The Pyramids / ZA! Workshop Orchestra
This event is being supported by J.A.W Family!
“They play to make music fire!” These fearless vindicators of the true Cosmic Jazz, The Pyramids, are back in their “home away from home”, Berlin. Sonny Blount might have escapted to outer space, but this legendary group of Afro Jazz pioneers is still keeping the flame alive.
After initially meeting 1971 at Ohio’s mutinous Antioch College, where they enjoyed music classes taught be a certain Cecil Taylor, the embryonic group embarked on a long trip, which lead them to Europe first and later on to Africa. There the musicians attempted to trace their roots by playing and recording with local musicians in countries like Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda… Back in the US The Pyramids channeled their romantic Pan-african vision into an immediately recognizable, mind-blowing sound of their own. Their three private press recordings from the 1970es are highly collectible items among record hunters.
2007 brought a highly energetic reunion of the group, boosting their trademark sound of massive Afro-centric drumming meets ecstatic group improvisations; in 2011 they recorded their comeback album Otherworldly in the studio of German Krautrockers Faust.
Support comes from Barcelona’s experimental Rockers ZA! who name-check free jazz, the shepherds of Tuva, balinese polyryhtms, math rock and dadaism among their main influences. ZA! will conduct a workshop with local musicians over the weekend and will present the results in an exclusive one-off show opening the evening for The Pyramids.