ALBERT AYLER - Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe (1970-2003) RM | Serie : LP Reproduction | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe is a powerful and often ignored recording from the Albert Ayler catalog. It is a prophetic statement dealing with guilt, confusion, sorrow, and hopes of redemption. A powerful rhythm section of Bobby Few on piano, Stafford James and James Folwell on bass, (Folwell on electric fender bass), and Muhammad Ali on drums manage to take a backseat to the prominent vocals of Ayler's business associate and girlfriend Mary Parks, listed on the record as Mary Maria. Her emotional vocals are featured on "Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe," "Man Is Like a Tree," and "Island Harvest." Throughout these tracks Maria sounds as if she is pleading and reasoning not just universally, but directly with Ayler, trying to convince him of the positive aspects of life and her evangelistic shouts of "be healed" on the title track can prove uncomfortable. "Masonic Inborn" is an instrumental track finding Ayler not only overdubbing cacophonous bagpipe solos but also playing ocarina. "Oh Love Is Life" is Ayler's sole vocal performance on the album, his words and vocal delivery are truly frightening. This is a dreamlike plea to the sources haunting his soul to succumb to universal love. Following the intensity of the previous five tracks, the album closes with the hazy gutbucket blues of "Drudgery" reminiscent of the New Grass sessions, adding guitarist Henry Vestine of the blues rock band Canned Heat. Ayler's musical curtain was eerily closing the same way it started -- playing the blues of his high school summer vacations as a member of Little Walter's band. Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe, along with tracks that were released posthumously on the Last Album, were recorded at the same session. While not easy listening, they complete an important portrait of a man facing a life and death inner struggle beyond the boundaries of jazz. The inevitable outcome culminated on November 25, 1970, when Ayler's drowned body was found floating in New York's East River. Al Campbell
Tracklist :
1     Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe 8'37
Mary Maria Parks / Mary Parks
2     Masonic Inborn, Pt. 1 12'08
Mary Maria Parks / Mary Parks
3     A Man Is Like a Tree 4'31
Mary Maria Parks / Mary Parks
4     Oh! Love of Life 3'48
Mary Maria Parks / Mary Parks
5     Island Harvest 5'01
Mary Maria Parks / Mary Parks
6     Drudgery 8'09
Bill Folwell / William Folwell / Mary Maria Parks / Mary Parks / Henry Vestine
Credits :
Bass – Bill Folwell, Stafford James
Drums – Muhammad Ali
Guitar – Henry Vestine
Piano – Bobby Few
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Ayler (pistas: 1, 3 to 6)
Vocals – Mary Maria (pistas: 1, 3, 5)
Notas.
"Recorded at Plaza Sound Studios, New York City, August 26, 27, 28 and 29, 1969. Throughout the album Bill Folwell's bass is heard on the left channel, Stafford James' on the right. On 'Masonic Inborn (Part 1)', Albert Ayler plays two bagpipe parts employing overdubbing. Henry Vestine plays both guitar parts, employing overdubbing on 'Drudgery'".

GARY BARTZ - Juju Street Songs + Follow, The Medicine Man (1997) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In the late 1970s, Gary Bartz's work became quite commercial. But earlier in the decade -- when the alto and soprano saxophonist led his Ntu Troop -- he was more ambitious. Recorded in 1972, Juju Street Songs is among the risk-taking efforts that came from the Ntu Troop. This ambitious LP finds Bartz drawing on a variety of influences -- everything from John Coltrane's modal post-bop to world music to the electric fusion that Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock were providing at the time. The term world music, of course, can mean a lot of different things; for the Ntu Troop, it means a strong Middle Eastern/Arabic influence on the moody "Teheran" and more of an Afro-Caribbean outlook on the exuberant "Africans Unite." Bassist Stafford James' "Bertha Baptist," meanwhile, is a jazz-funk gem that drummer Harvey Mason interpreted on his Earthmover LP of 1976. Although very jazz-oriented, Juju Street Songs is well aware of what was happening with R&B in the early 1970s. "I Wanna Be Where You Are" was a hit for Michael Jackson back when the Jacksons were still calling themselves the Jackson Five, but Bartz gives the soul-pop tune a serious makeover and demonstrates that it can work well as instrumental jazz. And Stevie Wonder's "Black Maybe," which features Andy Bey on vocals, lends itself equally well to a jazz interpretation. If you want to hear how much Juju Street Songs differs from the commercial stuff that Bartz offered in the late 1970s, just play "I Wanna Be Where You Are" next to his late 1970s version of L.T.D.'s "Love Ballad" -- while Bartz seriously interprets Michael Jackson's hit, his performance of "Love Ballad" is an uninteresting, overproduced, note-for-note cover. Excellent from start to finish, this LP captures Bartz at the height of his creativity. Alex Henderson  
Juju Street Songs (1972)
1    I Wanna Be Where You Are 10'04
Written-By – Arthur Ross, Leon Ware
2    Black Maybe 9'32
Written-By – Stevie Wonder
3    Bertha Baptist 6'32
Written-By – Stafford James
4    African's Unite 6'28
Written-By – Gary Bartz
5    Teheran 8'20
Written-By – Gary Bartz
Follow, The Medicine Man (1973)
6    Sifa Zote 7'50
Written-By – Gary Bartz
7    Whasaname 7'23
Written-By – Howard King
8    Betcha By Golly, Wow 4'47
Written-By – Linda Creed, Thom Bell
9    Dr. Follow's Dance 2'37
Electric Piano – Hubert Eaves
Guitar – Hector Centeno
Written-By – Gary Bartz
10    Standin' On The Corner 2'57
Electric Piano – Hubert Eaves
Guitar – Hector Centeno
Vocals – Gary Bartz
Written-By – Gary Bartz, Howard King, Jack Walker
11    Sing Me A Song Today 7'02
Written-By – Andy Bey
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Electric Piano, Percussion, Voice – Gary Bartz
Bass, Electric Bass, Percussion, Voice – Stafford James
Drums, Percussion, Voice – Howard King
Electric Piano – Andy Bey (pistas: 1 to 8, 11)
Producer, Arranged By – Gary Bartz (pistas: 6 to 11)
Remastered By – Joe Tarantino
Supervised By, Liner Notes [1996] – Orrin Keepnews
Vocals, Percussion – Andy Bey 

GARY BARTZ NTU TROOP - I've Known Rivers And Other Bodies (1973-2003) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of the most talented and hard working musicians of the 1970s, Gary Bartz appeared with almost every group vital to the fusion of modern contemporary soul music and jazz. From his experiences with the Miles Davis groups of the early '70s, Bartz rose with confidence to the forefront of the jazz movement, releasing one stellar recording after the next, showing no signs of slowing down into the mid-'70s.

What you hear on I've Known Rivers and Other Bodies is no exception. Here we find Bartz playing some of the best music of his career, blending innovative elements from all genres into one boiling pot and calling it his own. Recorded live before a Montreux festival audience, he and his quartet are in top form. The chemistry between Stafford James and Howard King (on bass and drums respectively) fluctuates between intense and serene, but otherwise provide a solid, reliable backbone to the strength and passion of Bartz's fiery saxophone melodies. A top recording and highly recommended piece to add to any jazz fan's collection. Rob Theakston
Tracklist :
1    Nommo-The Majick Song    4:16
Written-By – Gary Bartz
2    Sifa Zote    6:28
Written-By – Gary Bartz
3    Jujuman    10:39
Written-By – Gary Bartz
4    Bertha Baptist 7:07
Written-By – Stafford James
5    Don't Fight That Feeling    6:50
Written-By – Gary Bartz
6    Mama's Soul 7:32
Written-By – Hubert Eaves
7    I've Known Rivers    8:20
Written-By – Gary Bartz
8    The Warrior's Song    6:11
Written-By – Gary Bartz
9    Uhuru Sasa    2:08
Written-By – Gary Bartz
10    Dr. Follow's Dance    10:24
Written-By – Gary Bartz
11    Peace And Love    7:27
Written-By – Gary Bartz
Credits :    
Bass [Acoustic, Electric] – Stafford James
Drums – Howard King
Piano [Acoustic, Electric] – Hubert Eaves
Saxophone [Alto, Soprano], Vocals, Producer, Arranged By – Gary Bartz
Remastered By – Joe Tarantino
Supervised By – Orrin Keepnews

PHAROAH SANDERS - Moon Child (1990-2015) RM | Timeless Jazz Master Collection 37 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

By this point in his career, Sanders had largely withdrawn from the kind of screeching avant-gardism on which he at first staked his reputation. The opening "Moon Child," with its attractively spacy vocals, is reminiscent of the days of "The Creator Has a Master Plan," but this version sounds too contrived to rival the classic earlier recording. The mood is subdued throughout and the choice of tunes definitely on the conservative side ("All or Nothing at All" and "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes," among the six tracks). William Henderson is lovely on piano, while the drummer (Eddie Moore) and percussionist (Cheikh Tidiane Fale) keep to the quiet side. The results may have originally disappointed some of Sanders' fans, but with time the saxophonist clearly reinvented himself as a more traditional improviser capable of thoughtful and pensive deliberations. Steve Loewy
Tracklist :
1    Moon Child 8:07
Written-By – P. Sanders
2    Moon Rays 6:10
Written-By – H. Silver
3    The Night Has A Thousand Eyes 12:17
Written-By – B. Bermien, J. Brainin
4    All Or Nothing At All 9:23
Written-By – A. Altman, J. Lawrence
5    Soon 5:29
Written-By – G. Gershwin
6    Moniebah 10:43
Written-By – A. Ibrahim, Dollar Brand
Credits :
Bass – Stafford James
Drums – Eddie Moore
Percussion – Cheikh Tidiane Fale
Piano – William Henderson
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Pharoah Sanders

PHAROAH SANDERS - Welcome To Love (1991) RM | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

When this was first released, the slow, straight sounds of Pharoah Sanders on a series of mostly famous ballads came as a bit of a surprise to some. Others saw Sanders as following the road of his mentor, John Coltrane, who had recorded most of these tunes himself. In retrospect, the inside playing of Sanders is less of a surprise, the saxophonist having followed that path regularly since at least the '80s. This performance has held up well through the years, and while the thin, reserved approach is reminiscent of Coltrane, it is still marked with Pharoah's print. The competent and thoroughly professional rhythm section of pianist William Henderson, bassist Stafford James, and drummer Eccleston W. Wainwright takes a decidedly reserved cue from the saxophonist, but each song is infused with a subtle emotional quality that simply does not let go. Steve Loewy
Tracklist :
1    You Don't Know What Love Is 4:55
Written-By – D. Raye, G. De Paul
2    The Nearness Of You 5:18
Written-By – H. Carmichael, N. Washington
3    My One And Only Love 8:05
Written By – R. Mellin / G. Wood
4    I Want To Talk About You 8:12
Written-By – B. Ecksteine
5    Soul Eyes 9:22
Written-By – M. Waldron
6    Nancy 6:53
Written-By – J. Van Heusen, Ph. Silvers
7    Polka Dots And Moonbeams 7:20
Written-By – J. Van Heusen, J. Burke
8    Say It (Over And Over Again) 6:56
Written-By – F. Loesser, J. McHugh
9    Lament 6:13
Written-By – J.J. Johnson
10    The Bird Song 6:50
Soloist – Pharoah Sanders
Written-By – Pharoah Sanders
Credits :
Bass – Stafford James
Drums – Eccleston W. Wainwright
Piano – William Henderson
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Pharoah Sanders