Full Metal Revolutionary Jazz Ensemble
Very Live
FMRJE Productions #1

Dennis Warren on drums, timbalitos, and congas; Earl Grant Lawrence on flute; Larry Roland on acoustic bass; Marco Eneidi on alto saxophone; Martin Gil on congas and percussion; Raphe Malik on trumpet; Raquib Hassan on tenor saxophone and musette; Tor Yochai Snyder on electric guitar. Recorded at Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on February 15, 1994.

On Very Live multipercussionist Dennis Warren's Full Metal Revolutionary Jazz Ensemble addresses issues of freedom and community with intelligence and passion. Trumpeter-composer Raphe Malik's tunes impose a loose order upon the music, providing something of a platform without tying anyone's hands unnecessarily. Malik's solos are among the album's most compelling, along with the work of flutist Earl Lawrence. Warren plays with a firm but sensitive touch, often suggesting but seldom dictating the music's direction. Overall, the music of FMRJE is very honest, very intense, and very human. It is also an up-to-date accounting of the virtues of free Jazz.

by Chris Kelsey

Very Live is available through the Jazz Now Direct CD Store.