The London Experimental Jazz Quartet

about

‘The London Experimental Jazz Quartet’, a short lived group led by the forward thinking saxophonist Eric Stach. Their debut album, Invisible Roots is an overlooked jewel from the Canadian jazz scene. Inspired by the revolutionary artists from the New York free-jazz movement, (namely Ornette Coleman, Archie Sheep and Cecil Taylor), and fuelled by the exciting possibilities afforded by a completely free approach to music, Invisible Roots is an album of potent spontaneous composition, exhibiting both fiery unharnessed blowing alongside lyrical streams of consciousness. In recent years, the album has achieved notoriety in certain record collecting circles mainly due to the track Destroy The Nihilist Picnic, an infectious piece of vamping avant-funk. Despite the commanding presence of this track, it would be misguided to judge the merits of the album on this piece alone, for Invisible Roots is a much deeper and more complex musical statement. This is confirmed by the Iberian-jazz sketch, Spain Is For Old Ladies, the spiritual introspection of Jazz Widows Waltz or the ferocious yet soulful Eric’s Madness, a track which wouldn’t be out of place on an ESP-Disk or BYG Actuel album. Behold, a rare piece of fire music from the Canadian Free-Jazz underground. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

why this is interesting

# Why This Album Merits Your Attention This overlooked Canadian jazz document deserves reconsideration for its intelligent engagement with free-jazz principles. Rather than simply imitating the New York avant-garde pioneers who inspired it, the quartet synthesizes those revolutionary ideas into something distinctly its own—balancing raw, uninhibited expression with moments of genuine lyricism. What makes *Invisible Roots* compelling is its refusal to choose between spontaneous combustion and compositional coherence; Stach and his ensemble navigate between fiery collective blowing and introspective melodic passages with evident thoughtfulness. The album captures a particular creative moment when musicians outside New York's orbit were seriously grappling

top songs

albums

Invisible Roots

Spiritual Jazz 5: The World

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Off Track, Vol. 1: The Bronx - Compiled and Mixed By Kon & Amir

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Off Track Compiled & Mixed by Kon & Amir

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Spiritual Jazz 5 - The World

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Off Track Volume 1

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Bar Bambino Vol. 4 - Muzyka Do Kotleta Skompilowana Przez: Druh Sławek

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Deep Enough Vol. 1

Spiritual Jazz 5 - Esoteric, Modal And Deep Jazz From Around The World 1961-79

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Kon & Amir Present Off Track Volume One: The Bronx

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Kon & Amir Present Off Track Volume One: The Bronx Amir Mix [[Disc 2]]

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A New Peace 1

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