01. Earl's World 12:46 02. Impact 05:38 03. Compassion 11:00 04. Truth 09:48
Charles Tolliver, trumpet Nathan Page, guitar Steve Novosel, bass Alvin Queen, drums
Recorded November, 1977 in Paris.
Originally only released in Japan, Released in the USA in 1980 under the name Compassion by Strata-East
I cannot tell you how I stumbled on to this powerful recording, I can only tell you how happy I am that I did.
After you've had your fill of Miles, Coltrane, Mingus, and what have you, one must remember that there was so much more, everywhere…and how exhilarating it can be to find yet someone else who speaks to you.
This late 70's release has no essence of disco or funk, as so many jazzers tried to tap into that mainstream market of the time, instead what you get are 4 tunes of powerful straight ahead jazz.
The drums are forward in the mix, and a wonderful guitar plays underneath and over the whole thing, Tolliver weaves in and out perfectly, all making for some fantastic straight ahead, reflective and swinging with some attitude.
Dipping into some more Tolliver recordings I've convinced myself there is no heavier recording that he released than this, New Tolliver.
Drums – Clifford Barbaro Piano – Stanley Cowell Trumpet – Charles Tolliver
Bass - Clint Houston
Recorded: 07 December 1973 at Yubinchokin Hall Tokyo, Japan. In association with Takafumi Ohkuma and Kuniya Inaoka of Trio Records.
Quite a few incredible Jazz trumpet players get lost in the mix, overshadowed by big names like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan and Freddy Hubbard. Even people who used to be legends seem to be being forgotten by a new generation of Jazz fans. I can't tell you how many people I talk to that don't know who Roy Eldridge is: blasphemy, really. But who's to blame for this? Record companies seem to be more interested in repackaging already-available albums that sell well.
This brings me to Charles Tolliver. In the company of other trumpet players like Donald Byrd, Booker Little, Blue Mitchell,Woody Shaw and Kenny Dorham, that are less talked about in conversations of greatness, Charles Tolliver's entire discography is extremely hard to get a hold of. I failed in my first 5 attempts to purchase one of his records on the internet. At last, Live in Tokyo showed up at my doorstep.
The quartet, Music Inc., plays five long songs on this set. What this does is allow for more of the moments of cohesive brilliance. I'm especially appreciative of when the others back off and let bassist Clint Houston take center stage. "Stretch" and "Effi" are my favorite songs because of this. The first piece, "Drought", is charged with energy but drummer Clifford Barbaro gets a bit too heavy on the cymbal work for my taste. It drowns out the others a bit.
Once you hear Music Inc. though, it's easy to see why they were one of the most popular Jazz bands at the time, even if you foolishly only noticed the clinic that Charles Tolliver puts on.
01. Grand Max 11:06 02. Truth 10:13 03. Prayer For Peace 15:08 04. Our Second Father 15:57 05. Repetition 12:37
Bass – Reggie Workman Drums – Alvin Queen Piano – John Hicks Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Producer – Charles Tolliver
Recorded at the Loosdrecht Jazz Festival, Holland (The Netherlands), 9th August 1972 by courtesy of Joop de Roo, N.O.S. Radio, Hilversum.
This concert opens with an eerie 11 minute blitzkrieg. The savvy European audience isn't afraid though. "Grand Max" is a tribute to Tolliver's former boss, drumming kingpin Max Roach. It reminds me somewhat of The Max Roach Trio - Featuring The Legendary Hasaan except at break-neck speed and lead by a trumpet. Drummer Alvin Green walks a fine line between the styles of Max Roach and Elvin Jones. It's quite interesting to hear.
Somehow "Truth" made me think of The Blade Runner for the first few minutes. Charles Tolliver has nice vibrato in his somber playing. I can picture a washed-up old cop walking in the rain to this song but the middle third of the song ruins the mood completely.
I read the title for the third piece and knew there was a good chance I would be in for some typical "spiritual" Jazz with jingling noise. The jingling is there alright. It engulfs a pounding bass solo by Reggie Workman for three minutes and then Charles Tolliver joins in on the action. "Prayer For Peace" becomes something along the lines of an energy charged Joe Henderson tune like "El Barrio" from Inner Urge. Tolliver certainly uses some of Henderson's tenor sax phrasing.
For 16 minutes Tolliver's quartet tries to emulate John Coltrane's Elvin Jones/McCoy Tyner/Jimmy Garrisson quartet in tribute to the recently deceased Coltrane. The only person who seems to be having trouble in their counterpart's role is pianist John Hicks. The sweat must have been coming out of every pore of his body trying to match Tyner's inhumanly flowing fingers. As Coltrane's group did too, Tolliver gets into Rock 'n Roll boisterousness. If you own a copy of Coltrane Live at Birdland and enjoy it you will assuredly love Grand Max.
After that the last track is redundant, especially since it has little to do with the feel of the rest of the concert. For simplicity sake consider it a mix of Horace Silver's and Lee Morgan's music. It's happy. It's long. It doesn't fit.
01. Spanning 8:30 02. Wilpan's 10:37 03. Our Second Father (Dedicated To The Memory Of John Coltrane) 13:26
Bass – Cecil McBee Drums – Jimmy Hopps Piano – Stanley Cowell Trumpets – Charles Tolliver
Recorded: May 1, 1970
The second volume of this wonderful concert is my favorite by a hair. Charles Tolliver's music from the 70s displays the influence that working with Andrew Hill had on him. Hill's music often has a great groove no matter how odd it gets. The first and last songs of Volume 1 had longer build-ups. "Spanning" gets moving more quickly, sounding like a cross of John Coltrane's band from Coltrane Live at Birdland and Yusef Lateef's group from Live at Pep's, especially the more out-there tunes from the Lateef concert. Jimmy Hopps really, really reminds me of Lateef's drummer, James Black, also comparable to Elvin Jones but so much wackier. The middle tune from Volume 1 of Live at Slugs' slowed things down. This disc's center, "Wilpan's", kicks things up a notch with exuberance. "Our Second Father" is a tribute to John Coltrane which can also be heard on Grand Max. The Live at Slugs' take is wwwwwwwwwwway more hectic, like they had to go pee. It's exciting but my opinion is slightly tarnished by the later and more refined version of it.
Owning both this disc and Live at Slugs', Volume 1 is essential for hardcore Jazz fans. For similar music from the same period you don't have to look too far. Another trumpeter named Woody Shaw was making music with a similar energetic and expansive feeling. Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard is well worth a listen.
Bass – Cecil McBee Drums – Jimmy Hopps Piano – Stanley Cowell Trumpet – Charles Tolliver
Recorded: May 1, 1970
Strata East recordings are quite difficult to acquire, which is unfortunate considering their high quality. Charles Tolliver was one of the great trumpeters to emerge during the late '60s yet has always been vastly underrated. on this quartet set with pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Jimmy Hopps, Tolliver has a real chance to stretch out. The 17-minute "Orientale" is particularly memorable. The music straddles the boundary between advanced hard bop and the avant-garde and rewards repeated listenings.
Charles Tolliver is my all time favourite trumpet player in jazz. He is simply awesome has a full brassy tone and perfect technique yet is almost unheard of except amongst devoted jazz fans. His name crops up on a number of LP's as a sideman but it was with his own ensemble, Music Inc. that he really shines. Music Inc. were group set up by Tolliver and pianist Stanley Cowell to preserve acoustic jazz traditions in the seventies and as a flagship act for their own new label Strata East. The Live at Slugs' date was spread over two volumes. Volume 1 and Volume 2 features per three tracks, each penned by different members of the group.
Where have you gone, Charles Tolliver? There was such promise in the concept of Music Inc., and in Strata East, but evidently the music world's attention was elsewhere and this tremendous live set was probably heard by only a few hundred sets of ears. On the back of the record sleeve, Tolliver undersigned his mission statement: "Music Inc. was created out of the desire to assemble men able to see the necessity for survival of a heritage and an Art in the hopes that the sacrifices and high level of communication between them will eventually reach every soul." And he isn't kidding. You won't find a much higher level of communication than he, Cecil McBee, Stanley Cowell, and Jimmy Hopps engaged in on May 1, 1970 at Slugs' in New York City. This was much more than an attempt to merely 'preserve acoustic jazz' as in the stilted Marsalis vein. This was an attempt to preserve a measure of authenticity while maintaining the notion of forward-thinking, present-tense improvised music. They deserved a greater response than the lukewarm, sparse applause they received that night, and continue to deserve a far more cognizant audience for their efforts.
Through its duration, the music on Live at Slugs' is often riveting and incessantly compelling. Hopps is a great to me in this performance, but the other three players featured here are some of the all-time underrated presences in the jazz pantheon, and they play nothing short of masterfully. Always a presence on his recordings, Tolliver demonstrates tremendous range, flair, and command as a trumpeter and leader. Had he not come along at a time when pure jazz was falling out of favor, I have to believe his name (along with Woody Shaw's) would be every bit as prolific as Freddie Hubbard's or Lee Morgan's; the same holds for the always brilliant and expressive McBee on bass.
01. Impact 7:58 02. Brilliant Circles 15:48 03. Truth 9:06 04. Prayer For Peace 15:56
CD Bonus: 05. Absecretions 11:22 06. Our Second Father 13:43
Bass – Ron Mathewson Drums – Alvin Queen Flugelhorn – Charles Tolliver Piano – Stanley Cowell
Recorded live at the Domicile, Munich, Germany on March 23, 1972.
The sound is very clean and has a warmth,which is sometimes lacking in live recordings and/or through the remastering process. This disc features Charles Tolliver -flugelhorn,Stanley Cowell-piano,Ron Mathewson-bass,and Alvin Queen-drums.
Anyone with more than a passing interest in jazz will know all the above players. All of them have played with both many known and unknown musicians/groups for many years. This particular recording is taken from a live concert in Germany,in 1972. Don't let the date fool you into thinking that this is "old"jazz-not worth hearing. This recording could sit alongside some of the more forward thinking releases on Blue Note Records,or any other labels you might happen to think of. Right now I have to say that I feel it's a shame that music of this caliber is only truly appreciated,by and large,in Europe. For this is some excellent post be-bop played at it's finest.
Both the bassist and drummer hold things together and give these tunes a real grounding,while at the same time they never lose that feeling of swing so important to this type of music. Tolliver's playing is always right on the mark. Never cluttering up his sound with to many notes,he leaves just enough space between the notes so that the music breathes and seems to come alive. Likewise Cowell-his playing,no matter if he's filling in spaces or is soloing,is always of the highest caliber.
After a short introduction of the players,the first track gets off to a rousing start and doesn't really let up. The same could be said for the second track. On the third track the entire group slows way down for some beautiful ensemble playing,which gives way to some fine solo work by Cowell and Tolliver. On this track,like others,Mathewson's bass playing is very sensitive and fits in the pocket very well indeed. The drummer knows when to hold back and just keep things moving along without calling attention to himself. The fourth track has some intense playing alongside some quieter passages. This track really feels like this group has been playing together(whether true or not) for a long while. The weaving of instruments,the ebb and flow of sound,all give this track a real identity. This edition of this album contains two previously unreleased tracks,for an extra twenty-five minutes of music. Track five starts out with a bit of a "soul-jazz" feel to it. It's different than the previous tracks,but gives a broader view of these fine musicians,and is still in the post be-bop mode. Tolliver is in fine form here,as is Cowell. Both play over and around each other,and is a nice change of pace. The last track starts out with all four players,and then gives way to Tolliver's horn. There is a drum solo shortly into this track,and not being a fan of such,I will let the individual listener make up his own mind. Queen is a fine drummer,but it's still a drum solo.
For continuity,it's obvious why the two bonus tracks were not originally released. The first four tracks are "of a piece" and the overall mood is changed somewhat by the inclusion of these two unreleased tracks. On this last track after approximately six minutes,the rest of the group comes in with some very fast intense playing. This track seems to fit in better with the originally released sides-after the drum solo. Queen's intense playing is all over this track,even when Tolliver is soloing. It feels like this might be the final track to be played(and recorded) on this set,because of it's intensity. Indeed,after the track ends the announcer comes on to let people know that the group will be back on the bandstand shortly. This recording is not widely known and that's a real crime. This should be in the library of anyone who enjoys straight ahead jazz.
01. Ruthie's Heart 6:12 02. Brilliant Circles 4:48 03. Abscretions 6:58 04. Household Of Saud 6:38 05. On The Nile 9:48 06. Departure 5:00
Bass – Cecil McBee Drums – Jimmy Hopps Flute – Bobby Brown , Clifford Jordan, Jimmy Heath, Wilbur Brown Piano – Stanley Cowell Reeds – Bobby Brown, Clifford Jordan, Jimmy Heath, Wilbur Brown Trombone – Curtis Fuller, Dick Griffin, Garnett Brown, John Gordon Trumpet – Charles Tolliver, Danny Moore, Larry Greenwich, Richard Williams, Virgil Jones Tuba, Saxophone [Baritone] – Howard Johnson
Recorded November 11, 1970.
First formed in the late 1960s, Music Inc. makes their debut in Dizzy's for the Coca-Cola Generations In Jazz Festival. It will be just one of the many iterations the group has seen over the years.
The story behind this group stretches back to 1969. Tolliver—having established himself as an in-demand sideman on sessions for legends including Jackie McLean, Andrew Hill, and Max Roach—formed a new group called Music Inc. with pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Steve Novosel, and drummer Jimmy Hopps. The group played a series of overseas concerts before bassist Jimmy McBee took over from Novosel.
For the group's first recording, Tolliver fleshed out the core quartet with a full big band that featured trumpeters Richard Williams and Virgil Jones; reedists Jimmy Heath, Clifford Jordan, and Howard Jordan; and trombonists Garnett Brown and Curtis Fuller. The album—released in 1971 by Strata East, a label Tolliver had recently founded with Cowell—boasted hard-hitting, harmonically advanced arrangements from Tolliver.
The quartet went on to record a number of other albums, including live sessions at the infamous (and now-defunct) East Village venue Slugs'. The group continued to tour in various iterations through the 1970s and into the 80s and 90s and featured an ever-changing line-up; members include pianist John Hicks, bassists Reggie Workman and Clint Houston, and drummers Alvin Queen and Clifford Barbaro.
For me this is the pick of all the Charles Tolliver Music Inc LP's. Recorded in the same year as the Slugs' live album it is a very different album.It features a big band composed entirely of brass backing the usual quartet and a look at some of the names present makes for impressive reading, Clifford Jordan, Curtis Fuller, Richard Williams and Jimmy Heath to name a few. The dynamics of having a big band behind you alters the music massively and it makes for a joyous record that leaps from the speakers as the band highlight and add to the phrases that the quartet play while letting the solos proceed unhindered. All tracks are either Cowell or Tolliver originals with the opener Ruthie's Heart being a real standout and one of y best loved jazz tunes ever.
01. Plight 7:09 02. On The Nile 12:31 03. The Ringer 5:46 04. Mother Wit 8:46 05. Spur 5:02
Charles Tolliver: trumpet Stanley Cowell: piano Steve Novosel: bass Jimmy Hopps: drums
Recorded at Polydor Studios, London, 2nd June 1969.
Dizzy Gillespie, when asked in a Downbeat magazine interview with Herb Nolan, "what trumpet players do you hear today whom you like", Dizzy's reply, "Charles Tolliver - I like him". Charles Tolliver, entirely self-taught, is a remarkable talent who has gained an outstanding reputation as a trumpetist, bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1942, his musical career began at the age of 8 when his beloved grandmother, Lela, presented him with his first instrument, a cornet, and the inspiration to learn.
After a few years of college majoring in pharmacy at Howard University, and formulating his trumpet style, Charles began his professional career with the saxophone giant Jackie Mclean. Making his recording debut with McLean on Blue Note Records in 1964, Charles has since recorded and/or performed with such renowned artists as Roy Haynes, Hank Mobley, Willie Bobo, Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Rollins, Booker Ervin, The Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Oliver Nelson, Andrew Hill, Louis Hayes, Roy Ayers, Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, and Max Roach.
In 1968 Charles Tolliver was voted as the Downbeat Critic's Choice for the Trumpet category. In 1969 he formed the quartet Music Inc which has become internationally respected for its innovative approach. Charles and his Music Inc, has toured in North and South America, Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan performing at festivals, concerts, radio and television stations.
Charles Tolliver is a brilliant player, capable of handling any tempo or mood. He has perfected an extremely individual and distinctive sound which clearly sets him apart from other trumpet players today. Characterized by a strong sense of tradition, Charles's playing is noted for its brilliance, inventiveness, melodic warmth and even its poignancy. His compositions are inventive, and display masterful writing ability. It is no small wonder that Charles Tolliver has earned the reputation as one of "the" preeminent trumpeters in jazz.
What have the critics said?
"The trumpet is a brass instrument that leans toward a hard sound and staccato phrasing. Yet Tolliver is the quintessance of fluidity.... a trumpeter of such flow, tone, control, lyricism and creativity is, by definition, a major musician."
Michael Cuscuna
"Tolliver's horn style is possessed of a melodic warmth and compactness of expression shared by few other trumpeters"
Ray Townley/DOWNBEAT
"...At Ronnie Scott's, in London, last week I heard a trumpet player who played melodic, lyrical music that filled the heart with joy rather than angst and anger."
Karl Dallas/MELODY MAKER
"...While having a rich, full sound, Music Inc. Provides a great deal of both energy and contrast and avoids the loud, stupid excesses of some current groups..."
CODA/Canada's Jazz Magazine
"it's been said that trumpeter Charles Tolliver was singular among young jazz musicians in his determination to keep his art free of the anarchy associated with a lot of the early so-called free jazz. Certainly he's unique among new trumpeters in this regard."
Hollie West/THE WASHINGTON POST
"of all the trumpeters to come to prominence in the 60's. Charles Tolliver was perhaps the most sensitive to the necessity of swinging.."
Ira Gitler/THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF JAZZ IN THE 70s
This is the Charles Tolliver record to get, although it may be hard to find. The masterful trumpeter, in a quartet with pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Steve Novosel, and drummer Jimmy Hopps, plays five of his strongest compositions. Highlights include the powerful "On the Nile," "The Ringer," and "Spur," but each of the numbers has its memorable moments. Tolliver is heard at the peak of his creative powers; it is strange that he never received the fame and recognition that he deserved.
Exceptional post-bop showing Tolliver's ability to lead a quartet
Trumpeter Charles Tolliver began his career with some excellent sideman appearances on Blue Note albums in the mid 60's (with the likes of Jackie McLean, Horace Silver, and Andrew Hill), but began recording as a leader of his own quartet in the late 60's. "The Ringer" is his second recording as a leader and was released in 1969 for the British Polydor label. Joining Tolliver in the quartet are pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Steve Novosel, and drummer Jimmy Hopps. The five compositions were all composed by Tolliver.
Tolliver has been called "the Coltrane of the trumpet," and that description seems to fit the music on this record pretty well. The opening track, "Plight" is a fast, modal swinger with a loose vamp-like feel. The quartet definitely seems influenced by the classic Coltrane quartet, especially Cowell who sticks mostly to quartal voicings when comping. Tolliver has no trouble leading the ensemble through extended solos and throughout the album his bright, clear tone is at the forefront of the music. It's hard to find much fault with his playing; his solos are full of deeply melodic lines, but he breaks them up with bursts of dramatic abstraction, using repeated notes and occasionally extended techniques for effect. The rhythm section plays responsively, adding harmonic and rhythmic tension to match Tolliver's ideas, occasionally obscuring, but never moving too far away from the groove of the tune.
Cowell also delivers some nice solo work, easily slipping in and out of the harmony with clever melodic playing, but also able to build rhythmic tension with excellent chordal playing. As with Tolliver, the rhythm section supports his every move with flexible, but ultimately swinging responses. Though he often sticks to Tyner-esque modal vocings behind Tolliver, he delves into more interesting voicings in "On the Nile," another modal tune, but this time with a Phrygian tinge that adds a darker edge to the tune.
The title track opens the B side with one of the more memorable tunes on the record. "The Ringer" has a simple, funky melody that relies on the rhythm section's energetic playing to give the tune it's palpable energy. Tolliver manages to bump the energy level up several notches in his exciting and extroverted solo, and Cowell also gives a spirited statement. "Mother Wit" is a slower tune and focuses on Tolliver's lyrical abilities and Cowell's harmonic sophistication more than any of the other tunes. The spacious nature of the tune also allows for some excellent, but subtle bass work from Novosel as the tune moves into a deep medium swing. The closing track "Spur" is a fairly standard 12 bar blues, and though it's the least interesting composition on the album, the band takes a creative harmonic approach and manages to do some pretty interesting things within the context of the blues form.
This record is a great example of late 60's post-bop and the trumpet quartet is a somewhat rare ensemble for the style, which typically features a saxophone in the front line as well. However, Tolliver's compelling playing and the responsive accompaniment of the rhythm section proves that no saxophone is necessary here. This album makes for a great introduction to Tolliver's playing and will leave little doubt in most listeners' minds why Tolliver has been labeled the "Coltrane of the trumpet."
01. Earl's World 4:23 02. Peace With Myself 9:37 03. Right Now 5:47 04. Household Of Saud 6:06 05. Lil's Paradise 7:05 06. Paper Man 6:11
Alto Saxophone – Gary Bartz (tracks: B1 to B3) Bass – Ron Carter Drums – Joe Chambers Piano – Herbie Hancock Trumpet – Charles Tolliver
Recorded at Town Sound Studios, Englewood, New Jersey 2nd July 1968 Reissued in 1975 as Paper Man
Trumpeter Charles Tolliver is one of those musicians that frequently gets overlooked by writers and listeners. I think of Tolliver's trumpet playing as smack dab in the middle of Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw; he has wonderful vocabulary in his playing, and a lot of passion(Hubbard), but also a very clean articulation and technique, and also logic in his solos(Shaw). Above all, he is a very musical player, and at times, I liken him to saxophonist Wayne Shorter, who improvises like a composer. And Tolliver is a prolific composer. He is also a pioneer in the music business, if you consider that he and Stanley Cowell were some of the first jazz artists to start their own label in the 70's(Strata East).
Whenever people ask me my top 10 favorite jazz albums, Charles Tolliver's Paper Man is always on that list. I first heard it when I was in college, and I'm still not tired of it. It's one of those magical lineups that is in some ways expected, but in this case, produced something extraordinary. Charles Tolliver is well featured and well recorded on trumpet, and all the compositions are from his pen. The one and only Herbie Hancock plays a piano which, for my ears, sounds almost like an upright at times, and perhaps not a well maintained one. Whatever the case, it's relevant for no more than a split second, because Hancock's playing seems extra inspired throughout the session. The great Ron Carter plays some rhythmic and harmonic ideas that are downright shocking. And the amazing Joe Chambers adds a superbly sensitive rhythmic foundation with his supple drumming. My former employer Gary Bartz appears on three tracks and is in great form as usual.
If you have Paper Man in your collection, I hope the following writing will inspire you to dig it out and listen along. If you don't have it, it's really hard to find. ( It was also released as Charles Tolliver and his All Stars on the Black Lion label.) For some weird reason, this masterpiece is not available on Itunes. What a shame!
The first track, "Earl's World", is a bold opening statement, a combination of heavy and light all at once. The tune is half 12/8 riff, half medium swing. I love tunes that get right to the point, and this one does. And it's a great vehicle for solos. Tolliver comes out with powerful ideas, and his solo is perfectly shaped, driven by the enthusiastic comping of Hancock and Chambers. Hancock's solo begins introspectively, with slick interpolations of 12/8, shifting into some ultra-slick metric modulations.
(One thing you'll notice about this recording is that the piano is one one side of the stereo image, and the bass is on the other. The trumpet and drums seems to be spread evenly. There is great clarity in the recording, and it only adds to the enjoyment of the interplay.)
Track Two, entitled "Peace With Myself", is a colorful waltz. Hancock's comping is extra-creative, and and Carter share some humorous musical comments. It's amazing how strong the rhythm is on this track, and yet there is a lot of openess in the beat. At times, Chambers seems subdued, but when you realize how subtly musical his playing is, you just sit back and marvel at his tasteful musical reflexes.
Hancock ventures into 20th century impressionism, reminiscent of his work with Miles Davis. Hancock's approach to rhythm is so multi-layered. (Sometimes I almost laugh when I read something like "Jazz Rhythm is primarily eighth notes." Whomever takes that to heart would be highly confused by this Herbie Hancock solo.) Ron Carter brings us down to nothing while Hancock and Chambers sound as if they are faraway ghosts.
"Right Now", the third track, is a composition that originally appeared on a Jackie McLean recording(entitled Right Now.) I also recorded this tune on my third CD for the Steeplechase label back in the 90's. The form is basically a diminished scale line over an almost New Orleans type of syncopated rhythm. The bridge is a release into Bud Powell-like Bebop. This tension and release built into the structure makes it endlessly fun to improvise over. The melody statement in Tolliver's hands has a bold clarion call , like a call-to-arms, or maybe in this case, a call-to-play-some-jazz. Hancock's solo, combined with Carter's disruptively inventive hemiolas, and Chamber's perfectly swinging beat, is a thrill ride. Carter, quite a sober man personally, is almost comical in his comping here; at times, he almost sounds like he's in another room, it's that adventurous. This conflict continues on Tolliver's solo, building into a short but sweet Chambers drum solo. And the battle continues all the way to the vamp out.
"Household of Saud" is a song dedicated to pianist McCoy Tyner, and this fourth track is where Gary Bartz makes this a quintet. This is one of my all-time favorite tracks; the melody is almost a Tyner lick harmonized in 4ths and made into a composition. It's hard swinging and intense. Tolliver sounds strong. Bartz's solo has a nonchalance about it; he's a master of sounding relaxed over intense rhythm sections.
"Lil's Paradise" is a rather inventive tune, very expansive. It uses long pedal point sections over a relaxed jazz bossa type groove. Again, the musical teamwork is great. Bartz takes a lyrically beautiful solo.
The title track, "Paper Man," is one of those sort of bluesy boogaloo tunes with a catchy riff. It's a great way to end the album. I'm listening to this and again wondering why this album is not widely available. If anybody finds a link or something, please let me know. Meanwhile, here is a link to Mr. Tolliver's website. http://charlestolliver.com/
01. The Gift 5:00 02. When You Feel The Love 6:17 03. Gaze 6:04 04. The Joy Of Now 6:35 05. I'll Always Be With You 3:20 06. Just Because 4:58 07. Another Bag 8:17 08. Song For Jean 6:45
Bass – Marcus Miller Drums – Buddy Williams Guitar – Rodney Jones Percussion – Rick Cutler Piano – Kenny Kirkland Reeds – Fred Lipsius
Recorded at M+I Studios New York City, October 1980.
Rodney Jones is an excellent guitarist whose style sometimes hints at George Benson, R&B and soul jazz. On this fairly rare 1988 CD, Jones gets into the groove on eight of his originals with a group also including keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, electric bassist Marcus Miller, drummer Buddy Williams, percussionist Rick Cutler and the woodwinds of Fred Lipsius. The music is reasonably enjoyable and lightly funky, if not too substantial.
01. Rhythm X 8:03 02. Hour Glass 11:31 03. Charles Concept 7:50 04. C. B. Blues 7:00
Bass – Charlie Hayden Drums – Edward Blackwell Saxophone, Composed By – Charles Brackeen Trumpet – Don Cherry
Recorded in New York, 1968
1973
Saxophonist Charles Brackeen is a legendary hero among those who appreciate and respect the many and varied traditions of creatively improvised music that have developed as a continuum following the courageous trailblazing of saxophonists Albert Ayler, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Marion Brown, John Tchicai, Charles Tyler, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Julius Hemphill, and Sam Rivers. Possessed of a tone parallel to that of John Gilmore, Brackeen's steadfast dedication to inspired, colorful, and emotionally textured music has never been sufficiently recognized, nor has he received anything amounting to more than fragmentary compensation for his contributions to the art of improvisation.
Born in Oklahoma on March 13, 1940, he spent some time in Texas before moving to California in 1956. He studied piano and violin before permanently settling upon the saxophones as his chosen family of instruments. After working with vibraphonist Dave Pike and trumpeters Art Farmer and Joe Gordon, he began sitting in with more progressive improvisers like pocket cornetist Don Cherry, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Billy Higgins. He also met, made music with, and married pianist Joanne Grogan. The Brackeens produced four children, moved to New York in 1965, and eventually divorced. By the time he made his first album in 1968, Brackeen had grown into a strong-toned tenor and alto player who in time would display remarkable dexterity on the soprano saxophone as well, sounding very much like Pharoah Sanders on that horn. Released on the Strata East label, Rhythm X was a reunion of sorts as Brackeen interacted with Cherry, Haden, and Ed Blackwell on a collectively improvised set worthy of that trio's mentor, Ornette Coleman.
Brackeen reappeared in 1973 on Cherry's Relativity Suite, alongside Dewey Redman, Frank Lowe, and Carlos Ward; Brackeen had elements in common with each of these formidably expressive reedmen. His next opportunity to record occurred in 1975 when violinist Leroy Jenkins (a participant in the Relativity Suite) invited him to join 17 other instrumentalists (mostly members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) to record the album For Players Only. Like Relativity Suite a production of the Jazz Composer's Orchestra Association, Jenkins' first album as a leader included such brilliant minds as Anthony Braxton, Dewey Redman, Leo Smith, and Jerome Cooper. Brackeen's presence in an ensemble of this caliber was most significant and reaffirmed his irreversible commitment to music of an uncompromisingly creative nature.
Dance In May 1976 Brackeen was recorded in live performance as a member of a sextet led by trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah. A marvelous excerpt from their set was included on Volume 3 of the legendary Wildflowers: New York Loft Sessions, released on LP in 1977 by Douglas/Casablanca records. During this time period, Abdullah and Brackeen, along with drummer Roger Blank and bassist Ronnie Boykins, were members of a collective ensemble known as the Melodic Art-tet. Brackeen was the featured soloist on Paul Motian's 1977 ECM album Dance, the product of a trio session that was greatly enhanced by the bass viol of David Izenzon. In 1979, Motian invited Brackeen back to record a second, spacier album for ECM (Le Voyage), this time in the company of bassist Jean-François Jenny-Clark. Also in 1979 Brackeen joined an ensemble led by bassist William Parker on the wild and wooly free jazz album Through Acceptance of the Mystery Peace. In February 1980 Charles Brackeen and Ed Blackwell performed as a duo at Soundscape on 52nd St. in New York City. Two examples from their collaboration there and then were made available to the public in 1999 on the DIW compilation Live from Soundscape: Hell's Kitchen.
The next chapter in the saga of Charles Brackeen found him blowing his horns next to Byard Lancaster in Ronald Shannon Jackson's newly formed Decoding Society. Brackeen contributed his best energies to that group's first two albums, Eye on You (1980) and Nasty (1981). His next opportunity to make records occurred in 1987 when he enjoyed a brief but productive business relationship with the Silkheart record label. In addition to three albums released under his own name, Brackeen sat in with Texas trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez and His New Dallas Sextet, involving additional trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah, reedman Douglas Ewart, bassist Malachi Favors, and drummer Alvin Fielder, Jr. Several members of this group were involved in the first of Brackeen's three Silkheart albums, Bannar. Two other albums, Attainment and Worshippers Come Nigh were recorded during one day's work and teamed Brackeen with cornetist Olu Dara, bassist Fred Hopkins, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. As Charles Brackeen's overall recorded output is unusually small, it is not unreasonable to hope that eventually a thorough reissuing of his complete works as both leader and sideman will encourage and facilitate a respectful and open-minded reappraisal of this artist's entire career.
On this record, the little-known Charles Brackeen brings his saxophone to a party with most of Ornette Coleman's band. As might be expected, while Brackeen certainly holds his own, it's Ornette's boys who bring the thunder, playing around Brackeen's muscular alto as if they were a gang jumping on a new member. Haden's bass playing provides the frantic pulse, here and there ceding the stage to Blackwell's flexible drumming and dropping out to provide rolling sheets of sound by bowing his instrument. Brackeen and Cherry wrestle across this solid bedrock, with results that are often surprising and never short of beautiful.
01. Articulation 4:32 02. 1978 13:20 03. Hard New York Swing 6:51 04. Interlude 1 1:14 05. Childville 3:51 06. Blues For Wes 8:17 07. Nereda 5:18
Bass – Benjamin Brown Drums – Kenwood Denard Flute – Bernadine Davis Guitar – Rodney Jones Piano – Kenny Kirkland Saxophone – Arthur Blythe, Bob Mitzer Trumpet – Wallace Rooney III Voice – Bemshi Jones
An overlooked spiritual jazz gem from the 70s – recorded for the Dutch Timeless label, but done in a mode that sparkles with the energy of Strata East at the time! Guitarist Rodney Jones is in some wonderfully hip company for the set – a lineup that includes Kenny Kirkland on piano, Wallace Roney on trumpet, Bob Mintzer on tenor, and Arthur Blythe on alto – all blowing together beautifully with a freely-soaring spiritual energy that reminds us a lot of some of Gary Bartz' more jazz-based albums of the time. And while Jones is the leader, his guitar work often takes second seat next to the well-crafted horn patterns in the set – very well-conceived, and always with a searching sort of post-Coltrane energy.
01. The Liberation Of Contemporary Jazz Guitar 7:42 02. G.E.N. 9:20 03. Country And West Indian 0:52 04. Around The Planet Earth 13:46
Bruce Johnson Rodney Jones
This has to be the most self sufficient album on the strata east label. Apart from four thank yous, all the credits: guitar, producer, composed, arranged, engineered, cover design and liner notes all go to Bruce Johnson and Rodney Jones. Musically... Well, it's so not my kind of thing, that it would be unfair of me to critique it. However, if noodley guitar work is your bag, then give it a go. Personally, when there's more rhythm guitar going on, I really like it, but I really could do without the soloing, that's where I start to struggle. "G.E.N." is a killer though, very jazz-funk, but unfortunately without a beat.
01. The Storm 02. Astral Child 03. Look What You've Done To Me 04. Montivia 05. Flamencito 06. Sea Serpent 07. Blind Man From The Delta 08. Flashes 09. Blues For Wes
Drums – Chip White Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Synthesizer [Guitar] – John Abercrombie Guitar, Electric Bass, Vibraphone, Drums, Voice – Bruce Johnson Tenor Saxophone – Hugo Heredia Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Enrico Rava Vocals – Bonnie Brown (tracks: A2)
Sea Serpent is an album title that deserves a better album than this. Indeed, the whole notion of mythological creatures would collapse if waiting at the other end of the pipeline were small, strange curiosities such at this record. On one level, at least it can be said that there are things that certain listeners will find of great interest here, none of it easy to shrug off, either. Most important, this album should be studied as a model of just how much yellow ink it is possible to put onto one album jacket. Jazz guitar lovers will find solace here as well. They could chew over several extended solos from both leader Bruce Johnson and the better-known John Abercrombie. Over a generally rapid swinging rhythm section there are passages that even sound something like Sonny Sharrock. This type of playing, sometimes described as "shredding," is combined with a slightly more lyrical approach. Johnson makes rare use of a 12-string guitar on a jazz record, turning in some excellent, imaginative solos that show great command of the instrument. At the same time, his excessive chording on the very same axe waylay horn soloists Enrico Rava and Hugo Heredia, making them fight for air and collapse in the process. The general tone of this discussion will lead to the conclusion that this is a jazz record, and in a sense it is, much of it being taken up by instrumental meanderings to a swing beat and some passages featuring the well arranged, fat-sounding horn section reading written heads. Fans of this type of music will wind up making fun of the other parts of the album, though, songs with lyrics featuring a miserable singer, Bonnie Brown. Intentionally or unintentionally, it is far out territory, though the group proudly delivers a blues in the third act. The poorly translated French liner notes describe the latter piece as a "river blues style," and it does sound like something that crawled up from out of the river, so in the end perhaps it's appropriate for a sea serpent.
Led Zeppelin March 24, 1975 The Forum Los Angeles, CA
The Awesome Foursome Live At The Forum / EVSD
Soundboard Recording
01. Introduction 02. Rock And Roll 03. Sick Again 04. Over The Hills And Far Away 05. In My Time Of Dying 06. The Song Remains The Same 07. The Rain Song 08. Kashmir 09. No Quarter 10. Trampled Underfoot 11. Moby Dick 12. Dazed And Confused 13. Stairway To Heaven 14. Whole Lotta Love 15. Black Dog 16. Heartbreaker
Hard to believe it’s been three years since Deus Ex Machina was released, the last full concert on Empress Valley’s Soundboard Revolution. While the label certainly generated plenty of buzz in the collectors community with the releases of the 1971 soundboard fragments, many rejoiced (Thank you Jesus) with the announcement of the forthcoming complete soundboard release of the first night at the LA Forum in 1975, a concert most are familiar with thanks to the excellent Mike Millard record. The soundboard revolution series consists of two versions, the first was a deluxe box custom gatefold sleeve housing the three disc set plus a 108 page photo book and three cards and finally a separate disc consisting of bonus material, of course at a premium price. There is also the no frills version, a simple three CD set in gatefold sleeve.
Like I said most are familiar with this concert thanks to the audience audio recordings, there are two such recordings with the best being the Mike Millard capture found on such titles as Crazed And Bemused (Black Cat Records BC22A-B), Get Back To L.A. (Tarantura T9CD-1), The Firecrackers Show (The Diagrams of Led Zeppelin TDOLZ), Deep Throat (Empress Valley Supreme Disc EVSD 1256/57/58) and most recently LA Forum 1975 First Night (No Label). The second audience source has seen only one release in complete form, A Gram Is A Gram Is A Gram (Image Quality IQ-80/81/82). There is also a really nice audience video that lasts 18 minutes and while fragmentary, it was shot close to the stage and is a detailed audience view of the band. Lastly is the soundboard source, last year Empress Valley released about 66 minutes of the concert from the soundboard on the title The Night Stalker (Empress Valley Supreme Disc EVSD-1118), a prelude if you like, to the complete concert and the subject of this new title from Empress Valley.
First off, hats off to Empress Valley for getting these soundboards out to the masses, in this age we live in, most every thing is available at our fingertips and all you need is to download it. This has been a sore subject for EV and surely other labels as the market for people wanting physical product is dwindling. So again, thanks to you for digging these gems out, where would we be without the Soundboard Revolution? Secondly many thanks for my source in Japan, I placed my order and within a couple days it was on my doorstep, incredible customer service from him as always. After many listens over the past couple days I really like this recording and concert. I am a fan of 1975 Led Zeppelin, so perhaps I am a bit biased when I listen. The first half of the concert is well played, the band is obviously happy to be back in Los Angeles playing for the “Children of the sun”, from the first song Jimmy is in good form and plays very well. Robert’s voice takes a couple songs to warm up, this is consistent with this tour, his voice being more hoarse than others, he works around it and a little raspy is good. Bonzo plays really well and John Paul Jones is his typical bad ass self.
Like many of the soundboards from 1975 John Paul Jones’ bass is a bit loud in the beginning and overloads for a bit of Rock And Roll, once the adjustments are made by the sound man it is smooth and very consistent for the rest of the concert. The instruments and vocals are all very well balanced and it is very clear and detailed, great to here the guitar and drums pan from left to right during Dazed and Moby Dick. My main issue with the sound on this title is that somewhere between the original tape source and this release there has been needless compression added in the lineage, perhaps to cut down on tape hiss or add some clarity or upper end I am guessing. This makes the cymbals sound swishy for lack of a proper word, and is most notable when Bonzo is really working his hi-hat cymbals. I have heard this trend growing and seems to be on the 1975 soundboards, I do not hear this on the Japan 1971 boards, they sound fantastic. This is certainly not a deal breaker, I simply back off on the treble and it made it much easier on the ears. It does have nice frequencies on the bottom end, there are times especially during The Song Remains The Same when Jonsey is in a groove slamming some killer bass grooves and it’s just perfect. When I compare the sound to the first release of the soundboard, The Night Stalker, I find the sound to be identical.
The performance is very good, I feel that the band peaked during the Vancouver and Seattle run, by the time they get to LA they seem tired and ready to just relax. That being said this is a very enjoyable show, Robert’s commentary is heartfelt, it had been a long tour and the band is happy to be at the end and in sunny Southern California. I listened a lot to the Millard recording over the past month prior to this soundboard release, as well as reading all the torrent notes weekly in the Lost And Found Mike the Microphone series. I have begun to understand Mike’s positioning during these runs and the difference between Long Beach Arena and The Forum. Mike was very close on this Forum run and Jimmy dominates in his recording of this concert, at times sounding out of sync with Jones and Bonham. In listening to this soundboard it is not the case, with the instruments in proper balance you find they are all right there and while Jimmy is not as fluent as the second Seattle gig, he is playing great for the most part, at times he just slows down. His solo in No Quarter and Stairway To Heaven are killer and while I was slightly annoyed with the mastering I found myself really enjoying this entire concert, in fact I find I actually prefer this soundboard over the Millard recording, I do hope future soundboards will have a more untouched sound, perhaps give a version with a flat transfer, not to beat a dead horse but this recording could have sounded incredible with the right mastering, I am not casting blame at EV as we have never heard what these tapes sound like in their unaltered form, we just get the finished product.
The packaging, well I bought the cheap version so I will have to wait until the bonus disc, with its version of Royal Orleans, shows up on you tube or something. For my version you get the three CDs, all with a painting of Jesus on them, housed in a 7″ gatefold sleeve with stock photos.
It was 1975 when Zeppelin arguably attained the greatest height of popularity. Physical Graffiti had been out for a month by the time they completed their US tour with three sold out shows at the Forum in Los Angeles. The new album reached number one on the chart, but also their entire catalogue up to that point also entered the charts again (Led Zeppelin IV at #83; Houses of the Holy at #92; Led Zeppelin II at #104; Led Zeppelin at #116; and Led Zeppelin III at #124), a feat never before accomplished in pop history.
It was also this time where they gained a certain amount of respect from the music press, something which they craved and didn’t always receive with long, glowing articles in Rolling Stone and New Musical Express.
By the time Zeppelin entered the final week of the tour, their health problems were less of a problem and they played some of their longest, darkest, strangest and most wired concerts of their entire career. The marathons in the set, “No Quarter,” “Moby Dick” and “Dazed And Confused” all routinely reached a half hour. Thankfully all of these shows have been recorded and are commonly available including Michael Millard, one of the most accomplished tapers in the seventies, capturing all of the LA area concerts.
Deep Throat on Empress Valley is the second attempt to present a boxset of all three shows together. Tarantura made the first set called Get Back To L.A. in the mid-nineties. It is packaged in a gorgeous accordion still package and at the time was definitive. But since better generations of these tapes have surfaced.
The Millard tape for the first Los Angeles show is nearly excellent but slightly hissy and lacking in depth compared ot the other tapes. Millard tape used on Crazed And Bemused (Black Cat Records BC-22), Get Back To LA (Tarantura T9CD-1-7) and The Firecrackers Show (The Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin TDOLZ003/004/005). Dazed And Confused (Mad Dog MDR-LZ001~2) contains “Stairway To Heaven,” ” Whole Lotta Love,” “Black Dog” and “Heartbreaker” from this tape as does A Gram Is A Gram Is A Gram (Image Quality IQ-80/081/082). An alternate tape is used for the introduction and the first minute of “Rock And Roll,” for thirt seconds after “The Rain Song,” 6:47 to 7:47 in “Trampled Underfoot,” and for a minute after “Dazed And Confused.”
The show begins with J.J. Jackson making the introduction before “Rock And Roll” and after “Sick Again,” Plant tells the audience that “we’ve been in California a little while, but let me tell you, this is the place….these are the last three gigs on our American tour and so we intend them to be somewhat of a very high point for us and that can’t be really achieved, obviously we really don’t achieve that without a little bit of vibe, which I can already feel, and a few smiles.”
Plant continues to sprinkle the show with his humorous comments like before “In My Time Of Dying” telling the audience that there are “a few developments in the camp and a few camps in the development. Bonzo decided not to have the sex change after-all, and ah, we got a new album out.” The first real high point occurs during the “No Quarter” marathon, the first one in the set. The grand piano and electric guitar improvisation had reached a hight by this time and these versions are among the best executed and recorded.
“Dazed And Confused” is “probably about the first thing that we had a go at, apart from the secretary.” It’s obvious Page is trying hard to expand the improvisation as the piece stretches past a half hour, but there are several rough spots and it comes off as rather sloppy, the worst of the three Forum shows. “Stairway To Heaven,” which is “for all our English friends who’ve arrived at the continental Riot House…. and this is for you people here who’ve made this a good gig.” The encores are the longest of the three with a full version of “The Crunge” before they play “Black Dog,” and this is the only one to have the rare second encore “Heartbreaker.”
Led Zeppelin March 21, 1975 Seattle Center Coliseum
Seattle, WA
Deus Ex Machina - Empress Valley Supreme Disk
EVSD-1019/1020/1021/1022 (2017)
01. Introduction 02. Rock and Roll 03. Sick Again 04. Over the Hills and Far Away 05. In My Time of Dying 06. The Song Remains the Same 07. The Rain Song 08. Kashmir 09. No Quarter 10. Since I've Been Loving You 11. Trampled Underfoot 12. Moby Dick 13. Dazed and Confused 14. Stairway to Heaven 15. Whole Lotta Love 16. Black Dog 17. Communication Breakdown
18. Heartbreaker
Well it’s finally here, Empress Valley’s “Soundboard Revolution” delivers the incredible second night in Seattle on Led Zeppelin’s 1975 American tour in amazing soundboard quality. After months of anticipation and more than a few delays we can finally put the concert on our players and listen to what for many, including myself, thought they would never hear. For me the second night in Seattle is a must have recording, it is a cornerstone to ones collection and just as important as the Fillmore West April 1969, Blueberry Hill September 1970, Vienna March 1973, or the LA Forum June 21 and 23, 1977 recordings, it’s just that damn good. We all know the story, the rocky start to the 1975 tour found the band not in the best of shape, but there were always inspired moments in even the most average of shows. The more they played the better they got, so much that by the time the band hit the West Coast they were starting to fire on all cylinders. The concerts were very long, incredible heavy and full of self indulgent posturing from the entire band, for me this is what I love about the tour.
In typical EV fashion, the concert was released in three formats, I chose the one that made most financial sense, The Standard Edition features both soundboard and audience recordings of the gig on 8 CDs packed in a box similar to the recent History Lesson DVD package, the set also includes a 24 page booklet filled with live shots, certainly a package worthy of historic concert. Like many, I have several versions of this concert on CD, EV’s Dinosaur In Motion and Tarantura’s Blow Jobs are both housed on my shelves and this concert does make its way into my player at least a couple times each year. Enough rambling, let’s dig in and get this thing playing…
…First off, push play and turn this sucker up. This is strictly a soundboard recording, it is virtually complete, only thing missing is the introduction and someone found that there is a cut at 12:50 in Moby Dick where 12 seconds is lost, other than that it’s all here. The sound is perfectly balanced, many of the 75 boards have over powering bass frequencies, not this one, in my opinion this is the best sounding 75 board since Flying Circus. My only real complaint of the sound is that the cymbals are a bit strong during the first couple songs. Soundboard recordings can be good and bad, you get clear and detailed sound but without the ambience of the audience and hall reverberation, it tends to show more warts, this is certainly true here. Typical with EV is the way they overlap segues into the next disc, they do so on this title, it doesn’t bother me but I do not usually put this on any devices where it would play continually.
Rock and Roll is very powerful, Page is fluent from the start, no BS you feel the band is on from the moment he breaks into the riff, even Plant sounds good and that’s saying a lot as his vocals took a song or two to get warmed up. For 1975, this is as good as it gets! The transition into Sick Again is fluent, no hiccups and the band nail the song as well.
Over The Hills And Far Away gets a nice ovation, even through the crowd is low in the mix you sense that they are very lively, in fact this gives a quite different perspective from the audience source where you have the distance. Great version of Over The Hills, John Paul Jones’ bass provides a nice fat backbone, his timing is perfect with Bonham’s drumming, they are one as well. Page’s solo, while not the best from the tour, is very good. There are a couple times you expect him to get caught up in the strings, yet he keeps going and going. Only thing I am left wondering is who Samantha was.
In My Time Of Dying is one of the best of the American tour, to listen to the detailed sounds of Page’s slide wanderings with Jones’ intricate bass playing and Bonham’s punctuating drumming and many times he is pushing Page to quicken the pace, just really superb playing from the band.
The Song Remains The Same and The Rain Song, the former is a really strong version crackling with energy and the band hammer down, great Page solo. Rain Song is good, but I find the heavy “I felt the coldness of my winter” section to be under whelming, Page seems to be having trouble and leaves it flat.
Kashmir, great version, I prefer the 75 versions with Page playing the Les Paul that provides a thicker sound, he also plucks a bit of White Summer as Plant is chatting away, a prelude towards the future!
No Quarter, John Paul Jones is the star on this song, his fills on the piano are very impressive to hear, he is in a jazzy mood and if I closed my eyes at times it sounds like I was hearing some free form jazz improvisation by the Grateful Dead, just listen to what the band is doing starting at the 18:30 mark, it’s out there! Page is playing well and his solo is fluent but he never gets into the killer zone and seems content to let Jones’ star shine. Certainly one of the more unique versions.
Since I’ve Been Loving You, second of three versions from 75 is really good with Plant’s somewhat rough vocalization lending to the “blues” atmosphere created by the band. The song is part of their DNA, while not as intense as let’s say 1971 or as blistering as the 73 versions, the song retains a powerful musical force.
Trampled Underfoot, are there bad versions from 75? Me thinks not. This is one song that smokes every night, the instrumental passages are the best. Page, Jones, and Bonham lock and deliver some of the best fast paced boogie you’ll ever hear.
Moby Dick, John Henry Bonham has never sounded better, the drums are crystal clear in this recording and he feels like he is right in front of you, John played well during 1975 and this is a testament to his prowess, 26 minutes of pure unadulterated Bonzo! As for the cut, if some crazed fan would have never dug into it, you would never know it was there, but when you know it and listen to it, you can hear the slight change in his pattern.
Dazed And Confused, dedicated to the balances of law and order, we now know that a fan had given Page a guitar at some point prior to the show, a guitar he took from his teacher who promptly wanted it back. This song has been the focal point of my love for this concert since I first heard it on vinyl years ago. Clocking in at 40 minutes, the song is certainly top on most lists for 1975. All the pre oriental riffs playing is just as I hoped it would be, it is wonderful to have it in this quality, Page does have some guitar issues and can be heard tuning his guitar during the Woodstock portion. The bow solo is mysterious and the fast section lives up to expectations, Jones’ bass is a bit prominent during the latter parts of the song, James’ playing still overshadows the mix and is out of this world…”Master Guitarist Jimmy Page!”
Stairway To Heaven, dedicated to Jimi Hendrix, whose name seems to inspire the band as they take this song to the next level, simply a stunning version of the classic. Jimmy’s guitar solo is stunning and propels the song to great heights, the instrumental fury of the rhythm section matches his playing in complete synchronicity.
Whole Lotta Love from 75 for me just don’t really do it for me, although the late March versions are the exceptions, the initiation of almost complete versions of The Crunge minimally fill the endless boogie jams of the past, that being said this WLL > Crunge is pretty good, not as good as the versions that would be played in a few days time in LA, Plant throws in a few lines from Lickin’ Stick for good measure just prior to the Theremin section.
The transition into Black Dog is great, Bonham does a drum fill that lead into the iconic riff, Plant pushes his vocals a bit with good results, the call and response with the audience gives you a feeling of the atmosphere of the event…electric! Communication Breakdown is furious! Raw and just a blistering version with Page in full domination mode, just fantastic! He drives the band straight into Heartbreaker, Jones and Bonham have his back, one would think John’s extremities would be the consistency of jelly but he just hammers his kit relentlessly, an incredible segment of encores to end a most magical evening.
The packaging is nice, two full color gatefold sleeves wonderfully adorned with live shots and OBI’s hold each of the recordings. The 24 page booklet is great, there is an aerial view of the Seattle Center Coliseum that is great to have as I enjoy that kind of stuff, only thing missing would have been a pic of a ticket stub. There is a separate leaflet asking us to not copy and distribute, something that stems from the fact that this title showed up a day or so before its release on a well known torrent site, this also again opens up the opinionated conversation about pricing and free trading and the likes. The fact that I bought this title shows that I do contribute to supporting the label in the Soundboard Revolution, if they make money we get more, and I would like to see more. We have a tease of the 9/28/71 show, who wouldn’t like to hear that? Nonetheless, the two gatefolds, booklet and leaflet are housed in a box with an OBI the same as many of their recent titles, in all typically nice packaging and fitting for a show of such importance. Took a while, I have neglected other titles I want to get waiting for this as it was not cheap, but in the end a very worthy investment.
Led Zeppelin March 20, 1975 Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver British Columbia, Canada
Snowblind / Empress Valley Supreme Disc EVSD 564-566
01. Rock And Roll 02. Sick Again 03. Over The Hills And Far Away 04. In My Time Of Dying 05. The Song Remains The Same 06. The Rain Song 07. Kashmir 08. No Quarter 09. Trampled Underfoot 10. Moby Dick 11. Dazed And Confused 12. Stairway To Heaven 13. Whole Lotta Love 14. Heartbreaker
The final two weeks of March, 1975 represent offer some of the heaviest Led Zeppelin concerts on record. Not only do the shows from the Pacific Northwest and Los Angeles all push three and half hours, but they all have interesting variations and improvisations unique to these performances.
About once or twice a year a new soundboard recording from Led Zeppelin’s mid-career tours surfaces. Last summer the March 17th, 1975 Seattle show surfaced on Haven’t We Met Somewhere Before? (Eelgrass EGL-20241/42/43) and was very enjoyable. Snowblind, the latest soundboard to come out, documents the marathon Vancouver show on March 20th.
The second night in Vancouver on March 20th has been in circulation for more than twenty years in a fair to good audience tape and can be found on Pleeease (Silver Rarities SIRA 126/127/128) and three box sets grouped with the first night, Physical Vancouver Farewell (Tarantura (#PV-001,002,003,004,005,006), Ladies And Gentlemen (Sanctuary TMOS-97501-6) and Prisoners of Rock & Roll (TDOLZ Vol. 92 & 93).
Like the other tapes from this week, Snowblind is an excellent and very enjoyable soundboard recording. In general it is well balanced between the instruments, but it is nice for emphasizing the rhythm section.
These two shows were almost cancelled because of a strike by radio station CKLG-FM. The press reported that “CUPE local 1004 (Canadian Union of Public Employees) at the PNE and two other unions involved would have boycotted the concert if CUPE local 686, representing the CKLG strikers, had so wished. But CUPE spokesman Ole Johnson said the concert is ‘definitely on….We felt it was in the best public interest to allow the concert to be held,” he said, “We aren’t interested in hurting the over 20,000 people who have already bought tickets.”
Zeppelin were slagged in the press for this performance. Don Stanley, reviewing the shows in the Vancouver Sun, begins his review by saying “some groups are humbled and damaged by the Pacific Coliseum’s hockey rink vibes. A Led Zeppelin show in enhanced.” The proceeds to slag the music, saying it “is as impersonal as the faceless multitudes that disappear in the haze at the top of the blues, as ugly as the process of frisking girls at the turnstiles, or the rows of fat, competent bouncers before the stage. Zeppelin fans include well-meaning critics who don’t want to lose touch with the masses, and intellectuals at parties who mouth words such as ‘atavistic.’ But I think it’s fair to say that the typical Zeppelin fan, the….is a teen-ager as much interested in the event as the music.”
Musically, Led Zeppelin are all their fans could desire: numbingly direct, loud enough to rattle the brain pan, and mysterious, or at least portentous.
He then goes on to attack the band themselves. He calls John Bonham’s solo “boredom refined to torture!” Page’s weaknesses are “awkward transitions, which mar even the masterful ‘Stairway To Heaven,’ and of course the heavy handed approach which make Led Zeppelin record unnatural and forces.” And ripping into Plant, he calls him a “poser, who holds on to the belt buckle of hi slow-slung jeans as though to prompt the fantasies of jaded groupies.” John Paul Jones escapes his attack. It is striking that even at the height of their popularity both Led Zeppelin and their fans were subject to such attacks in the press.
Despite the review, this is one of the better shows from the tour made even more enjoyable with this fantastic new recording. The audience tape only hints at the prowess the band showed this night and the good times they had.
The tape picks up right at the beginning of “Rock And Roll” (the announcement of the “Canadian return of Led Zeppelin” is omitted), and after the segue into “Sick Again” Robert Plant rambles on a bit “amidst the perfect smells that are rising towards the stage, we’re gonna try and maintain coherence ourselves, while you, while you get stoned and stoned and stoned, unless it’s just my nose.”
“Over The Hills And Far Away” from Houses Of The Holy follows, sounding extremely fluent in the song’s improvised middle section. This is one of the songs that really improved as the tour progressed from the disjointed versions in Chicago.
Page’s adventurous spirit can be heard in the following song “In My Time Of Dying.” Although the arrangement of this piece normally remained the same from night to night, at about the seven minute mark Page throws in a reference to a tune who wrote in 1970 titled “Flashing Lights” which appeared on the Lord Such And Heavy Friends album. He also throws in a short reference to the unreleased “Jennings Farm Blues” here as he does in the “Flashing Lights” studio recording.
The intensity of the performance seems to cause some commotion up front. Plant addresses the “amateur wrestling in the audience” before mentioning roadie Benji Lefevre’s sickness and dedicating “The Song Remains The Same” to him.
Before they play “Kashmir,” their new epic from Physical Graffiti, Plant mentions the disastrous show in Vancouver on July 18th, 1973 (which could be heard on No Firecrackers (Electric Magic EMC-009A/B)). “I think the last time we came here was about two years ago, eighteen months ago. Was anybody here then? It was quite a peculiar show actually. … Something strange happened to me that evening. I found the light show to be amazing, and I wondered what the name of the group was. So I should dedicate this to that state of mind. Long may it come at my moments of ease.” The song almost falls about four minutes in, but they pull it together with Plant joking “wasted, wasted land … EVERYONE WASTED!”
“No Quarter” reaches twenty-five minutes this night. Unlike other performances, Jones’ piano improvisation is both creative and purposeful. He plays a gentle little melody pregnant with expectancy and hope before Bonham comes in with drums and Page on guitar. Jones returns to that theme later in the song, after Page’s guitar solo leaves the audience devastated.
“Dazed And Confused” is the other epic marathon, reaching almost thirty-five full minutes. Page favors a pastoral melodic tune before the “Woodstock” section, and the long improvisation is very intense.
The encores begin with the short reference to “Whole Lotta Love.” In the ensuing improvisation Page plays the riff that he would later use for “Ozone Baby,” recorded in Stockholm in 1978 and released in 1982 on the final Led Zeppelin album Coda. Page then plays the theremin, gets into some heavy-metal funk and leads the band into “Heartbreaker” (instead of the expected “Black Dog.”) The rest of the band eem caught off guard by the change, but quickly get into it.
