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

PHAROAH SANDERS AND ALICE COLTRANE — Antibes 68 & New York 71 : The Radio Broadcasts (2022) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pharoah Sanders    Medley    (37:54)
1-1    –    Unidentified    
1-2    –    Venus    
1-3    –    The Creator Has A Master Plan    
2    Alice Coltrane–    Africa    28:35
Credits :
Bass – Cecil McBee (tracks: 1-2), Jimmy Garrison (tracks: 1-2), Norris Jones (tracks: 1-1)
Drums – Clifford Jarvis (tracks: 1-2), Ed Blackwell (tracks: 1-2), Majid Shabazz (tracks: 1-1)
Harmonium – Kumar Kramer (tracks: 1-2)
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith (tracks: 1-1)
Piano, Harp – Alice Coltrane (tracks: 1-2)
Tambora – Tulsi (tracks: 1-2)
Tenor Saxophone, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders (tracks: 1-1)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Fife – Pharoah Sanders (tracks: 1-2)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Percussion – Archie Shepp (tracks: 1-2)

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

LEON THOMAS WITH OLIVER NELSON — Live in Berlin (1971-2002) RCA Victor Gold Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Leon Thomas makes a soaring, impressive vocal contribution. Nelson's alto sax solos sizzle. Ron Wynn   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — Skull Session (1975-2002) RM | RCA Victor Gold Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Skull Session is hardly up to snuff for the talented and overworked Nelson, who was busy scoring TV shows at the time. The title track is a fun little dabble in electronic funk, but the rest seems beneath Nelson's abilities, as it takes his signature sounds, adds disco, dumbs down the themes, and finishes it off with pedestrian solos from L.A. studio musicians. Douglas Payne  Tracklist & Credits :

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS HOT FIVE AND HOT SEVEN – 1926-1927 | The Classics Chronological Series – 585 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Louis Armstrong's Hot Five was the most influential jazz band of the mid-'20s. The first volume of Armstrong's complete works reissued by Classics followed this group's trail of recordings from November of 1925 through those made almost exactly one year later. Opening this second volume of vintage Armstrong, the Hot Five's last three records of 1926 are peppered with hot vocals intended to entertain and amuse. May Alix shouts the lyrics to "Sunset Cafe Stomp" and Armstrong puts across an interesting tune referencing two downtrodden ethnic groups, Irish and Afro-American. "You Made Me Love You" is not the venerable vaudeville number recorded by Al Jolson in 1913, but a punchy Armstrong original similar to the quaint syncopated love songs he had cooked up with Lil Hardin when they were still working for King Oliver. In May 1927 Armstrong expanded his ensemble for the first time to become the Hot Seven. The addition of Pete Briggs on tuba and Baby Dodds at the drums resulted in a full-bodied sound that made "Willie the Weeper" and "Potato Head Blues" so remarkably and enduringly potent. Armstrong's version of Fats Waller's "Alligator Crawl" is a miracle of perfect timing and immaculate ease. If Lil Hardin Armstrong's references to domestic violence seem a bit reckless during "That's When I'll Come Back to You," listeners should be advised that Afro-American music has always caused consternation by openly referring to topics usually swept under the rug. During the autumn and winter of 1927 Armstrong scaled his band back to five pieces, revisiting Kid Ory's 1922 novelty rag "Ory's Creole Trombone," adding a sixth player in guitarist Lonnie Johnson on "I'm Not Rough," and introducing to the world one of Lil Hardin Armstrong's all-time greatest compositions, "Struttin' with Some Barbecue." arwulf arwulf  Tracklist :

ROLAND KIRK - Here Comes the Whistleman (1967-1998) RM | Atlantic Original Sound | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Here Comes the Whistleman showcases Rahsaan Roland Kirk in 1967 with a fine band, live in front of a host of invited guests at Atlantic Studios in New York. His band for the occasion is stellar: Jacki Byard or Lonnie Smith on piano, Major Holley on bass, Lonnie Smith on piano, and Charles Crosby on drums. This is the hard, jump blues and deep R&B Roland Kirk band, and from the git, on "Roots," they show why. Kirk comes screaming out of the gate following a double time I-IV-V progression, with Holley punching the accents along the bottom and Byard shoving the hard tight chords up against Kirk's three-horn lead. The extended harmony Kirk plays -- though the melody line is a bar walking honk -- is extreme, full of piss and vinegar. On the title track, along with the artist's requisite, and genuinely good, humor, Kirk breaks out the whistles on top of the horn for a blues stomp with Smith taking over the piano chores. Smith plays a two chord vamp, changing the accent before he beings to break it open into a blues with skittering fills and turnarounds while Kirk blows circularly for 12 and 14 bars at a time. Byard returns for a tender and stirring duet rendition of "I Wished on the Moon," with his own glorious rich lyricism. And here is where Kirk displays the true measure of his ability as a saxophonist. Turning the ballad inside out, every which way without overstating the notes. Here, Ben Webster meets Coleman Hawkins in pure lyric ecstasy. The set officially ends with the wailing flute and sax jam "Aluminum Baby," (both courtesy of the irrepressible Kirk) and the bizarre ride of "Step Right Up" where Kirk sings scat in a dialect that sounds like Pop-eye. Now that's where the LP version ended, but the Label M CD reissue tags on, without credits anywhere two absolutely essential scorchers with what seems to be Byard on piano and an over-the-top bass blowout from Holley. Kirk plays saxophones on both, being his own horn section. This makes an already satisfying date an essential one. Given these additions, this might arguably be the place to start for an interested but underexposed listener who wants to experience how dazzlingly original Kirk was.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1     Roots 4'09
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
2     Here Comes the Whistle Man 4'53
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
3     I Wished on the Moon 4'48
Dorothy Parker / Ralph Rainger
4     Making Love After Hours 4'20
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
5     Yesterdays 3'54
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
6     Aluminum Baby 4'41
Jaki Byard
7     Step Right Up 4'41
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Roland Kirk (pistas: 7)
Double Bass – Major Holley
Drums – Charles Crosby
Flute – Roland Kirk (pistas: 4, 5)
Nose Flute – Roland Kirk (pistas: 2)
Piano – Jackie Byard (pistas: 1, 3, 6), Lonnie Smith (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 7)
Saxophone [Manzello] – Roland Kirk (pistas: 4, 6)
Saxophone [Stritch] – Roland Kirk (pistas: 4)
Tenor Saxophone – Roland Kirk (pistas: 1 to 4)

ROLAND KIRK - Rip Rig and Panic + Now Please Don't You Cry Beautiful Edith (1990) RM | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Combining the short yet solid 1965 release, Rip, Rig and Panic with Rahsaan Roland Kirk's 1967 release Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith, this two-fer presents a perfect portrait of Kirk's mid-'60s sound. While the albums are very different stylistically, Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith's mix of avant-garde and groove sounds seems like a logical next step to Rip, Rig and Panic's solid hard bop. Either of these albums would be great acquisitions on their own; getting them together is pure gravy. Stacia Proefrock
Rip, Rig & Panic (1965)    
1    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    No Tonic Press    4:30
Written-By – R. Kirk
2    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    Once In A While 3:58
Written-By – B. Green, M. Edwards
3    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    From Bechet, Byas, And Fats    6:28
Written-By – R. Kirk
4    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    Mystical Dream    2:36
Written-By – R. Kirk
5    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    Rip, Rig, And Panic    6:55
Written-By – R. Kirk
6    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    Black Diamond 5:20
Written-By – M. Sealey
7    The Roland Kirk Quartet ft. Elvin Jones–    Slippery, Hippery, Flippery    4:58
Written-By – R. Kirk
Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith (1967)    
8    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Blue Rol    6:09
Written-By – R. Kirk
9    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Alfie 2:52
Written-By – Bacharach/David
10    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Why Don't They Know    2:54
Written-By – R. Kirk
11    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Silverlization    4:57
Written-By – R. Kirk
12    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Fallout    3:01
Written-By – R. Kirk
13    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith    4:23
Written-By – R. Kirk
14    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    Stompin' Grounds    4:46
Written-By – R. Kirk
15    The Roland Kirk Quartet–    It's A Grand Night For Swinging 3:10
Written-By – B. Taylor
Credits :
Bass – Richard Davis (pistas: 1 to 7), Ronald Boykins (pistas: 8 to 15)
Castanets, Siren – Roland Kirk (pistas: 1 to 7)
Drums – Elvin Jones (pistas: 1 to 7), Grady Tate (pistas: 8 to 15)
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Flute – Roland Kirk (pistas: 8 to 15)
Piano – Jaki Byard (pistas: 1 to 7), Lonnie Liston Smith (pistas: 8 to 15)
Tenor Saxophone, Saxophone [Stritch], Saxophone [Manzello] – Roland Kirk

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

PHAROAH SANDERS - Meditation (Pharoah Sanders Selections Take 1 & 2) 2xCD (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although Pharoah Sanders first made his name in the free jazz scene of early-'60s New York and then by playing with John Coltrane in his most radical lineup, the saxophonist has never been merely a harsh, aggressive player. Meditation: Pharoah Sanders Selections, Take 1 does Sanders a great service by introducing the uninitiated to his work through music that is accessible and at times downright pretty without watering down his often-astonishing melodic freedom. 1970's "Thembi" marries an African rhythm to Sanders' graceful soprano sax and a fluid lead violin line by Michael White. "Morning Prayer," from the same sessions, has a hypnotic feel rooted in its polyrhythmic hand percussion (courtesy of Lonnie Liston Smith and a four-man team of African percussionists) and features an outstanding set of solos by Sanders on alto flute. "Colors" suffers a bit from being taken out of its original context as the becalmed coda to 1969's epic "The Creator Has a Master Plan," but Leon Thomas' incantatory vocal still has an eerie power. Finally, the epic 15-minute "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah" has the ecstatic frenzy of a classic Sun Ra Arkestra side and the cockeyed grace of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's best work, blended with perhaps Thomas' finest vocal ever, mixing the staid cadences of a four-square preacher with some defiantly outside ululations. Besides the album's four other tracks (which include 1971's rare "Mansion Worlds," a fairly traditional piece of modal jazz making its CD debut), these tracks alone are evidence of Sanders' abiding spirituality and restless creative spirit, making Meditation: Pharoah Sanders Selections, Take 1 a perfect introduction to the man and his work. Stewart Mason  
Meditation - Pharoah Sanders Selections Take 1 -
1.    Greeting To Saud 4'06
Percussion – Jimmy Hopps, Kenneth Nash, Lawrence Killian, Michael Carvin, Pharoah Sanders
Piano – Joe Bonner
Tambora – Calvin Hill
Violin – Michael White
Vocals – Sedatrius Brown
2.    Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum Allah 05'05
Drums – Roy Haynes
Drums, Percussion – Idris Muhammad
Flute, Thumb Piano, Percussion – Lonnie Liston Smith
Percussion – Cecil McBee
Tenor Saxophone, Contrabass Clarinet, Flute, Thumb Piano, Chimes, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas
3.    Mansion Worlds 9'14
Bass – Cecil McBee, Stanley Clarke
Drums – Norman Connors
Flute – Art Webb
Piano – Joe Bonner
Soprano Saxophone, Vocals, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
4.    The Gathering 13'53
Bass – Calvin Hill
Congas, Bell Tree – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Michael Carvin
Percussion – John Blue
Piano, Flute, Horn, Vocals, Percussion – Joe Bonner
Sopranino Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Vocals, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
5.    Morning Prayer 9'12
Bass, Effects – Cecil McBee
Percussion – Anthony Wiles, Chief Bey, Majid Shabazz, Nat Bettis
Piano, Finger Cymbals, Thumb Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute, Handbell, Thumb Piano, Maracas, Fife – Pharoah Sanders
6.    Thembi 7'02
Bass, Finger Cymbals, Percussion – Cecil McBee
Drums, Maracas, Bells, Percussion – Clifford Jarvis
Finger Cymbals – James Jordan
Piano, Electric Piano, Claves, Percussion – Lonnie Liston Smith
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bells, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Violin, Percussion – Michael White
7.    Memories Of Lee Morgan 5'37
Bass – Cecil McBee, Stanley Clarke
Congas, Percussion – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Norman Connors
Percussion – Hannibal (Marvin Peterson)
Piano, Flute, Percussion – Joe Bonner
Sopranino Saxophone, Vocals, Percussion, Bells – Pharoah Sanders
8.    Colors 5'38
Bass – Reggie Workman, Ron Carter
Drums – Freddie Waits
French Horn – Julius Watkins
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
Tenor Saxophone – Pharoah Sanders
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas
Meditation - Pharoah Sanders Selections Take 2 -
1    Shukuru 5'49
2    Rejoice 12'45
3    Pharomba 4'35
4    Origin 5'44
5    Naima 7'31
6    Sun Song 6'05
7    Think About The One 4'18
8    Midnight At Yoshi's 6'00
9    You Got To Have Freedom 6'51
10    Heart Is A Melody Of Time 7'34
11    Light At The Edge Of The World 5'09

PHAROAH SANDERS — Izipho Zam (1973-2006) RM | Serie 70年代ジャズを味わう!! – 11 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two years after the death of his mentor and boss, John Coltrane, and just before signing his own contract with Impulse!, Pharoah Sanders finally got around to releasing an album as a leader apart from the Impulse! family. Enlisting a cast of characters no less than 13 in number, Sanders proved that his time with Coltrane and his Impulse! debut, Tauhid, was not a fluke. Though hated by many of the jazz musicians at the time -- and more jazz critics who felt Coltrane had lost his way musically the minute he put together the final quintet -- Sanders followed his own muse to the edges of Eastern music and sometimes completely outside the borderlines of what could be called jazz. That said, Izipho Zam is a wonderful recording, full of the depth of vision and heartfelt soul that has informed every recording of Sanders since. Guests include Sonny Sharrock, Lonnie Liston Smith, Chief Bey, Cecil McBee, Sirone, Sonny Fortune, Billy Hart, Howard Johnson, and others. The set begins with a gorgeous soul tune in "Prince of Peace," with Leon Thomas doing his trademark yodel, croon, and wail as Smith, McBee, and Hart back him and Sanders fills the gaps. Next is "Balance," the first blowing tune on the set, with the African drums, the modal horns, and Sanders' microtonal investigations of sonic polarity contrasted with Johnson's tuba, leaving the rhythm section to join him as Sharrock and Smith trade drone lines and Sanders turns it into a Latin dance from outer space about halfway through to the end -- it's astonishing. Finally, on the 28-minute title track, the band members -- all of them -- begin a slow tonal inquiry, a textured traipse into the abyss of dissonance and harmonic integration, with Thomas as the bridge through which all sounds must travel on their way to the ensemble. From here, percussion, bells, whistles, Sharrock's heavily chorded guitar -- all provide rhythm upon interval upon tonal figure until the horns enter at about 12 minutes. They move slowly at first and gather force until they blast it right open at 20 minutes and the last eight are all free blowing and an endurance ride for the listener because, with four minutes left, Sanders leads the band in a gorgeous lyric ride that brings together all disparate elements in his world and ours, making this track -- and album -- an exhilarating, indispensable out jazz experience.
> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <
Tracklist :
1     Prince of Peace 8:50
Pharoah Sanders    
2     Balance 12:43
Pharoah Sanders    
3     Izipho Zam 28:50
Pharoah Sanders    
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Sonny Fortune
Bass – Cecil McBee, Sirone (Norris Jones)
Drums – Billy Hart, Majeed Shabazz
Drums [African] – Chief Bey
Guitar – Sonny Sharrock
Percussion – Nat Bettis, Tony Wylie
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
Saxophone, Percussion, Composed By – Pharoah Sanders
Tuba – Howard Johnson
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas

PHAROAH SANDERS - Jewels of Thought (1969-2007) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1969, Pharoah Sanders was incredibly active, recording no less than four albums and releasing three. The band on Jewels of Thought is largely the same as on Deaf Dumb Blind and Karma, with a few changes. Idris Muhammad has, with the exception of "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah Hum Allah," replaced Roy Haynes, and Richard Davis has permanently replaced Reggie Workman and Ron Carter, though Cecil McBee is still present for the extra bottom sound. Leon Thomas and his trademark holy warble are in the house, as is Lonnie Liston Smith. Comprised of two long cuts, the aforementioned and "Sun in Aquarius," Jewels of Thought sees Sanders moving out from his signature tenor for the first time and delving deeply into reed flutes and bass clarinet. The plethora of percussion instruments utilized by everyone is, as expected, part of the mix. "Hum-Allah" begins with a two-chord piano vamp by Smith and Thomas singing and yodeling his way into the band's improvisational space. For 12 minutes, Sanders and company mix it up -- especially the drummers -- whipping it first quietly down into the most pure melodic essences of Smith's solo and then taking the tension and building to ecstatic heights with all manner of blowing and intervallic interaction between the various elements until it just explodes, before coming down in pieces and settling into a hush of melodic frames and the same two-chord vamp. On "Sun in Aquarius," African thumb pianos, reed flutes, sundry percussion, and orchestra chimes are employed to dislocate all notions of Western music. Things get very quiet (though there is constant motion); the innards of the piano are brushed and hammered quietly before Sanders comes roaring out of the tense silence with his bass clarinet, and then the tenor and bass share an intertwined solo and Smith starts kicking ass with impossibly large chords. It moves into another two-chord vamp at the end of 27 minutes, to be taken out as a closed prayer. It's more like a finished exorcism, actually, but it is one of the most astonishing pieces by Sanders ever.  
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Tracklist :
1 Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum Allah 15:04
Drums – Roy Haynes
Lyrics By – Amos Leon Thomas
2 Sun In Aquarius 27:51
Bass, Percussion – Richard Davis 
Credits
Bass, Percussion – Cecil McBee
Bells [Orchestra Chimes], Contrabass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Flute [Reed], Percussion, Thumb Piano [African] – Pharoah Sanders
Composed By – Lonnie L. Smith, Jr., Pharoah Sanders
Drums, Percussion – Idris Muhammad
Percussion, Piano, Thumb Piano [African], Flute [African] – Lonnie Liston Smith
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas

PHAROAH SANDERS - Karma (1969-2019) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pharoah Sanders' third album as a leader is the one that defines him as a musician to the present day. After the death of Coltrane, while there were many seeking to make a spiritual music that encompassed his ideas and yearnings while moving forward, no one came up with the goods until Sanders on this 1969 date. There are only two tracks on Karma, the 32-plus minute "The Creator Has a Master Plan" and the five-and-a-half-minute "Colours." The band is one of Sanders' finest, and features vocalist Leon Thomas, drummer Billy Hart, Julius Watkins, James Spaulding, a pre-funk Lonnie Liston Smith, Richard Davis, Reggie Workman on bass, and Nathaniel Bettis on percussion. "Creator" begins with a quote from "A Love Supreme," with a nod to Coltrane's continuing influence on Sanders. But something else emerges here as well: Sanders' own deep commitment to lyricism and his now inherent knowledge of Eastern breathing and modal techniques. His ability to use the ostinato became not a way of holding a tune in place while people soloed, but a manner of pushing it irrepressibly forward. Keeping his range limited (for the first eight minutes anyway), Sanders explores all the colors around the key figures, gradually building the dynamics as the band comps the two-chord theme behind with varying degrees of timbral invention. When Thomas enters at nine minutes, the track begins to open. His yodel frees up the theme and the rhythm section to invent around him. At 18 minutes it explodes, rushing into a silence that is profound as it is noisy in its approach. Sanders is playing microphonics and blowing to the heavens and Thomas is screaming. They are leaving the material world entirely. When they arrive at the next plane, free of modal and interval constraints, a new kind of lyricism emerges, one not dependent on time but rhythm, and Thomas and Sanders are but two improvisers in a sound universe of world rhythm and dimension. There is nothing to describe the exhilaration that is felt when this tune ends, except that "Colours," with Ron Carter joining Workman on the bass, was the only track that could follow it. You cannot believe it until you hear it.   

|> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <|

Tracklist :
1 Creator Has a Master Plan 32:47
(Pharoah Sanders / Leon Thomas)
Bass – Richard Davis
Drums – William Hart
Flute – James Spaulding
Percussion – Nathaniel Bettis
2 Colors 5:36
(Pharoah Sanders / Leon Thomas)
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Frederick Waits
Credits :
Bass – Reggie Workman
French Horn – Julius Watkins
Piano – Lonnie L. Smith Jr.
Tenor Saxophone, Music By – Pharoah Sanders
Vocals, Percussion, Lyrics By – Leon Thomas

PHAROAH SANDERS - Deaf Dumb Blind (Summun Bukmun Umyun) (1971-1997) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After Karma was issued and Sanders had established himself -- to himself -- as a musician who had something valuable and of use to say, he was on what this critic considers to be a divinely inspired tear. Deaf Dumb Blind is an example of that inspiration. Beginning with the title cut, a suite of over 21 minutes, Sanders brings in the whole of his obsession with rhythm and R&B. Using African percussion, bylophones, shakers, cowbells, and all manner of percussion, as well as drummer Clifford Jarvis, Sanders brought in Cecil McBee to hold down the bass chair and Lonnie Liston Smith back in on piano, and added a three-piece horn section that included Gary Bartz on alto and Woody Shaw on trumpet in addition to himself. Whew! Here the Latin and African polyrhythms collide and place the horns, as large and varied as they are, in almost a supplementary role. The horns check counterpoint in striated harmony, calling and responding over the wash of bass and drums and drums and drums! It evolves into a percussion orgy before the scary otherworldly multiphonic solos begin. And Shaw and Bartz are worthy foils for Sanders. And no matter how out it gets, those rhythms keep it rooted in the soul. "Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord" is almost 18 minutes in length. It has a long soprano intro, covered in shimmering bells and shakers with a glorious piano fill by Smith, who becomes more prominent, along with some excellent arco work by McBee, until the piece becomes a meditation on lyricism and silence about halfway through. The entire band eventually rejoins for a group ostinato with very little variation, except in timbre and subtle accented color work by Sanders and McBee. It is a stunningly beautiful and contemplative work that showcases how intrinsic melodic phrasing and drones were to Sanders at the time -- and still are today. This piece, and this album, is a joyful noise made in the direction of the divine, and we can feel it through the speakers, down in the place that scares us.
|> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <|
Tracklist :
1    Summun, Bukmun, Umyun 21:16
Written-By – Pharoah Sanders
2    Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord 17:46
Adapted By – Lonnie Liston Smith
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Bells, Cowbell, Shaker, Percussion – Gary Bartz
Bass – Cecil McBee
Congas [Conga Drum], Percussion [African] – Anthony Wiles
Drums – Clifford Jarvis
Piano, Cowbell, Kalimba [Thumb Piano], Percussion – Lonnie Liston Smith
Soprano Saxophone, Horn [Cow], Whistle [Tritone], Cowbell, Flute [Wood], Kalimba [Thumb Piano], Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Trumpet, Yodeling, Percussion – Woody Shaw
Xylophone [Bylophone], Yodeling, Percussion [African] – Nathaniel Bettis

PHAROAH SANDERS - Thembi (1971-1987) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded with two different ensembles, Thembi was a departure from the slowly developing, side-long, mantra-like grooves Pharoah Sanders had been pursuing for most of his solo career. It's musically all over the map but, even if it lacks the same consistency of mood as many of Sanders' previous albums, it does offer an intriguingly wide range of relatively concise ideas, making it something of an anomaly in Sanders' prime period. Over the six selections, Sanders romps through a tremendous variety of instruments, including tenor, soprano, alto flute, fifes, the African bailophone, assorted small percussion, and even a cow horn. Perhaps because he's preoccupied elsewhere, there's relatively little of his trademark tenor screaming, limited mostly to the thunderous cacophony of "Red, Black & Green" and portions of "Morning Prayer." The compositions, too, try all sorts of different things. Keyboardist/pianist Lonnie Liston Smith's "Astral Traveling" is a shimmering, pastoral piece centered around his electric piano textures; "Love" is an intense, five-minute bass solo by Cecil McBee; and "Morning Prayer" and "Bailophone Dance" (which are segued together) add an expanded percussion section devoted exclusively to African instruments. If there's a unifying factor, it's the classic title track, which combines the softer lyricism of Sanders' soprano and Michael White's violin with the polyrhythmic grooves of the most Africanized material (not to mention a catchy bass riff). Some fans may gripe that Thembi isn't conceptually unified or intense enough, but it's rare to have this many different sides of Sanders coexisting in one place, and that's what makes the album such an interesting listen. Steve Huey  
Tracklist :
1     Astral Traveling 5'48
Lonnie Liston Smith
2     Red Black and Green 8'56
Pharoah Sanders
3     Thembi 7'02
Pharoah Sanders
4     Love 5'12
Cecil McBee
5     Morning Prayer 9'11
Pharoah Sanders / Lonnie Liston Smith
6     Bailophone Dance 5'43
Pharoah Sanders
Credits :
Bass – Cecil McBee
Cymbal [Finger], Percussion – Cecil McBee (pistas: 1 to 3)
Cymbal [Ring] – James Jordan (pistas: 3)
Cymbal [Ring], Featuring [Bailophone], Voice [Shouts] – Lonnie Liston Smith (pistas: 5, 6)
Drums – Roy Haynes (pistas: 5, 6)
Effects [Bird Effects] – Cecil McBee (pistas: 5, 6)
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Claves, Percussion – Lonnie Liston Smith (pistas: 1 to 3)
Flute [Alto], Koto, Tenor Saxophone, Percussion [Brass Bell], Featuring [Bailophone], Horn [Cow Horn], Maracas, Flute [Fifes] – Pharoah Sanders (pistas: 5, 6)
Percussion [African] – Anthony Wiles (pistas: 5, 6), Chief Bey (pistas: 5, 6), Majid Shabazz (pistas: 5, 6), Nat Bettis (pistas: 5, 6)
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith (pistas: 1 to 3, 5, 6)
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bells, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders (pistas: 1 to 3)
Violin, Percussion – Michael White (pistas: 1 to 3)

LOU DONALDSON - Everything I Play Is Funky (1970-1995) Blue Note Rare Groove Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although purists might not find it as much to their taste as Midnight Creeper, Everything I Play Is Funky is easily one of the best examples of Lou Donaldson's commercially accessible period of the late '60s and early '70s. Donaldson's forays into funk and R&B-driven soul-jazz could sometimes sound stiff, but the grooves here -- which feature many of the same players -- are consistently limber and unforced. And, typical of the style, the grooves (not adventurous improvisation) are what make the album tick. For once, Donaldson's attempt at an R&B cover -- in this case, the Lee Dorsey-sung, Allen Toussaint-penned "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (From Now On)" -- is pulled off well enough to make for an entirely convincing statement of purpose. That number kicks off an entertaining program also highlighted by three Donaldson originals -- the cooking funk number "Donkey Walk," which seems to inspire the fieriest solos on the record, the cheery calypso "West Indian Daddy," and the hard bop-flavored "Minor Bash." There's also a version of "Over the Rainbow" done in Donaldson's caressing, melodic ballad style, and the simple funk vamp "Hamp's Hump." It's a nicely varied assortment, all anchored by the percolating rhythm section of guitarist Melvin Sparks, bassist Jimmy Lewis, and drummer Idris Muhammad (Charles Earland and Dr. Lonnie Smith switch off on organ, and Blue Mitchell and Eddie Williams do the same on trumpet). This is the sort of record that modern-day Donaldson disciples like the Sugarman Three cherish, and one of his few truly consistent efforts in this style. Recommended wholeheartedly to funk and rare-groove fans. Steve Huey
Tracklist :
1. Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (From Now On) 5'15
Allen Toussaint
2. Hamp's Hump 6'35
P. Hampton / Paul Hampton
3. Over The Rainbow 7'05
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
4. Donkey Walk 6'32
Lou Donaldson
5. West Indian Daddy 6'22
Lou Donaldson
6. Minor Bash 6'08
Lou Donaldson
Credits :
Lou Donaldson - Alto Saxophone
Blue Mitchell - Trumpet (tracks 1-3, 6)
Eddie Williams - Trumpet (tracks 4,5)
Idris Muhammad - Drums
Melvin Sparks - Guitar
Jimmy Lewis - Bass Guitar
Charles Earland - Organ (tracks 4,5)
Lonnie Smith - Organ (tracka 1-3, 6)

GATO BARBIERI - The Third World (1970-1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Third World is the initial session that mixed Gato Barbieri's free jazz tenor playing with Latin and Brazilian influences. It's also the album that brought Barbieri positive attention from the college crowds of the late '60s. He would expand on this musical combination with his next few Flying Dutchman releases as well as his first recordings for the Impulse! label. The records made between 1969 through 1974 find Barbieri creating a danceable yet fiery combination of South American rhythms and free jazz forcefulness. Strangely, once Barbieri signed with A&M, he began making commercial records geared to fans of Herb Alpert, sounding nothing like his earlier albums. by Al Campbell
Tracklist :
1. Introduction / Cancion Del Llamero / Tango 11:02
(Barbieri, Piazzola, Quiroga)
2. Zelao 8:00
(Ricordo)
3. Antonio Das Mortes 9:24
(Barbieri)
4. Bachianas Brasileiras / Haleo And The Wild Rose 10:58
(Villa-Lobos)
Musicians :
Gato Barbieri - Tenor Sax, Flute, Vocals
Charlie Haden - Bass
Beaver Harris - Drums
Richard Landrum - Percussion
Roswell Rudd - Trombone
Lonnie Liston Smith - Piano 

GATO BARBIERI - Fenix (1971-1996) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Some artists totally change directions; some reinvent their personalities. It is hard to know exactly what to make of the case of this Argentinian tenor saxophonist, who first appeared as a sideman on several extremely important Don Cherry projects, making such an essential contribution to the overall feel of these records that listeners expected great things. After a few attempts at finding a meeting place between the energy and harshness of free jazz and the his own rhythmic roots, he created this album in which everything seemed to come together perfectly. If a judgement is to be made based on Barbieri's overall career, then a lot of credit would be given to his accompanying musicians here, who are strictly the cream of the crop. A horn player certainly couldn't complain about a rhythm section featuring bassist Ron Carter, drummer Lenny White, and pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, the last fresh out of the band of Pharoah Sanders, where he had established himself as the absolute king of modal, vaguely Latin or African sounding vamps. Smith was able to fit right in here, and he of course knew just what to do when the saxophonist went into his screaming fits, because he surely had plenty of practice with this kind of stuff playing with Sanders. The leader adds a nice touch of ethnic percussion with some congas and bongos and Na Na on berimbau; in fact, this was the first time many American listeners heard this instrument. From here, Barbieri continued to build, reaching a height with a series of collaborations with Latin American musicians playing traditional instruments. He would then switch gears, tone down the energy, and become kind of a romantic image with a saxophone in his mouth, producing music that brought on insults from reviewers, many of whom would have bit their tongues if they'd known much worse sax playing was to come via later artists such as Kenny G. But at this point in 1971, well before the Muppets would create a caricature out of him, Barbieri was absolutely smoking, and for a certain style of rhythmic free jazz, this is a captivating album indeed.  by Eugene Chadbourne 
Tracklist :
1 Tupac Amaru 4:14
Gato Barbieri 
2 Carnavalito 9:08
Gato Barbieri 
3 Falsa Bahiana 5:50
Geraldo Pereira 
4 El Dia Que Me Quieras 6:12
Carlos Gardel / Alfredo Le Pera 
5 El Arriero 7:22
Atahualpa Yupanqui 
6 Bahia 6:22
Ary Barroso 
Credits :
Berimbau, Congas – Naná Vasconcelos
Congas, Bongos – Gene Golden
Drums – Lenny White
Electric Bass – Ron Carter
Piano, Electric Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
Tenor Saxophone – Gato Barbieri

GATO BARBIERI - El Pampero (1971-2002) RCA Victor Gold Series / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This record chronicles a flavorful and unforgettable night during a live show recorded in Montreux, Switzerland. Gato Barbieri leads his fantastic group of musical friends with hurricane-like flair on his tenor sax. At times surreal and mind-boggling, Barbieri shows just how far one can let the music go to break the borders of jazz, sending his music into fresh and uncharted territory. Barbieri's chops and melodic sweeps are daring and bold, while the back crew brings vitality and utter life to the music, from the record's beginning to its very end. Within the first tune, "El Pampero," Barbieri plays a home tone riff over and over, changing only the keys of the song, with improvisation in between that gets the audience into dancing. Lonnie Liston Smith plays with great sweeping ease on the piano, while percussionists Pretty Purdie, Na-Na, and Sonny Morgan send their rhythms into soaring heights. A wondrous sense of dynamics is displayed here and throughout the record. The call and response between Na-Na and Morgan is a featured key ingredient, keeping the mood of the percussion section fluid and tight. Yes, the listeners were mesmerized, and one can feel lifted in spirit again with each playing of this recording. Perhaps the focus and direction of the music, which latched on greatly to the home key and initial melody, gives the music a more solid foundation. This was certainly a special night in Switzerland, in which Barbieri proudly shared his music, credited in a natural more than economic fashion, breathing spirit into the audience rather than taking money. For this performance was priceless, a can't-miss that left audience members bedazzled, talking among themselves years later, saying, "Do you remember when?...I was there!" With passion and faith in music, this group of musicians thrived here in this recorded moment, to demonstrate art, haunting art, vivid imagination, and victory in art.
For real jazz fans, two words suffice for this recording: Get it. El Pampero is one of the greatest live jazz recordings ever made, a showcase for the soaring tenor saxophone of Gato Barbieri and a primer on what spontaneous jazz music can aspire to at its most passionate and joyous. The ensemble work by Gato's partners on this outing is superb. And after all these years, I still believe that the way Gato Barbieri weaves the hypnotic folk music of South America into the very North American textures of mainstream jazz points the way to the future for this still vibrant form of music. by Shawn M. Haney  
Tracklist :
1. El Pampero 13:44
Gato Barbieri
2. Mi Buenos Aires Querido 6:21
Carlos Gardel / Alfredo Le Pera
3. Brasil 9:36
Ary Barroso / Bob Russell
4. El Arriero 11:59
Atahualpa Yupanqui
- Bonus Tracks -
5. El Gato 12:25
Oliver Nelson
Credits :
Gato Barbieri (Tenor Saxophone)
Lonnie Liston Smith (Piano)
Chuck Rainey (Electric Bass)
Bernard Purdie (Drums)
Sonny Morgan (Conga)
Naná Vasconcelos (Percussion)

 

LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES - Expansions (1974-1995) APE (image+.cue), lossless

When Lonnie Liston Smith left the Miles Davis band in 1974 for a solo career, he was, like so many of his fellow alumni, embarking on a musical odyssey. For a committed fusioneer, he had no idea at the time that he was about to enter an abyss that it would take him the better part of two decades to return from. Looking back upon his catalog from the period, this is the only record that stands out -- not only from his own work, but also from every sense of the word: It is fully a jazz album, and a completely funky soul-jazz disc as well. Of the seven compositions here, six are by Smith, and the lone cover is of the Horace Silver classic, "Peace." The lineup includes bassist Cecil McBee, soprano saxophonist David Hubbard, tenor saxophonist Donald Smith (who doubles on flute), drummer Art Gore, and percussionists Lawrence Killian, Michael Carvin, and Leopoldo. Smith plays both piano and electric keyboards and keeps his compositions on the jazzy side -- breezy, open, and full of groove playing that occasionally falls over to the funk side of the fence. It's obvious, on this album at least, that Smith was not completely comfortable with Miles' reliance on hard rock in his own mix. Summery and loose in feel, airy and free with its in-the-cut beats and stellar piano fills, Expansions prefigures a number of the "smooth jazz" greats here, without the studio slickness and turgid lack of imagination. The disc opens with the title track, with one of two vocals on the LP by Donald Smith (the other is the Silver tune). It's typical "peace and love and we've got to work together" stuff from the mid-'70s, but it's rendered soulfully and deeply without artifice. "Desert Nights" takes a loose Detroit jazz piano groove and layers flute and percussion over the top, making it irresistibly sensual and silky. It's fleshed out to the bursting point with Smith's piano; he plays a lush solo for the bridge and fills it to the brim with luxuriant tones from the middle register. "Summer Days" and "Voodoo Woman" are where the electric keyboards make their first appearance, but only as instruments capable of carrying the groove to the melody quickly, unobtrusively, and with a slinky grace that is infectious. The mixed bag/light-handed approach suits Smith so well here that it's a wonder he tried to hammer home the funk and disco on later releases so relentlessly. The music on Expansions is timeless soul-jazz, perfect in every era. Of all the fusion records of this type released in the mid-'70s, Expansions provided smoother jazzers and electronica's sampling wizards with more material that Smith could ever have anticipated.  
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist:
1 Expansions 6:06
Lonnie Liston Smith
2 Desert Nights 6:44
Lonnie Liston Smith
3 Summer Days 5:51
Lonnie Liston Smith
4 Voodoo Woman 4:22
Michael Carvin / Lonnie Liston Smith
5 Peace 4:17
Doug Carn / Horace Silver
6 Shadows 6:11
Lonnie Liston Smith
7 My Love 5:41
Lonnie Liston Smith
Credits:
Cecil Mcbee - bass
Lonnie Liston Smith - piano, electric piano, keyboards
Donald Smith - vocals, flute
David Hubbard - soprano & tenor saxophones, alto flute
Michael Carvin - Clavinet, percussion
Lawrence Killian - congas, percussion
Leopoldo Fleming - bongos, percussion
Art Gore - drums