Family Talk is an album by Muhal Richard Abrams

Muhal Richard Abrams

Muhal Richard Abrams is an American educator, administrator, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist in the Free jazz medium. Abrams compresses both contemporary and traditional ideas into lean, elegant pieces.- Biography :Abrams attended DuSable High School in Chicago...

 released on the Italian Black Saint

Black Saint/Soul Note

Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian jazz independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz.-History:...

 label in 1993 and features performances of six of Abrams compositions by Abrams, Jack Walrath

Jack Walrath

Jack Walrath is an American post-bop jazz trumpeter and musical arranger known for his work with Ray Charles, Gary Peacock, Charles Mingus and Glenn Ferris, among others....

, Patience Higgins, Brad Jones, Warren Smith

Warren Smith (jazz musician)

Warren Smith is an American jazz percussionist.Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois, into a musical family; his father played saxophone and clarinet with Noble Sissle and Jimmy Noone, and his mother was a harpist and pianist. He studied clarinet under his father from age four...

 and Reggie Nicholson.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow

Scott Yanow

Scott Yanow is an American jazz commentator, known for many contributions to the Allmusic website, for writing ten books on jazz and for reviewing jazz recordings for over 30 years.-Biography:...

 awarded the album 4.5 stars stating "This CD has such intriguing writing by Muhal Richard Abrams for his sextet that the group sounds like an orchestra at times... This is one of Muhal Richard Abrams' better-known combo sessions.".

Track listing

1. "Meditation 1" - 4:35
2. "Drumbutu" - 17:21
3. "DizBirdMonkBudMax (A Tribute)" - 15:48
4. "FamilyTalk" - 13:47
5. "Illuso" - 15:15
6. "Sound Image of the Past, Present and Future" - 5:19

All compositions by Muhal Richard Abrams

• Recorded February 26–27 & March 1, 1993 at Sear Sound, New York City

Personnel

• Jack Walrath
  Jack Walrath
  Jack Walrath is an American post-bop jazz trumpeter and musical arranger known for his work with Ray Charles, Gary Peacock, Charles Mingus and Glenn Ferris, among others....
  
   - trumpet
• Patience Higgins - bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, English horn
• Brad Jones - bass
• Warren Smith
  Warren Smith (jazz musician)
  Warren Smith is an American jazz percussionist.Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois, into a musical family; his father played saxophone and clarinet with Noble Sissle and Jimmy Noone, and his mother was a harpist and pianist. He studied clarinet under his father from age four...
  
   - vibes, timpani, marimba, gongs
• Reggie Nicholson - drums, marimba, bells
• Muhal Richard Abrams
  Muhal Richard Abrams
  Muhal Richard Abrams is an American educator, administrator, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist in the Free jazz medium. Abrams compresses both contemporary and traditional ideas into lean, elegant pieces.- Biography :Abrams attended DuSable High School in Chicago...
  
  - piano, synthesizer, conductor