MW750-2
Alchemia
by Vandermark 5
About This Release
A monumental twelve-CD box set capturing all five nights of the Vandermark 5's March 2004 residency at the Alchemia club in Kraków, plus two jam sessions with the Oleś brothers. Reed player Ken Vandermark — a Chicago figure and 1999 MacArthur Fellow — called the residency one of the highlights of his career; his quintet played to packed houses each night at the close of a three-week European tour. Lavishly packaged as a numbered limited edition, Alchemia is among the most ambitious releases in the label's history and the cornerstone of Vandermark's long bond with Not Two.
Tracklist
- 1CD 1 - Day One: Monday, March 15, 2004, Set One, Track 1. Telefon (Vandermark) [08:36] CD 1 - Day One: Monday, March 15, 2004, Set One, Track 2. Other Cuts (Vandermark) [12:57] CD 1 - Day One: Monday, March 15, 2004, Set One, Track 3. Staircase (Vandermark) [10:45] CD 1 - Day One: Monday, March 15, 2004, Set One, Track 4. Strata (Vandermark) [13:43] CD 1 - Day One: Monday, March 15, 2004, Set One, Track 5. Free King's Suite (Roland Kirk) - Meeting On Termini's Corner; Three For The Festival; A Handful Of Fives12:09
- 2CD 2 – Day One: Monday, March 15, 2004, Set Two, Track 1. Outside Ticket (Vandermark) [11:03] CD 2 – Day One: Monday, March 15, 2004, Set Two, Track 2. Money Down (Vandermark) [06:33] CD 2 – Day One: Monday, March 15, 2004, Set Two, Track 3. Camera [FIRST PERFORMANCE] (Vandermark) [16:53] CD 2 – Day One: Monday, March 15, 2004, Set Two, Track 4. Roulette (Vandermark) [04:33] CD 2 – Day One: Monday, March 15, 2004, Set Two, Track 5. Cruz Campo (Vandermark) [10:31] CD 2 – Day One: Monday, March 15, 2004, Set Two, Track 6. The Black And Crazy Blues (Roland Kirk) [Encore]8:36
- 3CD 3 – Day Two: Tuesday, March 16, 2004, Set One, Track 1. Confluence (Vandermark) [08:17] CD 3 – Day Two: Tuesday, March 16, 2004, Set One, Track 2. Rip Rig And Panic Suite (Roland Kirk) – From Bechet, Byas And Fats; Rip, Rig And Panic; No Tonic Press [14:14] CD 3 – Day Two: Tuesday, March 16, 2004, Set One, Track 3. Camera (Vandermark) [18:51] CD 3 – Day Two: Tuesday, March 16, 2004, Set One, Track 4. Both Sides (Vandermark) [09:11] CD 3 – Day Two: Tuesday, March 16, 2004, Set One, Track 5. Knock Yourself Out (Vandermark)7:18
- 4CD 4 – Day Two: Tuesday, March 16, 2004, Set Two, Track 1. The Cooler (Vandermark) [09:19] CD 4 – Day Two: Tuesday, March 16, 2004, Set Two, Track 2. That Was Now [FIRST PERFORMANCE] (Vandermark) [11:32] CD 4 – Day Two: Tuesday, March 16, 2004, Set Two, Track 3. Six Of One (Vandermark) [22:48] CD 4 – Day Two: Tuesday, March 16, 2004, Set Two, Track 4. Silverlization/Volunteered Slavery (Roland Kirk) [10:42] CD 4 – Day Two: Tuesday, March 16, 2004, Set Two, Track 5. There Is The Bomb (Don Cherry)11:04
- 5CD 5 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set One, Track 1. That Was Now (Vandermark) [10:46] CD 5 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set One, Track 2. Seven Puls Five (Vandermark) [08:13] CD 5 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set One, Track 3. The Bridge (Sonny Rollins) [06:54] CD 5 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set One, Track 4. Gyllene (Vandermark) [09:34] CD 5 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set One, Track 5. Auto Topography (Vandermark)12:58
- 6CD 6 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set Two, Track 1. The Freedom Suite, Part 2 (Sonny Rollins) [06:20] CD 6 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set Two, Track 2. Telefon (Vandermark) [11:23] CD 6 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set Two, Track 3. Initials (Vandermark) [07:12] CD 6 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set Two, Track 4. Camera (Vandermark) [18:03] CD 6 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set Two, Track 5. Other Cuts (Vandermark) [13:36] CD 6 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set Two, Track 6. The Black And Crazy Blues (Roland Kirk) [Encore] [09:04] CD 6 – Day Three: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Set Two, Track 7. Knock Yourself Out (Vandermark) [Encore]6:47
- 7CD 7 – Day Four: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Set One, Track 1. Money Down (Vandermark) [05:36] CD 7 – Day Four: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Set One, Track 2. Inflated Tear (Roland Kirk) [06:55] CD 7 – Day Four: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Set One, Track 3. Wherever June Bugs Go (Archie Shepp) [12:24] CD 7 – Day Four: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Set One, Track 4. Camera (Vandermark) [15:42] CD 7 – Day Four: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Set One, Track 5. Cruz Campo (Vandermark)9:28
- 8CD 8 – Day Four: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Set Two, Track 1. Pieces Of The Past [FIRST PERFORMANCE] (Vandermark) [09:47] CD 8 – Day Four: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Set Two, Track 2. That Was Now (Vandermark) [11:53] CD 8 – Day Four: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Set Two, Track 3. Long Term Fool (Vandermark) [09:57] CD 8 – Day Four: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Set Two, Track 4. Strata (Vandermark) [11:25] CD 8 – Day Four: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Set Two, Track 5. Silverlization/Volunteered Slavery (Roland Kirk) [11:45] CD 8 – Day Four: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Set Two, Track 6. The Bridge (Sonny Rollins) [Encore]7:37
- 9CD 9 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set One, Track 1. Conquistador, Part 2 (Cecil Taylor) [08:26] CD 9 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set One, Track 2. Knock Yourself Out (Vandermark) [07:22] CD 9 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set One, Track 3. Pieces Of The Past (Vandermark) [09:47] CD 9 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set One, Track 4. Camera (Vandermark) [18:02] CD 9 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set One, Track 5. Cruz Campo (Vandermark)10:16
- 10CD 10 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set Two, Track 1. That Was Now (Vandermark) [11:38] CD 10 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set Two, Track 2. Gyllene (Vandermark) [10:55] CD 10 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set Two, Track 3. Telefon (Vandermark) [09:49] CD 10 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set Two, Track 4. Ken’s Final Speech [02:03] CD 10 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set Two, Track 5. Six Of One (Vandermark) [22:49] CD 10 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set Two, Track 6. Other Cuts (Vandermark) [Encore] [13:42] CD 10 – Day Five: Friday, March 19, 2004, Set Two, Track 7. The Black And Crazy Blues (Roland Kirk)8:20
- 11CD 11 – Jam Session One: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Track 1. Free Jam 1 (Vandermark/Bishop/M. Oleś/B.B. Oleś) [11:35] CD 11 – Jam Session One: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Track 2. Free Jam 2 (Vandermark/Bishop/M. Oleś/B.B. Oleś) [05:17] CD 11 – Jam Session One: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Track 3. Free Jam 3 (Vandermark/Rempis/Daisy/Bishop/M. Oleś) [12:27] CD 11 – Jam Session One: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Track 4. East Broadway Run Down (Sonny Rollins), Elephantasy/Complete Communion (Don Cherry) [11:17] CD 11 – Jam Session One: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Track 5. Theme For Alchemia (Vandermark/Rempis/Daisy/Kessler) [08:55] CD 11 – Jam Session One: Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Track 6. Bemsha Swing (Thelonious Monk)10:54
- 12CD 12 – Jam Session Two: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Track 1. Round Trip (Ornette Coleman) [22:50] CD 12 – Jam Session Two: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Track 2. Free Jam 5 (Vandermark/Bishop/Kessler/M. Oleś) [17:38] CD 12 – Jam Session Two: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Track 3. Free Jam 6 (Vandermark/Bishop/M. Oleś/B.B. Oleś) [12:26] CD 12 – Jam Session Two: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Track 4. Togo (based on a Ghanaian traditional, Ed Blackwell) [04:09] CD 12 – Jam Session Two: Thursday, March 18, 2004, Track 5. Lonely Woman (Ornette Coleman)8:53
Line-up
- Ken Vandermarkreeds
- Dave Rempissaxophones
- Jeb Bishoptrombone
- Kent Kesslerdouble bass
- Tim Daisydrums
- Marcin Oleś (on #11, 12 only)double bass
- Bartłomiej Brat Oleś (on #11, 12 only)drums
Critical Reception
The Vandermark 5 has established an identity that is just as unique and relevant in modern music as Miles Davis had forty years prior.
<a href='https://www.allaboutjazz.com/vandermark-5-alchemia-by-michael-mccaw' target='_blank' rel='noopener' style='color:#c2622c;'>Read full review at All About Jazz</a>
People always asked why Grateful Dead fans used to tour with the band; the answer was that they never played the same show twice. This box-set recording of the Vandermark 5's five-night stand at the Alchemia Club in Krakow.
<a href='https://www.allaboutjazz.com/alchemia-vandermark-5-not-two-records-review-by-andrey-henkin' target='_blank' rel='noopener' style='color:#c2622c;'>Read full review at All About Jazz</a>
