Led Zeppelin - 2019 - Ultimate Blueberry Hill (Moonchild)

Led Zeppelin
2019
Ultimate Blueberry Hill
(Moonchild Records)

101. Introduction By J.J. Jackson
102. Immigrant Song
103. Heartbreaker
104. Dazed And Confused
105. Bring It On Home
106. That's The Way
107. Bron-Yr-Aur
108. Since I've Been Loving You
109. Organ Solo
110. Thank You

201. What Is And What Should Never Be
202. Moby Dick
203. Whole Lotta Love
204. Communication Breakdown
205. Out On The Tiles
206. Blueberry Hill

Live at The Forum, Los Angeles, California, September 4, 1970

There are not many live Led Zeppelin shows available to purchase officially. For a band as important as Led Zeppelin, it’s very surprising that Atlantic Records, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant have not released more live shows to their fans. For years, all we had was the soundtrack to the motion picture The Song Remains the Same. It is only within the past twenty years that the vaults have opened just a bit with the release of The BBC Sessions , How The West Was Won and the bonus live CD on the remastered Led Zeppelin One album. Still, three official live albums of the original four members of Zep is very limiting for a band that many feel was the greatest rock and roll band to ever grace the stage.

Like all legendary classic rock artists, Led Zeppelin has always been a group that has been widely bootlegged. Most of the Led Zeppelin bootlegs that collectors have traded, shared and sold are audience recordings. There a just a handful of soundboards. The 1977 Soundboard that was released under the title Destroyer is usually thought of as the best Led Zeppelin bootleg ever released. The sound quality on Destroyer comes close to an official release. Nonetheless, there are some audience recordings from the late 1960s and early 1970s that define the brilliant musicianship and passion of the band wonderfully. The bootleg Live on Blueberry Hill is one such recording that showcased a band that was looking to prove just how great they were. They succeeded immensely on this one.

Live On Blueberry Hill is so fabulous because of the performances by all four members on that September 4, 1970 night at the Los Angeles Forum. The heart of a great Led Zeppelin performance was always led by the great Jimmy Page. If Page was on, Led Zeppelin was on. These guys listened to each other. All musicians have great nights and so so nights. That September 4th night in L.A. was a night in which Page was in complete tune and his solos were clean and exciting. Page solos right away as the night began in the opening number “The Immigrant Song.” However it’s in the set’s second song “Heartbreaker,” when Page lights it up with a solo in the middle of the song that stands as one of his best live performances of all time. 

At the L.A. show, Robert Plant’s vocals sound like he was in the studio. Plant hits every note in perfect tune. Robert Plant’s resonance is incredibly deep and strong. Robert Plant’s performance in “Dazed and Confused,” is to die for. Plant pulls out snippets of classic tunes like “Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay,” and scats perfectly with Jimmy Page through the middle instrumental break.

The performance of “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” will always stand as one of the highlights of that 1970 L.A. Forum show. Jimmy Page opens with that crying solo just before Robert Plant starts to sing low and deep. After the first verse, Robert Plant breaks into his higher register on the line “Everybody tells me.” and then lets it loose like no other rock and roll singer in history. Robert Plant finishes the line and Jimmy Page breaks into an immaculate solo that will leave you crying. It’s unbelievable how great these guys were. When Jimmy Page finishes his solo. Robert Plant returns with the line, “I said I’ve been crying,” singing the highest notes I have ever heard the man sing. It’s downright scary that a human can sing like that. It’s why Robert Plant was always thought of as the ultimate Rock God.

Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are not the only members of Led Zeppelin that had their brilliant solo moments. John Paul Jones takes center stage on his celtic inspired organ solo just before the performance of “Thank You.” John Bonham’ shines basically on every song. A Led Zeppelin show would not have been a Led Zeppelin show without a performance of “Moby Dick.”The song always gave Bonham his turn under the solo spotlight.

In the end, the band’s fiery and virtuoso performances were the ultimate reason why the L.A..Forums shows were one of the highlights of Led Zeppelin’s career. Furthermore, what made these shows even more special were the cover songs that Led Zeppelin performed. The bootleg Live On Blueberry Hill gets its name from the Led Zeppelin encore performance of the song “Blueberry Hill.” At first, fans may shake their heads wondering over the song choice, but anyone who has listened to interviews with Robert Plant would understand the lead singer’s love of the blues. Robert Plant has always been a fan of that music and Led Zeppelin has always been in essence a blues band. Interestingly, four years later at the LA Forum, all four members attended an Elvis Presley concert. They all went backstage and hung out with Elvis for a couple of hours talking about those same blues influences that they all shared

If you have never heard the LA Forum shows, we highly recommend that you check them out. The performances define a band looking to make their mark on history. You can hear it in every note and groove throughout the entire show.

Led Zeppelin - 1968 - Lifetime Guaranteed (EVSD)

Led Zeppelin
December 30, 1968
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA

Lifetime Guarantee Revisited (EVSD)

01. The Train Kept A Rollin'
02. I Can't Quit You
03. As Long As I Have You
04. Dazed And Confused
05. White Summer
06. How Many More Times
07. Pat's Delight 

The earliest live Led Zeppelin audience recording has been released many times before over the past twenty or so years. The show was taped by the promoter of the show and the levels were set high making it rather distorted at the beginning. Thankfully after the initial blast it clears up and it becomes a very good and listenable, perfectly enjoyable document. It first surfaced on vinyl on Alpha And Omega (Rock Solid Records RSR 141) where the show (minus “Dazed And Confused” and “White Summer”) were paired with the July 24th, 1977 Oakland show. 

This title was also included in The Final Option box set. On compact disc it can be found on Gonzaga 1968, Gonzaga ’68 (Capricorn CR-2031E), Capricorn’s copy Gonzaga ’68 (So Fucking What), and Empress Valley’s first release Lifetime Guarantee (EV 141) released in the spring of 2002. EV claim to use the master cassette which is pictured on the sleeve, and their version runs at the correct speed, is much cleaner sounding and is more complete. 

Tarantura issued a version of this show on Yardbirds Fame (TCD – 69) which was almost universally panned by collectors as being among the worst ever issued. Empress Valley’s latest release Lifetime Guarantee Revisited presents the show in both an audio and a DVDA format. The volume of the tape has been amplified a little bit and is a bit more clear than the earlier edition making it the best available version in existence.

Spokane is the fifth show on Zeppelin’s first tour and the only live tape from 1968 in circulation. Opening for Vanilla Fudge, this show is a bit more than three months removed from their live debut in September and nine months from the Yardbirds’ Anderson Theater show recorded in March and released on Live Yardbirds! Featuring Jimmy Page. The set list for both began with “Train Kept a Rollin’,” focuses upon “Dazed And Confused” and “White Summer,” and contains a twelve minute rave by the end (“I’m A Man” and “How Many More Times.”) 

The opening song is played deliberately as The Yardbirds did, before Zeppelin would quicken the tempo in later performances. The guitar disappears about a minute into the song and it take a bit of time before Page’s guitar is fixed before he comes back in. 

After the second song Plant says, “good evening from Led Zeppelin. You won’t believe this but I don’t think either ourselves or our equipment is quite used to the temperature. It’s taken about three hours of gas stoves over the equipment before we could get it together. Let’s see if we can keep it going. This is a thing by Garnett Mimms of all people, called ‘As Long As I Have You.'” This early version of their epic improvisational piece is eight minutes long but includes the “Fresh Garbage” reference.

“We’re all dying. You’ve got flu and things here” Plant says before he mentions the first album coming out in three weeks. 

“Dazed And Confused” is very close to the studio track with little improvisation in the middle, and this is followed by “White Summer.” This version is two minutes longer than what Page played in the springtime, but is a rare version where he only plays the old track with no reference to “Black Mountain Side.” 

“How Many More Times” doesn’t have the Bolero section, but has a lot of call and response between Page and Plant, “The Hunter,” and another Page violin bow on guitar solo. The show strangely ends with the Bonham’s drum solo “Pat’s Delight.” The tape cuts out right after the return to the main theme, leading to speculation if another song were played that night such as “Communication Breakdown.” 

The second disc is a DVDA of the same tape and again the sound quality is very good. Each song is accompanied by a picture from the era. 

This is packaged in a double slimline jewel case with full color inserts with photos from the early years of Zeppelin. Thankfully they didn’t use the inconvenient big plastic cases they use for their other DVDA releases. Some collectors are speculating Empress Valley released this in direct competition with Tarantura’s release from some months back. If that is the case, EV is still the best version of this fascinating tape available and since this one is very reasonably priced makes it worth acquiring.

Michael Franks - 1977 - Sleeping Gypsy

Michael Franks

1977

Sleeping Gypsy

01. Lady Wants to Know

02. I Really Hope It's You

03 In the Eye of the Storm

04. B'wana-He No Home

05. Don't Be Blue

06. Antonio's Song (The Rainbow)

07. Chain Reaction

08. Down in Brazil

Bass – Wilton Felder

Drums – John Guerin (tracks: A1 to A3, B1 to B3), Joao Palma (tracks: A4, B4)

Guitar – Helio Delmiro (tracks: A4, B4), Larry Carlton

Percussion – Ray Armando (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B4)

Piano – Joe Sample (tracks: A1 to A3, B1 to B3), Joao Donato (tracks: A4, B4)

Saxophone – David Sanborn (tracks: A3, B1 to B3), Michael Brecker (tracks: A1, A2, A4)

Vocals – Michael Franks

After the success of The Art of Tea, Michael Franks was able to more confidently move closer to the kind of music he wanted to make. Employing a more exotic Brazilian feel on Sleeping Gypsy, with lush orchestration (courtesy of veteran jazz arranger and conductor Claus Ogerman), Franks moved his acoustic guitar work to the background to create a romantic sound with no sappiness. With "Down in Brazil" and, particularly, "Antonio's Song," his ode to Antonio Carlos Jobim, Franks was doing with Brazilian music for the rock crowd in the '70s what Stan Getz did for the jazz crowd in the '60s. He again employed his witty wordplay and evocative storytelling ability on "B'wana-He No Home," a song about a time when Dan Hicks was staying at his house while Franks was away. A romantic, elegant and important album in bringing Brazilian music to a wider audience.

A really brilliant little record – one of those gems that you've probably passed by so many times because it's ubiquitous, but which never fails to please over the years! Forget any pre-conceived notions you might have about Michael Franks, because at this early point in his career the man is a genre unto himself – working in a unique blend of jazz, pop, and a bit of soul – always served up sparely and with a great deal of understatement, but still filled with plenty of personal spirit on the lyrics. Franks' voice is beautifully compressed into the rest of the instrumentation by Tommy LiPuma – in a style that still holds up wonderfully over the years, and which is set to Claus Ogerman arrangements that make plenty great use of keyboards from Joe Sample of The Crusaders!

Frank Zappa - 2012 - Tour 88: I Am The Clouds

Frank Zappa

2012

Tour 88 - I Am The Clouds

The Godfather Box

G.R.BOX 10

8 × CD Box Set

Box contains:

4 double cd's in tri fold covers

16 page booklet

Tour programme replica

For what will probably be considered one of Godfather’s groundbreaking box sets, I Am The Clouds presents four shows from Germany on the European 1988 tour on what would be Frank Zappa’s final live appearances as a rock musician. The performances are among the best from his career which, according to the accompanying liner notes, were on a tour that was “never supposed to happen in the first place, and imploded prematurely after massive in-fighting amongst band members, and what you’re left with is, well, a miracle.”

Zappa assembled what was his greatest band with emphasis upon the horn section. Three live albums were released from these shows, including Broadway The Hard Way, The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life, and Make A Jazz Noise Here. And yet all three are highly edited and many key live performances, such as “Packard Goose,” “Pound For A Brown,” “Dessicated,” “What’s New In Baltimore,” “Disco Boy,” “Teenage Wind,” “Why Does It Hurt When I Pee,” “Bobby Brown,”and “Easy Meat.”

In unofficial releases, only pieces of the Cologne show have been issued before on vinyl. In the compact disc era, releases from this tour have been very hard to find. The only full unofficial releases to be pressed the past decade are Story Of Michael Kenyon (Guitar Master GM – 006/007) with the popular May 17th Barcelona, Spain soundtrack (the video can be found on I Am The Walrus (Apocalypse Sound AS-96)) and Dungeon Of Despair (Guitar Master GM – 004/005) with the May 1st show in Stockholm.

The four German shows are sourced from the beast available audience tapes. All are very too to excellent, picking up the dynamics of the performances very well. The Mannheim show is probably the most distant sounding, but nothing too serious. Not since the massive comprehensive Zappa box sets came out in the eighties such as Tis The Season To Be Jelly has there been such an weighty release.

April 14,1988

Sporthalle

Cologne, Germany

101. Intros

102. The Black Page #2

103. Band Intro

104. Inca Roads

105. When The Lie's So Big

106. Planet Of The Baritone Women

107. Any Kind Of Pain

108. Jesus Thinks Your A Jerk

109. City Of Tiny Lights

110. A Pound For A Brown

111. Packard Goose Medley

112. The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing

201. The Torture Never Stops Medley

202. Disco Boy

203. Teenage Wind

204. Bamboozled By Love

205. Sofa

206. Bolero

207. I Am The Walrus

208. The Illinois Enema Bandit

209. The Orange County Lumber Truck Medley

Thirty-seven minutes of the Cologne show can be found on the LPs Broadway The Hard Way (Zinc Alloy UR-2 STUPID) and on Scherade Part 1 (“Barking Pumpkin” / PAX-Records Zappa 13, LP20789-6 ) and on Scherade Part 2 (“Barking Pumpkin” Records LP 20789-7).

Cologne is blessed with perhaps the best Frank Zappa audience tape ever made. The tape opens with the German audience (Dirk, Tom and Tommy) begging the secret word, with is “sheep” and all things associated with them (sodomy, mutton, shepherds, etc).

The band begin with “The Black Page” and an incredible version of “Inca Roads.” Zappa plays a beautiful, melodic solo in the middle. During “Planet Of The Baritone Women” Zappa comes up with the secret word as they start a near complete “Republican Retrospective” medley, unusual for the European tour.

“City Of Tiny Lights” segues into “A Pound For A Brown.” An old funk rhythm forms the basis for a long trumpet solo and drum solo. After hitting a majestic melody, there is a synclavier horn section jam, which meanders until but then Chad whips out one of those rapid, twisted 3/4 grooves.

Kurt delivers a great solo while the rest of the band changes styles at along with Zappa. It’s then Mike’s turn, followed by Zappa and Ed having a bit of a dialogue of synclavier notes, all lasting about fifteen minutes. “The Torture Never Stops” is amusing with many uses of the secret word. The rest of the show becomes a standard run of songs, “Orange County Medley” the exception.

April 22, 1988

Carl Diem Halle

Wurzburg, Germany

101. Crowd/Tuning

102. Heavy Duty Judy

103. Band Intro

104. Ring Of Fire

105. Packard Goose Medley

106. Cosmik Debris

107. Who Needs The Peace Corps?

108. I Left My Heart In San Francisco

109. What's New In Baltimore?

110. Inca Roads

111. Advance Romance

112. Disco Boy

113. Teenage Wind

114. Bamboozled By Love

115. The Torture Never Stops Medley (Incl. Inca Roads)

116. I Ain't Got No Heart

201. Love Of My Life

202. City Of Tiny Lights

203. Pound For A Brown

204. Stairway To Heaven

205. Encore Break

206. Ring Of Fire 2

207. Bolero

208. Encore Break #2

209. Bobby Brown

210. Joe's Garage

211. Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?

212. Encore Break #3

213. Ring Of Fire 3

214. I Am The Walrus

215. The Illinois Enema Bandit

Würzburg is the best show in this collection and is perhaps the best Zappa show in 1988. The official release The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life has much of this show including part of “Heavy Duty Judy,” “Ring Of Fire,” “Cosmik Debris,” most of “Who Needs The Peace Corps?,”I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” the saxophone solo and ending of “Inca Roads,” part of “The Torture Never Stops three Germans from Cologne Dirk, Tom and Tommy beg for a secret word and get one. Zappa gives a long introduction, saying: Hello! Boy, got y’all JAMMED in here, don’t dey? What’s that say?

“Okay . . . Alright, guys, you’re looking for another secret word? The secret word for tonight is RING OF FIRE! Let me try ‘n explain this to you, folks: This afternoon at the hotel I was introduced for the first time to Johnny Cash, and Johnny was going to come to the concert tonight, and he was going to sing with us.

“Unfortunately his wife got sick so he can’t come tonight, BUT... this afternoon we actually learned how to play a reggae version of ‘Ring Of Fire,’ and we’ve been trying to decide whether or not we oughta play it even if Johnny’s not gonna sing it. Now, maybe you can help us decide. How many people would like to hear ‘Ring Of Fire’ if Johnny is not going to sing it? How many people DON’T want to hear ‘Ring Of Fire?’ I think most people want to hear ‘Ring Of Fire.’ Okay, here it comes, folks . . .”

The secret word, and reoccurring musical motif, is the reggae arrangement of Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire.” Midway through the show, Ike remembers all the fun he had in the ’84 tour, when Secret Words ran rampant and nothing was sacred. He thus play games such as in “Bamboozled By Love” singing silly lines like “You know I ring her nice and kind, the way no other fire can”, and “I caught her ringing off some other man.”

Frank adds to the fun, singing his lines in a horrible yet hilarious Johnny Cash voice and by the time “Ain’t Got No Heart” rolls around, everyone is doing it.

“Stairway to Heaven” becomes “Stairway to Fire” and the three instrumental tunes of the evening, “Pound,” “Bonanza,” and “Bolero” are riddled with “Ring Of Fire” references. Frank is having such a good time that he even takes requests, playing “Bobby Brown” in response to an audience chant, throwing in the line “Tell Rosalyn she can kiss my heinie.”

And to top it all off, the band plays “Ring of Fire” two more times (with a mariachi verse thrown in), because as Frank says, “that is the sickest thing we could do.”

There are solid improvisations and performances in addition to these with such stand outs like “Inca Roads”, “Bamboozled By Love”, “The Torture Never Stops”, and especially “Advance Romance.” But Würzburg is really good for the humor, loosening up the band dramatically and driving the band into interesting musical directions.

May 9, 1988

Rudi Sedlmayer Halle

Munchen, Germany

101. Opening/Stinkfoot(incl. Band Intro)

102. What's New In Baltimore?

103. Heavy Duty Judy

104. Find Her Finer

105. Big Swifty (Incl. Lohengrin Carmen, 1812 Overture)

106. Trouble Everyday

107. Penguin In Bondage

108. Hot Plate Heaven At The Green Hotel

109. Who Needs The Peace Corps?

110. Zomby Woof

201. King Kong

202. Mr. Green Genes

203. Florentine Pogen

204. Andy

205. Inca Roads

206. Cruising For Burgers

207. Rhymin' Man

208. Dupree's Paradise

209. Let's Moe To Cleveland

210. Whipping Post (With Dweezil Zappa On Guitar)

211. I Am The Walrus (Incl Jam) (With Dweezil Zappa On Guitar)

212. Sofa

The München show yielded several songs to The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life including “Find Her Finer,” the first few seconds of “Who Needs The Peace Corps?” and part of “Zomby Woof.” But this is the first time the entire show has been pressed onto silver disc.

This is one of the most consistent and musically solid shows from the tour. The secret word is “Mudshark” and “Jazz Noise” and Zappa’s son Dweezil joins his father onstage for “I Am The Walrus” and “Whipping Post.”

“Stinkfoot” opens the show. Zappa is in high spirits and immediately states the secret word for the night “Mudshark” before p laying “What’s New In Baltimore?”

“Heavy Duty Judy” is played live for the final time, and “Find her Finer” hits a nice solid groove before going into the long improvisation of the night “Big Swifty.” The lengthy piece features long horn solos and quotes from Wagner’s Lohengrin, Bizet’s Carmen and the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky, a synclavier jam and the second secret word of the night “Ayee.”

“More Penguin Hotel” medley follows, with Frank whipping out two better-than-average solos in “More Trouble” and “Hot Plate Heaven”. “More Trouble Every Day” is especially sweet thanks to the excellent segue into the 13 vamp. “Zomby Woof,” played for the final time, sees Zappa playing a solo similar to those played in 1982 with the distorted tone and aggressive melodies.

The encores are interesting for the unusual and rare song selections. “Rhymin’ Man” is followed by a horn-infused “Dupree’s Paradise” and is interned followed by a guitar dominated “Let’s Move To Cleveland.” After a standard “I Am the Walrus,” Dweezil and Frank play a dark guitar solo based upon the rhythm sections groove.

May 25, 1988

Mozartsaal

Mannheim, Germany

101. The Black Page #2 / Band Intro

102. We're Turning Again

103. Alien Orifice

104. When The Lie's So Big

105. Planet Of The Baritone Women

106. Any Kind Of Pain

107. Jesus Thinks You'Re A Jerk

108. Dupree's Paradise

109. Easy Meat

110. Sinister Footwear

111. City Of Tiny Lights

201. A Pound For A Brown

202. Outside Now

203. Let's Make The Water Turn Black (Orange County Medley)

204. Harry You're A Beast (Orange County Medley)

205. The Orange County Lumber Truck (Orange County Medley)

206. Oh No (Orange County Medley)

207. Theme From Lumpy Gravy (Orange County Medley)

208. Bamboozled By Love

209. Ring Of Fire (With Intro)

210. Peaches En Regalia

211. Stairway To Heaven (Incl.The Untouchables)

212. I Am The Walrus (With Intro)

213. The Illinois Enema Bandit

Mannheim was previously pressed on LP on Listen … and find out the SECRET WORD !!! which has the first half of the show, from “The Black Page #2? to “Outside Now.” Godfather is the first time the entire show has been pressed in any form.

The set offers a great set, and the secret word “cornhole” makes its first appearance in “Any Kind Of Pain.” The following song “Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk,” Zappa’s none-too-subtle commentary in the mid-eighties televangelist controversies, has its final live appearance.

“Dupree’s Paradise” is a masterful and features Walt’s solo from the album. It segues into the revived “Easy Meat.” Zappa’s solo wanders and is disjointed, but the horns sound glorious during the instrumental interlude. “Sinister Footwear” and “City Of Tiny Lites” follow. In the latter, Zappa rips out a great solo, raising it above the mediocre performances on this tour.

The humor is centered around the silly secret word and all manner of cornholes are found in the tunes. Someone requests “Ring Of Fire,” recalling the lunacy of the Würzburg show, and then the “cornhole” edition of “Stairway To Heaven.”

In the song’s solo “The Untouchables” pops up out of nowhere. The standard “Walrus Bandit” second encore comes next. Mannheim is another spectacular night and worthy to be included in the box set.

I Am The Clouds is a great production by Godfather. They include lengthy liner notes and a miniature reproduction of the tour program. The program itself is a fascinating time capsule, detailing Zappa’s late-eighties political concerns and his motivation to get people out to vote in the ’88 election. For a first Zappa box set, Godfather has produced a great set worth having.

The John Betsch Society - 1974 - Earth Blossom

The John Betsch Society

1974

Earth Blossom

01. Ode To Ethiopia

02. Earth Blossom

03. Open Pastures

04. Song For An Untitled Lady

05. Ra

06. Darling Doria

07. Get Up And Go

Billy Puell - tenor & alto saxes, bass clarinet, flute, alto flute

Bob Holmes - piano, elextric piaon, percussion

Ed "Lump" Williams - bass, electric bass, percussion

Jim Bridges - guitar, percussion

Phil Royster - congas, percussion

John Btesch - drums, percussion

Recorded: January 11, 1974 Nashville, Tenn.

A prolific, solid drummer who's played with several major free musicians in the '70s,'80s and '90s, John Betsch hasn't landed the major label recording pact or high profile gig that would get him more recognition. Instead, he's contented himself with aggressive, outstanding drumming on many first-rate sessions. Betsch has played with Billy Bang, Thomas Chapin, Marty Cook, Marilyn Crispell, Abdullah Ibrahim and Steve Lacy among others. He currently has no sessions available on CD as a leader, but can be heard on the dates of Bang, Lacy, Crispell, and many others.

John Betsch is one of the finer jazz drummers that almost no one ever talks about. Since the 1970s, he has served as the imaginative anchor for numerous bands, notably those of Abdullah Ibrahim and Steve Lacy. His only album as leader finds him fronting a sextet which he wryly dubs the John Betsch Society. While none of the musicians are household names, they succeed in producing an enjoyable, tuneful recording. In fact, several of the tunes, including "Ode to Ethiopia," "Open Pastures," and "Darling Doria," are downright hummable with a loose, loping, country-like groove and might even appeal to fans of early Grateful Dead or Canned Heat. Billy Puett contributes some strong Coltrane-inspired tenor playing on his own composition, "Ra," and is also very effective elsewhere on flute. Overall, Earth Blossom is a solid, straight-ahead effort which includes a few songs that, were they better known, might well become standards.

Nate Morgan - 1983 - Journey Into Nigrita

Nate Morgan

1983

Journey Into Nigrita

01. Mrafu 7:35

02. Morning Prayer 5:35

03. Mother 5:32

04. Journey Into Nigritia 7:47

05. He Left Us A Song 5:19

06. Study In C.T. 5:41

Nate Morgan – piano

Dadesi Komolafe - alto saxophone

Jeff Littlejohn - bass

Fritz Wise - drums, percussion

Morgan was one of the most active artists in the Los Angeles underground jazz scene, and a member of the late great Horace Tapscott‘s artist collective Union of God’s Musicians and Artists Ascension (UGMAA). He performed alongside Tapscott, and other Nimbus recording artists like Jesse Sharps, who he introduced to Tapscott. He also performed with Arthur Blythe, Gary Bartz, Azar Lawrence, as well as soul icons Willie Hutch (notably on the Foxy Brown soundtrack) and Rufus & Chaka Khan. Most recently he contributed to Carlos Niño’s 2016 album Flutes, Echoes, It’s All Happening!, and was a part of Niño and vocalist Dwight Trible’s soul-jazz group Build An Ark (which also featured Tribe’s Phil Ranelin).

Journey Into Nigritia was Morgan’s debut as a leader, and the first of three recordings he released for Nimbus West. The album has a strong post-Coltrane spiritual feel, with some modal-based melodies, and some fiery solos from saxophonist Dadisi Komolafe. The record also features a solid rhythm section featuring bassist Jeff Littleton and drummer Fritz Wise.

Khan Jamal - 1984 - Infinity

Khan Jamal 

1984 

Infinity

Nubian Queen 8:48

Infinity 4:28

Lovely Afternoon 5:45

The Known Unknown 8:48

The Angry Young Man 8:04

Recorded December 7, 1982 (except "Infinity", March 14, 1984) at Morning Starr Communications, Ambler, Pennsylvania.

Alto Saxophone, Flute – Byard Lancaster

Bass – Reggie Curry

Drums – Dwight James, Sunny Murray (tracks: A2)

Harmonica – Clifton Burton (tracks: A2)

Percussion [African], Congas – Omar Hill

Piano – Bernard Sammul

Vibraphone [Vibes], Marimba, Producer – Khan Jamal

Vibe’s Maestro Khan Jamal’s “Infinity” features a Stellar line up, a drums and percussion-rich sextet that features altoist Byard Lancaster and a Philadelphia-based rhythm section, Clifton Burton on harmonica and the legendary free drummer Sunny Murray. Khan Jamal contributed four of the five songs, while pianist Bernard Sammul brought in a cooking "The Angry Young Man."

The music stands up to and can be compared to anything released on the great Jazz labels and just like a Classic Blue Note, Prestige, Verve or Impulse release this is an absolute Stand Out Session.

For the London, Tokyo and all points West End crowd the Worldwide Sound is "The Known Unknown" which has been featured on several underground compilations back in the Acid Jazz Heydays of the 1990's, but the whole album is a complete undiscovered gem.

Self released in 1984 and long out of print, original copies fetch $1000 and upwards, so Jazz Room Records are proud and pleased to bring this Spiritual Soul Jazz gem out to a wider audience.

Harold McKinney - 1974 - Voices and Rhythms of the Creative Profile

Harold McKinney

1974

Voices and Rhythms of the Creative Profile

01. Ode To Africa 9:06

02. Heavenese 5:47

03. Out Of The Blues 5:55

04. In The Moog 2:14

05. Corner Stone 4:33

06. Freedom Jazz Dance 6:12

07. Dolphin Dance 7:17

Harold McKinney - (leader, piano, vocals)

Gwen McKinney - (vocals)

Marcus Belgrave - (trumpet)

Wendell Harrison - (flute)

Darryl Dybka - (moog)

Ed Pickins - (bass)

Ron Jackson - (drums)

Billy Turner- (percussion)

Charles Miles - (congas)

Vocals [Voice] – Clarence McKinney, Ed Gooch, Eileen Cohill, Faye Blakely, Jenine Jackson, Sylvia Turner

Vocals, Flute – Carol Taylor

Harold McKinney was one of the leading musicians in the Detroit jazz scene for over sixty years. As a child, he first took classical lessons with his mother Bessie Walon McKinney, an organist, but it wasn’t long before he fell under the influence of Charlie Parker's music and he turned his attention to jazz. After graduating from Northwestern High School, McKinney attended Morehouse College in Atlanta and, after returning to Detroit, he studied briefly at Wayne State University before going to Germany to undertake military service. After returning to the United States he worked with a wide range of jazz folk including Roy Brooks, John Coltrane, Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery. But it was with his association with Marcus Belgrave, Wendell Harrison and Phil Ranelin that McKinney is most fondly remembered, especially by the jazz community of Detroit. It was as part of the Tribe Artists' Association that McKinney found a new voice at a critical time. A voice that resulted in one of the prime releases on the Tribe record label, one of the leading black label collectives of the 1970s, along with Strata East and Black Jazz.

Tribe was not only a record label, it also published a magazine that focused on music, politics and topical cultural issues relevant to the black community. Tribe’s musical span covered a wide range of styles: soul, bebop, hard- and post-bop, modal, funk, groove jazz, vocals, avant-garde improvisations, and so on. Amongst this diverse palette was Harold McKinney’s debut album as leader ‘Voices and Rhythms of the Creative Profile’ released in 1974.

According to McKinney, the album “was my first recorded music publication. Produced in the early 1970s, it was designed to introduce some of my various skills to the world music market and to showcase some of varieties of instrumentation and singers available in the Detroit area, including members of my own family.”

Focusing on some of the tracks on the album, McKinney explained the ideas that inspired several of his compositions.

“‘In the Moog’ acknowledges my growing awareness of the musical possibilities inherent in the use of electronic instruments and technology which was finding expression in the music of major recording artists like Miles Davis. ‘Freedom Jazz Dance’ is a piece written by Eddie Harris, and it inspired me to write lyrics that spoke to the spirit of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The late jazz vocalist Eddie Jefferson incorporated my lyrics in his hit recording of the composition in an album done for Columbia Records just before his death.

‘Ode to Africa’ was a composition I wrote during the early 1970s, a time when I, along with other African Americans, became conscious of our African heritage. The song celebrated a new sense of worth and dignity acquired when I became aware of how significant my African American and African ancestors were in the history of the development of world civilisation. It also urges others to become aware of that heritage.”

Considered one of the most important mentors of jazz in Detroit, McKinney worked as a music educator and held classes and workshops at the Detroit Serengeti Ballroom. He also created jazz programs at Oakland University and Wayne State University, delivered his programs in public schools and various festivals, taught at the Metro Arts Center and numerous summer youth programs, and produced a weekly jazz workshop called Detroit Jazz Heritage Performance Lab (DJHPL). In 1994 McKinney and his band The Jazz Masters went on a tour through Africa and the Middle East.

Sadly, in May 2001, McKinney suffered a stroke, and died the following month.

One of the most righteous albums ever issued by the always-righteous Tribe Records label of Detroit – a really collective effort, one that features ensemble vocals and spiritual jazz – all pulled together by pianist Harold McKinney!

The album showcases a group named Voices Of The Creative Profile – formed by McKinney to accompany his Creative Profile instrumental group – and the overall style is a great blend of spiritual soul jazz that gives equal time to the voices and instruments in the set. Gwen McKinney heads up the vocal ensemble, and other players on the set include Wendell Harrison on flute, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Billy Turner on percussion, and Ed Pickins on bass. Also features some cool moog from Darryl Dybka

Harold McKinney was one of Detroit's jazz legends as both an artist and as a cultural figure. His Voices and Rhythms of the Creative Profile was issued on the city's cooperative independent Tribe label -- which also boasted outings from Marcus Belgrave, Doug Hammond, Mixed Bag, Wendell Harrison, and Phil Ranelin -- in 1974. McKinney's approach to jazz in the 1970s may have been funky and electric, but it was also idiosyncratic and vocal. Harold and Gwen McKinney handle the lead vocals, while a backing chorus of seven helps out on other pieces. This is an adventurous set, and along with his deep, funky electric piano grooves is a killer alternately swinging and soulful horn section fueled by Harrison and Belgrave, drummer Ron Jackson, percussionists Charles Miles and Billy Turner, as well as bassist Ed Pickins and Daryl Dybka on Moog! The highlights of the set are the stunning "Out of These Blues" with McKinney's Rhodes underscoring beautiful head and solo work by the horns, the stomping bop meets science fiction of "Corner Stone," and fine covers of Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance" and Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance" (with a set of lyrics by McKinney). Voices and Rhythms of the Creative Profile walks many tightropes: between hard bop and soul-jazz, between vanguard jazz and fusion, and between swinging blues and raw adventure. It's true that the vocals can be a bit excessive at times, especially on the opener, "Ode to Africa," but they are more than compensated for by the phenomenal playing of the ensemble. Ultimately, this is a solid recording that embodies the entire spirit of the Detroit jazz scene at the time. The P-Vine reissue on CD contains two bonus tracks, the A- and B-sides of McKinney's "Ode to Africa" b/w "Jelly Loa" 45 on Juba.

Haki R. Madhubuti - 1977 - Medasi

Haki R. Madhubuti 

1977 

Medasi

01. First World

02. Children

03. Understand

04. Rain Forest

05. Medasi

Bass – Clarence Seay

Saxophone, Flute – Agyei Akoto

Percussion – Aiedo Mamadi

Piano – Jerri Allen

Vocals – Kehembe

Recorded in Washington D.C. 1976 and 1977

Cover states artists as: ""Haki R. Madhubuti and Nation: Afrikan Liberation Arts Ensemble""

If being the founder and chairman of Third World Press Organisation – the largest independent black-owned publishers – wasn’t enough for activist and poet Haki R Madhubuti, he is also credited with a lesser-known yet remarkable music career. As the bandleader of Haki R. Madhubuti and Nation: Afrikan Liberation Arts Ensemble, Madhubuti combined his razor-sharp spoken-word poetry with a band of incredible musicians to create an unforgettable experience of avant-garde and spiritual jazz.

The second album by the group Medasi was released in 1984, and features among others Geri Allen on piano, Clarence Seay on bass and Agyei Akoto on saxophone and flute. It features 5 tracks including the eleven minute second track “Children,” a great example what to expect from the record. It opens with a full-voice choir of children momentarily taking over Madhubuti’s duties, and when their role disperses into the spirit in the music, the percussion then kicks up the tempo with operatic vocals dancing with lead instruments. Over the top, Madhubuti reflects on the cyclical nature of life, and the importance to “be what you want your children to be”.

A prominent name in the Black Arts Movement, Haki R Madhubuti to date has published over 20 books with his direct and illuminating form of poetry having shared the same halls as other vital voices in the movement like Audre Lorde and Maya Angelou.

The intensity of this record is amazing, it seems pretty common for listeners to disregard post-70s jazz but even if this were the only good album to come from the genre after 1979 (and it's definitely not) this should be enough of a counterargument to completely destroy that attitude.

Doug Hammond & David Durrah - 1975 - Reflections In The Sea Of Nurnen

Doug Hammond & David Durrah

1975

Reflections In The Sea Of Nurnen

01. Fidalgo Detour 7:32

02. Space II 0:35

03. Wake Up Brothers 3:05

04. Reflections 4:23

05. For Real 2:56

06. Space I 2:00

07. Sea Of Nurnen 4:34

08. Moves 4:29

Alto Saxophone – Otis Harris

Bass – Charles Metcalf

Percussion – Frederick Boon, Thomas (Turk) Trayler

Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer – David Durrah

Violin – Charles Burnham, Trevis Mickeel

Vocals, Drums, Melodica, Synthesizer – Doug

Nice, partly vocal soul)jazz album with some lush tracks as well as some heavier work. Comes with compositions by the likes of Charles metcalf, David Durrah and Doug Hammond.Check the splendid 'Wake up Brothers'.

The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, “Music is the healing force of the universe.” Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century.

Dawan Muhammad - 1979 - Deep Stream

Dawan Muhammad 

1979

Deep Stream

01. Anxiety 8:49

02. Deep Stream 3:27

03. Sun / Moon / Stars 7:29

04. Cataclysmic Decision 4:37

05. Is That You 3:27

06. East Wind 7:03

07. Tambu 2:27

Piano, Electric Piano, Drums, Percussion, Flute, Clarinet, Percussion, Sax – Dawan Abdul Muhammad

Congas – Luis Raul Rivera

Drums, Percussion – Daniel Sabanovich (tracks: A1 to A3), Prince H. Lawsha (tracks: B1 to B4)

Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass – Christopher Amberger (tracks: A1 to A3), Stan Poplin (tracks: B1 to B4)

Electric Piano, Piano – Paul Nagle (tracks: A1 to A3)

Flute – Jimmy Johnson (tracks: A2)

Guitar – Chris Cooper (tracks: B3)

Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Oscar Williams

Viola – Gordon Thrupp, Judith Hobbs

Violin – Chris Cooper, Philipp Kashap, Ron Paul

Voice, Lyrics By – Delores Pierce

Cello – Deborah Ciremeli, Kenneth Johnson

An album carrying that spiritual Strata East vibe all over it, and from '79 no less. Each track travels with punch, depth, swing, spirituality, musicianship on the mothership and, possibly one of the most beautiful tracks ever recorded, the sublime, Is That You. Sit, close dem peepers, swim that Deep Stream.

By 1979, jazz wasn’t as popular as it was during the fifties and early sixties. That was the golden age for jazz, and saw countless classic albums released on labels like Blue Note, Verve and Impulse! These albums sold in large quantities and were profitable for the record companies that released them. However, by the mid-sixties, jazz was no longer as popular as it had been. Musical tastes were changing and jazz like the blues had to evolve or risk becoming irrelevant.

By the time of John Coltrane’s death in 1967 rock was by far the most popular musical genre in America. A headline in Downbeat magazine warned that: “Jazz as We Know It Is Dead.” The future for jazz looked bleak.

Fortunately, fusion rode to the rescue of jazz in the late-sixties, and suddenly, there was a resurgence of interest the genre which began to grow in popularity. Some of the most important, influential and innovative fusion albums were released between 1968 to 1974. That was a golden period for fusion which was still popular right up to 1979. However, it wasn’t as popular as it once had been. Jazz was changing and so was the way albums were being released.

By 1979, many American jazz musicians had realised that they didn’t need to sign to a major labels to realise an album. There was another way. All across America small local labels had sprung up and were releasing private presses. Some of these labels were formed by an artist to release an album. That was the case with Evidence Artistic Records which was founded by Dawan Muhammad in 1979 to release his debut album Deep Stream.

Composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist Dawan Muhammad was thirty-three when he began work on Deep Stream. He composed five of the tracks on the album, and wrote the music to Deep Stream and Is That You which featured lyrics by Delores Pierce. She was part of the band that recorded Deep Stream.

Fifteen musicians and vocalist Delores Pierce joined bandleader Dawan Muhammad who played bass clarinet, flute, saxophone, Fender Rhodes, piano, chequere, congas, drums, dumbek and pandeiro on Deep Stream. He was joined by a rhythm section included drummer and percussionists Daniel Sabanovich and Prince H. Lawsha; Christopher Amberger and Stan Poplin on acoustic and electric bass plus guitarist Chris Cooper who also played violin. They were joined by Paul Nagle on Fender Rhodes and piano; Luis Raul Rivera on congas; flautist Jimmy Johnson while Oscar Williams switched between trumpet and flugelhorn. The strings came courtesy of cellists Deborah Ciremeli and Kenneth Johnson; violists Gordon Thrupp and Judith Hobbs plus violinists Philipp Kashap and Ron Paul. This was the band that accompanied Dawan Muhammad as he recorded the seven tracks that eventually became Deep Stream.

With his debut album complete, Dawan Muhammad decided to release the album as a private press via Evidence Artistic Records. He had enjoyed complete artistic freedom when he recorded Deep Stream and could oversee and micromanage every aspect of the release if he wanted. That was the upside of releasing a private press.

The downside was that a small label like Evidence Artistic Records neither had the financial muscle nor marketing expertise required that the bigger labels had. Many of the small labels releasing private presses didn’t even have a distributor. This meant that the label owner or even the artist had to drive around town with boxes of albums trying to convince owners of record shops to stock the album. Often the best they could hope was on a sale or return basis. It was a long way from Blue Note, Verve or Impulse!

When Dawan Muhammad released Deep Stream in 1979 sadly, it passed the majority of jazz fans by. Only a few lucky record buyers heard what was a stunning and timeless album of spiritual jazz. It finds the multitalented bandleader and his extended ensemble showcasing their considerable skills and versatility. They switch between and incorporate elements of funk, fusion, hard bop, Ethio-jazz and even free jazz during this seven track set.

Deep Stream opens with Anxiety a driving, dramatic and genre-melting jam that ebbs and flows veering between urgent and understated. Contrasts are everywhere from stabs of piano, drumrolls and bursts of shrill flugelhorn to a fluttering funky bass and shimmering Fender Rhodes. Later, the piano takes centrestage and plays a leading role before joining forces with the horns and Fender Rhodes for the remainder this captivating roller coaster journey.

As Deep Stream meanders and breezes along a deliberate piano and rhythm section accompanies Delores Pierce’s tender, heartfelt and emotive vocal. When it drops out, the piano and rhythm section stretch their legs and create a slinky arrangement that’s a reminder of jazz’s past. Later, a flute flutters high above arrangement but it’s still the vocal that plays a starring role in the sound and success of one of the album’s highlights. It’s a similar case on the beautiful slow, string-drenched ballad Is That You where Delores Pierce make a welcome return.

Sun, Moon, Stars is an eight-minute epic that allows Dawan Muhammad and his band to stretch their legs and showcase their considerable talent. Christopher Amberger adds a walking bass while braying, sultry and scorching horns accompany pianist Paul Nagle who plays some of his finest solos during this joyous and uplifting opus that will have you reaching for the sky.

Cataclysmic Decision is quite different from what’s gone before. Thunderous drum rolls add a degree of urgency. So does the the flugelhorn which like the strings are almost dissonant. It’s as if the track is heading in the direction of free jazz. It’s a much more avant-garde and experimental sounding track that shows another side to Dawan Muhammad.

East Wind is a much more understated and melodic track. It sashays along as braying horns, Fender Rhodes and percussion combine while the rhythm section provide the heartbeat. Dawan Muhammad and his band paint pictures on this cinematic track that’s akin to a seven minutes of musical sunshine.

Closing Deep Stream is the uber percussive Ethio-jazz of Tambu. It may be short and sweet but it ensures the album closes on a high.

It’s forty-four years since multi-instrumentalist Dawan Muhammad put together a band of talented and versatile jazz musicians to record his debut album Deep Stream. It was released as a private press later in 1979 and is stunning and timeless album of spiritual jazz where Dawan Muhammad also takes detours via fusion, vocal jazz, funk, free jazz and Ethio-jazz during this seven track set.

Sadly, Deep Stream never found the audience it deserved. Part of the problem was that Dawan Muhammad self-released the album. The advantage was that he had complete artistic freedom when he recorded Deep Stream and could oversee and micromanage every aspect of the release. Just like many artists who had released private presses before him, Dawan Muhammad would soon realise that to release and promote an album properly required resources and expertise. This was what a record company provided as well as a distribution deal. Without a distributor it wasn’t possible to get the album into record shops across America.

Many other artists had been in the same situation as Dawan Muhammad and watched as the album they had spent so much of their time writing and recording sunk without trace when it was released. This meant that the majority of jazz fans never heard Deep Stream when it was released. For the multitalented multi-instrumentalist Dawan Muhammad it was a case of what might have been.

It was only much later when jazz fans discovered Dawan Muhammad’s oft-overlooked debut album Deep Stream. By then, it was much a much-prized rarity amongst jazz fans and original copies of the album were beyond the budget of most jazz fans. Thankfully, Dawan Muhammad’s spiritual jazz cult classic was reissued in 2020 and this allowed a new generation of jazz fans to discover the delights of Deep Stream.

A really amazing record from Dawan Muhammad – a west coast musician who never got the same sort of spiritual jazz credit as some of the giants of the 70s – but who kept on making really wonderful music as the years went on! Muhammad's recently known as the force behind the Life Force Jazz label – but here, he's stepping out in a mode that's much earlier, but already shows his sense of musical vision – a set that's almost like some of the more ambitious Strata East recordings of the 70s – with beautiful original compositions by Dawan, served up by a shifting set of musicians who really capture his spirit! Muhammad plays saxes and flutes – plus electric and acoustic piano, drums, and lots of percussion – and other players include Oscar Williams on trumpet, Paul Nagle on piano, and Daniel Sabanovich and Prince Lawsha on drums and percussion. Delores Pierce sings a bit on the record, but most tracks are instrumental.

Creative Arts Ensemble - 1983 - New Horizons

Creative Arts Ensemble

1983

New Horizons

01. New Horizons

02. See Discoveries

03. Uhuru

04. Encouragement

05. The Arrangement

06. Unity

Alto Flute – Andrew Jerald (tracks: A3, B3)

Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Gary Bias

Bass – John B. Williams (tracks: A3, B3), (Mbiki) Louie Spears

Piano – Kaeef Ruzadun

Drums – Andrew Allison (tracks: A3), Eddie Stix (tracks: A1), Yuseff Mohammad (tracks: A2)

Drums, Percussion – (Abdullah) Billy Higgins

Flute – Dadisi Komolafe, Jabali Jack Fulks (tracks: B1)

Tenor Saxophone – (Giggs) Wilbert Hemsley

Trumpet, Flugelhorn – (Taz.) Jerome Bowens

Vocals – (Shaleethia) B.J. Crowley

The only large ensemble group that emerged directly from Horace Tapscott’s legendary Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and community jazz group. Their debut, aptly named One Step Out, is a true gem of the Los Angeles jazz underground, and a crucial document of pianist and composer Kaeef Ruzadun Ali’s first recording as leader.

A Los Angeles native, Kaeef was introduced to the Tapscott circle in the late 1970s, quickly joining the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and becoming a significant contributor of compositions to its songbook, one of which, Flashback of Time, would eventually appear on One Step Out, played by the new group he had put together from stalwart Arkestra members. Inspired by both Tapscott’s example and by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Kaeef had wanted to follow their lead by assembling a larger unit. ‘I would like to form a group that would be an extension of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra,’ he told Tapscott. Featuring seasoned Arkestra regulars including reedsman Dadisi Komolafe, drummer Woody ‘Sonship’ Theus and altoist Gary Bias, with veterans Henry ‘The Skipper’ Franklin on bass and George Bohannon on trombone, a tour de force of spiritually energised independent music - the sense community and sacred vision straight from the source. This is one of those records that just overtakes you.. it pulls you in, surrounds you, and makes you wonder where it’s been all your life.

Stunning from back to front!!

Creative Arts Ensemble - 1981 - One Step Out

Creative Arts Ensemble

1981

One Step Out

01. One Step Out 8:21

02. Flashback Of Time 10:43

03. All Praises Due 13:17

04. Stars In Lightyear Time 8:48

Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Gary Bias

Baritone Saxophone – Jeff Clayton

Bass – (The Skipper) Henry Franklin

Drums, Percussion – SonShip Phaeus

Flute – Dadesi Komolafe

Vocals – B.J. Crowley (Shaleethia)

Piano – Kaeef Ruzadun

Tenor Saxophone – (Jiggs) Wilbert Hemsley

Trombone – George Bohannon

Trumpet – Al White

Creative Arts Ensemble's classic debut One Step Out. One of the most sought after and highly-regarded titles to have appeared on Tom Albach's celebrated Nimbus West imprint, One Step Out is a timeless work of spiritualized jazz. A true gem from the Los Angeles jazz underground, the album was pianist and composer Kaeef Ruzadun Ali's first recording as leader of the Creative Arts Ensemble, the only large ensemble group that emerged directly from Horace Tapscott's legendary Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra community jazz group. A Los Angeles native, Kaeef was introduced to the Tapscott circle in the late 1970s. His first experience of the Arkestra's ethos was through PAPA tenorist Michael Session, who took him to the famous "Great House" at 2412 South Western Ave., LA -- a large mansion house which members of the Arkestra had taken over as a space for communal living. Life in the Great House was a continuous stream of music, dance and community events. "When I walked in there," recalled Kaeef, "it was like this whole rush came over me, just from going in the front door -- It was like a very, very warm feeling of love. I went and I came out with 'Flashback Of Time', and that was my first arrangement." Kaeef quickly became a significant contributor of compositions to the Arkestra's songbook -- his piece "New Horizon" would be recorded by Horace Tapscott for the latter's Tapscott Sessions series. But "Flashback Of Time" would eventually appear on One Step Out, played by the new group he had put together from stalwart Arkestra members. Inspired by both Tapscott's example and by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Kaeef had wanted to follow their lead by assembling a larger unit. Featuring seasoned Arkestra regulars including reedsman Dadisi Komolafe, drummer Woody "Sonship" Theus and altoist Gary Bias, with veterans Henry "The Skipper" Franklin on bass and George Bohannon on trombone, One Step Out is a key document of the Los Angeles radical jazz underground. Featuring the sanctified vocals of Kaeef's sister, B. J. Crowley, the album is a tour de force of spiritually energized independent jazz music.

A great bit of work from the hip LA scene that centered around the Nimbus label at the end of the 70s – a collective who work together here with the same spiritual jazz modes you'd find on labels like Tribe or Strata East! The group features some bigger names from the scene, including some solo Nimbus acts – plus some other overlooked players – a lineup that includes Henry Franklin on bass, George Bohannon on trombone, Wilbert Hemsley on tenor, Dadesi Komolafe on flute, Jeff Clayton on baritone, and Gary Bias on alto and soprano sax. The album's also got some beautiful vocals from BJ Crowley – who co-leads the group, and sings out with a proud righteousness that recalls some of Dee Dee Bridgewater or Jean Carn's early early soul jazz recordings. The tracks are all long and spiraling numbers – never really "out", but in a free searching mode that's a perfect platform for the piano work of the other co-leader, Kaeef Ruzadun.

Ade Olatunji & The Positive Force - 1977 - Oracy

Ade Olatunji & The Positive Force 

1977

Oracy

01. The Afrikan In Winter 4:13

02. Kupenda Na Kuhitaji 4:24

03. Beautiful Flower 3:10

04. Praise Song 7:15

05. Poem For My Lady 6:05

06. Afrika Needs You 1:17

07. Brothers 2:03

08. Guerilla Warfare 5:12

09. The Weight Don't Make Things No Lighter 5:30

Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Jeribu Gonvi

Drums – Darryl Pierce

Electric Piano, Piano – Matthew Rhodes

Flute, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Dave McMurray, Jay Jones

Percussion – Seyoum, Sundiata Keita

vocals – Debra Channel, Frank Garcia, Kafi Malaika, Kimba Kuumba, Motisola Malaika, Naysha Chilombo, Wambui Malaika

Voice [Spoken Word, Poetry], Producer – Ade Olatunji

Seminal Spiritual Jazz from Detroit, 1977. Officially licensed and re-mastered re-issue**. Comes with fold-out insert of Ade Olatunji’s Poetry that features on the album and never before seen artwork designed by New Zealand based designer David Broome. Oracy' by The Positive Force & Ade Olatunji belongs to the body of 1970s recordings that joined two of the great African American vehicles for expression, jazz and poetry, into a single, powerful force. A profoundly inspiring that doubles as an important lens into the lasting struggle for social change and racial equity, it’s impossible for us to recommend it enough. During this era, artists started their record labels and venues, freeing themselves from outside dependency and exploitation. Many collaborated within a sprawling network, where they came together in an endlessly reconfiguring series of groups, while others worked within now legendary collectives like Sun Ra’s Arkestra, the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians), Kelan Phil Cohran’s Afro-Arts Theater, the Black Artist’s Group, and the Pan Afrikan Arkestra.

Among the rarest and most coveted of these gestures, is a lone record entitled Oracy, released privately in 1977 by the Detroit ensemble, The Positive Force & Ade Olatunji, now reissued for the first time on vinyl by the New Zealand imprint Rain&Shine. A towering achievement that links the worlds of activism, cultural consciousness, poetry, and spiritual jazz as a single force, its long awaited return is a truly historically significant event.

Little detail is widely known about the group behind Oracy, The Positive Force, accompanied by the 

poet Ade Olatunji. While it is their lone recorded outing, issued in 1977 on Pamoja Records, there are indications that the project lasted for some time and was connected to a larger constellation of creativity and cultural togetherness in Detroit. One member recounts, “I remember Detroit being a cultural hotbed in 1977. There was poetry, theater and music everywhere.” When entering the studio, the group settled on their title, Oracy, which they took from Wole Soyinka’s term for oral literacy, a practice deeply connected to their own.

One of the great triumphs of social, political, and creative self-determinism that rose from African American communities during the 1970s, not to mention jazz at large, it’s hard to express how potent and prescient The Positive Force & Ade Olatunji’s Oracy feels in this moment. A profoundly inspiring work of beauty and expression, that doubles as an important lens into the lasting struggle for social change and racial equity, it’s impossible for us to recommend it enough.

A truly incredible piece of work, issued lovingly by Rain&Shine as an officially licensed and re-mastered edition, featuring a fold-out insert of Olatunji’s poetry and never before seen illustrations from 1977. Easily one of the best reissues of the year, and not to be missed.

One of the most righteous soul jazz albums of the 70s -- a unique session of poetry, percussion, and jazz -- put together by the ultra-hip Positive Force! Not to be confused with the soul group of the same name, this combo was a spiritual jazz ensemble -- featuring poet Ade Olatunji reciting some of his works, plus additional percussion, piano, bass, and keyboards. The tracks unfold with a simple, easy-going approach that's really beautiful -- redemptive, hopeful, and free-thinking -- with a great vision for the future, and a keen ear to challenge the status quo.