New World Pygmies

New World Pygmies is an album by American jazz saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc and bassist William Parker, which was recorded live at the Fire in the Valley Festival in 1998 and released on the Eremite label.^[1] It was Moondoc's first recorded encounter with Parker since Nostalgia in Times Square. "Another Angel Goes Home" is a tribute to drummer Denis Charles.^[2]

New World Pygmies
Live album by Jemeel Moondoc & William Parker
Released	1999
Recorded	July 27, 1998
Venue	UMASS, Amherst, Massachusetts
Genre	Jazz
Length	67:31
Label	Eremite
Producer	Michael Ehlers
Jemeel Moondoc chronology
Fire in the Valley (1997) New World Pygmies (1999) Spirit House (2001)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz	[4]

In his review for AllMusic, Steve Loewy states " Parker is a strong addition to any group, but he is mostly in a supporting role here, while Moondoc spurts forth line after line of creative inspiration... Moondoc is a sort of odd, underrated elder statesman of free music, occupying a role not dissimilar to that of Chicago tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson."^[3]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz says "People talk about the conversational quality of duo performance, but this is more like twin preachers in the mission hall, playing hard priest, soft priest alternately, the one threatening brimstone, the other promising redemption."^[4]

The All About Jazz review by Derek Taylor states "Moondoc and Parker have teamed up on numerous occasions since the mid-70s... Their familiarity rises immediately to the fore as both men jettison the fetters of decorum and play off each other with a visceral zeal."^[5]

Track listing

1. "New World Pygmies" (Moondoc/Parker) - 17:03
2. "Huey Sees a Rainbow" (Parker) - 9:41
3. "Theme for Pelikan" (Parker) - 13:26
4. "Not Quite Ready for Prime Time" (Moondoc) - 12:58
5. "Another Angel Goes Home" (Parker) - 4:55
6. "Encore" (Moondoc/Parker) - 9:28

Personnel

• Jemeel Moondoc - alto sax
• William Parker - bass

References

1. New World Pygmies at Eremite
2. Original liner Notes by Ed Hazell
3. Loewy, Steve. Jemeel Moondoc – New World Pygmies: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
4. Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2004). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (7th ed.). London: Penguin. pp. 1161. ISBN 0141014164.
5. Taylor, Derek. New World Pygmies review at All About Jazz