Mr. Euphoria - 1983 - Mr. Euphoria

Mr. Euphoria

1983

Mr. Euphoria

01. Intro

02. Wedding Song

03. 1 Day 1 Month 1 Year

04. Sharp Edges

05. Some Other War

06. Wait a Minute

07. Northern Castle

08. Green Light Makes Red Sky at Night

Richard Rhodes / guitars,synthesizer, string harp

Tim Sanz / guitars and bass

Gordon Rhodes / drums

Eric Petersen / synthesizer on "Some Other War"

Excellent all-instrumental prog rock! Angular, somewhat dissonant compositions that suggest inspiration came mainly from Red-era King Crimson, as well as minimalist composer Steve Reich. In their heavier moments (particularly on Side 1) you’d swear they were doing a sort of proto math rock style - something that Don Caballero made a career out of just 10 years later. They stray into other styles, as well… a couple tracks on side 2 made me think they were also into Zappa and Allan Holdsworth.

The first thing that stunned me after listening to this album was the place and time of its origin. The USA and 1983? Much more appropriate would be, for example, France and 1971.

However, I began to be surprised already when listening to the first composition "Intro". After all, this is 100% math rock, the origin of which almost all music publications date to the end of the 80s. Of course, this was only one of the first swallows, but, nevertheless, judging by "Intro", the birth of math rock occurred almost half a decade before the official (albeit somewhat vague in time) date.

Okay, let's start from the beginning. Mr. Euphoria is a trio consisting of Richard Rhodes and Tim Sanz, who periodically try on the roles of a guitarist, then a bassist, changing them with each other. In addition, the first is the author of five songs on the album, and the second three. I tried to understand the composer's style of each of them based on the authorship of the songs. Frankly, I couldn't. For example, out of three compositions composed by Sans, one is made in the style of soft fusion, the second is heavy prog, and the last is jazz fusion seasoned with elements of raga. In the third "Northern Castle" Sans also plays the harp, but it sounds like a sitar. Oh, I almost forgot - the third member of Mr. Euphoria is the excellent drummer Gordon Rhodes (a relative of Richard?). And I want to say that the group is a triumvirate of equal musicians, each of whom is not averse to improvising. All eight compositions are instrumental and made in the form of a rehearsed jam session. In terms of style, the compositions are located in the segment from jazz fusion to gloomy heavy prog. When listening to some of them, I had an analogy with the composition "Cannonball" by the group Sky (though the music performed by Mr. Euphoria looks more serious). But the closest association seemed to me to be the album "IOU" by Allan Holdsworth.

The only minus is a certain "rawness" of the recording. Alas, but Mr. Euphoria did not have its own George Martin.

Doran - Studer - Wittwer - 1987- Red Twist & Tuned Arrow

Doran - Studer - Wittwer 

1987

Red Twist & Tuned Arrow

01. Canon Cannon 7:21

02. 1374 5:25

03. Quasar 8:33

04. Belluard 5:18

05. Backtalk 3:28

06. Messing 6:44

07. D. T. E. T. 6:08

Christy Doran electric and acoustic guitars

Fredy Studer drums, percussion

Stephan Wittwer electric guitar, synthesizer, sequencer programming

Recorded November 1986, Soundville Recording Studios, Luzern

You will hear Christy Doran on the left and Stephan Wittwer on the right channel

If you think ECM release nothing but new agey chamber jazz then you`re in for a shock if you hear this album.Christy Doran and Stephan Wittwer on guitars with Fredy Studer on drums play wildly and are`nt afraid to let their guitars feedback,highly recommended.

The bulk of this set burns with some jagged, edgy twin-guitar interplay between Doran and Witwer, and were I to make a "best of Doran" sampler spread over, say, 2 CDRs, I'd probably wind up plucking a track off this one, but unfortunately it's an inconsistent album with some sagging energy levels and greyness in the timbres. Wittwer (who I actually saw play live a few times during the FMP festival in Chicago in 1995) is a much noisier and dirtier player than Doran in general, and on subdued pieces his edginess becomes greyness. At the same time, there's nothing weak on this album. It ranges from very good to stunning, but so much of Doran's work is stunning that it's necessary to make these distinctions. Doran's right hand man Fredy Studer uses a more stark, slightly robotic and 80s flavored drumkit style on here than usual for him and it works rather well overall, taking the music away from jazz references and into something idiosyncratic and novel. This is also one of the wilder moments in the ECM catalog. Doran has plenty of better albums, but this a killer disc that won't disappoint either casual or serious fans.

Two tracks from this trio project that didn't appear on this album were released on the essential, mind-blowing Doran/Studer retrospective Half A Lifetime.

Guitarist Christy Doran, who nowadays divides his time between teaching in Switzerland and recording, 

is another in a line of unique guitarists on the ECM roster. For those new to this intriguing musician as I am, this seems as good a place as any to start, though one may also encounter swatches of his art flapping in the wind of the OM collective. For the Red Twist & Tuned Arrow project, he joins improviser extraordinaire Stephan Wittwer and OM founder Fredy Studer on drums and percussion. The product of this chemical reaction is a record of great ingenuity that has worn well. What first impresses about Doran and Wittwer is their delicacy. We find out right away in the Derek Bailey-esque vibes of “Canon Cannon” that both musicians are far less interested in powering their way through material than they are in uncorking a fine vintage of fermented logic. Moving from the synth ground lines here to the perpetuity of “1374,” again we are awash in the microscopy, which is only enhanced by Studer’s evocative colors. Like something out of a sci-fi film, it pulses with alien energy. On that note, “Quasar” might as well be called “Quaver,” for that it does in abundance, moving through a gallery of playing that is nocturnal yet blinding. Doran does much to admire here in the date’s crowning achievement, which is not without its more forthright moments in the oh-so-satisfying grunge of “Belluard.” Along with “D.T.E.T.,” “Backtalk” casts a jazzier, if more abstract, reflection onto the mix. The trio ends smashingly with “Messing,” a quintessential track for Doran, who takes his signature seizures to their greatest height yet. An acoustic breaks from its cage and runs rampant with its freedom cries, leaving the piece’s latter half to fend for itself electronically. Awesome.

Doran grists a pliable sound that never stays in one place or genre for very long. His quick costume changes ensure that we remain on our toes. Perhaps an acquired taste for some, but satisfying and ultimately joyful, with nary a pessimistic puddle to step in.

Steve Grossman - 1973 - Some Shapes to Come

Steve Grossman

1973

Some Shapes to Come

01. WBAI 2:07

02. Haresah 7:06

03. Zulu Stomp 6:13

04. Extemporaneous Combustion 6:10

05. Alodian Mode 7:00

06. Pressure Point 4:52

07. The Sixth Sense 9:30

Drums, Congas, Bongos, Bells – Don Alias

Electric Bass, Double Bass – Gene Perla

Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Moog] – Jan Hammer

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Steve Grossman

Music to me falls into two main catagories. Music for the masses and music for musicians. This CD (originally on LP) contains music which is without any shadow of a doubt music for musicians. This is not to say a non musician would not appreciate it, its just that the music has been produced for one reason and one reason only:- for the sake of music-the best reason of all to produce music.

The musicians on this CD have an amaizing chemestry between them. They seem to be able to read each others mind, taking the solo sections into strange and wonderful places (track 6 is a great example of this). A lot of the playing sounds very free, but it never sounds like it's going nowhere. The improvisations always have purpose, direction, and incredible intensity.

Grossman is nothing short of being amaizing on this CD. Forget the barrage of mediocre saxophone players to emmerge out of media hype one month only to be forgotten the next. Grossman is part of the very few elite saxophone players that have something to say in a way that has never been said before. His playing reminds me of a musician whos concept of improvisation crosses that uncertain grayness between sanity and insanity, whilst never loosing musicality. No wonder Grossman is one of Mike Breckers favourite saxophone players.

But this CD is not just about Grossman. Hammer, Perla, Alias and Grossman work as a band should: together, in order to produce music which is greater than the sum of its parts.

If you get an oportunity to listen to this CD, don't do it whilst driving the car, or whilst cooking the Sunday roast. Take yourself into a darkened room, take the phone of the hook, and let Some Shapes into your mind.

Beautifully choppy jazz from Steve Grossman and his legendary 70s comrades Gene Perla and Don Alias -- one of the heaviest hitting American combos of the time! The trio have a tight fusion sound that's as full-on as it is funky -- and Grossman blows some amazing work on tenor and soprano sax that cut into the tunes with a really fierce bite -- while Perla delivers these round, powerful basslines -- and Don Alias alternates between free percussion and some driving funky drums! For this session, the group's joined by Jan Hammer on electric piano and moog, playing in a nicely restrained fashion that's not nearly as overblown as his later work, and which jams into the groove just perfectly -- making for a sweet electric set that's a real standout of the 70s.

John Serry - 1980 - Jazziz

John Serry

1980

Jazziz

01. Acrobat 5:37
02. Jazziz 4:15
03. Doc Holiday 4:52
04. Penumbra 4:10
05. Song For You 6:30
06. Up Start 4:45
07. Don Quixote's Hustle: A Disco Nightmare 7:31

John Serry: piano, keyboards; all instruments on the track, Jazziz
Bob Sheppard: saxophones, woodwinds
Mike Sembello: guitar
Jimmy “Flim” Johnson: electric bass
Gordon Johnson: additional electric bass

Carlos Vega: drums

Peter Erskine: drums (Upstart and Don Quixote’s Hustle: A Disco Nightmare)
Gordon Gottlieb: percussion

John Serry has flown under the radar forever, but this old record is pretty special to me since it was the first I had heard him some 36 years ago. It is sophisticated and exacting, to say the least. There are some really talented musicians on this record.

John Serry - 1979 - Exhibition

John Serry 

1979

Exhibition

01. Care To Dance? 4:27
02. Acting Up 4:05
03. Nicole 6:56
04. Sabotage 3:36
05. Exhibition 7:10
06. Just For Kicks 3:37
07. Mouse March 7:38

Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Bob Sheppard
Drums – Carlos Vega
Electric Bass – Flim Johnson (tracks: A1), Gordon Johnson
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Barry Finnerty
Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer – John Serry Jr.
Vibraphone, Xylophone, Bells, Chimes, Congas, Timbales, Percussion – Gordon Gottlieb
Vocals – John Serry Jr. (tracks: B2), Nancy Shanx (tracks: A2)

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, N.Y.C., additional recording at The Record Plant, N.Y.C., mixed at Devonshire Sound Studios, L.A.

First pressings have the Chrysalis "We've Got Music For Your Ears" inner sleeve, with thumbnails of other artists and their album titles.

Besides piano, John Serry Jr. also plays Fender Rhodes, Yamaha CS80, ARP Odyssey and Clavinet. On track B2, "Just For Kicks" he plays all the instruments.

Hyper-technical fusion from 1979, which could be a very good or bad thing, depending on your bias. Mine favors it, and to these ears, this is about as good as that stuff gets. Make no mistake, "that stuff" also includes Spyro Gyra, the "Charlie Rose" theme, and if you follow the fuzak ideology far enough, all the way into Kenny G.

John Serry's music ain't smooth jazz, though. The Eastman-educated pianist writes fusion charts like Kerouac wrote novels: up for days at a time on who knows what, running through phrases a mile a minute, and seemingly with an endless supply of kinetic licks and funky grooves.

His previous band Auracle played the same kind of stuff, and as a college-educated instrumental musician myself, I'm well aware of the proggy jazz culture this fits into, though I might add it fits just as well into a scene were professional session cats are allowed carte blanche in a recording studio to get out all their rocks before laying shit down for, say, Barry Manilow (for whom drummer Carlos Vega played a year after this album).

Nevertheless, this is pretty exhilarating in a shamlessly flashy kind of way, and Serry is a good enough writer that these tunes aren't merely about chops. Hell, he was nominated for Grammy (!) for "Sabotage", so you don't have to be a muso nerd to enjoy it. Doesn't hurt tho.

It's truly a shame that John Serry did not become a star. This is just further proof that technical skill has very little to do with popular appeal. He was the keyboardist for the other little known group "Auracle" back in the late 70's. His virtuouso playing is on full display on this album yet for reasons unfathomable to me, this is the only review of this masterful album.

For lite jazz fusion afficionados, do yourself a favor and pick this up (if you can find it).

Auracle - 1979 - City Slickers

Auracle

1979

City Slickers

01. Little City Slickers 4:08
02. Tied Shoes 5:13
03. Honey 5:07
04. Bombs Away Ballet 5:01
05. City Of Penetrating Light 4:39
06. Rotary Andy's Raggedy 5:23
07. Sambanana 5:48

Steve Kujala: saxophone, flute
Rick Braun: trumpet
Steven Rehbein: vibraphone, percussion, mallet, marimba
Bill Staebell: bass
Ron Wagner: drums
Biff Hannon : keyboards
Lee Ritenour : guitar
Tim May: guitar
Donna Delory: vocals
Stacy Jo Clinger: vocals
Gloria Goldsmith: vocals
Steve Johnson: horn
Gloria O'Brien: vocals
Stacey O'Brien: vocals
Robert Payne: horn
Jeff Tkazyik: horn
Afreeka Trees: vocals

Auracle's second and final LP is a fairly average affair with one great cut.

City Slickers sounds like a crate-digger's record: there are moments here and there that could quite easily be lifted and used to better effect, but the album as a whole is fairly plain. The sound here is a sort of slightly funky jazz fusion that feels very smooth and professional, which means it doesn't have much in the way of personality. The album is instrumental aside from backing vocals on "Little City Slickers" and "Rotary Andy's Raggedy"

The one standout here is the aforementioned "Rotary Andy's Raggedy", which is the only genuinely funky cut here – the rest tend to be too soft to be classed as funk. It's got some wonderful horns and a great funk guitar scratching throughout, and it just feels so much more alive than the rest of the tracks here. Everything else seems to be okay songwriting extended out by okay soloing and instrumental interplay. The one noticeably bad cut is the opener "Little City Slickers" which, with the childlike backing vocals, sounds ridiculous and even somewhat twee – quite an unsettling description for a jazz fusion song.

Apart from the moments that could and should be lifted and re-used (which are scattered throughout all the tracks) there is not a great deal of interest here. Too much of this album doesn't have much of any distinguishing features, and it doesn't seem like any of the players were really that interested in this – it's all too clean and covered in the dull sheen of unengaged professionalism.

Overall, this is not an especially great listening experience, although it is still quite passable and is a competent record. City Slickers probably won't appeal to anyone beyond dedicated jazz fusion listeners and DJs and producers searching for samples.

Auracle - 1978 - Glider

Auracle

1978

Glider

01. Columbian Bubblegum 3:35
02. Tom Thumb 4:20
03. Glider 6:05
04. Sno' Fun 3:39
05. Sleezy Listening 5:32
06. Kid's Stuff 3:54
07. Chez Amis 5:32
08. Sartori 4:16

Steve Kujala: saxophone, flute
Rick Braun: trumpet
Steven Rehbein: vibraphone, percussion, mallet, marimba
Bill Staebell: bass
Ron Wagner: drums
John Serry : keyboards

Recorded at A&M Studios, The Record Plant, Los Angeles, USA

70's US Jazz Fusion band, reputedly based in Los Angeles.Their roots can be found in a similar group named Inner Vision, consisting of bassist Christian Kollgaard, drummer Ron Wagner, keyboardist/pianist John Serry Jr., flutist Steve Kujala, trumpetist Richard Braun and percussionist/vibraphone player Steven A. Rehbein.Inner Vision released a self-titled album in 1975 and they were renamed to Auracle around 1976, when Kollgaard was replaced by newcomer Bill Staebell.They signed with Chrysalis and released their debut ''Glider'' in 1978.

Auracle may sound a bit too lightweight and accesible for the average Jazz Rock and Prog Rock fan, but the main reason for exploring their sound was the band's incredible instrumental flexibility, which resulted to series of tight and confident interplays.With flutes, trumpet, horns, acoustic and electric piano in evidence they performed on the tropical side of Fusion, producing ethereal and dreamy atmospheres, but the density of the compositions, the sudden rhythm and mood changes and the professional level of the involved musicians offer a nice bunch of interesting arrangements, some of them containing hints of orchstral nature and sometimes reminding of compatriots REVERIE.There are sure some Latin-flavored atmospheres with a RETURN TO FOREVER color and the presence of ex-Miles Davis' producer Teo Macero secures the recording quality of the album.Some really hot, jazzy interplays are followed by laid-back interruptions and frequent sinking into more melodic tunes, but everything here is placed and executed properly.I think that some period echoes, from the late-70's production techniques to the commercial vibes, will be a bit annoying for more demanding listeners, but the music is always fiery and satisfying.

A second album followed in 1979, titled ''City slickers'' and featuring Biff Hannon in the place of John Serry Jr., but this is said to be more accesible and even poppy at moments.Stick with ''Glider'' though, which has proven to be a very good record of airy Fusion with lots of cool interplays.Recommended.

The members of Auracle were all youngsters at the time. Richard C. Braun played trumpet and flugelhorn; Stephen Kujala added woodwinds; Steven Rehbein handled mallets and percussion; John Serry, Jr. played piano and electronic keyboards; and the rhythm section consisted of Bill Staebell and Ron Wagner on bass and drums, respectively. No guitars. No vocals. But the music, as one might expect considering the involved producers and studios and label cachet, could fit easily into the burgeoning "smooth jazz" mindset of the era.

rtainly, the eight tracks on Glider were, for the most part, very lively and upbeat, but the virtuoso-level playing and keen compositional skills (Serry contributed four pieces) of the members of Auracle lifted the album several steps above mundane schmaltz. Side two was especially sharp, with the dizzying, Zappa-informed percussion of "Sleezy Listening" and the complex interplay and soloing of "Kids' Stuff" and "Satori" being particular highlights.

This is another "surprise" that turned up during my regular rounds of trolling in the used rekkid bins. Something about the cover said "Check this out!" and Glider has certainly turned out to be a pleasant discovery. A little smooth around the edges, yeah, but extremely advanced in the harmonic sense, and a great-sounding piece of vinyl.

Inner Vision - 1975 - Inner Vision

Inner Vision 

1975 

Inner Vision

01. Gassure 8:02

02. Minor Bridgework 4:33

03. Torculus 7:04

04. Sleezy Listening 7:11

05. The Astral World 10:46

06. Sno Fun 3:43

07. Tom Thumb 3:37

08. Asleep with Still Hand

Bass – Christian Kollgaard

Drums – Ron Wagner

Electric Piano – John Serry Jr.

Flute – Steve Kujala

Trumpet – Rick Braun

Vibraphone – Steven A. Rehbein

Inner Vision were an American jazz-rock band that self-released an eponymous album in 1975. The band continued as Auracle for two further albums during the late 1970s. First recordings of John Serry Jr. son of Accordeonist John Serry

Nordic Jazz Quintet - 1975 - Nordjazz

Nordic Jazz Quintet

1975

Nordjazz

01. Nordjazz 20:59

02. Hysterical 10:39

03. Silvana 8:14

Bass – Kjell Jansson

Drums – Petur Östlund

Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Knut Riisnæs

Guitar – Jukka Tolonen

Piano – Ole Kock Hansen

Recorded 8.10.1974.

The band was mentioned in connection with our Pop Liisa / Jazz Liisa expedition. This quintet made one legit LP in 1975 with 3 long tracks, and I won't repeat my lack of patience with those. Note that the band did include the famed guitarist Jukka Tolonen who appeared in a few of the Pop Liisa / Jazz Liisas, and the quintet as well in the same year recorded for that radio series. He's rounded out here by bassist Kjell Jansson, percussionist Petur Östlund, flute and sax player Knut Riisnæs and pianist Ole Kock Hansen.

In fact, the long track on side a was played at least partly on the jazz liisa a side of things too. Here on the official 1975 released LP, the "Nordjazz Suite" includes only a few minutes of composed music, three at the beginning and three more at the end, with the remainder a long and boring series of improvisations, so if they are attempting to represent Scandinavia as boring, they've got me convinced. Specifically, there's a wonderful fusionary flute intro with ascending electric piano chords followed by some quick improvs, then, as if they were too excited to get back to noodling, or too stoned to realize they had to play a song, there are more and more drawn out improvs with bass for 4 minutes, a wailing sax for 4 more, a meanderingly aimless guitar like a drunkard's walk for another 4 and then the absolute abysmal torture of a several minute long percussion-only solo including a bunch of irritating grade-school triangles I wish I could have torn from his hands. Finally then an acoustic piano returns to save the day to close out the song with a more tender ballad. And that's the first side. The other two tracks were written by Tolonen and are altogether not too bad,

Nordjazz Quintet - 2017 - Jazz-Liisa 14

Nordjazz Quintet

2017

Jazz-Liisa 14

01. Nordjazz Suite, Pt. 1 9:17

02. Havana Two 14:35

03. Arancel A Pagar 16:32

Double Bass – Kjell Jansson

Drums, Percussion – Pétur Östlund

Electric Guitar – Nils Petter Nyrén

Electric Piano – Ole Kock Hansen

Flute – Pekka Pöyry (tracks: A1)

Soprano Saxophone – Pekka Pöyry

Clear vinyl, limited to 100 pieces

Live Broadcast on Channel 2,

Wednesday, March 19th, 1975, 8 PM to 8.40 PM.

Produced By Yle, Hoster By Matti Konttinen.

Great performance by the Nordjazz Quintet -- a cool mixed electric/acoustic combo that features sax and flute from Pekka Poyry, guitar from Nils Petter Nyren, keyboards from Ole Kock Nahsen, bass from Kjell Jansson, and drums from Petur Ostlund -- a combo who work on long tracks that are a nice extrapolation of some of the fusion modes explored by the Love Records label during the same time! The tunes here get especially soulful in the longer stretches -- especially when Poyry's playing soprano sax.

Mirage - 1977 - Now You See It

Mirage

1977

Now You See It

01. King's Heads

02. Always Leaving

03. Time Less Words

04. Elephants' Tales

05. Ballade

06. Underneath The Arches And Beyond

Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Guitar [Tenor] – Brian Godding

Drums, Percussion – Dave Sheen

Electric Bass, Double Bass [String Bass] – Steve Cook

Saxophone, Flute – George Khan

The short-lived Jazz-Rock Fusion group Mirage is an excellent example of the incredible high level of music created in Britain in the 1970s. Co-led by two great instrumentalist and composers: saxophonist George Khan and guitarist Brian Godding, they managed to record just one album, which was originally released on the obscure, but visionary Norwegian Compendium label (along with some other superb albums), which unfortunately folded shortly after this album was released. The group also included bassist Steve Cook and drummer Dave Sheen on permanent basis, but was often expanded to a sextet with the addition of Geoff Castle on keyboards and John Mitchell on percussion. The group played music composed by Khan and Godding, which was a typical British Fusion, somewhat similar to what the many Canterbury groups (Hatfield And The North, National Health) were doing at the time, with strong melodic lines and lengthy improvisations. Godding was of course one of the best British guitarists, sadly much under-appreciated and respected mostly among his peers. This most welcome reissue expands the original album by adding two long jam-like tracks recorded live, which give an excellent glimpse as to how the group (in its sextet form) sounded on stage. Brilliant stuff, from start to finish and a must to all Fusion-heads.

Saluki - 1976 - Saluki

Saluki

1976

Saluki

01. Come Down 5:18

02. Autumn 5:53

03. The Awakening 3:45

04. Love To The Sun 9:30

05. Uranus In Cancer 6:26

06. Fantasy Suns 1:49

CD Bonus tracks:

07. Hidden Path III 10:40

08. Take The Road Across The Bridge 7:20

Keyboards, Vocals – Kjell Rønningen

Trombone – Bjørn Jenssen

Vocals, Bass – Ginnar Egon Jahr

Vocals, Guitar, Arranged By [Horns], Producer – Freddy Dahl

Vocals, Saxophone, Percussion – Peter Symington

Recorded at the Basement, October 1976

Compendium Records

Wow. These guys cover a wide range of styles from funk, to fusion, to jazz-rock, to prog. It probably helps to explain why they didn't go anywhere commercially; me and 7 other guys were their target audience (well, there's that and then there's the issue of international distribution from Norway). And the album cover probably didn't help their exposure either, as it looks like something you'd associate with 1976 guitar bands (AOR/metal), not a horn band. However the redheaded Djinn he's conjured up is quite nice, I'll take one too.

Vanessa - 1976 - Black And White

Vanessa

1976 

Black And White

01. Sun Walk 10:12

02. Summer Poem 12:16

03. Street Talk 3:26

04. Fragmomentum 17:32

Bass, Effects – Harald Salater

Drums – Thorsten Dulsrud

Piano, Synthesizer, Voice – Frode Holm

Saxophone, Flute, Alto Clarinet, Guitar – Svend Undseth

Existing somewhere between the post-psychedelic period of Soft Machine and the electric funk of Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, Black And White, the 1976 album from Norway’s Vanessa is without question a formidable beast of a jazz-rock record. A potent brew of sonic experimentation and pulsating off-kilter groove. Taking their name from the genus of Nymphalidae butterfly, Vanessa was founded in 1971 by saxophonist Svend Undseth and pianist Frode Holm, the founder of the Oslo record store turned imprint, Compendium Records. Unsurprisingly analogous to the music championed across the Compendium catalogue Black And White is clearly influenced by the UK Canterbury scene, highlighted by Compendium’s focus on the recordings of Soft Machine alumni Hugh Hopper and Elton Dean. Vanessa’s spirit also lies synonymous with the collective pedigree on the label’s roster including British progressive jazz stalwart Keith Tippett and Mirage (a UK group consisting of ex-members of Centipede and The Mike Westbrook Orchestra), together with the avant-rock collective Henry Cow and the experimental synthesiser-jazz of US ex-pat Joe Gallivan (together with Charles Austin).

Often dubbed the ‘Compendium house band’ owing to Holm’s association with the label, the Vanessa sound is inherently familiar yet undeniably original. Each of the album’s four long compositions are a meld of complex angular jazz laced with swirling electronic textures - furious rhythms that surge in intoxicating intensity before easing into fluid passages of soulful post-bop. The dichotomy of these styles plants the group firmly into radical new jazz territory alongside their Canterbury contemporaries. Despite their brief existence, the band, alongside the label left an indelible mark on Norwegian jazz-rock and the headier side of European progressive music at large.

A fantastically frenetic electric combo from the Norwegian scene of the 70s – one who clearly draw inspiration from some of the more dynamic prog acts on the UK scene from a few years before, but who deliver the goods with a vibe that really returns the instrumental energy to jazz overall! There's some very sharp reed work on the record – served up by Svend Undseth on saxes, flutes, and even a bit of clarinet – matched with really dynamic work on piano and keyboards from Frode Holm – a player with the best energy of the Scandia scene of the time. Thorsten Dulsrud plays some mighty heavy drums, Harald Salater bangs it on bass, and Undset also adds in a bit of guitar work too

Freddie Hubbard - 1970 - Red Clay

Freddie Hubbard 

1970 

Red Clay

01. Red Clay 12:05

02. Delphia 7:25

03. Suite Sioux 8:40

04. The Intrepid Fox 10:40

Bass – Ron Carter

Drums – Lenny White

Piano – Herbie Hancock

Saxophone – Joe Henderson

Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard

Recorded at Van Gelder Studios. Recorded January 27, 28, 29, 1970.

Herbie Hancock appears through the courtesy of Warner Bros. Records.

The first Freddie Hubbard album released on Creed Taylor CTI label marked a shift away from Hubbard's recording with Blue Note Records. It was the album that established Taylor's vision for the music that was to appear on his labels in the coming decade. "Red Clay" is Freddie Hubbard's seventeenth overall album.

On Jan. 27, 1970, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, playing at the peak of his powers after a string of seven brilliant Blue Note albums and three for the Atlantic label, went into the studio to cut his first for Creed Taylor’s CTI label. With Taylor producing, a stellar cast was assembled at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., for three consecutive days of recording. They emerged with Red Clay, an album that would not only define Hubbard’s direction over the next decade while setting the template for all future CTI recordings, but would also have a dramatic impact on a generation of trumpet players coming up in the ’70s.

This may be Freddie Hubbard's finest moment as a leader, in that it embodies and utilizes all of his strengths as a composer, soloist, and frontman. On Red Clay, Hubbard combines hard bop's glorious blues-out past with the soulful innovations of mainstream jazz in the 1960s, and reads them through the chunky groove innovations of '70s jazz fusion. This session places the trumpeter in the company of giants such as tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Lenny White. Hubbard's five compositions all come from deep inside blues territory; these shaded notions are grafted onto funky hard bop melodies worthy of Horace Silver's finest tunes, and are layered inside the smoothed-over cadences of shimmering, steaming soul. The 12-minute-plus title track features a 4/4 modal opening and a spare electric piano solo woven through the twin horns of Hubbard and Henderson. It is a fine example of snaky groove music. Henderson even takes his solo outside a bit without ever moving out of the rhythmatist's pocket. "Delphia" begins as a ballad with slow, clipped trumpet lines against a major-key background, and opens onto a midtempo groover, then winds back into the dark, steamy heart of bluesy melodicism. The hands-down favorite here, though, is "The Intrepid Fox," with its Miles-like opening of knotty changes and shifting modes, that are all rooted in bop's muscular architecture. It's White and Hancock who shift the track from underneath with large sevenths and triple-timed drums that land deeply inside the clamoring, ever-present riff. Where Hubbard and Henderson are playing against, as well as with one another, the rhythm section, lifted buoyantly by Carter's bridge-building bassline, carries the melody over until Hancock plays an uncharacteristically angular solo before splitting the groove in two and doubling back with a series of striking arpeggios. This is a classic, hands down.

It was a transitional period in the jazz; the tectonic shift beginning with Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way, recorded the previous year. Hubbard’s entry into this crossover territory on Red Clay was characterized by the slyly syncopated beats of drummer Lenny White on the funky 12-minute title track, an infectious groover that was soon covered by budding crossover groups all over America. Essentially an inventive line set to the chord changes of “Sunny,” Bobby Hebb’s hit song from 1966, “Red Clay” would become Hubbard’s signature tune throughout his career. As trumpeter, friend and benefactor David Weiss, who is credited with bringing Hubbard out of self-imposed retirement in the late ’90s, explains, “Later in life Freddie would always announce it as ‘the tune that’s been keeping me alive for the last 30 years.’ We played ‘Red Clay’ every night and he would quote ‘Sunny’ over it every night.”

Weiss and the New Jazz Composers Octet backed Hubbard on two recordings (2001’s New Colors and 2008’s On the Real Side) in addition to playing several gigs with him. As he notes, “What struck me when I went back to check out ‘Red Clay’ was how loose it is. It’s killing but kind of raw, and it goes on for over 12 minutes … not like what you would expect from what gets tailored to be a jazz hit.”

That looseness can be attributed in large part to drummer White, whose wide beat and interactive instincts characterize the track. “Freddie always credited Lenny with that,” says Weiss. “He said Lenny came up with the beat and that he himself had nothing to do with it. He was always happy to give Lenny credit on that track.”

Freddie Hubbard - 1973 - Sky Dive

Freddie Hubbard

1973

Sky Dive

01. Povo 12:33

02. In A Mist 7:04

03. The Godfather 7:21

04. Sky Dive 7:40

Bass – Ron Carter

Bass Clarinet – Phil Bodner

Bass Trombone – Paul Faulise

Clarinet – George Marge, Romeo Penque

Drums – Billy Cobham

Flugelhorn – Marvin Stamm

Flute – Hubert Laws

Flute [Alto] – Hubert Laws, Romeo Penque

Flute [Bass] – Hubert Laws

Guitar – George Benson

Oboe – Romeo Penque

Percussion – Airto, Ray Barretto

Piano, Electric Piano – Keith Jarrett

Trombone – Garnett Brown, Wayne Andre

Trumpet – Alan Rubin, Freddie Hubbard

Tuba – Tony Price

Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, October 4 and 5, 1972

Freddie Hubbard's fourth CTI recording (and the second one with Don Sebesky arrangements) certainly has a diverse repertoire. In addition to his originals "Povo" and "Sky Dive" (both of which are superior jam tunes), the trumpeter stretches out on the theme from The Godfather and Bix Beiderbecke's "In a Mist." The charts for the brass and woodwinds are colorful; there is a fine supporting cast that includes guitarist George Benson, Keith Jarrett on keyboards, and flutist Hubert Laws; and Hubbard takes several outstanding trumpet solos.

I don’t know if the assembly-line tac­tics of the ubiquitous Creed Taylor label are paying off commercially, but judging by the speed with which they’re coming off the conveyor belt, I suppose they are. This is Hubbard’s second album for CTI, with another on the way; once again it shows that he’s never recovered from his years with the Jazz Messengers.

His recent residency at Scott’s had him bopping in old Blakey style, while this album embraces a hotch-potch of music­al contexts, ranging from funk-rock to Beiderbecke to Bossa Nova and back to Blakey – all of which suggests a schizo­phrenic rather than versatile attitude. Sadly, Hubbard is lost in a period he can’t come to terms with, while fellow Messengers have either thrown in their lot, contented themselves with the past, or, like Wayne Shorter, forged way ahead. But that’s another story.

Povo drags a Hubbard composition uneasily into up-dated rock. Introduced by a Gil Evans style spread, Carter opens with a simple bass riff which continues remorselessly through the number’s absurdly drawn-out length. The equally simple melody line covers what is basically a languorous early Shor­ter 12-bar composition; add some names like Cobham, Jarrett and Benson and you’ve got a track which does Creed Taylor proud. These presumably lucra­tively enticed session men are hardly enthusiastic, but at least the ball’s roll­ing.

Cobham does especially well by waking up occasionally to change em­phases and add off-beats, only to be forced back by clumsy bouts of orches­tration. Laws alone is trying, and he provides the only solo of any listenable worth. In his other composition, Sky Dive, a piece of Quincy Jones bossa-funk, Hubbard at least bursts into a healthy and sustained playing, in uncompromised tone, of his original style. The following breaks by Benson and Jarrett are just short enough not to steal the show.

Beiderbecke’s In A Mist makes as few bones about its wallowing Messengers treatment as much as Jarrett and Cobham are unafraid to parody a ten year-old Cedar Walton and Art Blakey back­up – which leaves one wondering idly if Hubbard directed them so, or, if not, whether he was aware of what was go­ing on behind his back. Lastly, yet an­other blood-transfusion of the love theme from The Godfather already again, in which a predictable arrangement and glossy orchestration is spared only by a few neat changes in tempo, a miniscule but authentic Jarrett introduction and a brief spell when Cobham, Jarrett and particularly Carter are permitted a couple of minutes trio work.

Stanley Turrentine - 1971 - Salt Song

Stanley Turrentine 

1971 - Salt

Song

01. Gibraltar 10:20

02. I Told Jesus 7:35

03. Salt Song 7:10

04. I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do 4:30

05. Storm 7:30

Arranged By, Conductor – Eumir Deodato

Bass – Ron Carter

Cello – Alan Shulman, Charles McCracken

Drums – Airto Moreira, Bill Cobham

Guitar – Eric Gale

Percussion – Airto Moreira

Piano, Electric Piano, Organ – Eumir Deodato, Horace Parlan, Richard Tee

Tenor Saxophone – Stanley Turrentine

Viola – Harold Coletta

Violin – Harry Katzman, Joe Malin, Julie Held, Julius Brand, Leo Kahn, Paul Gershman

Voice [Voices] – Brenda Bryant, Margaret Branch, Patricia Smith

Recorded at Van Gelder Studios

Recorded July, September, 1971

An amazing album from Stanley Turrentine -- quite different than most of his other sessions for CTI, but in a really great way! Stan's playing here with arrangements from Deodato -- in a swirling, Brazilian jazz influenced mode that's similar to their work together with Astrud Gilberto on her CTI album -- save for the fact that this set's all instrumental, with Turrentine's tenor in the frontline! The sound is wonderful -- soaring, swirling, and plenty darn soulful when Stan's tenor comes into play -- and in a way, the album's almost an instrumental companion to the Gilberto CTI album. Instrumentation includes some great keyboards from Deodato and Richard Tee -- plus guitar from Eric Gale

Stanley Turrentine's stint with Creed Taylor's CTI label may not have produced any out-and-out classics on the level of the very best LPs by Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, or George Benson, but the bluesy tenorist's output was consistently strong and worthwhile for all but the most stridently anti-fusion listeners. Salt Song was Turrentine's second album for CTI, and while it's perhaps just a small cut below his debut Sugar, it's another fine, eclectic outing that falls squarely into the signature CTI fusion sound: smooth but not slick, accessible but not simplistic. In general, keyboardist Eumir Deodato's arrangements have plenty of light funk and Brazilian underpinnings, the latter often courtesy of percussionist Airto Moreira. The first three cuts are the most memorable, beginning with a ten-minute exploration of the abrupt time signature shifts of Freddie Hubbard's "Gibraltar." Though a hard bop version might have returned to the theme a little less often, Turrentine's solo sections are full of ideas, befitting one of his favorite pieces of the period; plus, guitarist Eric Gale shines as both a rhythm and lead player. The traditional gospel tune "I Told Jesus" features Turrentine at his bluesiest and earthiest, with snatches of ethereal choir vocals floating up behind him. Milton Nascimento's title track, naturally, has the strongest Brazilian flavor of the program, and Turrentine skillfully negotiates its frequent shifts in and out of double time. The 1997 CD reissue also includes Nascimento's "Vera Cruz" as a bonus track. All in all, Salt Song has dated well, partly because the arrangements don't overemphasize electric piano, but mostly on the strength of Turrentine's always-soulful playing.

Tenor sax player Turrentine has often tried to gain commercial success with the help of trendy producers / arrangers. Here he is produced by Creed Taylor, and his arranger is Deodato, but the sound is not as Brazilian as you would expect. Only Milton Nascimento's "Salt Song" and the bonus track "Vera Cruz" (by Nascimento, too) have a Brazilian flavor. "Gibraltar" is a tune made quite famous by his frequent partner Freddie Hubbard, "I Told Jesus" has Gospel overtones, as you might expect.

As this is a CTI production, many outstanding musicians play in this album: Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Airto Moreira, Richard Tee, Eric Gale, Hubert Laws ... , the usual suspects.

Glossy easy-listening jazz, much better than today's so-called smooth jazz, not challenging but nice as background music; there are times we need some, don't we ?

Stanley Turrentine - 1971 - Sugar

Stanley Turrentine

1971

Sugar

01. Sugar 10:00

02. Sunshine Alley 11:00

03. Impressions 15:30

Bass – Ron Carter

Congas – Richard "Pablo" Landrum

Drums – Billy Kaye

Electric Piano – Lonnie L. Smith, Jr.

Guitar – George Benson

Organ – Butch Cornell

Tenor Saxophone – Stanley Turrentine

Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard

Recorded at Van Gelder Studios

Recorded November, 1970

If ever there were a record that both fit perfectly and stood outside the CTI Records' stable sound, it is Sugar by Stanley Turrentine. Recorded in 1970, only three tracks appear on the original album (on the reissue there's a bonus live version of the title track, which nearly outshines the original and is 50 percent longer). Turrentine, a veteran of the soul-jazz scene since the '50s, was accompanied by a who's who of groove players, including guitarist George Benson, Lonnie Liston Smith on electric piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, bassist Ron Carter, organist Butch Cornell, and drummer Billy Kaye, among others. (The live version adds Airto, flutist Hubert Laws, drummer Billy Cobham, and organist Johnny Hammond.) The title track is a deep soul blues workout with a swinging backbeat and the rhythm section fluidly streaming through fours and eights as Benson, Hubbard, and Turrentine begin slowly and crank up the heat, making the pace and stride of the cut simmer then pop -- especially in Hubbard's solo. This is truly midnight blue, and the party's at the point of getting really serious or about to break up. By the time Benson picks up his break, full of slick, shiny, warm arpeggios, the seams are bursting and couples are edging into corners. Butch Cornell's "Sunshine Alley" is a solid, funky groover, paced by organ and double fours by Kaye. Turrentine and Hubbard stride into the melody and keep the vamp in the pocket, riding out past the blues line into a tag that just revs the thing up even further. But the big surprise is in the final track, one of the most solidly swinging, from-the-gut emotional rides of John Coltrane's "Impressions" ever taken. Turrentine is deep inside his horn, ringing out in legato with everything he has -- and it is considerable. Ron Carter's bass playing flows through the modal interludes, creating a basis for some beautifully intervallic invention by Benson and Smith by building a series of harmonic bridges through the mode to solos. It's hard to believe this is Turrentine, yet is could be no one else. If jazz fans are interested in Turrentine beyond the Blue Note period -- and they should be -- this is a heck of a place to listen for satisfaction.

Soul jazz with a blues flavour, great line up, and of course had to get it when I saw Freddie Hubbard plays trumpet. Stanley Turrentine is no slouch on saxophone either. Rounding out the rest of the band, Ron Carter, great bass player, George Benson, doing his thing on guitar, the ever talented Lonnie Liston Smith (another fave of mine) on electric piano, Butch Cornell on funky organ, Billy Kaye on drums, and some conga playing, ever so subtle, from Richard 'Pablo' Landrum. Side two is one long track to sink into. Side one, two tracks, starting out with 'Sugar' tied for the best track with the one long track on side two, in which Hubbard really shows off, in fact the main guys stretch it out, Benson, Turrentine getting long play. Love this album, and it sounds so good on vinyl. Jazz and classical music were meant for vinyl, best way to hear them. Especially good because this is an original, the gatefold pressing, there are lots of reissues but there is nothing like the original. CTI records fell out of favour at one point and these originals where cheap to get but then rappers started using them for samples and the price went back up. Got this at a vinyl fair, unfortunately the price was back up. No worries, I play this lots and love it, it oozes groove.

Stan Getz - 1975 - Captain Marvel

Stan Getz

1975

Captain Marvel

01. La Fiesta 8:22

02. Five Hundred Miles High 8:07

03. Captain Marvel 5:08

04. Times Lie 9:36

05. Lush Life 2:26

06. Day Waves 8:41

Recorded with Chick Corea March 3, 1972, in A&R Studios, New York. Just a month after the recording session of Corea's "Return To Forever" album (February 2 & 3, 1972) in the same studio.

Bass – Stanley Clarke

Drums – Tony Williams

Electric Piano – Chick Corea

Percussion – Airto Moreira

Saxophone – Stan Getz

Wow. This has to be my favorite Stan Getz recording, easily. Getz took his Latin music into a whole different dimension with this one. The one-two percussion punch of Airto Moreira and Tony Williams keeps you moving. Bassist Stanley Clarke is certainly among the greatest to ever pick up the instrument. Keyboardist Chick Corea is at his best when playing more of a supportive and tinkering role, as he does for Captain Marvel. Stan Getz is his usual creamy smooth self but he almost gets fiery at times. Captain Marvel is certainly among the finest 1970s Jazz that I've heard. If any member of the band deserves the greatest credit for the success of the album it's drummer Tony Williams. Throw him in any setting, any whatsoever, and watch him thrive. The most ordinary moments of Captain Marvel are brilliant because of him. Drummers like Elvin Jones are great within their own little niche but Tony Williams consistently bestows unpredictable and spectacular playing onto the cosmos. He's in a league of his own.

Latin flavoured bliss, and who better to play latin than Chick Corea, Airto Moreira and Stanley Clarke, joining Tony Williams superb drumming and Stan Getz smooth, but sometimes fiery saxophone, on Captain Marvel. Stan Getz gives equal billing to all, especially Corea, this is a joint group endeavor, Corea wrote 5 of the 6 compositions, the lone one he did not write is a standard, 'Lush Life', which is the shortest track on the album, a moody slow number, the kind Getz does very well, but in saying that, kind of departs from the mood of the other 5 tracks and would have better been suited to put at the very end of side two. Side one is uptempo latin jazz with creative flare, especially kept tight by the percussion wizards Airto Moreira and Tony Willams drumming. Side two continues, beginning with Corea, Williams, Clarke and Moreira on 'Times Lie' with a long intro until Getz jumps in with some real sexy saxophone. A great track. I must mention Stanley Clarke as well, his bass playing stands out, in fact, everyone stands out on Captain Marvel, and all, are marvelous.

Latin flavoured bliss, and who better to play latin than Chick Corea, Airto Moreira and Stanley Clarke, joining Tony Williams superb drumming and Stan Getz smooth, but sometimes fiery saxophone, on Captain Marvel. Stan Getz gives equal billing to all, especially Corea, this is a joint group endeavor, Corea wrote 5 of the 6 compositions, the lone one he did not write is a standard, 'Lush Life', which is the shortest track on the album, a moody slow number, the kind Getz does very well, but in saying that, kind of departs from the mood of the other 5 tracks and would have better been suited to put at the very end of side two. Side one is uptempo latin jazz with creative flare, especially kept tight by the percussion wizards Airto Moreira and Tony Willams drumming. Side two continues, beginning with Corea, Williams, Clarke and Moreira on 'Times Lie' with a long intro until Getz jumps in with some real sexy saxophone. A great track. I must mention Stanley Clarke as well, his bass playing stands out, in fact, everyone stands out on Captain Marvel, and all, are marvelous.

Max Roach - 1984 - Survivors

Max Roach

1984

Survivors

01. Survivors 21:28

02. The Third Eye 2:10

03. Billy The Kid 2:57

04. Jas Me 3:37

05. The Drum Also Waltzes 3:18

06. Sassy Max (Self Portrait) 3:20

07. The Smoke That Thunders 5:47

Cello – Christopher Finckel

Drums – Max Roach

Viola – Louise Schulman

Violin – Donald Bauch, Guillermo Figueroa

Drummer Max Roach was fond of playing with string quartets in the latter part of his career, and in this case he is with one sans his regular working foursome. The cerebral nature of this music cannot be discounted, nor can the interplay and counterpoint between the drummer and string players. The lengthy title track best exemplifies this concept, which is carried throughout the project. But the majority of this recording consists of drum solos, all earmarked by the signature drum sound and complex polyrhythmic drive that only Roach can claim.While not as successful as other like-minded recordings, this serves as a powerful reminder of why Roach's drumming was so strong and visceral even in his older years, and how fertile his imagination continued to be. An unusual record – one that has Max Roach handling a fair bit of percussion, and working with a hip string quartet too!

Yusef Lateef with Art Farmer - 1977 - Autophysiopsychic

Yusef Lateef with Art Farmer

1974

Autophysiopsychic

01. 'Robot Man 6:37

02. Look On Your Right Side 5:08

03. YL (Pronounced Eel) 7:56

04. Communication 9:21

05. Sister Mamie 10:06

Backing Vocals – Babi Floyd, Frank Floyd, Milt Grayson, Norberto Jones

Bass – Alex Blake (2) (tracks: B2), Gary King

Drums – Jim Madison*, Steve Gadd (tracks: B2)

Electric Violin – Noel Pointer (tracks: B2)

Flugelhorn – Art Farmer

Guitar – Eric Gale

Keyboards – Clifford Carter

Percussion – Sue Evans

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Shanai, Lead Vocals – Yusef Lateef

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, October 1977.

Autophysiopsychic is probably the single album that many Yusef Lateef fans either love or hate the most. Along with guest soloist Art Farmer on flugelhorn, guitarist Eric Gale, keyboardist Cliff Carter, drummer Jim Madison and bassist Gary King (except for "Sister Mamie," which features Steve Gadd and Alex Blake respectively), "Teefski" romps through five fat slices of original funk that have far more in common with the sounds of Chocolate City than with the bop sounds of 52nd Street. Autophysiopsychic is awash in the soft soul-funk-jazz sound typical of Creed Taylor's (CTI) productions in the 1970s. And even though the backing instrumentation and rhythms are not much more than mainstream R&B and funk shot through with a few oddities, Farmer and Lateef (on tenor and soprano saxes, flute and shanai) lay down solos that bite and swing so momentously that they provide musical merit to this entire project. Each seems to continually prod the other -- Lateef more robust and biting, Farmer more fluid and soft -- up to the next level. Their turns in "Robot Man" and "Look On Your Right Side" are particularly memorable, especially Farmer's closing solo in "Right Side," which seems to blend New Orleans swing with nursery-rhyme sing-song simplicity. Not the most typical album in Lateef's wide-ranging catalog, but certainly the most fun.

A strange bit of funk from Yusef Lateef – a bit of a change from his other 70s records, but pretty nice too! The record was recorded late in the CTI electric years – and it's got Yusef fronting a funky jazz group on five long tracks that have a decidedly R&B-ish current – that Kudu/CTI vibe, stretched out in arrangements by the great Dave Matthews – the maestro who maybe made the second greatest contribution to CTI charts after Bob James! Lateef plays tenor, soprano sax, flute, shenhai, and even vocalizes a bit – and Art Farmer also gets in lots of solos on flugel

Yusef Lateef - 1976 - The Doctor Is In ...and Out

Yusef Lateef

1976 

The Doctor Is In ...and Out

01. The Improvisers 7:54

02. Hellbound 6:37

03. Mystique 7:37

04. Mississippi Mud 2:51

05. Mushmouth 6:30

06. Technological Homosapien 5:16

07. Street Musicians 2:54

08. In A Little Spanish Town (T'was On A Night Like This) 

Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Oboe, Flute [Bamboo] – Yusef Lateef

Yusef Lateef (tracks: A1, B1, B3, B4)

Bass – Anthony Jackson, Robert Cunningham*, Ron Carter

Drums – Al Foster

French Horn – Jimmy Buffington*

Guitar – Billy Butler 

Keyboards – Kenneth Barron

Percussion – Dom Um Romao

Arp 2600] – Dana McCurdy

Trombone – Jack Jeffers

Trumpet – Joseph Wilder*, Leonard Goines

Tuba – Jonathan Dorn

In 1976, Yusef Lateef's as restless a spiritual seeker as there ever was in the field of music, revisited some of his earliest themes in the context of modern sonic frameworks: The Eastern modal and melodic frameworks of his Prestige sides, such as Eastern Sounds, Cry!/Tender, and Other Sounds, brought to bear in much more sophisticated, complex, and grooved-out ways -- after all, it had been 20 years or more. The groove referred to is funk and soul. Funk itself was mutating at the time, so Lateef's interpolation at the crossroads of all ports in the musical journey was not only valid in 1976, but also necessary. For this recording, he utilized an absolutely huge group of musicians, bringing them in for this or that part, or a sound, or a particular vamp. Some of those present were Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Dom Um Romao, Al Foster, Billy Butler, Anthony Jackson, a five-piece brass section, and a synth player. Lateef, as always, was offering evocative glimpses of geographical, psychological, spiritual, and emotional terrain in his compositions, but not in predictable ways. There's the deep minor-key meditation on blues and evolving thematic variations on "Hellbound" that becomes a Latin funk tune; the airy, contemplative, and skeletal "Mystique," which may use a repeating rhythmic phrase but explores every inch of its margins via a string section and Lateef's flute solo; the smooth, urban, bluesy funk of "Mississippi Mud"; the completely out electronic musique concrète of "Technological Homosapien" that becomes a series of synth squeals and an erratically tumbling bassline; and the wonderfully warped mariachi variation (sung in white-boy English) that featured the band playing bluesy hard bop over an age-old recorded track on "In a Little Spanish Town." It's a weird way to end a record, but then, it's a weird and wonderful record.

One of Yusef Lateef's funkier albums for Atlantic -- and a record that features some great keyboard work from Kenny Barron! The liner notes indicate a current Lateef fascination with rhythm, and it tries to present this fascination in a way that implies a bigger intellectual approach to the music -- but heck, this is just some pretty darn nice 70s jazz funk, and Lateef's angular reed work sounds very nice next to the smoother electric backdrops! In addition to Barron's keyboards, the record also features guitar from Billy Butler, drums from Al Foster, and percussion from Dom Um Romao -- plus a bit of Arp from Dana McCurdy, which is mighty nice.

Yusef Lateef - 1999 - Live At Pep's Volume Two

Yusef Lateef 

1999

Live At Pep's Volume Two

01. Brother John 9:10

02. P-Bouk 4:30

03. Nu-Bouk 7:40

04. Yusef's Mood 6:40

05. I Remember Clifford

06. Listen To The Wind 4:44

07. I Loved 4:28

08. Delilah

09. The Magnolia Triangle - Alternative Version

Recorded At – Pep's Lounge

Bass – Ernie Farrow

Drums – James Black

Flute – Yusef Lateef (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 8)

Oboe – Yusef Lateef (tracks: 1)

Piano – Mike Nock

Shenai [Argol] – Yusef Lateef (tracks: 1, 9)

Tambourine – Yusef Lateef (tracks: 1)

Tenor Saxophone – Yusef Lateef (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9)

Trumpet – Richard Williams (tracks: 1 to 6, 8, 9)

Recorded live at Pep's Lounge in Philadelphia on June 29, 1964.

Recorded live at Pep's Lounge in Philadelphia on June 29, 1964, Yusel Lateef can be heard at his best. He combines his proclivity for musical eccentricity with a number of hard-swinging tunes. As usual, he plays not only tenor saxophone, but flute, oboe, and a very obscure instrument called an argol (a double clarinet that resembles a bassoon). He's backed by Richard Williams on trumpet, Mike Nock on piano, Ernie Farrow on bass, and James Black on drums, and this group really shines on bluesy versions of "Brother John" and "Nu-Bouk."

The ballads, "I Loved" and "I Remember Clifford," are lovely, subtle, and filled with brilliant climaxes and melodious tenderness. Other tracks, such as "The Magnolia Triangle" and "Listen to the Wind," push the boundaries of hard bop, as Lateef and crew experiment with moments of harsh dissonance bordering on atonality. An extremely creative and well-conceived set of music, Live at Pep's, Vol. 2 delves into the very heart of jazz, for it seeks to push the envelope of spontaneity and improvisation and stretch one's concept of structure and form.

Finally! Yusef Lateef's live set at Pep's in 1964 is the stuff of legend. Not only is it one of his best-ever recordings, but it also yielded a huge amount of material that was not issued at the time, and which only ever came out on later, badly-annotated issues. Now, the proper "part 2" set is finally issued – with all the lost cuts fully intact, and a great set of notes to explain everything. The set features one of Lateef's best cuts ever – "Brother John" – plus other great ones like "P-Bouk", "Nu-Bounk", and "Delilah". Throw away your beat up copy of Club Date, and check out this great new CD! © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.