Norman Connors - 1973 - Love From the Sun

Norman Connors

1973

Love From the Sun

01. Revelation 9:00

02. Carlos II 6:08

03. Drums Around The World 5:40

04. Love From The Sun 8:14

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

06. Holy Waters 5:28

Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Gary Bartz

Bass – Buster Williams

Cello – Terry Adams

Drums – Norman Connors

Electric Piano – Onaje Allan Gumbs (tracks: B1)

Electric Piano – Herbie Hancock

lute, Alto Flute – Hubert Laws

Bill Summers

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

Piano – Onaje Allan Gumbs (tracks: B3)

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Carlos Garnett

Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn – Eddie Henderson

Violin – Nathan Rubin

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

Recorded October 1973 at Wally Heider Studio A, San Francisco

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