Kuumba-Toudie Heath - 1970 - Kawaida

Kuumba-Toudie Heath

1970

Kawaida

01. Baraka 9:53

02. Maulana 13:20

03. Kawaida 8:08

04. Dunia 8:29

05. Kamili 4:34

Bass – Buster Williams-Mchezaji

Bells, Percussion – Ed Blackwell

Congas [Conga Drums] – Mtume

Drums – Toudie Heath-Kuumba

Piano – Herbie Hancock-Mwandisi

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Jimmie Heath-Tayari

Trumpet – Don Cherry-Msafari

Produced By: O'Be Productions

Recording Date: December 11, 1969

Recording Place: The Universe

Mastered: Town Sound Studios

The Universe, NYC, December 11, 1969

Mtume - congas

Albert "Tootie" Heath (Kuumba-Toudie Heath) - drums

Jimmie Heath (Tayan) - tenor sax, soprano sax

Don Cherry (Msafari) - trumpet, African flute; Herbie Hancock (Mwandishi) - piano; Buster Williams (Mchezaji) - bass; Ed Blackwell - bells, percussion

James Mtume had at least three separate careers in music. Born James Forman, the son of Jimmie Heath and nephew of Albert "Tootie" Heath, he was exposed at a young age to the professional jazz scene. That scene would lead to his first career, which was as a jazz artist, which starts with this wonderful, percussive modal album. He would follow it with "Albaku-Lan: Land of the Blacks", which has a reputation as one of the most assaultive free jazz double albums in history but which in fact could be better called "aggressive spiritual music". After this, he started his second career, as a percussionist for Miles Davis during his "On the Corner" to "Pangea" years. His congas, which are used well on this album, came up front and center quite often with Davis. After this time, he also released a third jazz album, which included some fusion (possibly from Davis' influence) and female vocals. During this time, he was tied to often radical Afro-centric politics, and that extends to the name of this album, which is based on a politics surrounding African tradition and is responsible for the modern African-American holiday Kwanza. So he fit well with a lot of the seventies until his third career began, in which he fit extremely well with the times, as Mtume ditched jazz completely to focus on mainstream pop and R&B, including their hit song "Juicy Fruit" and authorship of the hit "Never Knew Love Like This Before". So there were changes.

But meanwhile, he spouted his politics until his uncle (renamed Kuumba-Toudie Heath here as almost all the musicians took an African name for the project) got a one-off recording contract under his name, but with all songs and arrangements save one by Mtume. The record itself is warm and the percussion is amazing, both from Mtume and Ornette Coleman drummer supreme Ed Blackwell. For that matter, his connections really came through for this all-star band, including Herbie Hancock on piano, Don Cherry on trumpet, and his father Jimmie Heath on sax. Everyone is at top form here, and the mostly modal works are easy on the ears and definitely move the spirit. Yes, there's some spouting of Kawaida philosophy on the title track, which includes lines about cooperative economics and socialist philosophy over each of the seven principles. As expected, it stops the album dead, but at least there's some interesting wooden flute work in the background. This follows two tracks that make up the first side that feature the band at their smoking best. Definitely start with side A, which doesn't have a bum note on it. Stick around though for the sole Kuumba-Toudie Heath composition, "Dunia". This one brings the jazz in full steam, and lets everybody take it out a little bit. Heath drives the drums like crazy, and the percussion keeps building behind it. An album highlight for sure. As for the final track "Kamili", it would be easy to call the opening a straight take on "Maiden Voyage" until you remember that this is actually Herbie Hancock (who kept his Mwandishi name for side projects). Still, even as his dad's soprano sax strikes up, it's hard to deny the similarities to the song. At least there was permission, and the percussion certainly spices things up a bit.

Afterward, Mtume would head to searing white-hot spiritual jazz but here the lights remain low throughout, and the album reminds me of a stroll down a city in a pitch-black, moonless night, with only flickering lamps to light the way. It's getting close to dawn, there's no problems anywhere around, and you feel alone in the city though you know you're surrounded by so many sleeping people. It's contemplative like that, and it was a fantastic start to a somewhat perplexing musician.

A landmark album in the in the history of post Civil Rights movement jazz. This album was the concept of James Mtume, in spreading the teachings of Maulana Karenga's Kawaida philosophy. Part of the US Organisation, James Mtume would hang out in Shelly Manne's venue, spreading the work of Kawaida to the musicians there. He eventually, as a total unknown, managed to convince Herbie Hancock, Don Cherry, Buster Willams, Ed Blackwell, his father Jimmy Heath and Uncle Albert Heath to make this album. Albert Heath acquired the recording contract, which is the only reason this majority penned Mtume album was not credited to himself. Mtume wanted the album to be modal jazz, and not bop or free, as he insisted that modal was the only truly Black jazz. Albert Heath later admitted that they didn't take Mtume's message too seriously, and he was the only member of the band who genuinely had converted to the Kawaida philosophy. They did all allow him to give them non slave names, a practice of Kawaida, and Albert Heath and Herbie Hancock held on to theirs for other recordings they made.

Apart form the Albert Heath penned track "Dunia", this is a truly beautiful Afrocentric modal jazz album. I really can't recommend this album enough if you like a strong Black element to the jazz you listen to.

A super-hip batch of soul jazz tracks by Albert Toodie Heath of the Heath Brothers -- working here on a rare session as a leader, with a sound that's right up there with the Heath Brothers' early work for Strata East!! The lineup is incredible -- as Heath is joined by players that include Don Cherry, Buster Williams, Mtume, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Heath, and Ed Blackwell -- all coming together for a session that's nearly lost to the history books, but which is one of the strongest spiritual jazz sessions of the late 60s! Herbie plays all acoustic piano throughout, and the tracks are long, leaping, and loping -- with stretched-out spiritual solos from Jimmy Heath and Don Cherry -- and a proud and righteous sound that's extremely free-spirited without going too far out!