LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES — Astral Traveling (1973-2014) RM | Flying Dutchman Jazz Classics Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Lonnie Liston Smith was 32 when, in 1973, he finally got around to recording his first album as a leader, Astral Traveling. By that time, the pianist/keyboardist had a great deal of sideman experience under his belt, and this superb debut made it clear that former employers like Pharoah Sanders, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Gato Barbieri, and Betty Carter had taught him well. One hears a lot of Sanders, John Coltrane, and McCoy Tyner influence on Astral Traveling; Smith obviously shares their passion for all things spiritual. Nonetheless, this LP leaves no doubt that the improviser is very much his own man and has a wealth of brilliant ideas of his own; thankfully, he has a cohesive band to help him carry them out. On Astral Traveling, Smith's 1973 edition of the Cosmic Echoes includes George Barron on soprano and tenor sax, Joe Beck on guitar, Cecil McBee on bass, David Lee Jr. on drums, James Mtume and Sonny Morgan on percussion, Badal Roy on Indian tabla drums, and Geeta Vashi on the Indian tamboura. An impressive lineup, and one that shows a great understanding of Smith's spiritual nature. Ninety-five percent of the time, Astral Traveling is serene and tranquil; but on "I Mani (Faith)," the unexpected interesting happens when Barron goes outside during his sax solo and gets into the type of dissonant, forceful screaming one would expect from Albert Ayler or late-period Coltrane. "I Mani (Faith)" has a hauntingly peaceful melody, but Barron's out-of-left-field solo makes it the most avant-garde track that Smith ever recorded as a leader. Produced by the late Bob Thiele -- an eclectic heavyweight who worked with everyone from Coltrane, Ayler, and Charles Mingus to Coleman Hawkins, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong -- Astral Traveling is among Smith's most essential and rewarding albums. Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1. Astral Traveling (Smith) - 5:30
2. Let Us Go into the House of the Lord (Smith) - 6:22
3. Rejuvenation (Smith) - 5:36
4. I Mani (Faith) (Smith) - 6:11
5. In Search of Truth (Smith) - 7:12
6. Aspirations (Smith) - 4:23
7. Astral Traveling (alternate take) (Smith) - 5:38
8. Rejuvenation (alternate take) (Smith) - 6:33
9. I Mani (Faith) (alternate take) (Smith) - 5:57
10. In Search of Truth (alternate take) (Smith) - 6:23
Credits :
Lonnie Liston Smith - Piano, Electric Piano
George Barron - Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Joe Beck - Guitar
Cecil McBee - Bass
David Lee, Jr. - Drums
Badal Roy - Tabla
Sonny Morgan, James Mtume - Congas, Percussion
Geeta Vashi - Tamboura

GARY BARTZ - The Shadow Do! (1975-2007) RM | Prestige Sixtieth Anniversary 14 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Not as known as the later Music Is My Sanctuary -- which was an even further departure, in its increased smoothness, from his Ntu Troop dates, and more popular by virtue of being released on Blue Note -- The Shadow Do! was the first time Gary Bartz sought production assistance from Fonce and Larry Mizell, the sibling duo who enlivened many sessions throughout the '70s with their soaring fusion of soul, funk, and (as Bartz would say) "the j-word." At this point, some j-word purists were hip to the Mizell program, what with dates from Bobbi Humphrey, Donald Byrd, and Johnny Hammond already in circulation. Checking the back of this Prestige release supplied all the info they needed to know: production by the Mizells, and four people credited with playing some form of synthesizer. Keyboardist Hubert Eaves, bassist Michael Henderson, guitarist Reggie Lucas, percussionist Mtume, and drummer Howard King help lend a sound that is a little funkier and heavier than most Mizell-guided sessions, but it's no less sweet. The second through fourth songs of side one exude joy and love, anchoring the album in a sense of contentedness so infectious that it might have even won over a few cold souls expecting straight jazz. Bartz's saxophones are at their melodic best, dancing, skipping, and trilling through the arrangements. He also sings lead, present on most of the songs, and though he probably didn't win any publication's best vocalist award, no one sounds like him, and the Mizells' own background harmonies are on-point as ever. Andy Kellman
Tracklist :
1    Winding Roads 3:18
Lyrics By, Arranged By [Vocals] – Gary Bartz
Written-By, Arranged By – Hubert Eaves
2    Mother Nature 6:27
Written-By, Arranged By, Composed By – Gary Bartz
3    Love Tones 5:11
Written-By, Arranged By – Gary Bartz
4    Gentle Smiles (Saxy) 4:21
Lyrics By, Arranged By [Vocals] – Gary Bartz
Written-By, Arranged By – Reggie Lucas
5    Make Me Feel Better 4:41
Written-By, Arranged By, Backing Vocals – Michael Henderson
6    Sea Gypsy 6:18
Arranged By – Larry Mizell
Whistle – James Carter
7    For My Baby 4:57
Written-By, Arranged By – Gary Bartz
8    Incident 2:56
Arranged By, Music By – Gary Bartz
Lyrics By – Countee Cullen
Credits :
Bass – Michael Henderson
Congas, Percussion – Mtume
Drums, Synthesizer – Howard King
Executive-Producer – Orrin Keepnews
Guitar – Reggie Lucas
Piano, Clavinet, Synthesizer – Hubert Eaves
Saxophone [Alto, Soprano], Synthesizer, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Co-producer, Other [Cover Concept, Title] – Gary Bartz
Synthesizer – Larry Mizell

GARY BARTZ - Music Is My Sanctuary (1967-2014) Rare Groove Funk Best Collection 1000 | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Surrounding himself with a world-class ensemble of disco-jazz-fusion musicians and armed with the Mizell brothers at the production console (who were near the peak of their careers around this time), Gary Bartz took the route of Donald Byrd and brought new elements of funk, soul, and a foreshadowing of the soon-to-be-commercial disco craze all into a 40-minute workout on Music Is My Sanctuary. While purists shook their heads in disapproval and disdain at Bartz's new direction (one emulated by several jazz pioneers at the time), those who could take off their traditional jazz mufflers would find Bartz and the Mizells making some highly infectious, soulful music. Further accentuated by the addition of Syreeta Wright on vocals, the Mizells took Bartz into nearly uncharted territories for jazz musicians. The results of this experimentation more than paid off, with the dividends being Bartz's most polished, focused releases. Rob Theakston
Tracklist :
1     Music Is My Sanctuary 6'22
Gary Bartz
2     Carnaval de l'Esprit 5'57
Gary Bartz    
3     Love Ballad 4'11
Gary Bartz
4     Swing Thing 6'53
Gary Bartz
5     Oo Baby Baby 5'55
W. Prince Moore
6     Macaroni 6'42
Gary Bartz
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer, Vocals – Gary Bartz
Arranged By – Gary Bartz (pistas: 1, 2, 6), Larry Mizell (pistas: 3, 4, 5)
Bass – Curtis Robinson, Jr., Welton Gite
Drums – Howard King, James Gadson, Nate Neblett
Guitar – David T. Walker, John Rowin, Juewett Bostick, Wa Wa Watson
Keyboards, Vocals – Larry Mizell
Percussion – Bill Summers, Mtume
Piano – George Cables
Trumpet – Eddie Henderson, Raymond Brown
Vocals – Sigidi, Syreeta Wright

PHAROAH SANDERS - Love In Us All (1974-2007) RM | Japan Mini LP | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded near the end of Pharoah Sanders' tenure at Impulse, Love in Us All consists of two extended compositions. Together, they serve as an aural representation of the way Sanders' music polarized the jazz world at the time. Like many of his "New Thing" peers, the saxophonist sought the sound world beyond the constraints of conventional harmony. This often translated into music played at the grating, far reaches of his instrument. "To John" finds Sanders in this territory. His solo begins with Coltrane-isms of short motive development before stretching out into a more personal sound. Finding himself engulfed by a rising musical tide, he plays like he's fighting desperately to stay above it. Soon his saxophone takes on a sorrowful tone as if admitting inevitable defeat. With little optimism apparent, it ultimately communicates a sense of emptiness. However, the often one-dimensional criticism of Sanders as an angry, confrontational musician fails to take in the ragged beauty of a work like "Love Is Everywhere." The song offers little explanation as to what the furor was all about. It begins with an exquisite bass vamp that the song builds from. "Love is everywhere" is repeatedly and passionately shouted as the music escalates into a disorienting swirl of sound. Sanders enters midway through with a surprisingly restrained and lyrical solo on soprano. These two songs hardly seem to belong on the same album and are best approached separately. Many of the players who took musical and philosophical inspiration from John Coltrane failed to translate it into resonant works of their own. Sanders' unsuccessful attempt on "To John" falls in this category. Yet, in a way, Coltrane himself never created a work as emotionally direct as "Love Is Everywhere." Nathan Bush
Tracklist :
1    Love Is Everywhere    19:52
2    To John    20:42
Credits :
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Norman Connors
Flute – James Branch
Percussion – Badal Roy, James Mtume, Lawrence Killian
Piano – Joe Bonner
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Pharoah Sanders

PHAROAH SANDERS - Village of the Pharoahs + Wisdom Through Music (2011) RM | Serie : Impulse! 2-On-1 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The albums packaged in this Impulse two-fer -- Village of the Pharoahs and Wisdom Through Music -- were both released in 1973, but only the latter was recorded as an album. They share the same basic personnel -- pianist Joe Bonner, bassist Cecil McBee, drummer Norman Connors, and percussionist Lawrence Killian -- while Village, because it was recorded at three different sessions over three years, also contains numerous other players, including vocalist Sedatrius Brown, bassists Stanley Clarke, Jimmy Hopps, and Calvin Hill, percussionists Hannibal Peterson and Kenneth Nash, and flutist Art Webb. Wisdom Through Music simply adds Mtume and Badal Roy to the percussion section, with Killian and flutist James "Plunky" Branch (founder of spiritual jazz-funk pioneers Oneness of Juju). Historically, Village of the Pharoahs has gotten a bad rap because of its wide range of musical approaches. The largest part of the former album is taken up with the three-part title track on which Sanders plays only soprano saxophone, percussion instruments, and sings. It's a cosmic, sprawling jam that seems to lead everywhere through Middle Eastern modalities, but is wonderfully accessible. Other highlights include "Memories of Lee Morgan," with gorgeous flute playing by Webb matching Sanders' soprano, and a wonderfully elliptical piano line by Bonner, and the closing "Went Like It Came," where Sanders pulls out his mighty tenor and makes his brand of vanguard jazz swing like mad. Wisdom Through Music, with its smaller lineup, consists of five tracks. Most notable is "High Life," on which Sanders emulates the West African style of music with roiling, celebratory drumming and singing, and killer flute playing. "Love Is Everywhere" is a shorter version of what is now a Sanders performance standard; it appeared in full on Love in Us All released in 1974. Its rawness and soulfulness simply burst from the musical frame with celebration before Bonner and the ensemble take over and rip it up. The title track is a slow, meditative, drone-like piece with abundant percussion by Roy and gorgeous arco work from McBee. Bonner's "The Golden Lamp" is driven by McBee, Branch, and an uncredited instrument rreminiscent of kora and/or an oud. It closes with the nearly 11-minute "Selflessness," a jam that begins as a sung chant and sprawls out into another Sanders orgy of celebration with excellent tenor blowing, as well as spirited interplay with Bonner and the percussionists. These two recordings belong together, and create a compelling whole, revealing a compelling chapter in Sanders recorded history.
|> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <|
Village Of The Pharoahs (1971)
Bass – Calvin Hill
Congas – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Jimmy Hopps
Drums [Sakara And Murdunom], Percussion – Kenneth Nash
Piano, Flute, Percussion, Shakuhachi – Joe Bonner
Soprano Saxophone, Vocals, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Tambura, Percussion – Kylo Kylo
Vocals, Percussion – Sedatrius Brown
1    Part One    7:14
2    Part Two    4:58
3    Part Three    4:51
4    Myth 1:47
Bass – Calvin Hill
Percussion, Whistle – Kenneth Nash
Vocals, Percussion – Joe Bonner, Lawrence Killian, Pharoah Sanders, Sedatrius Brown
5    Mansion Worlds 9:15
Bass – Cecil McBee, Stanley Clark
Congas, Percussion – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Norman Connors
Percussion – Marvin Peterson
Piano – Joe Bonner
Soprano Saxophone, Bells – Pharoah Sanders
6    Memories Of Lee Morgan 5:38
Bass – Cecil McBee, Stanley Clark
Drums – Norman Connors
Flute – Arthur Webb
Piano – Joe Bonner
Soprano Saxophone, Bells – Pharoah Sanders
7    Went Like It Came 5:09
Bass – Calvin Hill
Congas – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Jimmy Hopps
Percussion – Kenneth Nash, Kylo Kylo
Piano – Joe Bonner
Tenor Saxophone, Vocals, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Vocals, Percussion – Sedatrius Brown
Wisdom Through Music (1972)   
8    High Life 4:23
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Norman Connors
Flute – James Branch
Percussion – Badal Roy, Mtume, Lawrence Killian
Piano – Joe Bonner
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Pharoah Sanders
9    Love Is Everywhere 5:21
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Norman Connors
Flute – James Branch
Percussion – Badal Roy, Mtume*, Lawrence Killian
Piano – Joe Bonner
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Pharoah Sanders
10    Wisdom Through Music 5:46
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Norman Connors
Flute – James Branch
Percussion – Badal Roy, Mtume, Lawrence Killian
Piano – Joe Bonner
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Pharoah Sanders
11    The Golden Lamp 4:47
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Norman Connors
Flute – James Branch
Percussion – Badal Roy, Mtume, Lawrence Killian
Piano – Joe Bonner
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Pharoah Sanders
Written-By – Joseph Bonner
12    Selflessness 10:56
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Norman Connors
Flute – James Branch
Percussion – Badal Roy, Mtume, Lawrence Killian
Piano – Joe Bonner
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Pharoah Sanders

JIMMY HEATH - The Gap Sealer + Love and Understanding (1972-2008) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Some of Heath's finest, most aggressive playing. He is a standout on soprano, flute, and tenor. Ron Wynn

This is one of Jimmy Heath's more unusual and versatile records, and fortunately it has been reissued on CD. Heath switches between tenor, soprano and flute on a diverse program (five originals plus Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood") that ranges from hard bop to light funk and R&Bish jazz. Heath's sidemen (trombonist Curtis Fuller, cellist Bernard Fennell, keyboardist Stanley Cowell, electric bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Billy Higgins) sound quite inspired by the material and Heath plays at his most inventive throughout the underrated set. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Heritage Hum 7'48
Jimmy Heath
2     Invitation 5:46
Kaper    
3     A Sound For Sore Ears  7'20
Jimmy Heath
4     Gap Sealer 7'28
Jimmy Heath
5     Angel Man 7'20
Jimmy Heath
6     Alkebu-Lan (Land of the Blacks) 7'34
James Mtume
 Love and Understanding (1973)
7     One For Juan 7'04
Jimmy Heath
8     Hands Up! Feet Down! 7'06
Jimmy Heath
9     Far Away Lands 5'02
Jimmy Heath
10     Smilin' Billy 5'46
Jimmy Heath
11     Gemini 7'53
Jimmy Heath
Credits :
1-6
Bass – Bob Cranshaw
Drums – Al "Tootie" Heath
Percussion – Mtume
Piano – Kenny Barron
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath
7-11
Cello – Bernard Fennell
Drums, Tambourine – Billy Higgins
Electric Bass – Bob Cranshaw
Piano, Electric Piano – Stanley Cowell
Flute, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath
Trombone – Curtis Fuller

JIMMY HEATH - Time and the Place (1974-1994) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Although this 1994 CD looks like a reissue, the music was actually released for the first time 20 years after it was recorded. Jimmy Heath, who is heard here on tenor, alto, soprano and flute, played at his prime throughout the 1970's although he tended to be somewhat overlooked in popularity polls. Heath was stretching himself during the era as can be heard on these obscure pieces; five of his originals plus Kenny Dorham's "No End." Although essentially bop-based, Heath was open to the influences of the avant-garde and fusion and, with a flexible group also including trombonist Curtis Fuller, guitarist Pat Martino, pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Sam Jones, drummer Billy Higgins and percussionist Mtume, Jimmy Heath consistently takes adventurous yet logical solos. Worth checking out. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     The Time and the Place 9'34
Jimmy Heath
2     The Voice of the Saxophone 6'11
Jimmy Heath
3     No End 7'06
Kenny Dorham
4     The 13th House 9'04
Jimmy Heath    
5     Fau-Lu 8'07
Jimmy Heath    
6     Studio Style 4'49
Jimmy Heath
Credits :
Congas, Percussion – Mtume (pistas: 1, 3 to 5)
Drums – Billy Higgins
Flute, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath
Guitar – Pat Martino
Piano, Mbira – Stanley Cowell
Trombone – Curtis Fuller (pistas: 1, 3 to 5)
Vocals – Curtis Fuller (pistas: 3), Jimmy Heath (pistas: 3)

THE HEATH BROTHERS - As We Were Saying (1997) FLAC (tracks), lossless

During the Modern Jazz Quartet's temporary retirement from 1975-83, bassist Percy Heath teamed up with tenor and soprano great Jimmy Heath and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath (who left after a few years) to form the Heath Brothers. There had been occasional reunions since then, but this is the first record done under the Heath Brothers name in over a decade, and it finds the musical communication between the three siblings as strong as ever. Joined by either Stanley Cowell or Sir Roland Hanna on piano and such guests as guitarist Mark Elf, trombonist Slide Hampton, trumpeter Jon Faddis (brilliant during his three appearances) and percussionist James Mtume (Jimmy's son), the Heaths perform a varied yet continually colorful set. The music is largely bop-oriented and includes six likable originals, "I'm Glad There Is You," "Daydream," and Fats Navarro's "Nostalgia." Although Percy has some solo spots, as do the guests, the main voice throughout is Jimmy Heath, who has long had his own distinctive sounds on tenor and soprano. Without exaggeration, it can be accurately stated that all nine performances on this CD are memorable in their own way. Highly recommended. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist :
1     The Newest One 6'18
Jimmy Heath
2     Bop Again 7'13
Jimmy Heath
3     For Seven's Sake 4'47
Albert "Tootie" Heath
4     South Filthy 3'29
Albert "Tootie" Heath / Jimmy Heath / Percy Heath
5     I'm Glad There Is You 7'38
Jimmy Dorsey / Paul Mertz
6     Dave's Daze 6'06
Percy Heath
7     Day Dream 6'46
Duke Ellington / John Latouche / Billy Strayhorn
8     Nostalgia 8'20
Fats Navarro
9     This Is What It Is 8'18
Jimmy Heath
Credits
Acoustic Bass, Cello [Jazz Cello] – Percy Heath
Drums, Percussion – Albert "Tootie" Heath
Guitar – Mark Elf (pistas: 1, 2, 3, 6)
Percussion – James Mtume (pistas: 4)
Piano – Sir Roland Hanna (pistas: 1, 6, 7, 9)
Piano, Kalimba – Stanley Cowell (pistas: 2, 3, 5)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Jimmy Heath
Trombone – Slide Hampton (pistas: 1, 8, 9)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jon Faddis (pistas: 1, 8, 9)

ART FARMER - Homecoming (1971-1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This Art Farmer studio session from 1971 has a slight contemporary flavor to it, due to the addition of conga player James "Mtume" Forman and percussionist Warren Smith, Jr. to a core group of collaborators including Jimmy Heath, Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, and Billy Higgins. Unfortunately, the additional percussionists are too prominent in the mix, greatly distracting from the driving arrangements of Farmer's "Homecoming" and Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa" as well as a peppy bossa nova, "Cascavelo." Far better are the quintet tracks, including the laid-back and mellow interpretation of Leonard Bernstein's ballad "Some Other Time," featuring the leader's matchless flügelhorn and Heath's soprano sax, and an upbeat chart of "Here's That Rainy Day." Another annoying problem is the seemingly out of tune piano, though Walton makes the best of a bad instrument. Not an essential album in the vast Farmer discography, but worth acquiring if found at a reasonable price, though it will be difficult. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1     Homecoming 4'04
Art Farmer
2     Cascavelo 8'39
Horst Muhlbradt
3     Some Other Time 5'53
Leonard Bernstein / Betty Comden / Adolph Green
4     Blue Bossa 6'47
Kenny Dorham
5     Here's That Rainy Day 6'26
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
Credits :
Bass – Samuel Jones
Congas – James Forman-Mtume
Drums – Billy Higgins
Flugelhorn – Art Farmer
Percussion – Warren Smith, Jr.
Piano – Cedar Walton
Flute, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – James Heath

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
 

MILES DAVIS - Get Up with It (1974-1996) 2CD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Get Up with It was released in 1974, critics -- let alone fans -- had a tough time with it. The package was a -- by then customary -- double LP, with sessions ranging from 1970-1974 and a large host of musicians who had indeed played on late-'60s and early-'70s recordings, including but not limited to Al Foster, Airto, John McLaughlin, Reggie Lucas, Pete Cosey, Mtume, David Liebman, Billy Cobham, Michael Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Sonny Fortune, Steve Grossman, and others. The music felt, as was customary then, woven together from other sources by Miles and producer Teo Macero. However, these eight selections point in the direction of Miles saying goodbye, as he did for six years after this disc. This was a summation of all that jazz had been to Davis in the '70s and he was leaving it in yet another place altogether; check the opening track, "He Loved Him Madly," with its gorgeous shimmering organ vamp (not even credited to Miles) and its elaborate, decidedly slow, ambient unfolding -- yet with pronounced Ellingtonian lyricism -- over 33 minutes. Given three guitar players, flute, trumpet, bass, drums, and percussion, its restraint is remarkable. When Miles engages the organ formally as he does on the funky groove that moves through "Maiysha," with a shimmering grace that colors the proceedings impressionistically through Lucas, Cosey and guitarist Dominique Gaumont, it's positively shattering. This is Miles as he hadn't been heard since In a Silent Way, and definitely points the way to records like Tutu, The Man with the Horn, and even Decoy when he re-emerged.
That's not to say the harder edges are absent: far from it. There's the off-world Latin funk of "Calypso Frelimo" from 1973, with John Stubblefield, Liebman, Cosey, and Lucas turning the rhythm section inside out as Miles sticks sharp knives of angular riffs and bleats into the middle of the mix, almost like a guitarist. Davis also moves the groove here with an organ and an electric piano to cover all the textural shapes. There's even a rather straight -- for Miles -- blues jam in "Red China Blues" from 1972, featuring Wally Chambers on harmonica and Cornell Dupree on guitar with a full brass arrangement. The set closes with another 1972 session, the endearing "Billy Preston," another of Davis' polyrhythmic funk exercises where the drummers and percussionists -- Al Foster, Badal Roy, and Mtume -- are up front with the trumpet, sax (Carlos Garrett), and keyboards (Cedric Lawson), while the strings -- Lucas, Henderson, and electric sitarist Khalil Balakrishna -- are shimmering, cooking, and painting the groove in the back. Billy Preston, the organist who the tune is named after, is nowhere present and neither is his instrument. It choogles along, shifting rhythms and meters while Miles tries like hell to slip another kind of groove through the band's armor, but it doesn't happen. The track fades, and then there is silence, a deafening silence that would not be filled until Miles' return six years later. This may be the most "commercial" sounding of all of Miles' electric records from the '70s, but it still sounds out there, alien, and futuristic in all the best ways, and Get Up with It is perhaps just coming into its own here in the 21st century. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist 1:
1 He Loved Him Madly 32:21
Flute – David Liebman
Guitar – Dominique Gaumont
2 Maiysha 14:57
Flute – Sonny Fortune
Guitar – Dominique Gaumont
1-3 Honky Tonk 5:58
Drums – William Cobham
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Keyboards – Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Saxophone – Steve Grossman
1-4 Rated X 6:53
Keyboards – Cedric Lawson
Percussion – Badal Roy
Sitar – Khalil Balakrishna
Tracklist 2:
1 Calypso Frelimo 32:13
Flute – David Liebman
Saxophone – John Stubblefield
2 Red China Blues 4:12
Arranged By [Brass] – Wade Marcus
Drums – Bernard Purdie
Guitar – Cornell Dupree
Harmonica – Wally Chambers
Producer, Arranged By [Rhythm] – Billy Jackson
3 Mtume 15:13
Saxophone, Flute – Sonny Fortune
4 Billy Preston 12:36
Organ – Cedric Lawson
Piano – Miles Davis
Saxophone – Carlos Garnett
Sitar – Khalil Balakrishna
Tabla – Badal Roy
Credits:
Drums – Al Foster (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 1-4 to 2-4)
Electric Bass – Michael Henderson
Guitar – Pete Cosey (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 2-3), Reggie Lucas (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 1-4, 2-1, 2-4)
Percussion – James Mtume (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 1-4 to 2-4)
Trumpet, Organ, Written-By – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS – Agharta (1975-2006) 2CD | RM | Serie The Original Jacket Collection | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Along with its sister recording, Pangaea, Agharta was recorded live in February of 1975 at the Osaka Festival Hall in Japan. Amazingly enough, given that these are arguably Davis' two greatest electric live records, they were recorded the same day. Agharta was performed in the afternoon and Pangaea in the evening. Of the two, Agharta is superior. The band with Davis -- saxophonist Sonny Fortune, guitarists Pete Cosey (lead) and Reggie Lucas (rhythm), bassist Michael Henderson, drummer Al Foster, and percussionist James Mtume -- was a group who had their roots in the radically streetwise music recorded on 1972's On the Corner, and they are brought to fruition here. The music on Agharta, a total of three tunes spread over two CDs and four LP sides, contains the "Prelude," which clocks in at over a half-hour. There is "Maiysha" from Get up With It and the Agharta "Interlude," which segues into the "Theme From Jack Johnson." The music here is almost totally devoid of melody and harmony, and is steeped into a steamy amalgam of riffs shot through and through with crossing polyrhythms, creating a deep voodoo funk groove for the soloists to inhabit for long periods of time as they solo and interact with one another. Davis' band leading at this time was never more exacting or free. The sense of dynamics created by the stop-start accents and the moods, textures, and colors brought out by this particular interaction of musicians is unparalleled in Davis' live work -- yeah, that includes the Coltrane and Bill Evans bands, but they're like apples and oranges anyway. Driven by the combination of Davis' direction and the soloing of Sonny Fortune and guitarist Pete Cosey, who is as undervalued and underappreciated for his incalculable guitar-slinging gifts as Jimi Hendrix is celebrated for his, and the percussion mania of Mtume, the performance on Agharta is literally almost too much of a good thing to bear. When Cosey starts his solo in the "Prelude" at the 12-minute mark, listeners cannot be prepared for the Hendrixian energy and pure electric whammy-bar weirdness that's about to come splintering out of the speakers. As the band reacts in intensity, the entire proceeding threatens to short out the stereo. These are some of the most screaming notes ever recorded. Luckily, since this is just the first track on the whole package, Davis can bring the tempos down a bit here and there and snake them into spots that I don't think even he anticipated before that afternoon (check the middle of "Maiysha" and the second third of "Jack Johnson" for some truly creepy and beautiful wonders). While Pangaea is awesome as well, there is simply nothing like Agharta in the canon of recorded music. This is the greatest electric funk-rock jazz record ever made -- period. Thom Jurek  
Tracklist 1:
1 Prelude 32:29
2 Maiysha 12:20
Tracklist 2:
2-1 Interlude / Theme From Jack Johnson 51:36
Credits:

Bass [Fender] – Michael Henderson

Congas [Conga], Percussion, Drum [Water Drum], Drum Machine [Rhythm Box] – Mtume
Drums – Al Foster
Guitar – Reggie Lucas
Guitar, Synthesizer, Percussion – Pete Cosey
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute – Sonny Fortune
Trumpet, Organ – Miles Davis
Written-By – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS – Pangaea (1975-2001) RM | Serie Master Sound | 2xCD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the second of two performances from February 1975 at the Osaka Festival Hall in Japan. This is the evening show; the Columbia release Agharta was the afternoon show. Pangaea is comprised of two tracks, "Zimbabwe" and "Gondwana." Each is divided into two parts. The band here is comprised of Sonny Fortune on saxophones, Pete Cosey (who also played synth) and Reggie Lucas on guitars, Michael Henderson on bass, Al Foster on drums, James Mtume on percussion, and Davis on trumpet and organ. The band, no doubt inspired by their amazing performance earlier in the day, comes out swinging, and I mean like Muhammad Ali, not Benny Goodman. This is a take-no-prisoners set. Davis seems to be pushing an agenda of "What the hell is melody and harmony? And bring on the funk -- and while you're at it, Pete, play the hell outta that guitar. More drums!" If there is anything that's consistent in this free-for-all, as everybody interacts with everyone else in an almighty dirty groove & roll while improv is at an all-time high, it's the rhythmic, or should we emphasize "polyrhythmic," invention. Mtume and Foster are monstrous in moving this murky jam session along ("Zimbabwe" is one set, and "Gondwana" is the second of the evening) some surreal lines. When Cosey's not ripping the pickups out of his guitar, he's adding his hands to various percussion instruments in the

pursuit of the all-powerful Miles Davis' inflected voodoo funk. And while it's true that this set is as relentless as the Agharta issue, it's not quite as successful, though it's plenty satisfying. The reason is simple: the dynamic and dramatic tensions of the afternoon session could never have been replicated, they were based on all conditions being right. Here, while the moods and textures are carried and the flow is quite free, the dramatic tension is not as present; the mood is not quite so dark. And while the playing of certain individuals here may be better than it is on Agharta, the band's playing isn't quite at that level. That said, this is still an essential Miles Davis live record and will melt your mind just as easily as Agharta. People would complain on this tour that Davis played with his back to the audience a lot -- Lester Bangs went so far as to say he hated his guts for it. But if you were this focused on creating a noise so hideously beautiful from thin air, you might not have time to socialize either.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa'<-
Tracklist 1 :
1 Zimbabwe 41:38
Tracklist 2 :
1 Gondwana 49:42
Credits :
Bass [Fender] – Michael Henderson
Congas, Percussion, Drums [Water Drums], Drum Machine [Rhythm Box] – Mtume
Drums – Al Foster
Guitar – Reggie Lucas
Guitar, Synthesizer, Percussion – Pete Cosey
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute – Sonny Fortune
Trumpet, Organ – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - Dark Magus (1977-1997) 2CD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Dark Magus is a live recording of a very specific 1974 Carnegie Hall date that included most, but not all, of the members who recorded the classics Agharta and Pangaea. While drummer Al Foster, bassist Michael Henderson, percussionist James Mtume, and guitarists Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas were all present, the key element of Sonny Fortune was not yet in the band. Saxophonists David Liebman and Azar Lawrence were doubling in the saxophone chairs, while Dominique Gaumont, with his Jimi Hendrix-styled effects and riffs, was the band's third guitarist. The deep voodoo funk that gelled on the aforementioned recordings hadn't yet come together on this night at Carnegie, near the end of a tour. Featuring four titles, all of them Swahili names for the numbers one through four, Dark Magus is a jam record. By this point, Miles was no longer really rehearsing his bands; they showed up and caught a whiff of what he wanted and went with it. Rhythms, colors, keys -- all of them would shift and change at Davis' whim. There were no melodies outside of a three-note vamp on "Wili" and a few riff-oriented melodics on "Tatu" -- the rest is all deep rhythm-based funk and dark groove. Greasy, mysterious, and full of menacing energy, Dark Magus shows a band at the end of its rope, desperate to change because the story has torn itself out of the book, but not knowing where to go and turning in on itself instead. These dynamics have the feel of unresolved, boiling tension. Gaumont's effects-laden guitar playing overshadows the real guitarists in the band: Cosey and his partner, the rhythmically inventive Lucas. Gaumont doesn't fit naturally, so he tries to dazzle his way in -- check the way Miles cuts his solos off so abruptly while letting the others dovetail and segue. Ultimately, Dark Magus is an over-the-top ride into the fragmented mind of Miles and his 1974 band; its rhythm section is the most compelling of any jazz-rock band in history, but the front lines, while captivating, are too loose and uneven to sustain the listener for the entire ride. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist 1:
1 Moja (Part 1) 12:28
2 Moja (Part 2) 12:40
3 Wili (Part 1) 14:20
4 Wili (Part 2) 10:44
Tracklist 2:
1 Tatu (Part 1) 18:47
2 Tatu (Part 2) ("Calypso Frelimo") 6:29
3 Nne (Part 1) ("Ife") 15:19
4 Nne (Part 2) 10:11
Credits:
Drums – Al Foster
Electric Bass – Michael Henderson
Guitar – Dominique Gaumont, Pete Cosey, Reggie Lucas
Percussion – Mtume
Tenor Saxophone – Azar Lawrence
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Dave Liebman
Trumpet, Organ, Written-By – Miles Davis