Your CD is a blessing. Within 15 minutes or so of opening the envelope I found myself broadcasting "1982" over the air. Since then I've had a chance tocheck the whole CD out. I like it and plan to give it some regualr play onthe show. Thank you. More Peace & Blessings, Max (Mark Maxwell, "Rise" - KPFK, Los Angeles)

F VATTEL CHERRY IS IT BECAUSE I'M BLACK/ April 12, 1997/ Commercial Free Jazz/ 3½ stars STYLE: JAZZ (TRAD, FREE) This short solo CD by Baltimore native Vattel Cherry features the bassist on eight spirituals and four originals. Cherry is best known, perhaps, for his work with tenor saxophonist Charles Gayle and others in the realm of free-style jazz. For this recording, the bassist reaches back to his roots, with poignant though fairly straight versions of timeless classics such as "Go Down Moses," "Wade in the Water," and "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." He does stretch out, particularly on his own compositions, but he seems very much aware of his audience and the need to pace the program with accessible items. Cherry supplements with voice on occasion, but it is his bass that carries the day. Its rich sonorities ring through with grace and elegance. An important, though not indispensable contribution to the bass discography. Steven A. Loewy

F. Vattel Cherry utters his sentiments while paying tribute to “pre-Revolutionary” America through the mouthpiece of his double-bass, small percussion instruments and spoken word on Is It Because I’m Black. Cherry displays formidable technique yet digs deep from within while performing on his rich, resonant double-bass as he stylishly renders deeply personalized if not passionate versions of public domain pieces, such as “Oh, Freedom”, “Go Down, Moses” and others. His composition titled, “1982”, features Cherry tapping out a engagingly melodic and bouncy theme while somehow utilizing bells and percussion in unison – I would suspect that Cherry may have these instruments dangling from a limb or perhaps his waist since this is a live recording. On his piece, “Lynchin’ In Central Park”, the bassist displays a silvery tone, yet his overall execution coupled with the deeply wooden sound of his acoustic bass takes on rustic or earthy characteristics. “Wade in the Water” is captivating as Cherry plucks the bass strings in synch with faint or subtle percussion instruments while his composition, “Four Haikus” features the spoken word recital of guest artist Laura Ludwig. On several pieces, Cherry recites lyric atop his bass lines and at times, takes on the persona of an American folk artist. Is It Because I’m Black is an interesting statement from this Baltimore-based bassist who performs from the heart while not simply content to dazzle with technique! It may not be for everyone, yet Cherry’s unique conceptual approach and resolve speaks loud and clear through the voicings of his mighty double bass. * * * ½

Considering the rich and circuitous history of jazz, solo recordings, particularly those featuring double bass, are a relatively recent innovation. Sadly such authorities as Pettiford, Mingus, Ware and Chambers never had the opportunity to apply their talents to such an unadorned setting. With the eventual advent of such recitals it became apparent immediately what we were missing. Today the numbers of bassists who have taken up the challenge of solitary expression are many. Malachi Favors, Peter Kowald, William Parker, Dave Holland and Barré Phillips are just a few of those who have turned in stunning solo documents of their skills on the strings. To their roster comes Cherry, a former member of Charles Gayle's trio, who now fronts several groups of his own. How does he stack up in the company of his peers? Very well indeed. Both in conception and in sound Cherry's solo disc bears most referential resemblance to Favors' Natural & the Spiritual recorded in 1977. On that now rare and legendary date (released on the Art Ensemble's own AECO recording label) Favors blended bass, percussion and vocal recitation into an improvised whole that delved deeply into African consciousness and culture. Cherry does Favors one better augmenting his facile bass work with simultaneous ethereal percussion derived from small devices hung about his person. A light patter of shakers and cymbals serves as a delicate rhythmic chaperone to his stout reverberating plucks on the disc's opening "1982" and remains in close proximity for much of the program's duration. Another commonality with the Favors date is the live recording setting and the use of vocal recitations Cherry employs to punctuate his improvisations. Over the course of these soliloquies Cherry ruminates on what it means to be Black in America. The spirituals that serve as fertile soil for his improvisations are a fitting compliment to his words. His sound on bass is also akin to Favors' favoring the lower regions of his strings and a cavernous resonance that envelops as it engages. None of these comparisons are meant to suggest that Cherry's music is derivative or lacking in originality. They're simply points of reference to his art. In Cherry's hands the bass becomes an guiding beacon into the confident and reverential awareness he has of his African American heritage. Steeped with percussive possibilities he wields it with taut snaps and slaps as on "Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit" or visceral sawing bow as on "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." There are instances where his rhythmic lines become so impassioned and voluble that they overwhelm the recording equipment, though these minor sonic imperfections are of little consequence when compared to the immediacy of the music. With this outing Cherry has designed an offering that succinctly demonstrates his prowess on his instrument while still actively engaging his audience and their emotions, a feat that is no easy task when the only one to fall back on is yourself.