Plunky & Oneness Of Juju - 1980 - Make a Change

Plunky & Oneness Of Juju

1980

Make a Change

01. (Family Tree) Make a Change

02. Run Away Bay

03. Love's Wonderland

04. Every Way But Loose

05. Higher

06. Always Have to Say Goodbye

07. Every Way But Loose (Extended Studio Version)

08. Run Away Bay (Extended Studio Version)

09. Plastic (Previously Unreleased Version)

10. Time (Extended Studio Version)

11. Always Have to Say Goodbye (Extended Studio Version)

Originally released in 1980.

Backing Vocals – Lady Eka-Ete, Judy Spears, Muzi Nkabinde, Plunky Nkabinde, Veronica "Nilaja" Jones, Virtania "Cookie" Tillery

Bass, Handclaps – Muzi Nkabinde

Clavinet – William "Bill" Joyner

Drums, Congas, Timbales – Kevin Davis

Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer, Organ – Weldon Hill

Guitar – Ras Mel Glover Jr.

Lead Vocals – Lady Eka-Ete, Plunky Nkabinde, Virtania "Cookie" Tillery

Percussion – Muzi Nkabinde, Plunky Nkabinde

Piano – William "Bill" Joyner, Weldon Hill

Rhythm Guitar – Marcus Macklin, Ras Mel Glover Jr.

Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano], Flute, Leader – Plunky Nkabinde

Talking Drum – Okyereme Asante

The definitive edition of a 1977 classic, Plunky & Oneness Of Juju’s ‘Make A Change’ album featuring the international hit ‘Every Way But Loose’ and five previously unheard studio takes across an expanded 2lp release.

Recorded at Omega studios in Maryland, the album marked a transition for the band with lead vocalist Jackie Eka-Ete recording her last sessions with Plunky and Virtania Tillery taking over lead vocal duties.

“‘Make A Change’ was always designed as a slightly more commercial entry in our discography,” says Plunky. “We approached the sessions in the same way that we had approached all of our music since the early ‘70s. We played extended jams because we would always find something within those explorations. The songs had enough organic qualities to be considered R&B and enough rhythm to be Afro funk.”

After catching fire in Washington DC clubs through local record pools, the dancefloor favourite ‘Every Way But Loose’ famously became an anthem for Larry Levan at New York’s Paradise Garage, kick-starting international success for the track. Other album cuts like funk workout ‘Higher’ and the wistful stepper ‘Always Have To Say Goodbye’ have remained staples among soulful DJs worldwide, the latter surfacing in a new Kon edit. “The songs and lyrics on this album have come back around full circle,” continues Plunky. “With songs like ‘(Family Tree) Make A Change’ and ‘Every Way But Loose’, we don’t have to change one word for them to be relevant all these years later. The positive messages are universal and timeless.”

Oneness of Juju - 1977 - Bush Brothers and Space Rangers

Oneness of Juju 

1977

Bush Brothers and Space Rangers

01. Breezin

02. African Rhythms

03. Nooky

04. Be About The Future

05. Afro Beat

06. Plastic (Is Easy To See Thru)

07. Rhythms Timelessness

Produced For – Black Fire Music

Congas, Vocals, Percussion – Peddie Maples

Drums [African], Slit Drum [Log Drums], Bells, Percussion, Vocals – Okyerma Asante

Drums, Percussion – Tony Green 

Electric Bass, Shekere, Vocals – P Muzi Branch

Guitar, Shekere – Ras Mel Melvin Glover

Lead Vocals, Percussion – Lady Eke Ete Jackie Lewis

Piano – Brian Jackson

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Shekere, Vocals – Plunky Branch*

Vocals – Judy Spears*

Originally recorded in 1977.

Bush Brothers & Space Rangers sees Oneness Of Juju at the peak of their powers in 1977.

Oneness had enjoyed two fruitful years with Black Fire prior to these recordings, breaking through with the African Rhythms and Space Jungle Luv albums. “When we recorded African Rhythms we didn’t use a guitar,” explains bandleader Plunky Branch. “So, when vocalist Jackie Eka-Ete and guitarist Ras Mel Glover came in around ‘75, that moved our sound into a more soulful direction. The drummer on this album, Tony Green, was the drummer with Gil Scott Heron and he added a little more sophistication to our soulfulness. African percussionist Okyerema Asante was also fully incorporated into the band after joining in 1976. By 1977, we were in full production mode recording songs; one or two of the tracks here also feature Brian Jackson, known for his work with Gil.”

Primarily recorded at Arrest Studios in Washington DC, the album is packed with landmark Oneness tracks including ‘Be About The Future’ (“possibly the first ecology-themed song that I know of”) the George Clinton-influenced ‘Plastic’, an acoustic alternative version of ‘African Rhythms’ and strong covers of Caiphus Semenya’s ‘West Wind’ and Bobby Womack’s ‘Breezin’’. Plunky continues, “The album is composed of several different sessions featuring different personnel and only first came out as an album in its own right when Black Fire MD Jimmy Gray started working with P-Vine Records in Japan during the ‘90s. For me, it’s one of the hottest periods for the band.”

Incredible work by Oneness Of Juju -- a lost third LP, recorded in the late 70s, but never issued until years later! The album has the group tightening it up a bit from the first two records -- picking up some funky influences that are more than welcome to our ears -- doses of mainstream soul that really mix strongly with their Afro-centric groove. The sound's a bit tighter and more compressed -- but that also helps the group kick it out a bit more with a bass-heavy sound -- yet still stay a bit far from the dancefloor territory of their early 80s work, with some of the best righteous elements we loved in their first two records. Titles include a very nice version of "Breezin" -- one that has a kicked-back funky groove that's really great; a remake of "African Rhythms" with a slower groove and some wild electronics; the righteous funky message cut "Plastic Is Easy To See Through"

Oneness of Juju - 1976 - Space Jungle Luv

Oneness of Juju 

1976

Space Jungle Luv

01. River Luv Rite 8:03

02. Follow Me 4:57

03. Soul Love Now 4:50

04. Space Jungle Funk 9:36

05. The Connection 3:18

06. Love's Messenger 3:07

Bonus Tracks

07. Love's Messenger (Instrumental) 3:05

08. F# 3:17

09. Bootsie's Lament 7:07

10. African Rhythms Chant 2:03

11. Got To Be Right On It 5:18

Original LP released as BF19754 on Black Fire was recorded on June 4th 1976.

Track 8 was recorded in 1975 at Eastern Recording Studios, Richmond, VA, and is previously unreleased.

Tracks 10 & 11 originally released as BF1002 and were recorded at Arrest Recording Studios, Washington, D.C. in 1977.

Congas – Rafael Solano, Richard "Dick" Watkins

Drums – Ronnie Toler

Electric Bass [Fe, Percussion – Muzi Nkabinde

Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Melvin "Slyp" Glover

Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Eka-Ete

Percussion – Richard "Dick" Watkins

Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Vocals – Plunky Nkabinde

Timbales – Alfredo Mojica 

The message was enormously positive on the debut Oneness of Juju record, and for the follow-up, bandleader Plunky Branch developed a lighter, more free sound to parallel the consciousness-raising themes. Make no mistake: the group plays just as tight as on African Rhythms, but here the emphasis is on creating an atmosphere instead of approximating a religious ritual. As on the first record, the opener is the hands-down highlight; Plunky latches onto a short, playful theme, stretches it out into a vibrant solo, and returns to it often over the course of eight minutes (even switching from tenor to alto after a few minutes). Pianist Joe Bonner also contributes a solid solo, and vocalist Eka-Ete Jackie Lewis sounds powerful but very calm and controlled, wordlessly vocalizing her own solo underneath Bonner and Plunky. Quieter numbers like "Soul Love Now" and "Love's Messenger" rely more on exploratory percussion than a steady rock backbeat, but "Space Jungle Funk" and "Got to Be Right on It" are two of the heaviest tracks the band had cut up to that point. As on the first, great playing from a tuned-in band carries the day over an occasional lack of innovation or imagination.

When bandleader James “Plunky” Branch created Oneness Of Juju in 1975, he had spent five years working on both the West and East coasts of the U.S. The group’s previous incarnation, Juju, had become a fixture within New York’s avant-garde jazz scene. Upon moving to Richmond, Virginia, Plunky re-grouped with a new set of musicians, fusing African percussion with funk and R&B. The band recorded two of their most celebrated albums during 1975 and 1976, African Rhythms and Space Jungle Luv.

This change of direction ushered in the most successful era yet for the band. Plunky connected with distributor, publicist and DJ Jimmy “Black Fire” Gray, and African Rhythms scored a huge local success. Plunky recalls, “A year later, with Space Jungle Luv, I moved from R&B into a more mellow, spiritual direction. The music featured a smooth progressive sound that was perfect for our singer Lady Eka-Ete’s mesmerizing, soulfully sweet vocals. That album also introduced guitarist Melvin Glover to the group; his songs broadened our repertoire by adding celestial, harp-like tones and textures.” The pianist from Pharoah Sanders’ band, Joe Bonner, also guested on the sessions.

“With Space Jungle Luv, I was making a Pharoah kind of record,” continues Plunky. “I wanted to deliver a spiritually uplifting message; artists like George Clinton and Sun Ra had explored the theme of space and people were looking towards the future and new technology. We were also describing the album – space music, jungle music, love songs. Among the tracks, ‘River Luvrite’ describes positive people as constituting a flow, a continuous spirit. With ‘Follow Me’, we were just saying, ‘come along with us and find new places together.’”

A fantastic record from one of the greatest underground jazz groups of the 70s! Oneness of Juju are perhaps best known for the heavy funk of their first album, African Rhythms – but we're actually partial to this second album – a warmly spiritual batch of soul jazz tracks, and a set that's filled with life, emotion, and wonderful instrumentation throughout! The group are a bit more relaxed overall – easing into things, but in a way that really builds up as the album moves on – as they layer together heavy percussion, sweet keyboards, and lots of great sax solos from Plunky Nakabinde – plus wonderfully warm vocals that add a soulful edge the group never had before, but which still is very jazzy – and not like the funky club of later years. The whole thing's wonderfully cohesive, and a treasure throughout – and titles include the warm vocal number "River Luvrite", to the harder hitting "Space Jungle Funk"

Oneness of Juju - 1975 - African Rhythms

Oneness of Juju 

1975 

African Rhythms

01. African Rhythms 7:17

02. Kazi 4:20

03. Funky Wood 1:13

04. Tarishi 3:55

05. Mashariki 3:22

06. Chants 1:14

07. Don't Give Up 5:41

08. Incognito 8:10

09. Poo Too 3:43

10. Liberation Dues 4:34

11. African Rhythms (45 Version Parts 1 And 2) 7:17

12. Afrobeat 3:59

Tracks 1 to 10 originally released as Black Fire LP 'African Rhythms' (BF 19751).

Track 11 originally released as Parts I and II on a Black Fire 45 (BF-1001).

Track 12 previously unreleased. 1975.

Balafon, Congas, Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Babatunde

Bass [Fender Bass], Percussion, Vocals, Artwork – Muzi Nkabinde

Clavinet, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Piano, Percussion, Vocals – Al Hammel Rasul

Drums – Ronnie Toler

Flute, Percussion, Saxophone, Vocals, Producer – Plunky Nkabinde

Marimba, Vibraphone – Lon Moshe

Vocals – Eka-Ete Jackie Lewis

From a trailblazing band featuring members well-versed in jazz, funk, gospel, and African music, the debut album by the Oneness of Juju displayed a group playing with the dexterity of Kool & the Gang, the forward-thinking musical ideas of Herbie Hancock, and the social consciousness of Gil Scott-Heron. The title track is fiercely kinetic, with vocal choruses prodding listeners to dance and Plunky's echo-drenched saxophone floating serenely over the top of a funky space-jazz backing. Elsewhere, the band lapses into a few dated mid-'70s arrangements (reminiscent of Pharoah Sanders, Lonnie Liston Smith, etc.), but the playing is always wonderful -- Plunky especially distinguishes himself in many different modes -- and the production is crystalline. "Don't Give Up" and "Liberation Dues" are two other highlights, with positive-minded chants and funky arrangements. [In early 2002, the British jazz/funk/world reissue label Strut brought African Rhythms back from the brink, with two bonus tracks: an instrumental version of "Liberation Dues" and the single version of "African Rhythms."]

For bandleader James “Plunky” Branch, ‘African Rhythms’ marked a significant return to his home town of Richmond, Virginia after a politically charged five years based on the East and West coasts. His personal journey had taken him from activism at Columbia University to San Francisco where Zulu musician Ndikho Xaba used theatre to “resurrect” Afro-Americans with a new African identity. The first incarnation of Plunky’s band, Juju, drew attention to the struggle in South Africa under apartheid, layering heavy Afro rhythms under uncompromising avant garde jazz.

Back in Richmond, Plunky tapped into the mid-Atlantic preference for Southern R&B and gospel: “Juju had always been blues-based and it was a natural progression to add R&B and dance rhythms. It didn’t change our message.”

Produced by Jimmy Gray of Black Fire Records, the new sessions included the title track (“We wanted a song to dance to with a message – ‘you are dancing to African rhythms’”), the positive message of ‘Don’t Give Up’ and political commentary on ‘Liberation Dues’.

Originally just a regional hit on the East coast and in Washington DC specifically, the album gradually spread, influencing the nascent DC go-go scene. The UK revived the album during the rare groove era of the late ‘80s and the title track has since become a soul-jazz favourite worldwide.

"Magical, mystical, Afrocentric, progressive -- words that could be used to describe any number of musical compositions by Sun Ra or his cosmic brothers and sisters, from John to Alice Coltrane, early '70s projects on record labels like Detroit's Tribe or Houston's Lightin' or the interests of one Washington, DC native named Jimmy Gray that centered under one, perfect moniker: Black Fire. Gray spent nearly three decades pushing boundaries as a Black American promoter, distributor, and, finally, record label owner. Together with Oneness of Juju's leader James 'Plunky Nkabinde' Branch, Gray oversaw sixteen releases on Black Fire Records between 1975 and 1996. These are the definitive reissues of five of the label's key titles: all were lacquered -- most directly from master tape -- by legendary Los Angeles mastering engineer Bernie Grundman, With this set, Oneness Of Juju and Black Fire's story burns forth into its fifth decade, its message not tempered, its sound pure. Its cycle, once again, complete. Each release is packaged in a thick, tip-on sleeve and includes a deluxe booklet with extensive notes on the album, the Black Fire collective, and the musical and cultural revolution they created."

JuJu - 2019 - At The East

JuJu 

2019

At The East

01. (Struggle) Home

02. Soledad Brothers

03. At Least We Have A Horizon Now

04. Black Experience

Bass, Vocals – Ken Shabala

Congas, Percussion, Vocals – Babatunde

Piano, Shekere, Percussion, Vocals – Al-Hammel Rasul

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Vocals – Plunky Nkabinde

Timbales, Percussion, Vocals – Jalango

Vibraphone, Percussion, Vocals – Lon Moshe

Recorded in August 24, 1973 at the East, 10 Claver Place, Brooklyn, NY by unknown engineer.

Vinyl Me, Please Exclusive limited to 500. 180g Orange vinyl. Licensed by James "Plunky Nkabinde" Branch.

Most of the earliest free jazz groups pushed their sound into rhythmically amorphous contexts, but Juju instead grounded the saxophone workouts of Plunky Branch with the funkiest, wildest drumming you've heard outside of a Fela Kuti record. This live set captures them when they were at their wildest, capturing the raw energy of a Juju set when they were mastering their art.

"Now-Again Records presents limited edition deluxe reissues of the lauded black fire catalog in 2020. First up in the series, this previously unreleased live session recorded at the legendary Brooklyn venue The East in 1973. Magical, mystical, Afrocentric, progressive -- words that could be used to describe any number of musical compositions by Sun Ra or his cosmic brothers and sisters, from John to Alice Coltrane, early '70s projects on record labels like Detroit's Tribe or Houston's Lightin' or the interests of one Washington, DC native named Jimmy Gray that centered under one, perfect moniker: Black Fire. Gray spent nearly three decades pushing boundaries as a Black American promoter, distributor and, finally, record label owner. Together with Juju's leader James 'Plunky Nkabinde' Branch, Gray oversaw sixteen releases on Black Fire Records between 1975 and 1996. These are the definitive reissues of five of the label's key titles; all were lacquered -- most directly from master tape -- by legendary Los Angeles mastering engineer Bernie Grundman.

With this set, Juju and Black Fire's story burns forth into its fifth decade, its message not tempered, its sound pure. It's cycle, once again, complete. Each release is packaged in a thick, tip-on sleeve and includes a deluxe booklet with extensive notes on the album, the Black Fire collective, and the musical and cultural revolution they created. Limited edition, one time pressing."

JuJu - 2002 - Live At 131 Prince Street

JuJu 

2002 

Live At 131 Prince Street

01 At Least We Have A Horizon Now 19:04

02 Thembi 14:56

03 Mozambique / Azucar Pa Ti 22:55

04 Out Of This World 9:39

05 Rosalie / Juju's Door 13:01

Digital Download version from the label has two extra tracks:

06. Out of this World 09:21

07. Logos / Mojo 22:14

Bass, Percussion, Vocals – Ken Shabala

Congas, Percussion, Vocals – Babatunde

Keyboards, Shekere, Vocals – Al-Hammel Rasul

Saxophone, Flute, Vocals, Shekere, Cowbell

Timbales, Congas, Percussion – Jalango Ngoma

Vibraphone, Flute, Percussion – Lon Moshe

Recorded in 1973 at Ornette Coleman's Gallery, 131 Prince Street, N

A much-needed slice of work from Juju – the group who later transformed into spiritual funk ensemble Oneness Of Juju! Juju only recorded two full albums in the early 70s, so this unissued live set is a key addition to their catalog – and the whole thing's got this bold quality that's much more jazz-based, and often more avant than the group's later work – more in line with work in the tradition of the AACM, or some of the earliest loft jazz talents. No surprise, the set was recorded at Ornette Coleman's space on the lower east side in the early 70s – with the mighty Plunky Nakbinde on saxes and flute, sounding a lot more searing than any of his records from the 80s onward – plus Babatunde on percussion, Lon Moshe on vibes and flute, and Al-Hammel Rasul on keyboards. There's a bit of vocalizations, and lots of percussion from group members too – and the sound is very spiritual, with touches of more percussive Afro-centric playing. Includes a great version of Eddie Palmieri's "Azucar Para Ti",

Rrecorded in 1973 at Ornette Coleman’s gallery in New York and featuring a previously unheard recording of the Pharoah Sanders composition "Thembi".

After forming in San Francisco while working on the Marvin X theatre piece ‘The Resurrection of the Dead’, JuJu began to hone their uncompromising fusion of Afro-Latin rhythms with free and spiritual jazz before signing to Strata-East for the ‘A Message From Mozambique’ album in 1972. “We moved to New York and became part of the avant-garde community on the Lower East Side and Greenwich Village,” remembers bandleader Plunky Branch.

Following a high profile live show at the Lincoln Center, Ornette Coleman invited JuJu to his gallery and loft at 131 Prince Street to perform there and to stay on while he left on tour. “That was life-changing for us,” continues Plunky.“It was fabulous. The recordings you hear on this album are in close proximity to each other, maybe across one day or a weekend at the gallery.”

Alongside tracks written by the JuJu band members, like the 5/4 tempo ‘At Least We Have A Horizon Now’, they play choice covers from their peers.

Plunky explains, “‘Thembi’ is a Pharoah Sanders piece which he wrote for his wife in 1971 and it’s one of my favourite pieces by him. ‘Azucar Pa Ti’ was written by Eddie Palmieri; we loved him too and enjoyed Latin music in general. Here we play ‘Mozambique’, based on an Afro-Cuban rhythm and we regularly played that for 10 minutes before morphing into ‘Azucar’. ‘Out Of This World’, written by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen, was inspired by John Coltrane who recorded a version of it on his ‘Coltrane’ album in ’62.”

JuJu - 1974 - Chapter Two- Nia

JuJu 

1974 

Chapter Two- Nia

01. Introduction 2:40
02. Contradiction (For Thulani) 5:10
03. Black Experience 3:44
04. Nia (Poem: Complete The Circle) 8:36
05. The End Of The Butterfly King (Poem: Things Comin' Along) 6:10
06. Black Unity 15:58

Saxophone, Flute, Percussion – Plunky Nkabinde
Bells – Ngoma Ya Uhuru
Bells, Vocals [Poetry] – Ngoma Ya Uhuru
Congas – Simbo
Drums, Congas, Whistle – Babatunde
Electric Bass [Fender] – Phil Branch
Piano, Shekere, Percussion – Al-Hammel Rasul
Vibraphone, Percussion – Lon Moshe

Recorded June, 1974 at Eastern Recording Studios, Richmond, Virginia

Chapter Two: Nia is the second of two albums by American avant-garde/spiritual-jazz ensemble Ju Ju, released in 1974 on Strata-East. The band would morph into Oneness of JuJu for the following year’s African Rhythms.

After setting the mood with the formless and free "Introduction," the band settles into its very funky groove on "Contradiction," a soul-jazz number that's a little safe for a Strata-East release but is still a lot of fun. Plunky's style is a little more deliberate than many of his contemporaries', and his controlled playing is at times in stark contrast to his more fiery bandmates, especially pianist Al-Hammel Rasul, who totally owns "Black Experience" (and not just because the shoddy production buries Plunky's sax deep in the mix for most of the track). That latter track is the first time we really get a good chance to hear the interplay between the bassist (possibly Ken Parker) and drummer Babatunde Olatunji and it almost immediately becomes the most interesting thing about the album, providing the backbone for the title track, which is also a great showcase for flutist Lon Moshe.

The real showcase here, though, is "Black Unity," a nearly 16 minute jam that rides along on the typically funky bass and drum work mentioned above, but allows Plunky and Rasul to really let loose. Percussionist Jalongo Ngoma is added to the core group for a little more sonic depth, and the whole thing flies around in a million directions with nary a solo or individual showcase (there is a section in the middle where it's cut down to just the two percussionists, however). It's really a stunning listen, if a tad tedious: the relentless rhythm sounds just exhausting to play, but is never anything short of mesmerizing. This isn't one of my favorite Strata East releases, but it's got a fair deal of charm and should be interesting for those who are into the later Oneness of Juju records.

JuJu - 1972 - A Message From Mozambique

JuJu

1972

A Message From Mozambique

01. (Struggle) Home 16:10

02. Soledad Brothers 5:15

03. Freedom Fighter 3:25

04. Make Yor Own Revolution Now 11:05

05. Father Is Back 2:05

06. Nairobi / Chants (Traditional) 8:00

Vocals, Bass, Flute – Ken Shabala

Vocals, Congas, Drums – Babatunde

Vocals, Flute, Vibraphone – Lon Moshe

Vocals, Piano, Shekere – Al-Hammel Rasul

Vocals, Shekere, Saxophone – Plunky Nkabinde

Vocals, Timbales, Shekere – Jalango Ngoma

Recorded: September, 1972, S.F. Cal.

Juju is about ritual and rhythm and spirituality and joy. Plunky & Oneness of Juju is the name of a rhythm & blues-African-jazz-funk band from Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A. The group, originally known as Juju, was founded in San Francisco in 1971 and has continued to evolve for over 30 years, performing and recording with changes in personnel and under different group names, but always led by J. Plunky Branch.

The basic chronology has been as follows: the group was originally called Juju (1971-74), then Oneness of Juju (1975-81); then Plunky & Oneness of Juju (1982-88); and most recently Plunky & Oneness (1988 - present).

The original group, Juju, was composed of musicians who had been the music ensemble for a ritual/theatrical production entitled "The Resurrection of the Dead", written by San Francisco playwright, Marvin X. The six musicians had been chosen because of their previous musical experiences and their Afrocentric orientation to music and culture. In the play, each night there was ritualistic music, historical commemorative songs, improvisational music testimonials, and an actual naming ceremony in which members of the cast would receive new names. The musicians for this production were an important and driving component. When the theatrical production completed its run and the cast was disbanded, the musicians decided to continue their musical explorations and pursuits together. They formed a group and Juju was born.

Saxophonist, J. Plunky Branch from Richmond, Virginia and bassist, Ken Shabala (Kent Parker), from Brooklyn, New York, had met at Columbia University in New York where they attended college. There Plunky formed an R&B group called The Soul Syndicate and Kent Parker was its lead singer. From 1966 - 68 they played colleges and clubs in and around New York, setting and breaking attendance records at The Cheetah Night club in Manhattan and sharing the campus spotlight with another group from Columbia, Sha Na Na.

After college Plunky migrated to San Francisco and Kent followed. In 1969 they met vibraphonist, Lon Moshe (Ron Martin) from Chicago and joined an African avante-garde group called Ndikho and the Natives, led by South African pianist/percussionist, Ndikho Xaba. The group recorded one L.P. "Ndikho and the Natives".

Plunky, Ken Shabala and Lon joined the other original members of Juju: percussionist, Michael "Babatunde" Lea from Englewood, New Jersey; and two musicians from San Francisco: pianist, Al-Hammel Rasul (Tony Grayson) and percussionist, Jalongo Ngoma (Dennis Stewart).

These musicians had come from separate and distinct musical backgrounds. Plunky had been raised on southern rhythm & blues and gospel music and had studied jazz and classical music in school. Bassist, Ken Shabala was a R&B vocalist, jazz enthusiast and radio deejay in New York. Lon Moshe had been a part of the Chicago avante-garde jazz scene. Al-Hammel Rasul was a self-taught pianist who performed in his church and with various jazz and soul groups in San Francisco. Babatunde and Jalongo had long studied African, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian drums and chants and percussion.

As Juju, these young Black musicians dedicated themselves to using their music as a vehicle for raising political, spiritual and cultural consciousness. They practiced and rehearsed everyday for hours and hours and eventually developed a highly energetic, ritualistic, African, avante garde music based on rhythm, energy, improvisation, traditional chants and creative jazz. Juju performed in clubs, festivals and at political gatherings in the San Francisco Bay area, working with such notables as John Handy, Santana, Sun Ra, Pharaoh Sanders, Bill Summers, and others.

The first album by the group that later went on to become Oneness Of Juju! The album was recorded with a group that featured Plunky Nakabinde and Lon Moshe on reeds and percussion -- plus Babatunde on congas and drums -- and the overall sound is very much in kind of an Art Ensemble Of Chicago mode - with more "out" soloing overall, mixed with some of the spiritual jazz leanings that would show up more on the group's later work. The album's a fitting record for the Strata East label -- as it shows the imprint's equal ability to carve up heavy avant work and more strident spiritual soul jazz. And if we say so ourselves, Plunky's really a wailer on tenor and soprano -- sounding a lot like Kalaparusha or some of the other AACM players from the time!

Hamiet Bluiett - 1983 - Bearer Of The Holy Flame

Hamiet Bluiett

1983

Bearer Of The Holy Flame

01. Footprints 18:43

02. EBU 8:10

03. Song Song 8:34

04. Headless Blues 7:54

05. I'll Close My Eyes 7:55

06. Gumbo (Vegetarian Style) 6:40

Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet, Alto Flute – Hamiet Bluiett

Bass – Fred Hopkins

Drums – Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Percussion [African Drums], Percussion – Chief Bey

Piano – John Hicks

Recorded live at Sweet Basil [Greenwich Village, New York City], July 25, 1983.

Inspired by Harry Carney from Duke Ellington’s band, who had played the baritone as a soloist, Bluiett played with Sam Rivers’ ensemble and famously joined the Charles Mingus Quintet in New York from 1969, touring Europe and appearing on ‘Mingus At Carnegie Hall’. He then started out as a bandleader in 1975, building from work he had started in St. Louis as a co-founder of the influential Black Artists’ Group, a collective dedicated to new work in theatre, visual arts, dance, spoken word, film and music. He went on to form the World Saxophone Quartet alongside former B.A.G. members Julius Hemphill and Oliver Lake and multi-instrumentalist David Murray. Championing the baritone throughout his life, he became a go-to player for many of the biggest artists in jazz and R&B, performing with Babatunde Olatunji, Abdullah Ibrahim, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.

One of the few live sessions released on Black Fire, ‘Bearer Of The Holy Flame’ was originally released on Black Fire on CD in 1994, eleven years after being recorded, and is best known for a storming version of Wayne Shorter’s ‘Footprints"

Experience Unlimited - 1977 - Free Yourself

Experience Unlimited

1977

Free Yourself

01. It's All Imagination 3:25

02. Functus 4:59

03. Peace Gone Away 4:54

04. Free Yourself 8:06

05. Hey You 3:41

06. People 6:17

07. Funky Consciousness 9:18

Bass, Vocals – Gregory "Sugar Bear" Eliot

Congas, Vocals, Percussion – “Pops” Andre Lucas

Drums – Anthony “Block” Easton

Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Donald R. Fields

Electric Piano, Organ, Clavinet – Michael Hughes

Percussion, Wood Block – "Nivram" Marvin Coward

Tenor Saxophone, Vocals – Clarence "Oscar" Smith

Timbales, Vocals, Percussion – David Williams 

Trombone, Vocals, Percussion – Greylin T. Hunter

Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion – Philip Harris 

Vocals – Bobby Owens, Donna M. Taylor, Melva "Lady" Adams, Wayne Davis

Recorded on July 29th, 1976 at Bias Recording Studios, Falls Church, VA, issued on Black Fire Records, BF-19757, in 1977.

Strut presents an exclusive reissue of Experience Unlimited’s 1977 debut album, Free Yourself, featuring a brand new interview with bandleader and co-founder ‘Sugar Bear.` This seminal recording blends soul, jazz, and funk-rock, laying the foundation for Washington D.C.'s go-go scene.

Experience unlimited had originally started out in 1973 when they met at Ballou Senior High School in South-East D.C. and came to the attention of Black Fire Records’ Jimmy Gray after winning a school talent competition. “Jimmy saw that we had a lot of potential and he put us into the studio,” remembers bandleader Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott. “That was our first experience recording - I remember that he just told us to be ourselves and we just gathered together and played. We were young kids then saying what we felt.”

Free Yourself is a free-flowing album, full of positive messages and infectious grooves. “We could play any style,” continues Sugar Bear. “The album has a lot of different songs and feelings – from ‘Peace Gone Away’ to ‘Funky Consciousness’ which features some heavy guitar work and ‘Free Yourself’ where you can hear early stylings of go-go – it’s all in one. We just wanted to record where we were at.”

Experience Unlimited would go on to score the huge hit ‘Da Butt’ in 1988 which featured in the Spike Lee movie School Days and would add their unmistakeable rolling rhythms to Grace Jones’ ‘Slave To The Rhythm’ and Kurtis Blow’s ‘Party Time’

One of the great forgotten sounds of mid-70s Funk was the Washington D.C.-based ensemble Experience Unlimited (later shortened to Eu). Though best later known as pioneers of the “go-go”subgenre of dance/funk, and for their Billboard-charting hit “Da Butt” in the late-80s. The group was a potent collective of Jazz-Funk musicians, in the vein of innovators like War, Earth, Wind, & Fire, and similarly overlooked DC contemporaries Oneness Of Juju. Experience Unlimited were renowned for their ostentatious instrumentals, winding and precise rhythms and grooves, and party-ready jams, all of which are on full display on their debut record Free Yourself, which came more than a decade before their greatest commercial success, but is no less heavy on the Classic Deep Funk sounds.

Norman Connors - 1974 - Slew Foot

Norman Connors

1974

Slew Foot

01. Mother Of The Future    6:49

02. Back On The Street    3:57

03. Welcome    7:20

04. Slew Foot    3:19

05. Dreams    6:14

06. Chuka3:27

07. Jump Street    2:40

Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Ron Carter (tracks: A1, A3, B2)

Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Gary Bartz

Clavinet – Hubert Eaves

Congas, Bongos – Lawrence Killian

Drums – Norman Connors

Electric Bass – Anthony Jackson (tracks: A2, B1, B3, B4)

Electric Piano – Elmer Gibson

Flute, Alto Flute – Hubert Laws

Guitar – Reggie Lucas

Percussion – Dom Um Romao, Skip Drinkwater

Tenor Saxophone – Carlos Garnett

Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Eddie Henderson

Vocals – Jean Carn

1975's Slewfoot continues Norman Connors' diversification into jazz-funk and brassy R&B with mostly positive results. Surrounded as usual by an all-star personnel -- including but not limited to vocalist Jean Carn, bassist Ron Carter, pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, tenor saxophonist Gary Bartz, horn player Eddie Henderson, and flutist Hubert Eaves III -- Connors tears through a mostly hard-driving set of songs. Carlos Garnett's "Mother of the Future" leads off the album as a frenetic jazz-funk workout and offers each instrumentalist a chance to flex muscles; Carn is particularly hot, while Elmer Gibson's electric piano runs highlight the latter half of the song. Henderson's "Dreams" and a gorgeous reworking of Coltrane's "Welcome" (Carn takes another spotlight) are the only reprieves from the upbeat slant. The remainder is dotted with decent but slightly innocuous funk and fusion instrumentals that are occasionally punctuated by bold horn charts (Richard Clay's "Back on the Street," Elmer Gibson's "Chuka," Connors' "Jump Street"). Not one of Connors' best, but it does have its moments.

Norman Connors is a fascinating artist to me. Starting out as a free jazz drummer with people such as Archie Shepp and Pharaoh Sanders,Connors was something of an internal talent scout during the 1970’s. His early solo career consisted of solo albums with an avant garde fusion style that somewhat anticipated the rise of the new age musical concept. By the end of the decade,Connors was known primarily for romantic soul ballads featuring the lead vocals of artists such Jean Carn,the bassist Michael Henderson and his major pet project in the late Phyllis Hyman. One of these ballads,”You Are My Starship” is still his best known song.

Over the past decade or so,I’ve been progressively exploring the music of Norman Connors album by album. Even though he became known for his slow numbers,it was through his uptempo material that his music really evolved. And it was an exciting time too because Connors original run as a solo artist started at the dawn of the funk era and came to a conclusion around the beginning of the post disco period. One major period of his career that has attracted me was from when Connors began transitioning from jazz to a more funk/soul sound in the mid 70’s. And one major cornerstone of that was the title song to his 1974 album Slew Foot.

A hard,fluttering horn chart led by Eddie Henderson opens up the groove as  Connors in similar manner to the Bar Kays’ choral horns from 1967’s “Soul Finger”.  The Clavinet of Hubert Eaves plays additional rhythm support-as each refrain is separated by a break featuring a bluesy amp’d guitar from future Mtume member Reggie Lucus. He is supported on bass by Anthony Jackson on those scaling,cinematic refrains before Lucas gets a chance to really rock out on the middle chorus of the song. The rhythm scales back down to the drums,bass line and Clavinet on the final part of the song. Especially right as the horns fanfare the song right into fade out.

Norman Connors really lifted up cinematic funk at a very important time. This was during the blacksploitation era when Isaac Hayes was winning best musical score for his work on Shaft. Not to mention Curtis Mayfield’s huge success with Superfly  and Roy Ayers with Coffey. Even though this song wasn’t in a movie,it was surely funk that moved itself on every level. Both rhythmically and melodically. It was also a building block in the evolution of Reggie Lucus’s transition into funk with the late 70’s edition of Mtume as well. So as a musician and a major talent assembler,this was some of Norman Connors’ finest funk!

Norman Connors - 1973 - Love From the Sun

Norman Connors

1973

Love From the Sun

01. Revelation 9:00

02. Carlos II 6:08

03. Drums Around The World 5:40

04. Love From The Sun 8:14

05. Kumakucha (The Sun Has Risen) 6:09

06. Holy Waters 5:28

Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Gary Bartz

Bass – Buster Williams

Cello – Terry Adams

Drums – Norman Connors

Electric Piano – Onaje Allan Gumbs (tracks: B1)

Electric Piano – Herbie Hancock

lute, Alto Flute – Hubert Laws

Bill Summers

Percussion, Congas, Dumbeg And Sakara Drums] – Kenneth Nash

Piano – Onaje Allan Gumbs (tracks: B3)

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Carlos Garnett

Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn – Eddie Henderson

Violin – Nathan Rubin

Vocals – Bill Summers (tracks: A3), Dee Dee Bridgewater

Recorded October 1973 at Wally Heider Studio A, San Francisco

A spiritual jazz masterpiece from drummer Norman Connors – one of those unique albums he cut before moving into soul music – done at a level that rivals the early 70s genius on labels like Strata East or Impulse Records! Connors worked with many contemporaries on those labels, and gets a good degree of help from them here, too – in a massive lineup that includes Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Gary Bartz on alto, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Buster Williams on bass, Bill Summers on drums, and even Dee Dee Bridgewater on a bit of vocals too! With a lineup like that, it would be easy to lay back and just do nothing – but you can really hear Connors' musical vision taking the lead – that warmly soulful approach that was there right from the start, given some great focus here by producer Skip Drinkwater. Tracks are all long, and free-flowing – a bit out at times, but always returning to the modal pulse of Connors' soulful rhythms. Titles include "Carlos II", "Kumakucha", "Holy Waters", "Revelation", and "Love From The Sun".

Norman Connors - 1973 - Dark Of Light

Norman Connors

1973

Dark Of Light

01. Dark Of Light 11:45

02. Butterfly Dreams 5:15

03. Laughter 2:55

04. Black Lightnin 11:50

05. Twilight Zone 1:30

06. Song For Rosa 2:00

Alto Saxophone – Gary Bartz

Bass – Buster Williams (tracks: A1)

Bass – Cecil McBee

Bass – Stanley Clarke (tracks: B1)

Bassoon, Alto Flute – Alfred Williams* (tracks: B1)

Congas – Lawrence Killian

Drums – Norman Connors

Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Ted Dunbar (tracks: A1)

Electric Piano – Elmer Gibson (tracks: B1)

Electric Piano, Piano – Herbie Hancock

Flute – Art Webb

Percussion – Gerald Roberts (tracks: B1), Henry Palmer (tracks: B1), Warren Smith

Piano – Alan Gumbs (tracks: B2)

Producer – Dennis Wilen, Skip Drinkwater

Strings – Gail Dixon*, Jerry Little, Pat Dixon

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Carlos Garnett

Trumpet – Eddie Henderson

Vocals – Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ellen DeLeston, Michael Brown

Recorded at: The Hit Factory, N.Y.C. and Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pa.

This is in the stone groove of earlier Connors delights -- New York club music, the nexus where disco and jazz collided and gave birth to a brassy sort of funk. Players abound here: Herbie Hancock, Cecil McBee, Gary Bartz, and Stanley Clarke, to name but a few. Soon after this, Connors had some hits and started making records he figured his "public" wanted to hear.

A real head-scratcher this one. I can't for the love of God understand why the people who arranged the woodwinds/horns opted for such slick scales for the solos on the opening track. Also, these friendly sounding scat vocalizations are eerily close to similar muzak that developed a major following in the smooth jazz circles much later than '72-'73. After the refreshingly nice classical guitar intro ends on "Dark of Light" we enter into short psychedelic bridge until Herbie unleashes the ominous surrealism from the Mwandishi period which is supported by the percussive tribalism of the bands dynamic rhythm section and suddenly BAM - to year 1978-80 where a crappy horn and soprano sax deliver wimpy lines for the masses. Just, Wow. The second track has been arranged in similar fashion and reminds me the smoother stuff that starts gradually appearing on Hancock's mid-seventies output, listenable, but leaves a mawkish aftertaste.

"Laughter" is a pretty decent odd-funk groove with no huge highs or lows, besides the catchy rhythms. Now the only reason why I'm still holding on to this one is the pseudo collaboration of Miles Davis and Pharoah Sanders on "Black Lightnin" which actually has some balls in its enrapturing sonic chaos. It's not as skronky as your usual Sanders track and blasts off effectively by the gonzo meter while the duo of trumpet and tenor sax wander around more avant-garde corners. Some Bitches Brew themed trumpet wails in the middle of the track support the abrasive arrangement with paranoid features until the elements eventually collide, crash and burn at the end of the track. Now that's an absolute winner as far as I'm concerned! Moments of occasional joy, but I was expecting a little less cheese in my sonic sandwich.

Early genius from drummer Norman Connors – a sensational bit of righteous soul jazz – right up there with the best work on Strata East and Black Jazz from the time! The sound here is full, soulful, and spiritual – as Connors heads up a large ensemble that includes luminaries like Herbie Hancock, Eddie Henderson, Gary Bartz, Carlos Garnett, Buster Williams, and Dee Dee Bridgewater – all working together in a formation that's free spirited, yet tightly unified – often at a level that's even stronger than their own recordings! The album mixes a few longer tracks with shorter numbers – in a mode that reminds us a lot of Garnett's classic Black Love album

Norman Connors - 1972 - Dance Of Magic

Norman Connors

1972

Dance Of Magic

01. Dance Of Magic 21:00

02. Morning Change 6:29

03. Blue 10:20

04. Give The Drummer Some 2:22

Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Gary Bartz

Bass – Stanley Clarke

Drums – Norman Connors

Flute – Art Webb

Percussion [African], Balafon – Anthony Wiles

Congas – Nat Bettis

Piano, Electric Piano – Herbie Hancock

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Carlos Garnett

Trumpet – Eddie Henderson

Recorded June 26 & 27, 1972 at Bell Sound Studios, NYC

A landmark first album from drummer Norman Connors -- a spiritual jazz masterpiece that builds wonderfully on the post-Coltrane tradition! Norman is years away from his smoother soul recordings at this point, and coming out of a righteous jazz background that included work with Marion Brown and Archie Shepp. For this initial set, Norman's in incredible company -- working with players that include Herbie Hancock on both electric and acoustic keys, plus Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Gary Bartz and Carlos Garnett on saxes, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Billy Hart and Airto on percussion -- plus a chorus of vocalists on the album's mighty title cut! Tracks are all long, spiritual, and freely exploratory -- but never in a style that goes too far outside, or that forgets the joy and love that can spring forth in a forward-thinking session like this one!

This album is totally incredible. I could leave this review at that, but that might be a bit lazy. In short though, there's not many albums that have impressed on a first listen as much as this one has.

The title track, which takes up all of side one, is an incredible accelerator of a tune. This tune is like a totally magical pagan festival, full of euphoria, percussion, chanting, and just the most exhilarating music you could ask for, all packed into 21 minutes. Imagine a spiritual dance/festival, but condensed and pumped the hell full of steroids and energy, it's so intense it should come with a warning. Side two is no less invigorating, but slightly more westernised than the title track. There's a kind of spy film feel to the first two tracks, but with all the best elements of spacey, free, psychedelic and afrocentric all lumped into the equation. This album could almost be accused of being a little over the top (rather like this review), but thankfully it stays just on the right side of the 'too much' boundry.

Norman Connors, considering he was such a young guy at the time, has managed to pull together some of the best of the '70s jazz world, for example, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Henderson, Cecil McBee, Stanley Clarke, Gary Bartz, Art Webb, Carlos Garnett, Alphonse Mouzon, etc. I suppose if you chuck that lot into a studio you're bound to get something incredible come out of it.

This album literally shakes you by the scruff of the neck for 40 minutes, and then just tosses you aside when it's done. There are not many albums out there that are as much of an exhilarating ride as this one.

Look at the roster; no joke, that's for sure. Before airplanes and top hats, before disco beat all my spiritual heroes into dust, before the cars and booze and loose friends, Norman connors knew how to throw a party.

No misses here, my friends. Just a mix - at times, free or groovy or heavy or playful or - did I say heavy? Yes, like a weight you don't want to take off. Who wouldn't like being pressed back into the earth by Connors circa 1973? Thrown to the ground to remember your roots, our roots, as mystical human beings. Thank you, Mr. Gravity for that responsibilty. Or honor.

ed with a who's who of fusion titans including trumpeter Eddie Henderson, bassist Stanley Clarke, and keyboardist Herbie Hancock, Dance of Magic channels the lessons drummer Norman Connors learned in the employ of Pharoah Sanders, Sam Rivers, and Sun Ra, marshaling Latin rhythms, electronic textures, and cosmic mysticism to create nondenominational yet deeply spiritual funk-jazz. The sprawling 21-minute title cut spans the entirety of the record's first half, capturing a monumental jam session that explores the outer edges of free improvisation but never steps past the point of no return. Connors' furious drumming is like a trail of bread crumbs that leads his collaborators back home. The remaining three tracks are smaller in scale but no less epic in scope, culminating with the blistering "Give the Drummer Some."

Elvin Jones - 1975 - On The Mountain

Elvin Jones

1975

On The Mountain

01. Thorn Of A White Rose 5:07

02. Namuh 7:47

03. On The Mountain 4:37

04. Smoke In The Sun 4:00

05. London Air 5:29

06. Destiny 7:28

Bass – Gene Perla

Drums – Elvin Jones

Piano, Synthesizer – Jan Hammer

An overlooked gem from Elvin Jones' mid 70s years – and a sweet fusion jammer that has the best kick of the classics on the PM label! The group's a trio, with Jones on drums, Gene Perla on bass, and Jan Hammer on drums – and Elvin may be the leader of the set, but the real strength of the album belongs to the record's tight bass work by the great Perla – strong-voiced and soulful, and doing a good job here of keeping both Jones and Hammer focused on the groove of the tunes – as Hammer's keyboards spin out with lots of sweet cosmic touches!

While Elvin Jones is definitely the name on this date, it's hard to consider him the leader as the other members of the trio did all the writing. I will admit that this marketing ploy worked on me; my estimation of Elvin couldn't be higher and led me to this release.

Jan Hammer, recognizable to anyone with a familiarity in Fusion, is possibly at his best on this date. Not having to compete in the clamor of Mahavishnu, his talent is easier to grasp. He seems to be equally at home on piano and synth, and handles both tastefully. Apparently he also was the recording engineer, and the quality of recording demonstrates his skills there as well.

Gene Perla is the least known, yet probably the most important for this date. This record was released initially on the PM label: PM standing for Perla Music. How Gene got the money together to fund this is a question better left unanswered, but it does indicate that it was probably his inspiration to work with Jones and Hammer. As a labor of love, this was a short LP run, and as such, is a very rare issue.

The music is primarily post-bop, with some fusion leanings. Perla is especially delightful, as he is quite comfortable and dextrous in the third chair.

Highly recommended. Good luck getting an LP copy.

Shivananda - 1979 - Headlines

Shivananda

1979

Headlines

01. Shiva's Smiling (6:20)

02. The Humboo Waltz (4:29)

03. Little Big Man (7:40)

04. Gin'n Lime (6:18)

05. Your Tenderness (5:42)

06. Calor (5:40)

Kurt Baebi / keyboards

Rene Chico Hablas / guitars

Roberto Biagini / saxes

Larry Schneider O / saxes

Peter Keiser / bass

Walter Keiser / drums, percussion

Carlo Milan / percussion

A swiss obscurity from mid to late '70 named Shivananda with only 2 albums in their pockets , first from 1977 and second from 1979, they disbanded around 1983 remaining totaly unknown. The name of the game here is jazz fusion with progressive touches, quite ok most of the time, I like this kind of jazz fusion, the instruments working all the time and has a light overall sound. The second release from 1979 named Headlines issued at Gnome records with an intresting artwork definetly pleases me from start to finish. The guitar has an important role here, with nice catchy parts, nice grooves and good melodic passages. Some sax is present here aswell, pieces like Shiva's Smiling or Little big men are winners to me, Carlo Milan the guitar player and Kurt Baebi the keybordist made a good job. All in all more then decent, not fantastic but good, maybe similar at some point with dutch band Spin or german jazz fusion bands from that period.

Shivananda - 1977 - Cross Now

Shivananda

1977

Cross Now

01. Wake of Spring (7:32)

02. Acapulco Gold (5:33)

03. Rush Hour (5:43)

04. Jamaican Sunday (8:13)

05. Red Mocassin (8:18)

06. Cross Now (2:49)

Kurt Baebi / keyboards

Walter Keiser / drums

Roberto Biagini / saxes

Carlo Milan / guitar, percussion

Peter Keiser / bass

SHIVANANDA was a Swiss fusion band founded in Zurich in 1973 by keyboard player Kurt BAEBI. The band was one of most successful live jazz rock bands of the time, with awards at the National Jazz festival in Augst and Zurich, appearances at Jazz Festival in Montreux and others by 1975 when the group actually started having extended European tours and was joined by KEISER twins as their rhytm section. In 1977 they released their debut album 'Cross Now' via Gnome Records which would also release their second album 'Headlines'. SHIVANANDA had a mostly stable line-up until 1982 along with several guest musicians but after their last album in 1983 which was produced by BAEBI the activites of the band died down.

Teru Sakamouo - 1980 - Farewell My Johnny, Left Alone

Teru Sakamouo

1980

Farewell My Johnny, Left Alone

01. Left Alone 8:40
02. My Favourite Things 9:43
03. Yuyake Koyake 5:58
04. Autumn Leaves 12:25

Bass – Takao Neichi
Drums – Takeshi Watanabe
Piano – Teru Sakamoto

Recorded on October 13, 1980 at Johnny, Rikuzen-Takata.
Cojima Recordings

A tremendous live set from pianist Teru Sakamoto -- a session that soars with all of the life, soul, and imagination of McCoy Tyner at his 70s best! The record's got a feel that's quite open -- long tracks, with plenty of solo space for Sakamoto on the piano -- but the sound is always inside, rhythmic, and focused -- never too out or too experimental, just soaring up to the skies with a brilliant sense of expression. The trio features Takao Neichi on bass and Takeshi Watana

Yoshimi Ueno - 1980 - Sea Sound

Yoshimi Ueno 

1980 

Sea Sound

01. Sea Sound 10:27
02. Tsuchi Ningyo 6:26
03. My Spirit 5:50
04. Skip 8:01
05. K. Bluse 6:21
06. Uzushio 6:16

Bass – Eiji Aizawa, Eiji Nakayama
Drums – Yoshimi Ueno
Electric Guitar – Sadao Nishiwaki
Guitar, Electric Guitar – Masato Okubo
Piano – Keisaku Takahashi
Tenor Saxophone – Yasuaki Shimizu

A laidback Japanese jazz set from the start of the 80s -- filled with warm piano lines, gentle guitar grooves, and some nice moments on tenor! There's a great mellow feel to the record -- a quality that's different than other records we've heard of this vintage -- still some of the soaring lyricism of the Japanese piano scene, but with a more spacious, contemplative feel overall -- one that really gives the record a lot of depth. The core group is a quintet -- with tenor, guitar, piano, bass, and drums -- and there's some guest guitar and bass on a few tracks.

Mitsuaki Katayama - 1979 - First Flight

Mitsuaki Katayama

1979 

First Flight

01. Unknown Point 6:34

02. Arizona High Way 5:50

03. It’s Over 5:40

04. Louis 6:55

05. First Flight 10:11

Bass – Kishio Kitahara

Drums – Mitsuaki Katayama

Piano – Kichiro Sugino

Recording at the Kesennuma Kaikan June 24, 1979

Exactly the kind of record that's got us digging Japanese trio sessions from the 70s so much -- a set that's filled with lots of warm, soulful sounds, creatively compelling changes, and fresh rhythms that really keep the tunes interesting! There's a slight undercurrent of funk on most numbers, but never too much -- as the set still preserves all the best lyrical lines of pianist Kichiro Sugino, who steps beautifully around the bass of Kishio Kitahara and drums of Mitsaki Katayama -- a perfectly-hinged trio who soar plenty on the record -- more than enough to earn the "flight" in the title! This one's really a cut above -- filled with wonderful energy, and never a dull moment throughout -- a real gem that's waiting to be re-discovered by the 21st Century generation

This album opens and closes spectacularly. Something about that opening drum solo sets a certain expectation for the rest of the album and then once the double bass and piano drop in you realise how different the atmosphere will be. The closing track somehow lives up to the expectation of that opening drum solo, being a fairly rapturous track. Going on from that, this album being 3 musicians is impressive, it's a beautifully full sounding album, deceptively full in fact. It's fair to say that these performances are indeed stellar and do exactly what they need to do.

Don't expect anything too radical. Maybe aside from the aforementioned tracks, the album isn't crazy. It sets a certain vibe and sticks to it largely. Saying that, due to incredible performances, it pulls off this fairly relaxed feeling incredibly. It's an unfortunate comparison to make when it comes to jazz but this would very much fit in a cafe, but I mean that in the best possible way, it's just a very pleasant listening experience.

If that's good enough, then this album is great.