Black Sun Ensemble -- also, RIP Jesus Acedo

Almost a crime we don't have a thread for one of America's finest bands.

But according to Elvis Telecom just now on Twitter, bandleader Jesus Acedo has passed away. Given his many struggles with health and stability, this is crushing news.

Memorial page on FB

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jesus-Acedo-Memorial/173642726117866

Haven't thought about these guys for a very long time but that is some sad news. Farewell and god bless JA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf47pWO5sjc

^^ the best, I love that S/T album on Reckless. RIP dude.

According to the band's FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/BlackSunEnsemble?group_id=0

There was a new 7" on the way, plus a recording of a fairly recent live show, the band having come back to life fitfully in recent months. Hope that can all come out as a final valediction.

Yeah the goldfish album was great, got that when it came out thanks to rave reviews in Forced Exposure.

Can't help thinking about Tony Dale in connection with this band, someone else who died way before his time. Got the s/t debut album that he reissued on Camera Obscura and Dove of the Desert is on that too (but only once this time). Feels like their theme song to me.

Bunch of their later stuff is on spotify, haven't heard any of it at all, so what's good? Have to confess that I was never all that much into the stuff with the singing on it, so I totally lost track of them from Lambent Flame onwards.

RIP

Reckless Records had two shops in London that were, unsurprisingly, always well stocked w/ Black Sun Ensemble and Henry Kaiser band albs - gd times

not to mention merrill frankhauser and mu

err fankhauser

and all that bevis frond obv

yeah what a wonderful niche label for psychedelic gtr noodling

funny thing was, the berwick street Reckless was v much on the jazz-dance-soul-reggae side of the street, so you never heard these albs being played there

Some thoughts.

From the memorial concert to Acedo, the final Black Sun Ensemble show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGUw1U24VPc

And now the final album:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GVX5LFO/ref=dm_sp_alb

Black Sun Ensemble began recording Behind Purple Clouds in October 2012 upon reforming earlier that year. Since the band’s last release Across The Sea of Id: The Way to Eden in 2008, Black Sun Ensemble added Scott Kerr on percussion and Joe E. Furno on flute. The new line up was complete with the return of long time BSE bassist and producer Eric Johnson. Because of the new configuration of musicians, BSE began to experiment with new ways to develop music, utilizing samplers, electronic percussion and synthesizers to assist in not only creating a functional musical ensemble, but also to evolve Black Sun Ensemble music yet again after nearly 30 years of recorded history. Behind Purple Clouds was about 2/3 completed when Jesus Acedo, guitarist and founder of BSE, died unexpectedly in early March 2013. The surviving members committed themselves to completing the recording, as a way of perpetuating Acedo’s musical legacy. The Tucson Pima Arts Council agreed that these recording should be released and awarded Black Sun Ensemble a New Works grant to help fund the completion of the recording. The band recruited the help of long-time BSE drummer Otto Terrorist, former Black Sun Ensemble violinist Bridget Keating, multi-instrumentalist Michael Henderson on the oud, and Tucson legend Al Perry to complete the tracks. The result is a forward thinking, final chapter from a band that has recorded some of the most unique music in rock during the last thirty years.

Meantime, the band name having been retired, ex-members are now continuing as Cobracalia

https://www.facebook.com/Cobracalia

http://www.slowburnrecords.net/cobracalia/

Jesus was one of a kind but hope these folks do well enough carrying the flame a bit.

A celebration:

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/celebrating-jesus/Content?oid=3953643