Art Ensemble of Chicago
March 8 1978
Public Theatre
NY, NY
fm > reel > cassette > cdr (transferred by orchiddoctor)
cdr > eac(secure mode) > peak pro 5.2(adjust volume, trim wave files) > flac(level 6) (tracked/edited by carville, no noise reduction)

total time 89:02

1st set 51:18
1 The Key, Ja (tape flip @ 36:08)

2nd set 37:43
1 We Play Because We Love You

Lester Bowie
Malachi Favors Maghostut
Joseph Jarman
Roscoe Mitchell
Famoudou Don Moye

notes from orchiddoctor:
The four nights at the Public were much anticipated. By now, the AEC--and the scene in general, were getting better known and the audiences were larger. Hence four nights at the Public. The first two were broadcast on FM. I did not attend them as I had to work in Philly. It snowed Thursday into Friday, but that didn't deter anyone. The show was sold out. And it was amazing. Halfway through we suddenly heard Malachi's bow announce "Old Time Religion." The crowd couldn't wait to see how Jarman would perform. What followed was as visually amusing as what you hear on the tape. Jarman admonishing us to "get the snow off the sidewalk," Roscoe's falsetto chorus of "Give me," the general farce, with all them slowly building to a musical climax which carried through the rest of a fine set. What a weekend!

One thing to note is how Jarman performed much more theatrics and poetry during these years than he later would. In this run we have "As If It Were The Seasons" and "Old Time Religion." He often performed "Erika"--performed--that's the key word. Jarman's performance pieces added an element to the Art Ensemble that seemed to be lacking later on. He was the storyteller, the poet, the mystic. While people feel that he was a weaker instrumentalist than Roscoe (a bit unfair at that), he was the most multidimensional of the group.

notes from carville:
the 2nd set has a decidedly different mix compared to the 2nd set.
in the first set, after the tape flip, the channels are reversed. I left it as is. I would think this was broadcast on WKCR like the 2nd night.