PHAROAH SANDERS — The Impulse Story (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Like the Archie Shepp and Alice Coltrane volumes in the Impulse Story series, the Pharoah Sanders issue is one of the flawless ones -- despite the fact that it only contains four tracks. Ashley Kahn, author of the book the series is named after, wisely chose tracks with Sanders as a leader rather than as a sideman with John Coltrane (those were documented quite well on the John and Alice volumes). The set begins with "Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt," recorded in 1966 while he was still a member of the Coltrane band. Featuring Sanders on tenor, piccolo, percussion, and vocals, it also contains a who's who of the vanguard: pianist Dave Burrell, guitarist Sonny Sharrock, bassist Henry Grimes, percussionist Nat Bettis, and drummer Roger Blank. Sanders could take a disparate group of players like this one and wind them into his sound world. Burrell is the most automatically sympathetic, and lends a hand in creating a series of call-and-response exchanges with Sanders so Sharrock and Grimes follow suit -- not the other way around. This is also the place where the listener really encounters Sharrock's unique (even iconoclastic) playing -- he performed on Miles Davis' seminal Jack Johnson album but was mixed out. At over 16 minutes, it is barely a hint of what is to come. This cut is followed by Sanders' magnum opus, "The Creator Has a Master Plan." Based on a simple vamp, it unravels into an almost 33-minute textured improvisation that sounds like it could move heaven and earth because it almost literally explodes. Recorded for the Karma album in 1969, "The Creator" also features the late great Leon Thomas on vocals, providing his eerie, deep, and soulful "voice as improvisational instrument" approach that sends the tune soaring. Other sidemen here are bassists Richard Davis and Reggie Workman, James Spaulding, Julius Watkins, pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, Bettis, and drummer Billy Hart. This is where this track belongs, not on the box where it took time and space away from other artists. "Astral Traveling," from the 1970 platter Thembi, follows, with the great violinist Michael White serving as foil to the lyric Pharoah. The last two tracks really chart Sanders' development not just as an improviser and composer but as a bandleader and in his mastery of the soprano saxophone -- only Steve Lacy and Coltrane did it better. The sprawl is tightened -- this cut is less than six minutes long -- but mainly in the way he leads the band with his approach to the saxophone and its dynamics. Cecil McBee plays bass here and Clifford Jarvis is on drums, and Smith uses an electric piano to fantastic effect. The final cut here, "Spiritual Blessing" from the Elevation album in 1973, is widely regarded as another Sanders classic with the man himself on soprano. He is accompanied by a group of percussionists, including Michael Carvin, Jimmy Hopps, John Blue, and Lawrence Killian. Sanders uses the percussionists as a counter to the featured drone instruments (with Joe Bonner on harmonium and Calvin Hill on tamboura). At just under six minutes, it's a song that perfectly fuses Eastern and Western musical improvisational traditions. Listening to this volume of the course of an hour is literally an aurally expansive and spiritually enlightening experience. If you can only have one of the CDs in this series, this may be the one to snag -- along with Alice Coltrane's chapter, this is spiritual jazz at its very best.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    Upper Egypt And Lower Egypt 16:16
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Roger Blank
Electric Guitar – Sonny Sharrock
Percussion – Nat Bettis
Piano – Dave Burrell
Tenor Saxophone, Piccolo Flute, Percussion, Vocals, Composed By – Pharoah Sanders
2    The Creator Has A Master Plan 32:45
Bass – Richard Davis
Composed By – Leon Thomas, Pharoah Sanders
Drums – Billy Hart
Flute – James Spaulding
French Horn – Julius Watkins
Percussion – Nat Bettis
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
Tenor Saxophone – Pharoah Sanders
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas
3    Astral Traveling 5:48
Bass – Cecil McBee
Electric Piano, Composed By – Lonnie Liston Smith
Soprano Saxophone, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Violin – Michael White
4    Spiritual Blessing 5:40
Bells [Bell Tree] – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Michael Carvin
Harmonium – Joe Bonner
Percussion – Jimmy Hopps, John Blue
Soprano Saxophone, Composed By – Pharoah Sanders
Tambura – Calvin Hill

PAUL BLEY TRIO — The Nearness Of You (1989) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded in 1989 and issued simultaneously on LP and CD, the digital version features two extra cuts and thus weighs in at about 16 minutes longer than the vinyl. The first question is why an artist of Bley's restlessness and vision would record a batch of tunes like these old nuggets in the first place. Bley's trio on this date is an estimable one: Drummer Billy Hart and bassist Ron McClure join the pianist for eight standards that range from the title track by Hoagy Carmichael to Oscar Pettiford's "Blues in the Closet" to George Shearing's "Lullaby of Birdland." Bley has an interesting way of approaching standards, which is why this hard bop rhythm section is key to the performances here. While he may approach Richard Rodgers' "This Can't Be Love" as a bebop tune with a modal sensibility -- he found the mode inside the tune's architecture -- Bley's sense of phrasing falls out of all the traditional jazz boxes. His bebop style is full of angular spaces and odd half notes and his modal mannerisms suggest tonal maneuvers requiring notes that go by at a clip (16th, even a 32nd in a major seventh chord run!) in counterpoint with McClure. Of course, this is what makes the man one of the bona fide geniuses of the music -- his manner of reworking something so it is something totally different yet still sounds like itself. In a ballad like the title tune, Bley allows Hart plenty of room to explore with his brushes by creating huge spaces in the melody, not merely by syncopation but by extending the chordal reach of the tune itself and allowing the tempo to hover rather than move toward any particular measure or melodic invention (of which there is plenty). Strangely, his reading of the Carmichael number is deeply moving, and played in a manner that suggests Mal Waldron's with a lighter touch and a longer reach for harmonic structures. The trio's performance of "What a Difference a Day Makes" seems rushed at first, as the musicians slip through the melody like a breeze through a screen door -- but it's all smoke and mirrors. Bley is moving the melody around to find room for McClure and Hart to lay back and coast on where he's taking the harmony, which is into a realm that suggests Herbie Nichols and Bill Evans. By the time Bley gets to Shearing's tune and the closer, Billy Strayhorn's "Take the 'A' Train," he's convinced us all once again that there is something new in everything. While the Strayhorn stalwart may be one of the most recorded jazz tunes in history, it has never sounded like this. Before the melody falls like dominoes and like lightning from Bley's right hand, he moves through a series of Monkish augmented chords that make no apparent sense harmonically until the melody jumps right out of them. As McClure and Hart move to double time, Bley triples and they're off and running, floating back and forth between pitches and key changes, even slipping in a bit of Ornette's chromaticism at the break. The other cool thing is that Bley manages to quote, however minutely, from every other tune on the session in his solo! This date is Bley at his most relaxed and amiable, playing with two veterans who not only handle his sudden shifts in mood and color but, more often than not, texture them in advance of what's coming -- dig McClure's hammer-on run near the end of "'A' Train" and, as Bley follows him and opens the scale up, you'll get a stunning example. This is Bley at his level jamming best. If this had been a cutting session, I'd have hated to be the horn player.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist & Credits :

JOE ZAWINUL — Zawinul (1971-1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Conceptually, sonically, this is really the first Weather Report album in all but name, confirming that Joe Zawinul was the primary creative engine behind the group from the beginning. It is also the link between WR and Miles Davis' keyboard-laden experiments on In a Silent Way; indeed, the tune "In a Silent Way" is redone in the more complex form in which Zawinul envisioned it, and Miles even contributes a brief, generous tribute to Zawinul on the liner. Two keyboardists -- Zawinul and the formidable Herbie Hancock -- form the underpinning of this stately, probing album, garnishing their work with the galactic sound effects of the Echoplex and ring modulator. Earl Turbinton provides the Wayne Shorter-like beams of light on the soprano sax, spelled by Wayne himself on "Double Image." The third founder of WR, Miroslav Vitous, checks in on bass, and hard-bopping trumpeter Woody Shaw proves to be perfectly adept at the jazz-rock game. Two short-lived standards of the jazz-rock era, the aforementioned "Double Image" and "Doctor Honoris Causa," are introduced here, yet it is mood pieces like "His Last Journey" and "Arrival in New York" that with the help of tape-speed manipulation, establish the lasting, murky, reflective ambience of this CD. Richard S. Ginell      Tracklist & Credits :

LEE KONITZ NONET - Yes, Yes, Nonet (1979-1986) 24bits-44.1Hz | FLAC (tracks), lossless

It was a tragedy that Lee Konitz's versatile nonet was not able to succeed commercially. Just like its leader, the group was able to stretch from swing standards, bop and cool jazz to freer improvisations and challenging originals. This SteepleChase release (featuring the nonet when it was comprised of such fine players as trumpeters Tom Harrell and John Eckert, trombonists Jimmy Knepper and Sam Burtis, baritonist Ronnie Cuber, pianist Harold Danko, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Billy Hart in addition to Konitz on alto and soprano) features the group at its best on such pieces as "Footprints," "Stardust," "My Buddy" and four songs by Jimmy Knepper. It's an excellent outing from a somewhat neglected group. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Dearth of a Nation 6:05
Jimmy Knepper
2     Lanquid 6:13
Jimmy Knepper
3     Footprints 8:04
Wayne Shorter
4     Stardust 5:13
Hoagy Carmichael / Mitchell Parish
5     Primrose Path 6:32
Jimmy Knepper
6     Noche Triste 4:33
Jimmy Knepper
7     My Buddy 3:31
Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Ronnie Cuber
Bass – Buster Williams
Bass Trombone – Sam Burtis
Drums – Billy Hart
Piano – Harold Danko
Trombone – Jimmy Knepper
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – John Eckert, Tom Harrell

LEE KONITZ NONET - Live at Laren (1984) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lee Konitz revived his nonet for the occasion of this 1979 concert, with trumpeters Red Rodney and John Eckert, baritonist Ronnie Cuber, trombonist Jimmy Knepper, and tuba player/bass trombonist Sam Burtis joining him in the front line. Lennie Tristano's "April," a challenging reworking of the standard "I'll Remember April," proves to be an inspired opener, with great solos all around. Knepper's blues "Who You" has the flavor of Charles Mingus' early-'60s compositions. Konitz's scoring of "Without a Song" begins with an unaccompanied alto solo before taking on a Latin flavor. Pianist Benny Aronov switches to the electric keyboard for an intricate take of Chick Corea's "Times Lie," while the nonet charges head first into the lengthy exploration of Corea's "Matrix." One of the less familiar releases in Lee Konitz's extensive discography. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1    April 7:03
Written-By, Arranged By – Lennie Tristano
2    Who You 6:15
Written-By, Arranged By – Jimmy Knepper
3    Without A Song 9:32
Arranged By – Lee Konitz
Written-By – Billy Rose, Edward Eliscu, Vincent Youmans
4    Moon Dreams 3:45
Arranged By – Gil Evans
Written-By – Chummy McGregor, J. Chalmers, Johnny Mercer
5    Times Lie 10:54
Arranged By – Sy Johnson
Written-By – Chick Corea
6    Matrix 13:38
Arranged By – Sy Johnson
Written-By – Chick Corea
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet – Ronnie Cuber
Bass – Ray Drummond
Drums – Billy Hart
Piano, Electric Piano – Ben Aronov
Trombone – Jimmy Knepper
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Red Rodney
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Piccolo Trumpet – John Eckert
Tuba, Bass Trombone – Sam Burtis
Notas.
Recorded live at Laren Jazz Festival August 12, 1979 by the Dutch Broadcasting, NOS -Hilversum
Mastered at Polygram, Tribiano - Milano

GARY BARTZ QUARTET - Monsoon (1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Samuel 7:26
Written-By – Yusef Salim
2    Never Never Land 7:50
Written-By – Jules Stein
3    Run Before Sun 12:45
Written-By – Clint Houston
4    Strode Rode 7:12
Written-By – Sonny Rollins
5    Moonsoon 9:20
Written-By – Gary Bartz
6    Soul Eyes 7:55
Written-By – Mal Waldron
7    Uncle Bubba 8:18
Written-By – Gary Bartz
Credits :
Bass – Clint Houston
Drums – Billy Hart
Piano – Butch Lacy
Saxophone – Gary Bartz

GARY BARTZ - Reflections of Monk (1989) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After a long period of indifferent recordings, altoist Gary Bartz started to fulfill his potential in the early '90s. Joined by a superb rhythm section (comprised of pianist John Hicks, bassist Ray Drummond, and drummer Al Foster) and trumpeter Claudio Roditi (whose restrained power complements rather than competes with Bartz), the altoist really stretches out, particularly on "Speak Low" and "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" which both clock in at within seven seconds of 19 minutes apiece. Bartz is quite lyrical on a superior version of "It's Easy to Remember" and also takes inventive solos on his modal blues "Cousins" and Wilbur Harden's "West 42nd Street." A highly recommended gem. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Thelonious 0'55
Thelonious Monk
2     Brilliant Corners 4'56
Thelonious Monk
3     The Pennywhistle Call/Reflections 10'05
Gary Bartz / Thelonious Monk
4     Played Twice 6'27
Thelonious Monk
5     Crepescule With Nellie 4'40
Thelonious Monk
6     Hackensack 8'16
Thelonious Monk
7     Let's Cool One 8'15
Thelonious Monk
8    Monk's Mood 9'58
Thelonious Monk   
9     Epistrophy 8'37
Kenny Clarke / Thelonious Monk
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Gary Bartz
Bass – Geoff Harper
Drum – Billy Hart
Piano – Bob Butta
Trumpet – Eddie Henderson
Vocals – Jenelle Fisher (pistas: 8), Mekea Keith (pistas: 3.2)  

CHARLES LLOYD QUARTET - The Call (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Call features the same lineup as Notes From Big Sur (pianist Bobo Stenson and bassist Anders Jormin), save for drummer Billy Hart, who replaces Ralph Peterson. (Lloyd has referred to this group as his "Full Service Orchestra of Love.") While the record documents plenty of stirring musicianship, Lloyd the composer seems to be running low on fresh ideas and distinctive melodies. In sum, The Call is a bit too similar in thrust to his two previous ECM outings. (It's also over 16 minutes longer, which doesn't help.) There are a couple of unexpected twists, however -- like Lloyd's surging, surprising entrance toward the end of "Song," and the quick yet perpetually unsettled tempo of the brief "Imke." The closing Lloyd/Hart duet, "Brother on the Rooftop," is partially based on the second movement of Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata, although there's no acknowledgement of this anywhere on the CD package. David R. Adler
Tracklist :
1    Nocturne    5:21
2    Song    12:41
3    Dwija    6:42
4    Glimpse    8:29
5    Imke    3:51
6    Amarma    7:14
7    Figure In Blue, Memories Of Duke    9:23
8    The Blessing    10:44
9    Brother On The Rooftop    11:58
Credits :
Bass – Anders Jormin
Drums – Billy Hart
Photography By [Cover Photos], Design – Dorothy Darr
Piano – Bobo Stenson
Producer – Manfred Eicher
 Composed, Liner Notes, Tenor Saxophone – Charles Lloyd

CHARLES LLOYD - All My Relations (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD by the Charles Lloyd Quartet avoids fitting into any of the stereotypes that one might have about ECM's recordings. Pianist Bobo Stenson has carved his own identity out of the styles of Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, drummer Billy Hart is stimulating in support and Anders Jormin provides a walking bass on many of the tracks; a rarity for ECM sessions. As one might expect, the main focus is on Charles Lloyd whose playing during the past decade has been some of the finest of his career. He mostly sticks to tenor (just playing flute on "Little Peace" and Chinese oboe on the very brief "Milarepa"), and although traces of John Coltrane's sound will always be in his tone, Lloyd comes up with quite a few original ideas. He is best on "Thelonious Theonlyus" (which has a slight calypso feel to it), the episodic "Cape to Cairo Suite" (a tribute to Nelson Mandela), a long tenor/drums duet on "All My Relations" (which is a mix between "Chasin' the 'Trane" and "Bessie's Blues") and the brooding spiritual "Hymne to the Mother." A strong effort. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Piercing the Veil 8'27
Charles Lloyd    
2     Little Peace 6'35
Charles Lloyd    
3     Thelonious Theonlyus 7'48
Charles Lloyd    
4     Cape to Cairo Suite (Hommage to Mandela) 15'26
Charles Lloyd
5     Evanstide, Where Lotus Bloom 10'56
Charles Lloyd    
6     All My Relations 10'54
Charles Lloyd
7     Hymne to the Mother 8'38
Charles Lloyd
8     Milarepa 1'19
Charles Lloyd
Credits :
Design [Cover Design], Photography By [Photos] – Dorothy Darr
Double Bass – Anders Jormin
Drums – Billy Hart
Piano – Bobo Stenson
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Saxophone, Flute, Suona [Chinese Oboe], Liner Notes – Charles Lloyd

CHARLES LLOYD - Canto (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Reed king Charles Lloyd has consistently exceeded expectations throughout his career, breaking ground in any number of jazz forms, particularly those associated with the employing of the various folk musics of the world as elemental melodic and harmonic components of his signature practice in the idiom. Canto reveals Lloyd's inner restlessness at work once again with longtime pianist Bobo Stenson, bassist Anders Jormin, and the legendary American drummer Billy Hart. The set opens with "Tales of Rumi," which has Stenson playing inside the piano, and Hart sliding around the kit without ever actually hitting it. When Lloyd enters after a lengthy intro, he does so in a post-bop phraseology that brings the tune full circle, transforming from a folk melody to a blues tune. Later, on "Nichiketa's Lament," Lloyd uses a Tibetan oboe with its high, reedy tone to play funeral music that actually becomes an exercise in pan-modalism. The title track is actually a song of sorts, based on Jimmy Giuffre's harmonic methodology and Coltrane's breather and note theory. The set closes with an unbelievably beautiful, cascading ballad where the band falls through its changes like water in a brook, and Lloyd blows through them with a heartbreaking lyrical intensity. Canto is the song of a master who employs all of his tools in the creation of a work of art.
|> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <|
Tracklist :
1     Tales of Rumi 16'41
Charles Lloyd    
2     How Can I Tell You 6'18
Charles Lloyd
3     Desolation Sound 6''05
Charles Lloyd
4     Canto 13'20
Charles Lloyd
5     Nachiketa's Lament 6'18
Charles Lloyd    
6     M 13'13
Charles Lloyd
7     Durga Durga 3'20
Charles Lloyd
Credits :
Double Bass – Anders Jormin
Drums – Billy Hart
Photography By [Cover And Liner Photos] – Dorothy Darr
Piano – Bobo Stenson
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Tenor Saxophone, Oboe [Tibetan Oboe] – Charles Lloyd

CHARLES LLOYD - Lift Every Voice (2002) 2xCD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As Charles Lloyd prepared to kick off a gig at New York's Blue Note club the night of Tuesday September 11, 2001, some murderous terrorists had some other plans for that morning a bit further south. The gig thus didn't begin until that Friday, and the wheels in Lloyd's mind kept on rolling through the aftermath, resulting in this double-CD album. Going his own way, he drew from public-domain spirituals, pop/rock songs, protest R&B, folk songs, and Ellingtonia and mixed them with his own compositions and meditations, assembling and reining in top-notch musicians like pianist Geri Allen, guitarist John Abercrombie, bassists Marc Johnson and Larry Grenadier, and drummer Billy Hart. The result is one of the most unusual and deeply spiritual recordings in Lloyd's always-unusual career, one that says more with fewer means. The leadoff track itself is an ear-opener, Lloyd's "Hymn to the Mother," which opens the gates with an Indian flavor, with its arco bass drone on a single chord and sitar-like articulation from Abercrombie. It's a miraculously subtle yet compelling way to grab your attention, like the introduction to a raga, thoughtfully sustained over 15 minutes. Somehow, the rest of the 130-minute album manages to maintain and develop the rapt atmosphere, reaching its central pivot of emotion three tracks into the second disc with the Coltrane quartet-like treatment of "Go Down Moses." As is often the case in a Lloyd performance, the tenor saxophonist is tempted to go to the outside, but usually in a gentle way, his head now in a thoughtful fog. Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" stays largely with the tune except toward the close, matching the haunted, dazed mood of the original. Billy Strayhorn is appropriately represented by "Blood Count"; Lloyd's own "Beyond Darkness" finds him on flute. Even "Amazing Grace," the over-exposed staple of every other folk or gospel revival, sounds fresh, devout, and genuine. Each disc concludes with something meaningful: Lloyd mourns alone and soulfully on "Hafez, Shattered Heart" at disc one's close and one more lengthy meditation, followed by an up-tempo release, "Prayer, the Crossing," ends disc two. Let responses like this from the jazz world be the real legacy of the aftermath of 9/11. Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist 1 :
1     Hymn To The Mother 15'00
Charles Lloyd
2     You Are So Beautiful 4'05
Bruce Fisher / Billy Preston
3     Amazing Grace 4'42
Public Domain / Charles Lloyd / John Newton / Traditional
4     Red Bank 9'40
Charles Lloyd
5     What's Going On 5'07
Renaldo Benson / Al Cleveland / Marvin Gaye
6     Angel Oak 3'33
Charles Lloyd
7     Te Amaré 6'46
Silvio Rodríguez
8     I'm Afraid 7'38
Duke Ellington / Don George
9     Hafez, Shattered Heart 4'43
Charles Lloyd
Tracklist 2 :
1     Rabo de Nube 7'05
Silvio Rodríguez
2     Blood Count 5'06
Billy Strayhorn
3     Go Down Moses 10'37
Charles Lloyd / Traditional
4     Beyond Darkness 7'51
Charles Lloyd
5     Nocturne 6'12
Charles Lloyd
6     Wayfaring Stranger 8'35
Charles Lloyd / Traditional
7     Deep River 6'25
Charles Lloyd / Traditional
8     Lift Every Voice And Sing 3'08
James Weldon Johnson / John Johnson / Charles Lloyd / Traditional
9     Prayer, The Crossing 14'03
Charles Lloyd
Credits :
Double Bass – Larry Grenadier (pistas: 1-2, 1-8, 2-2, 2-4 to 2-8), Marc Johnson (pistas: 1-1, 1-3 to 1-7, 2-1, 2-3, 2-5, 2-9)
Drums – Billy Hart
Executive-Producer – Manfred Eicher
Guitar – John Abercrombie
Photography By, Design, Producer – Dorothy Darr
Piano – Geri Allen
Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Tárogató [Taragato], Producer – Charles Lloyd

AARON PARKS | BEN STREET | BILLY HART - Find the Way (2017) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Arborescence, pianist Aaron Parks' 2013 debut for ECM, was a solo record showcasing 11 improvised pieces recorded at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts. Find the Way, his trio debut for the label, is its opposite, a collection of eight originals and one cover (the title track) that all rely heavily on assonant harmonic exchanges and intimate but dynamic interplay with drummer Billy Hart and bassist Ben Street; they open these compositions up with an uncommon breathability. The rhythm section is well acquainted, having worked together on three albums by the drummer, including his two ECM outings All Our Reasons (2012) and One Is the Other (2014). This set was cut over three days in 2015 in a studio in the south of France. Since his mid-twenties, Parks has revealed a canny sense of melodic, spatial, and tonal inventions, but the most remarkable aspect of this date is how Hart is the hub in the wheel of each tune. Amid wide chordal statements and elliptical lyric sentiments that open the field in first track "Adrift," Hart's double-times snare, hi-hat, and cymbal work add considerable drama and weight as Street holds the middle ground between the poles. "Hold Music" spends its first minute as a drum solo, with circular patterns on tom-toms before Street's pulsing line and Parks' dark chords enter the frame. Hart dances around his kit, allowing cymbal flourishes to underscore the modal melody. Street's moment comes during "The Storyteller" as he equates the pianist's romantic post-bop lyricism with Hart's syncopations by playing on both. His woody tone and melodic richness offer an expanded sense of dimensionality. The tune "Alice" was composed after the influence of Alice Coltrane's "Ptah, the El Daoud." The modal sequence is based on crossing rhythmic principles, which in turn create new lyric possibilities. They flirt with the outside but never quite arrive there, instead maintaining a mysterious but defined sense of spiritual swing. The closing title track is a cover by Ian Brennan that resonated with the pianist after hearing it on an LP by Rosemary Clooney and Nelson Riddle. The melody's bittersweet tenderness is made all the more poignant by Hart's brushwork highlighting Parks' and Street's spectral yet pervasive romanticism. On Find the Way, this piano trio offers subtle and innovative shifts between the interconnected relationships of its members, but delivers what is ultimately a songlike collection.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1    Adrift 5'46
(Aaron Parks)
2    Song For Sashou 6'22
(Aaron Parks)
3    Unravel 4'43
(Aaron Parks)
4    Hold Music 4'19
(Aaron Parks)
5    The Storyteller 4'52
(Aaron Parks)
6    Alice 7'09
(Aaron Parks)
7    First Glance 5'41
(Aaron Parks)
8    Melquíades 5'27
(Aaron Parks)
9    Find The Way 5'58
(Ian Bernard)
Credits :
Aaron Parks   Piano
Ben Street   Double Bass
Billy Hart   Drums

BENNIE MAUPIN — The Jewel in the Lotus (1974-2019) Touchstones Series | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Jazz -funk fans must have been taken aback when multi-instrumentalist and composer Bennie Maupin's Jewel in the Lotus was released by Manfred Eicher's ECM imprint in 1974. For starters, it sounded nothing like Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters recording, which had been released the year before to massive sales and of which Maupin had been such an integral part. Head Hunters has remained one of the most reliable sales entries in Columbia's jazz catalog into the 21st century. By contrast, Jewel in the Lotus sounded like an avant-garde jazz record, but it stood outside that hard-line camp, too, because of its open and purposeful melodies that favored composition and structured improvising over free blowing. Jazz after 1970 began to move in so many directions simultaneously it must have felt like it was tearing itself apart rather than giving birth to so many new and exciting musics. Considered carefully, however, Jewel in the Lotus was the perfect realization of the skills acquired by Maupin from the mid-'60s on, when he had played in bands led by Marion Brown, McCoy Tyner, and Pharoah Sanders. He'd even recorded an album under his own name in 1967 entitled Almanac. Maupin was first heard by the masses, however, when he played bass clarinet on the landmark Bitches Brew session by Miles Davis, and as a member of Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi and Sextant groups. He was the lone holdover when Hancock formed the Headhunters, who blasted their way onto FM radio and into the ears of fans who also dug Earth, Wind & Fire and P-Funk.
Maupin's band for this set contained close friends and musical allies encountered over the years. For starters, fellow Headhunter Bill Summers and Hancock himself are on this date, with drummer Billy Hart and versatile electric and acoustic bassist Buster Williams, who were both members of the earlier Hancock group. The other drummer on the set (there was one in the right and one in the left channel), the criminally under-recorded Frederick Waits, was a former skin man for Motown and John Lee Hooker who Maupin knew from his hometown in Detroit. Charles Sullivan, who plays trumpet on two cuts, was someone Maupin encountered in his travels in New York and jammed with. Jewel in the Lotus is not exactly a "lost" jazz classic. ECM kept it in print for many years on vinyl, but 2007 saw its first official CD release. That said, it has been traded widely on the Internet and vinyl copies of any edition command major dollars in record stores and in online auctions. There is good reason for this: it is a classic of 1970s spiritual jazz, and as much as any recording on Strata East or Black Jazz, Maupin's ECM offering is a wonder of arrangement and composition with gorgeous ensemble play, long yet sparse passages, space, and genuine strangeness. Maupin plays all of his reeds and flute in addition to glockenspiel here; Summers' percussion effects include a water-filled garbage can. The two drummers swirling around in different channels don't ever play the same thing, but counter and complement one another. And Hancock plays some of the most truly Spartan and lyrically modal piano in his career here.
From the six seconds of silence that introduce the percussive beginnings of "Ensenada," with Williams' acoustic bass on a pulse line, Waits' marimba inside a tight scale, Summers' bells, and Hancock's ghostly piano, you know you are on a journey. It doesn't matter whether that music is jazz, classical, or avant-garde. It's a journey into sound and silence. When Maupin on flute fronts the rest of the group as they enter with long-held notes and Hart begins flitting around the top with sticks playing the rims of his tom-toms, the magic is already transpiring. The music is somewhere in the twilight, perhaps better yet in the first emerging pink of a new day, where everything seems transparent because it is partially hidden from view. The ringing ostinato Hancock introduces about halfway through in the middle register is rhythmic, not melodic. The melody is so restrained it only engages one note at a time, held almost interminably but seductively. The beginning of "Mappo," by contrast, is almost startling: as both drummers move through and around the front line, Williams bows his bass at the lower end of its register, and Hancock begins to dramatically play his bottom register keys, Maupin's saxophone enters -- masculine, definitive, and pronounced -- before it gives way to space and his flute. Rhythms and themes shift and more notes are introduced, but they are still skeletally structured. Themes give way to the return of others, and everything becomes circular. The entire track -- regardless of the frenetic but taut percussion and the intense bowing of Williams -- remains in the realm of absolute crystalline beauty.
The elemental concerns of journey and transformation are paramount on the first half of the recording, all the way through the brief ostinato tune "Past + Present = Future." The primordial moment has been revisited; one listens in the moment and heads toward the sum of the two parts, which becomes almost uncomfortably clear with the introduction of electric piano sounds (think of the score from Tarkovsky's Solaris), slow deep modal lines from Williams, and Maupin's muscular tenor -- but these two give way to brave new sound worlds in the title track. The fact that the vibe remains on the border between light and dark (and nowhere more so than with the bass clarinet lines and flutes in "Winds of Change") doesn't make it a difficult record to listen to. Quite the opposite. Maupin's harmonic explorations may be unfamiliar, even downright strange at times, but they are inviting. The beckon gently; they never assault. Edges are rounded and seductive. "Song for Tracie Dixon Summers" is one of the most haunting and beautiful modal ballads ever written in the modernist jazz literature. The interplay between Williams, Summers, Maupin's saxophone, and Hancock is symbiotic. Sometimes these moments are so dramatic that what the listener hears is the sound of a new world opening up, so that by the time "Past Is Past" closes the set, with its contrapuntal piano and open-key melody, the listener has been taken completely out of the day-to-day, out of the moment and into a new one, where time is formless, free-floating, a stream. Coming back into everyday life with its business can be a bit jarring.
The true worth of Jewel in the Lotus is that perhaps no other bandleader at the time could bring together players from such different backgrounds and relationships to his own musical development and make them interact with one another with material that is scored so closely and whose dynamics and tensions are so pronounced and steady. Maupin was so utterly accomplished as a composer as well as a soloist by this time it comes as a shock that he hadn't been making records regularly -- and even more so that he has only recorded very sporadically as a leader since (only a handful of recordings bear his name on top but they are all as fine as they are different from one another). Jewel in the Lotus is a true jazz classic because only jazz was big enough in the early '70s to hold music like this, with all its seeming paradoxes, and recognize it as its own. This album sounds as timeless and adventurous in the present as the day it was released. Amen.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1     Ensenada 8:15
Bennie Maupin
2     Mappo 8:30
Bennie Maupin
Trumpet – Charles Sullivan
3     Excursion 4:52
Bennie Maupin
Trumpet – Charles Sullivan
4     Past+Present=Future 1:52
Bennie Maupin
5     The Jewel in the Lotus 10:02
Bennie Maupin
6     Winds of Change 1:30
Bennie Maupin
7     Song for Tracie Dixon Summers 5:19
Bennie Maupin
8     Past Is Past 3:57
Bennie Maupin
Credits :
Bass – Buster Williams
Design – Sascha Kleis
Drums [Left Channel], Marimba [Left Channel] – Frederick Waits
Drums [Right Channel] – Billy Hart
Percussion, Percussion [Water-filled Garbage Can] – Bill Summers
Piano, Electric Piano – Herbie Hancock
Producer, Remastered By – Manfred Eicher
Reeds, Voice, Glockenspiel, Music By – Bennie Maupin

ETHEL ENNIS - If Women Ruled the World (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is a historic release on two levels. It was one of the first recordings of new jazz for Savoy in a couple decades (unfortunately the label's venture into recording new music did not last long) and it was singer Ethel Ennis' first recording in quite some time. For this project, she interprets a dozen songs written by women, ranging from "God Bless the Child" and "Willow Weep for Me" to more recent songs by Joan Osborne, Joan Armatrading, Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Carole King, and herself ("Hey You"). The performances range from swinging pieces to folk music with Ennis assisted by pianist Marc Copland, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, guitarist John Abercrombie, soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, and a couple different rhythm sections. This is a fine effort, making one wish that Ethel Ennis would record much more often. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1  Spider Web 5:07
    Written-By – Chris Palmaro, Gary Michael Lucas, Joan Osborne, Richard E. Chertoff, Sammy Merendino
2  If Women Ruled The World 5:00
    Written-By – Joan Armatrading
3  God Bless The Child  5:55
    Written-By – Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday
4  You Gotta Be 4:44
    Written-By – Ashley Ingram, Des'ree
5  For Free 5:33
    Written-By – Joni Mitchell
6  Sometimes I Don't Wanna Go Home 4:43
    Written-By – Joan Armatrading
7  Tell It Like It Is  6:32
    Written-By – Tracy Chapman
8  So Far Away 4:08
    Written-By – Carole King
9  When I Need You 3:14
   Written-By – Albert Louis Hammond, Carole Bayer Sager
10  Willow Weep For Me  5:45
    Written-By – Ann Ronell
11  Nick Of Time  4:08
    Written-By – Bonnie Raitt
12  Hey You  4:48
Written-By – Ethel Ennis
Credits :
Arranged By – Ethel Ennis (faixas: 12), Marc Copland (faixas: 1 to 11)
Bass – Drew Gress (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8), Ron McClure (faixas: 3, 6, 9 to 12)
Drums – Billy Hart (faixas: 3, 6, 9 to 12), Dennis Chambers (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8)
Guitar – Gene Bertoncini (faixas: 6, 10, 11), John Abercrombie (faixas: 4, 6, 7)
Piano – Marc Copland (faixas: 1 to 12)
Soprano Saxophone – Jane Ira Bloom (faixas: 5, 8)
Trumpet – Ingrid Jensen (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 7)
Vocals – Ethel Ennis (faixas: 1 to 12) 

SHIRLEY HORN - You Won't Forget Me (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With 1991's You Won't Forget Me, Shirley Horn's star continued to rise. While mostly ballads, this recording also includes swinging takes on "I Just Found Out About Love" and "Foolin' Myself." Toots Thielemans stars with his distinctive harmonica sound on "Beautiful Love" and "Soothe Me," and the unmistakable trumpet of Miles Davis weaves around Horn's vocal on the title track. The opening medley moves from the almost-whispered ballad "The Music That Makes Me Dance," to a funkily midtempo "Come Dance with Me." "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" is absolutely gorgeous, with Wynton Marsalis stepping in to trade phrases with Horn's voice. The music here is mostly taken at a very leisurely tempo, and the spare arrangements allow plenty of room for the music to breathe, proving that less is often more. The only complaint is that such spaciousness generates is a certain sameness to the material, but this is leavened by the guest appearances of Thielemans, Davis, the brothers Marsalis, and tenorman Buck Hill. by Jim Newsom
Tracklist :
1     The Music That Makes Me Dance 6:32
Bob Merrill / Jule Styne
2     Come Dance with Me 2:47
Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen
3     Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying 5:58
Joe Greene
Trumpet – Wynton Marsalis
4     Beautiful Love 3:38
Haven Gillespie / Wayne King / Egbert VanAlstyne / Victor Young
Harmonica, Guitar – Toots Thielemans
5     Come Back to Me 3:43
Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner
6     Too Late Now 6:00
Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner
7     I Just Found Out About Love 2:24
Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh
8     It Had to Be You 6:49
Isham Jones / Gus Kahn
Saxophone [Tenor] – Branford Marsalis
9     Soothe Me 3:31
Joe Greene
Harmonica, Guitar – Toots Thielemans
10     Foolin' Myself 2:46
Jack Lawrence / Peter Tinturin
11     If You Go 8:57
Michel Emer / Geoffrey Parsons
12     You Stepped Out of a Dream 3:44
Nacio Herb Brown / Gus Kahn
Guitar – Charles Ables
13     You Won't Forget Me 7:12
Kermit Goell / Fred Spielman
Trumpet – Miles Davis
14     All My Tomorrows 6:22
Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen
Credits :
Bass – Buster Williams (faixas: 5, 10, 12), Charles Ables (faixas: 1 to 3, 6 to 8, 11, 13, 14)
Drums – Billy Hart (faixas: 5, 10, 12), Steve Williams (faixas: 1 to 3, 6 to 8, 11, 13, 14)
Piano, Vocals, Arranged By – Shirley Horn
   

MILES DAVIS - Big Fun (1974-2000) 2CD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Despite the presence of classic tracks like Joe Zawinul's "Great Expectations," Big Fun feels like the compendium of sources it is. These tracks are all outtakes from other sessions, most notably Bitches Brew, On the Corner, and others. The other element is that many of these tracks appeared in different versions elsewhere. These were second takes, or the unedited takes before producer Teo Macero and Miles were able to edit them, cut and paste their parts into other things, or whatever. That is not to say the album should be dismissed. Despite the numerous lineups and uneven flow of the tracks, there does remain some outstanding playing and composing here. Most notably is "Great Expectations" from 1969, which opens the album. Here the lineup is Miles, Steve Grossman, Bennie Maupin, John McLaughlin, Khalil Balakrishna, and Bihari Sharma on sitar and tambura, Herbie, Chick Corea, Ron Carter, Harvey Brooks, Billy Cobham, and Airto. Creating a series of vamps from drones and a small melodic figure, there is very little in the way of groove or melodic development until the middle section, where a series of modalities enters the composition. The second album in the set features "Go Ahead John," an outtake from Jack Johnson's sessions that is 28 minutes in length. It's a riff-based groover, with McLaughlin and his wah-wah pedal setting the pace with Steve Grossman on soprano. The basic motif is the blues, floating around E and Bb flat, but there are modulations introduced by Miles into Db flat that add a kinkier dimension into the proceedings as well. Dave Holland is the bass player, and DeJohnette is the drummer. There is no piano. What's most interesting about this date is how it prefigures what would become "Right Off" from Jack Johnson. It doesn't have the same fire, nor does it manage to sustain itself for the duration, but there are some truly wonderful sections in the piece. This is for Miles fans only, especially those of his electric period, because it fills in the puzzle. The reissue added four bonus tracks to the original double-LP set, but other than "Recollections" by Zawinul, they shed little light on the mystique and development of the intensely creative music being developed in 1969 and 1970. Others should be directed to Bitches Brew, In A Silent Way, Jack Johnson, or Live Evil as starting points. by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist 1:
1 Great Expectations 27:23
Bass – Ron Carter
Bass [Fender] – Harvey Brooks
Bass Clarinet – Bennie Maupin
Drums – Billy Cobham
Electric Guitar – John McLaughlin
Electric Piano – Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Sitar [Electric], Tambura – Bihari Sharma, Khalil Balakrishna
Soprano Saxophone – Steve Grossman
2 Ife 21:34
Bass – Michael Henderson
Clarinet, Flute – Bennie Maupin
Drums – Al Foster, Billy Hart
Percussion [African] – James "Mtume" Forman*
Piano – Harold I. Williams*, Lonnie Smith
Soprano Saxophone – Carlos Garnett
Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Sonny Fortune
Tabla – Badal Roy
3 Recollections 18:55
Bass Clarinet – Bennie Maupin
Cuica, Percussion – Airto Moreira
Drums – Jack DeJohnette
Electric Bass – Dave Holland
Electric Piano [Left] – Joe Zawinul
Electric Piano [Right] – Chick Corea
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Triangle – Billy Cobham
4 Trevere 5:55
Bass – Dave Holland
Bass Clarinet – Bennie Maupin
Cuica, Berimbau – Airto Moreira
Drums – Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette
Electric Bass – Harvey Brooks
Electric Piano – Chick Corea
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Organ, Celesta – Larry Young
Sitar [Electric] – Khalil Balakrishna
Soprano Saxophone – Steve Grossman
Tambura – Bihari Sharma
Tracklist 2:
1 Go Ahead John 28:27
Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Jack DeJohnette
Electric Guitar – John McLaughlin
Saxophone – Steve Grossman
2 Lonely Fire 21:21
Bass – Dave Holland
Bass [Fender] – Harvey Brooks
Bass Clarinet – Bennie Maupin
Drums – Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette
Electric Piano – Chick Corea
Electric Piano, Organ [Farfisa] – Joe Zawinul
Instruments [Indian] – Airto Moreira, Khalil Balakrishna
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
3 The Little Blue Frog 9:10
Bass – Dave Holland
Bass Clarinet – Bennie Maupin
Cuica, Berimbau – Airto Moreira
Drums – Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette
Electric Bass – Harvey Brooks
Electric Piano – Chick Corea
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Organ, Celesta – Larry Young
Sitar [Electric] – Khalil Balakrishna
Soprano Saxophone – Steve Grossman
Tambura – Bihari Sharma
4 Yaphet 9:39
Bass – Ron Carter
Bass Clarinet – Bennie Maupin
Cuica, Berimbau – Airto Moreira
Drums, Triangle – Billy Cobham
Electric Bass – Harvey Brooks
Electric Piano [Left] – Herbie Hancock
Electric Piano [Right] – Chick Corea
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Sitar [Electric] – Khalil Balakrishna
Soprano Saxophone – Steve Grossman
Tambura, Tabla – Bihari Sharma
 

HERBIE HANCOCK - Crossings (1972-2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With the frenzied knocking of what sounds like a clock shop gone berserk, Crossings takes the Herbie Hancock Sextet even further into the electric avant-garde, creating its own idiom. Now, however, the sextet has become a septet with the addition of Dr. Patrick Gleeson on Moog synthesizer, whose electronic decorations, pitchless and not, give the band an even spacier edge. Again, there are only three tracks -- the centerpiece being Hancock's multi-faceted, open-structured suite in five parts called "Sleeping Giant." Nearly 25 minutes long yet amazingly cohesive, "Sleeping Giant" gathers a lot of its strength from a series of funky grooves -- the most potent of which explodes at the tail-end of Part Two -- and Hancock's on-edge Fender Rhodes electric piano solos anticipate his funk adventures later in the '70s. Bennie Maupin's "Quasar" pushes the session into extraterrestrial territory, dominated by Gleeson's wild Moog effects and trumpeter Eddie Henderson's patented fluttering air trumpet. Even stranger is Maupin's "Water Torture," which saunters along freely with splashes of color from Hancock's spooky Mellotron and fuzz-wah-pedaled Fender Rhodes piano, Gleeson's electronics, and a quintet of voices. Still a challenging sonic experience, this music (which can be heard on Warners' Mwandishi two-CD set) has yet to find its audience, though the electronica-minded youth ought to find it dazzling. by Richard S. Ginell  

Tracklist:

1. Sleeping Giant (24:48)

2. Quasar (7:25)

3. Water Torture (13:54)

Total Time 46:21

Credits:

Herbie Hancock - Piano, Electric Piano, Mellotron, Percussion

Eddie Henderson - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion

Billy Hart - Drums, Percussion

Julian Priester - Bass, Tenor and Alto Trombone, Percussion

Buster Williams - Electric Bass, Bass, Percussion

Bennie Maupin - Soprano Saxophone, Alto Flute, Bass Clarinet, Piccolo, Percussion

Patrick Gleeson - Moog Synthesizer

Victor Pontoja - Congas

Voices - Candy Love, Sandra Stevens, Della Horne, Victoria Domagalski, Scott Breach

HERBIE HANCOCK - Sextant (1973-1998) APE (image+.cue), lossless

When Herbie Hancock left Warner Bros. in 1971 after releasing three musically sound but critically and commercially underappreciated albums -- The Crossing, Mwandishi, and Fat Albert's Groove -- he was struggling. At odds with a jazz establishment that longed for his return to his Blue Note sound and a fierce consciousness struggle with free music and the full-on embrace of electricity since his tenure with Miles Davis, Hancock was clearly looking for a voice. Before diving into the commercial waters that would become Headhunters in 1973, Hancock and his tough group (including Billy Hart, Julian Priester, Dr. Eddie Henderson, Bennie Maupin, and Buster Williams) cut this gem for their new label, Columbia. Like its Warner predecessors, the album features a kind of post-modal, free impressionism while gracing the edges of funk. The three long tracks are exploratory investigations into the nature of how mode and interval can be boiled down into a minimal stew and then extrapolated upon for soloing and "riffing." In fact, in many cases, the interval becomes the riff, as is evidenced by "Rain Dance." The piece that revealed the true funk direction, however, was "Hidden Shadows," with its choppy basslines and heavy percussion -- aided by the inclusion of Dr. Patrick Gleeson and Buck Clarke. Dave Rubinson's production brought Hancock's piano more into line with the rhythm section, allowing for a unified front in the more abstract sections of these tunes. The true masterpiece on the album, though, is "Hornets," an eclectic, electric ride through both the dark modal ambience of Miles' In a Silent Way and post-Coltrane harmonic aesthetics. The groove is in place, but it gets turned inside out by Priester and Maupin on more than one occasion and Hancock just bleats with the synth in sections. Over 19 minutes in length, it can be brutally intense, but is more often than not stunningly beautiful. It provides a glimpse into the music that became Headhunters, but doesn't fully explain it, making this disc, like its Warner predecessors, true and welcome mysteries in Hancock's long career. by Thom Jurek
Tracklist:
1 Rain Dance 9:16
2 Hidden Shadows 10:11
3 Hornets 19:35
Credits:
Bass Trombone, Tenor Trombone, Trombone [Alto Trombone], Cowbell – Pepo
Composed By – Herbie Hancock
Congas, Bongos – Buck Clarke
Drums – Jabali
Effects [Random Resonator] – Fundi
Electric Bass [Fender Electric With Wah-wah And Fuzz], Acoustic Bass – Mchezaji
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Clavinet [Hohner D-6 With Fender Fuzz-wah And Echoplex], Mellotron, Piano [Steinway], Handclaps – Mwandishi
Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Piccolo Flute, Afoxé [Afuche], Kazoo [Hum-a-zoo] – Mwile
Synthesizer [Arp 2600] – Dr. Patrick Gleeson
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Mganga

SONNY FORTUNE - Great Friends (1986) APE (tracks+.cue), lossless

Great Friends is an artifact. Recorded on July 7, 1986, at Sysmo Studio in Paris, it is the only recorded output of the aggregation that included alto saxophonist Sonny Fortune, tenor saxophonist Billy Harper, Stanley Cowell at the piano, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Billy Hart. Until this reissue on the Pennsylvania indie Evidence Music, Great Friends was only available in Europe, on the French label Black & Blue. While led by the bristling tones of Fortune's alto, the recording gives equal time to each musician, allowing its titular egalitarianism to color each of the eight tracks included. Workman's bass solos on Stanley Cowell's "Equipoise" and his own "Synapse," in particular, reveal the clear lines of communication that define this recording. "Equipoise" as a whole is the standout track here; plaintive keys are matched by an urgent, slowly building rhythm that flirts with the saxophone and bass solos, never cresting into the pop crescendo that always seems to lurk just beyond the solo. Billy Harper's "Insight" lets drummer Billy Hart solo for almost a minute before opening up into an incredible interplayed solo between Fortune and Harper. Including as it does some of the fastest playing of the session, "Insight" illustrates the comfortable improvisation between the players. This recording occurred immediately after a European tour, and includes none of the sterility of a studio situation. Fortune, Harper, Cowell, Workman, and Hart hit on all cylinders throughout, often approximating what it must have been like to see these great friends at one of those smoky European clubs. by Johnny Loftus  

HERBIE HANCOCK - Mwandishi (1971-2007) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

It is one of Hancock's first departures from the traditional idioms of jazz as well as the onset of a new, creative and original style which produced an appeal to a wider audience, before his 1973 album, Head Hunters. In addition, Mwandishi was Hancock's attempt at continuing the musical principles and styles he began playing with Miles Davis on In A Silent Way. Hancock's previous attempts at jazz-rock fusion included Fat Albert Rotunda, an album conceived solely for Bill Cosby's Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.

Mwandishi was recorded at Wally Heider Recording Studios, in San Francisco, California in December 1970. It was originally recorded by the Mwandishi Sextet that was built around Herbie Hancock and progressive notions of funk, jazz, and rock during this time period.

The tracks on Mwandishi are "Ostinato," the time signature of which is 15/8, "You'll Know When You Get There", and "Wandering Spirit Song". "Wandering Spirit Song" features Hancock's extensive use of tension and release, whereby he builds the tension of the song by increasing the amount of musical voices and increasing crescendos, only to release the tension with long held out chords on his synthesizer.

Mwandishi is a Swahili name Hancock adopted during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The members of the Sextet each adopted a Swahili name: Mchezaji/Buster Williams, Jabali/Billy Hart, Mganga/Eddie Henderson, Mwile/Bennie Maupin, Pepo Mtoto/Julian Priester, and Ndugu/Leon Chancler.

With the formation of his great electric sextet, Herbie Hancock's music took off into outer and inner space, starting with the landmark Mwandishi album recorded in a single session on New Year's Eve. Ever the gadgeteer, Herbie plays with electronic effects devices -- reverb units, stereo tremelo, and Echoplex -- which all lead his music into spacier, open-ended directions very much influenced by Miles Davis' electric experiments, rendering it from post-bop conventions. There are just three tracks: the insistent 15/4-meter Afro-electric-funk workout "Ostinato (Suite for Angela)," the inquisitive "You'll Know When You Get There" with its ethereal Hancock voicings, and trombonist Julian Priester's "Silent Way"-influenced "Wandering Spirit Song," which eventually dips into tumultuous free form. Eddie Henderson emerges as a major trumpet soloist here, probing, jabbing, soliloquizing; Bennie Maupin comes over from Lee Morgan's group to add his ominous bass clarinet and thoughtful alto flute; and Buster Williams' bass and Billy Hart's flexible drums propel the rhythm section. Santana's José Chepitó Areas and Leon "Ndugu" Chancler also add funky percussive reinforcement to "Ostinato," along with guitarist Ron Montrose. The group's collective empathy is remarkable, and Hancock had only begun to probe the outer limits with this extraordinary music. by Richard S. Ginell

Tracklist:

1. Ostinato (Suite For Angela)

2. You'll Know When You Get There

3. Wandering Spirit Song

4. Ostinato (Suite for Angela) [promo edit]

5. You'll Know When You Get There [promo edit]

Personnel:

Mwandishi / Herbie Hancock – Fender Rhodes piano

Mchezaji / Buster Williams – Bass

Jabali / Billy Hart – Drums

Mganga / Eddie Henderson – Trumpet, flugelhorn

Mwile / Bennie Maupin – Bass clarinet, alto flute, piccolo

Pepo Mtoto / Julian Priester – tenor trombone, bass trombone

Ronnie Montrose – Guitar on "Ostinato (Suite For Angela)"

Leon "Ndugu" Chancler – drums and percussion

Chepito / Jose Areas – congas and Timbales on "Ostinato (Suite For Angela)"