Brotherhood - a classic title from 1972, the second album by CHRIS McGREGOR’s magnificent big band: the BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH.
Mighty music for the head, the heart and the feet. Long out of print, this wonderful album continues the ground-breaking music of their spectacular debut album (now on FLED 3062).
“The Brotherhood of Breath is the kind of band you want to tell people about. It’s not for private enjoyment, or for worship by a elitist cult. The Brotherhood’s music is for sharing with the world, and that’s what makes its name so apt: the musicians and the audience are brothers (and sisters), and they share the same breath, becoming merely parts of the same giant metabolism.



Chris McGregor came out of South Africa in 1964, leading a band called the Blue Notes. Three of those Blue Notes can be heard on this record, and the fact that Mongezi Feza, Dudu Pukwana and Louis Moholo are still with Chris is some tribute to the fantastic empathy they share, both personally and in the music they make together.” From Richard Williams contemporary sleeve note.
Chris McGregor ~ leader, piano, African xylophone
Malcolm Griffiths ~ trombone
Nick Evans ~ trombone
Mongezi Feza - pocket trumpet, Indian flute
Mark Charig ~ cornet
Harry Beckett ~ trumpet
Dudu Pukana ~ alto saxophone
Ronnie Beer ~ tenor saxophone, Indian flute
Alan Skidmore ~ tenor and soprano saxophone
Harry Miller ~ bass
Louis Moholo ~ drums, percussion
Mike Osborne ~ alto saxophone, clarinet
Gary Windo ~ saxophone
“An energetic mixture of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Sun Ra.”
track list:
Nick Tete
Joyful Noises
Think Of Something
Do It
Funky Boots March
Release date: 26th February 2007
Barcode number: 5020393 306324

Price: £12.00
UK PnP: £0.00

Fledg’ling Records proudly present the long-overdue release on CD of a classic title from 1971 by CHRIS McGREGOR’s magnificent big band ~ BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH. Arguably one of the most influential albums to emerge from the London jazz scene of the early 1970s.
The Brotherhood of Breath was an exuberant big-band created by South African born pianist and composer Chris McGregor. In South Africa, McGregor had formed the racially mixed Blue Notes in the early 1960’s.By 1964, finding it very difficult to work at home, they left for Europe, finally settling in London in 1966. The Blue Notes - Chris McGregor, Dudu Pukwana, Mongezi Feza, Johnny Dyani and Louis Moholo made a huge impact on London’s jazz scene and befriended many in London’s emerging avant-garde jazz community. The Brotherhood Of Breath was essentially the expatriate Blue Notes augmented by a large number of their friends from the British jazz community.


The ensemble played an “energetic mixture of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Sun Ra but retained a unique feel due to the South African influences and the intelligent arrangements.” McGregor dreamed of keeping the band together “not as an institution, but as a community.” Unfortunately the economics of touring with such a large ensemble made that impossible. The group with a varying line-up continued to perform and record sporadically until McGregor’s untimely death in May 1990. Sadly Mongezi Feza died in December 1975, Johnny Dyani in October 1986 and Dudu Pukwana June 1990. Their wonderful joyous music continues to be performed by the occasional Dedication Orchestra.
Chris McGregor ~ leader, piano, African xylophone
Malcolm Griffiths ~ trombone
Nick Evans ~ trombone
Mongezi Feza - pocket trumpet, Indian flute
Mark Charig ~ cornet
Harry Beckett ~ trumpet
Dudu Pukwana ~ alto saxophone
Ronnie Beer ~ tenor saxophone, Indian flute
Alan Skidmore ~ tenor and soprano saxophone
Harry Miller ~ bass
Louis Moholo ~ drums, percussion
Mike Osborne ~ alto saxophone, clarinet
John Surman ~ baritone and soprano


“Probably the most exciting band of any kind in London at the present” Melody Maker 1971


“One of the truly legendary modern jazz big bands” The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD


track list:
MRA
Davashe’s Dream
The Bride
Andromeda
Night Poem
Union Special

Release date: 26th February 2007
Barcode number: 5020393 306225

Price: £12.00
UK PnP: £0.00

A remarkable companion CD to Joe Boyd's best selling autobiography 'White Bicycles'. This collection traces the story of Joe Boyd and his Witchseason production company during London's swinging 'sixties. The CD includes many rare and previously unreleased tracks, all carefully remastered, with extensive sleeve notes and previously unpublished photographs.

Voted Compilation of the Year at the 2007 MOJO Awards.



track list:
Crossroads: ERIC CLAPTON & the POWERHOUSE
Way Back In The 1960s: The INCREDIBLE STRING BAND
Because It Wouldn't Pay: JOHNNY HANDLE
Spanish Ladies Medley: DAVE SWARBRICK, MARTIN CARTHY & DIZ DISLEY
Arnold Layne: PINK FLOYD
Granny Takes A Trip: The PURPLE GANG
She's Gone: SOFT MACHINE
If I Had A Ribbon Bow: FAIRPORT CONVENTION
Seven Yellow Gypsies: SHIRLEY COLLINS
Chinese White: The INCREDIBLE STRING BAND
Autopsy: FAIRPORT CONVENTION
The Deserter: FAIRPORT CONVENTION
Poor Boy: NICK DRAKE
The Sea: FOTHERINGAY
Flowers Of The Forest: MIKE HERON
Come Wind Come Rain: VASHTI BUNYAN
Primrose Hill: JOHN & BEVERLEY MARTYN
I Don't Mind: The NEW NADIR (previously unreleased)
Church Mouse: DUDU PUKWANA & SPEAR (previously unreleased)
Andromeda: CHRIS McGREGOR'S BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH
Afraid: NICO
Way To Blue: NICK DRAKE
Brazil: GEOFF & MARIA MULDAUR

Barcode number 5020393 306126
Release date 29th May 2006

more Joe Boyd information will be found at: www.joeboyd.co.uk
the publisher can be contacted at: www.serpentstail.com

Price: £12.00
UK PnP: £0.00

In 1968 the Chris McGregor Group were riding high on the London jazz scene, playing and hanging out with all the rising stars of British free jazz. Very Urgent their eagerly awaited debut recording was a joyful call of intent. The album mixes simple but utterly unstoppable tunes and exhilarating horn charts - immediately establishing a vitality and exuberance that would continue to define the group. Forty years later, Fledg'ling Records are very proud to bring this splendid album back into print. The passing years have not diminished its impact. Re-mastered from the original master tapes.



"Their evident preference for raw energy and rough spirit over absolute precision never quite obscures the technical proficiency available to the ensemble. There is often a sense of things falling effortlessly into place that's only found in the most exceptional units.”“Probably the most exciting band of any kind in London at the present.” Melody Maker 1971

Chris McGregor ~ piano
Mongezi Feza - pocket trumpet
Dudu Pukwana ~ alto saxophone
Ronnie Beer ~ tenor saxophone
Johnny Dyani ~ bass
Louis Moholo ~ drums, percussion

track list:
Marie My Dear / Travelling Somewhere
Heart's Vibrations
The Sound's Begin Again / White Lies
Don't Stir The Beehive

Release date : 14th April 2008
Barcode number: 5020393 305921

Price: £12.00
UK PnP: £0.00

In 1969 the Chris McGregor Group 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 and bass clarinet, Evan Parker tenor saxophone with Barre Phillips or Danny Thompson on double bass.

Up To Earth was produced by 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 stable - 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 our campaign to reissue Chris McGregor’s wonderfully creative recordings from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.



track list:
1 Moonlight Aloe
2 Yickytickee / Union Special
3 Up To Earth
4 Years Ago Now

Release date : 7th July 2008
Barcode number : 5020393 306928

Price: £12.00
UK PnP: £0.00

The Fledg'ling campaign to document Chris McGregor's Witchseason recordings from the late 1960s early 1970s comes to an end with the release of Our Prayer a magical, previously unreleased trio set focusing on McGregor’s piano playing. Accompanying Chris McGregor are the Blue Note’s Louis Moholo on drums and Barre Phillips on double bass.

Our Prayer was produced by Joe Boyd and engineered by John Wood at Sound Techniques studio in London during the same sessions that produced the Septet Up To Earth album. Both records were planned for release in 1969 before being shelved as the McGregor group morphed into the spectacular big band - the Brotherhood of Breath – and all energies were transferred to recording the Brotherhood’s debut album.



track list:
1 Church Mouse
2 Moonlit Aloe
3 Spike Nard
4 Our Prayer

Release date : 13th October 2008
Barcode number : 5020393 307024

Price: £12.00
UK PnP: £0.00