Rare vintage BAG tracks available as free downloads

It's been just over a year since StLJN first visited the subject of the long out-of-print Black Artists Group LP In Paris, Aries 1973, prompted by a critical reappraisal of the recording on Bill Shoemaker's Point of Departure site. The album was recorded live during BAG's European residency by a lineup including trombonist Joseph Bowie, trumpeters Baikida Carroll and Floyd LeFlore, saxophonist Oliver Lake, and drummer Charles “Bobo” Shaw, and has been out of print for years, probably since from whenever the original pressing sold out.

Now you can hear a couple of tracks from this rare LP, as the cool cats at Destination Out have a new post up about it featuring free, downloadable MP3s of the compositions "Something to Play On" and "Re-Cre-A-Tion". Although the commentary portion of the post will remain online indefinitely, the MP3s are available only for a limited time, so if you want copies, go here and get 'em right away.

(The post in question also mentions and links to StLJN, passing along our report from last week about the new Black Arts Group. While I'm most grateful for the kind words and the linkage, I should add that, despite my recent links to DO and any other appearances to the contrary, this is not some sort of sleazy, tawdry, prearranged back-room link-pimping or blogrolling deal - it just happened spontaneously, sort of like the music.)