Friday, January 24, 2025

Kip Hanrahan - 1985 - Vertical's Currency

Kip Hanrahan
1985
Vertical's Currency




01. A Small Map Of Heaven 5:20
02. Shadow Song (Mario's In) 4:03
03. Smiles And Grins 3:09
04. Two Heartedly, To The Other Side 3:02
05. Chances Are Good (Baden's Distance) 5:15
06. Make Love 2 4:25
07. One Casual Song (After Another) 3:14
08. Intimate Distances (Jack's Margrit's Natasha) 2:50
09. Describing It To Yourself As Convex 4:15
10. What Do You Think? That This Mountain Was Once Fire.? 1:38
11. Dark (Kip's Tune) 2:52

Bass [Electric] – Steve Swallow
Congas, Bongos – Milton Cardona, Puntilla Orlando Rios
Drums [Trap Drums] – Ignacio Berroa
Guitar [Electric] – Arto Lindsay
Keyboards [Synclavier], Organ – Peter Scherer
Saxophone [Tenor] – David Murray
Vocals, Bass [Electric], Piano – Jack Bruce
Percussion: Kip Hanrahan




Bruce and Hanrahan hit it off on the basis of their working class backgrounds, left-wing politics, and experience with jazz. Hanrahan had formed a band based on Cuban percussion and the Afro-Caribbean rhythm known as "clave'" (clah-VAY), and Bruce jumped in enthusiastically.

The core band is Jack Bruce on vocals, bass, and piano, Steve Swallow on bass, Arto Lindsay on guitar, David Murray on tenor sax, Peter Scherer on synclavier and organ, and percussionists Milton Cardona (congas, bongos), Ignacio Berroa (trap drums), Puntilla Orlando Rios (quinto, congas), and Kip Hanrahan. Several other musicians including a horn section appear on certain tracks.

The lyrics are all included in the eight-page insert, but there is no attribution for the songs. I know Bruce and his lyricist Pete Brown wrote "Smiles and Grins," which was originally recorded on Bruce's "Harmony Row" album. Whether he wrote any of the others, I can't say.

"What Do You Think? That This Mountain Was Once Fire?"
God: "Hey, what do you think? ...that the life of a fly is as important as the success of the revolution?"

"Vertical's Currency" (what the heck does it mean) is a superb album and another impressive chapter in Jack Bruce's musical life.

Following the recording Bruce toured with the band for a time. After falling out over a misunderstanding, Bruce reunited with Hanrahan in 2001. At that point Bruce hired Hanrahan's band, which he renamed the Cuicoland Express, went on tour, and recorded two albums (Shadows In the Air/2001 and More Jack Than God/2003). They are both good, but I find "More Jack Than God" to be even better than the first.

Wonderful stuff -- one of Kip Hanrahan's unique albums recorded for American Clave during the mid 80s, a daring blend of jazz, vocals, and influences from various Latin sources. The players on the set are as diverse as the sounds -- and incluce Jack Bruce, Milton Cardona, Steve Swallow, Arto Lindsay, David Murray, and Hanrahan on percussion -- and although the album should just sound like a mess, it ends up coming across wonderfully, with some of the most daringly intimate vocal tracks recorded in the jazz field during the 80s.

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