MUSIC FROM FREE CREEK

"Music from Free Creek" is a very strange and bizarre album. Quite how or why it came about is something of a mystery. It was recorded in new York in the new Record Plant recording studios in 1969. About 50 musicians were involved in this "behind closed doors" affair, many of whom were either famous at the time, or have gone on to find fame. Reportedly, none have ever been paid for their contribution. Two performers, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, were not named on the original release for contractual reasons, but this still leaves the likes of Keith Emerson, Delaney Bramlett, Todd Rundgren, Chris Wood, and Linda Ronstadt.

The album is essentially a "Super session" primarily consisting of jams based on sometimes well known songs. About half a dozen different artists lead a session of three or four songs. These range from the jazz orientated Emerson session, to the country folk of Linda Ronstadt. Apart from the occasional overdub, the music is pretty much as it was recorded, warts and all. Songs such as "Hey Jude", "Lay lady lay", "Mother nature's son" etc., are all given airings. Some are reasonably faithful to the originals, "Hey Jude" being little more than an organ rendition with a big brass ending. "Mother nature's son" on the other hand becomes a delicate flute led piece. The Linda Ronstadt recordings, which involve little if any improvisation, sound rather out of place from the rest of the album, but despite this they are fine performances.

At times, the unstructured nature of the sessions becomes apparent, a young Moogy Klingman doing his best to keep in order the major artists he had been thrown in a the deep end with. Elsewhere though, a burst of thrilling lead guitar by Jeff Beck on "Big city woman" for example makes this simply indispensable, especially when Tommy Cosgrove adds a fine vocal to this wonderful piece of blues.

For presumably inextricably complex copyright reasons, the album is now very difficult to find. It was never officially released in the US despite being recorded there, rendering it a desirable import from the UK. Even in the UK, it took three years to sort out the legal situation to the extent that the album could be released, finally appearing in 1973. A CD version offered via Klingman's website is taken from a "pristine vinyl recording"!

Not an album I would recommend searching for as some sort of Holy grail, but should you come across it, it's certainly well worth a listen.

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