaneously every genre and no genre. Much of what they played live was improvised on the spot, but they could drift in and out of songs at will.Codona 1 was probably the most solid release, but Codona 2 remains my favorite. Codona 3 showed the broadest range of styles. Each disc is brilliant in its own way, but they are very different.

India-influenced jazz.Very original and good interactions.Hearing the invention of pure 'Worldmusic'!(before the term was scrumbled and degenerated because too many bad musicians were producing a kind of weak eastern-flavored wallpaper-muzak..)But hey, there (still) is also a lot of goooood music coming from the cross-overs.It's partly now been integrated.And this one ís one of the sources of good music!Don Cherry was a Don indeed!It didn't date. Fresh and Honest.A document to pick while sitting and looking trough your window..

Good to now be able to get the entire collection at a reasonable price.

Gute Qualität und sehr schnelle Lieferung. Preis ist auch top.

arrived on time as advertised

GRANDIOZ

Die Aufnahmen sind um die 30 Jahre alt und stellen, retrospektiv gesehen, einen wesentlichen Meilenstein in der heute so gennanten Weltmusik dar. Für jeden Kenner der drei Musiker Cherry, Walcott und Vasconcelos, die ich schon live in anderen Formationen erlebte, gehört diese Triologie in das persönliche Schatzkästchen. Die Musik wird von vielgereisten "Amerikanern" gespielt und kommt so großartig, naiv und subtil treibend daher. Es ist keine Mischung aus verschiedenen Welten, sondern ein eigener kleiner Kosmos. Man mag meinen, dass eine Ära damit begründet und mit vielen tollen Bands bis heute fortgesetzt wurde - doch irgendwie ging auch damit die Zeit zu Ende, in der sich die unkommerziellen Geister fanden, von denen heute zwei nicht mehr leben.