That Summer of 1976

Some days ago, Thomas, Andy Beta and I exchanged and talked about our favourite Marion Brown albums. Underrated in every way is Brown‘s last album for Impulse, named „Vista“, produced by Ed Michael in New York, Besides the appearance of jazz maestros like Reggie Workman or Stanley Cowell (whose „Illusion Suite“ will soon be released on ECM’s „Luminessence vinyl series), the album is notable, too, for the appearance of ambient pioneer Harold Budd on celesta and gong on his own composition “Bismillahi ‘Rahmani ‘Rrahim” that would appear in longer form on Brian Eno-produced album “The Pavilion of Dreams” in 1978. „Vista“ as a whole is a never-ending summer love affair, the deepest kind of „easy listening“, in the same way, you could call Eno‘s „Music for Films“ modern mood music. Few albums in my life are more connected to that perfect summer vibe and breeze in the mid-1970‘s, all gates open, all fields green. How I long to feel that summer in my heart, but, why longing, HERE it is! In other words, „Vista“ is a labour of love. (m.e.)