Up To Earth

Circulated among collectors, but up until now never released, Chris McGregor's Up to Earth is now issued on Fledg'ling. In 1969, the Chris McGregor Group (spearheaded by South African-born pianist and composer Chris McGregor) were riding high on the London jazz scene, playing and hanging out with all the rising stars of British free jazz. Sessions for the previously-unreleased Up to Earth brought together a dream team of South African exiles and some of the finest young players on the British scene - Chris McGregor (piano), Dudu Pukwana (alto saxophone), Mongezi Feza (trumpet), Louis Moholo (drums), John Surman (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet), Evan Parker (tenor saxophone), and Barre Phillips/Danny Thompson (double bass). Up to Earth was produced by the legendary producer Joe Boyd and engineered by John Wood at Sound Techniques studio in London, during the same months they were also working with several other luminaries of the Witchseason label - Fairport Convention, Nick Drake and the Incredible String Band. The album was mastered and test pressings produced before the project was shelved. The group morphed into the spectacular big band the Brotherhood of Breath, and all energies were transferred to recording the Brotherhood's debut album. Fledg'ling Records are very proud to release this remarkable album as part of their campaign to reissue Chris McGregor's wonderfully creative recordings from the late '60s and early '70s.