Compost - 1973 - Life Is Round

Compost 

1973

Life Is Round

01. Seventh Period 8:07

02. Moonsong 4:27

03. Compost Festival 5:19

04. The Ripper 3:53

05. Buzzard Feathers 6:22

06. Changing Streams 5:16

07. Mon Cherry Popsicool 5:28

08. Restless Wave 4:19

09. Life Is Round 3:31

Bass – Jack Gregg

Drums – Bob Moses (tracks: A1, A3, B2, B3, B5)

Drums – Jack DeJohnette (tracks: A2, B1, B4)

Drums – Jumma Santos (tracks: A4)

Guitar – Ed Finney (tracks: B3 to B5)

Guitar – Roland Prince (tracks: A1 to B2)

Organ, Clavinet – Bob Moses (tracks: A2, B1, B4)

Organ, Clavinet, Piano – Jack DeJohnette (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B3, B5)

Percussion, Congas – Jumma Santos

Saxophone, Flute – Harold Vick

Vibraphone – Bob Moses (tracks: A4)

Back in the fertile fields of jazz-funk fusion, Compost returned in 1973 with their sophomore effort, Life Is Round, proving that good things do indeed grow from well-turned soil. After the quirky, energetic debut Take Off Your Body, this album feels like the band let their musical compost heap mature a bit longer – richer, funkier, and with a touch more polish, but still delightfully organic and unpredictable. Released on Columbia Records (KC 32031), it's often hailed as their stronger outing: a "near brilliant piece of jazz-rock (and funk)" that's both artistic and accessible, without the awkward vocal detours that sometimes derailed the first record.

The core lineup remains the same supergroup cooperative:

Jack DeJohnette (keyboards, melodica, occasional drums) – the Miles Davis alum bringing electric wizardry.

Bob Moses (drums, vocals on the title track).

Harold Vick (tenor sax, flute) – soulful and soaring.

Jack Gregg (bass).

Jumma Santos (congas, percussion) – the rhythmic heartbeat.

New guests spice things up: guitarists Roland Prince and Ed Finney add rock-edged bite and texture, while vocalists Jeanne Lee (avant-garde jazz icon) and Lou Courtney (soul singer) appear on select tracks, bringing more professional polish to the singing department.

Life Is Round clocks in at about 47 minutes of feverish, funky fusion bliss – spiritual yet groovy, with angular edges that nod to European breakbeat styles while staying rooted in American jazz-soul. The addition of guitars gives it a harder rock-funk punch compared to the debut's clavinet-heavy vibe, making it feel like a bridge between Miles's On the Corner grit and Herbie Hancock's emerging Headhunters smoothness. Vocals are sparse and tasteful this time – no off-key drummer antics dominating; instead, Jeanne Lee's ethereal scat on the title track and Lou Courtney's soulful turn on "Moonsong" add depth without overwhelming the instrumentals.

"Buzzard Feathers" (Harold Vick composition): A moody, soaring highlight with Vick's tenor at its most expressive – spiritual jazz-funk gold that builds from brooding flute to intense sax wails.

"Compost Festival" (DeJohnette): Uptempo polyrhythmic joy, layering percussion and keys into a celebratory jam.

"The Ripper": Short, sharp, and funky – pure angular groove with guitar riffs that rip (pun intended).

"Moonsong": Soulful ballad vibe with Courtney's vocals and warm bass lines.

"Life Is Round": The closer, with Lee's vocals floating over a gentle, philosophical groove – a fitting, circular end to the album (because, you know, life is round... profound, or just a handy title?)

The overall mood is more cohesive and mature: less hippie free-form, more focused funk with spiritual undertones. It's crate-digger heaven – breaks and grooves that have aged like fine... well, compost-turned-wine.

Rhythmically, this is where Compost shines brightest. The dual percussion (Moses's kit + Santos's congas) creates intricate polyrhythms that lock into deep funk pockets without feeling overly complex – think Afro-Latin influences meeting rock steadiness. Guitars from Prince and Finney introduce distorted wah-wah and clean comping, adding harmonic layers over modal vamps (often one- or two-chord bases for extended solos). DeJohnette's keyboards (electric piano, melodica) provide colorful textures, while Vick's sax/flute alternates between lyrical melodies and free-jazz edges.

Production-wise (again helmed by Martin Rushent), it's warm and live-feeling: punchy bass, prominent percussion in the mix, and a raw analog grit that captures the band's energy. No overproduced slickness here – drums have natural room reverb, guitars bite without compression overload, and the overall sound has that '70s Columbia warmth. Harmonically simple but rhythmically dense, it's accessible fusion that rewards close listening: those layered conga patterns and bass grooves are hypnotic, prefiguring later spiritual jazz-funk like Strata-East releases.

Drawbacks? It's still niche – no big hits, and the band disbanded after this (Columbia dropped them post-contract). Some tracks lean a tad meandering in improv sections, but that's fusion charm.

In the end, Life Is Round is the matured compost: nutrient-rich, groovy, and underrated. If the debut was a wild garden party, this is the bountiful harvest – funky, spiritual, and fun. Perfect for fans of early '70s fusion who want soul without the cheese. 9/10 – highly recommended. Just don't expect it to make your actual compost pile groove... though with these rhythms, who knows? Dig it up on vinyl or the Wounded Bird CD reissue!