Jazz Archives

Mr. Bungle, for me, one of the most important bands ever. This album, ABSOLUTELY GREAT, with the exception of "The Bends", which doesn't warrant anything intersting and is basically annoying. The rest of the songs: all great. I would've loved to have given this 5 stars, but blame it on "the Bends".
This album came so unexpectedly. Their self-titled debut was somewhat commercially acceptable, this album is one of the most anti-commercial albums in recorded history. Completely bizaare sounds cascade from crag-jagged towering monoliths of insanity. The musical styles range from tango, jazz, techno, death metal, surf rock, and sounds probably undiscernible from the creators themselves. "Everyone I Went to High School with is Dead" contains morbid lyrics and the vocals sound like they're done by the dead classmates. "Carry Stress in the Jaw" is perhaps the heavist track, going in and out of speed and death metal bursts colliding into vocal excursions that resound as if they were sung in the deeps of a cave. The time signatures are astonishing on the album throughout. "Violenza Domestica" is an italian song about domestic violence with great vocals by Mike Patton. The talent of the musician's is incredible, all exemplifying great range. "Ma Meeshka Mow Skowz" is in a language all their own (I hope). "The Bends" is the most astonishingly topsy-turvy "song" I've ever heard. "Platypus" is a very humrous and immensely technical song about, you guessed it the platypus. The album ends with "Merry Go Bye Bye" which begins as surf-rock normality (excluding the lyrical subject matter which is about suicide) and then descends into feral madness (the vocal abilities resemble a plane taking off, repeatedly). The song then goes in roller coaster mode for the remainder having a very gentle and poignant moment before being raped by the cacophony of musical din. The hidden stuff at the very end of the album is very loud and frightening if your trying to listen to the album before going to bed (not recommended; it will wake you right up, violently). Highly recommended album for fans of original musicians with integrity and skill.

:::Review by billyshears'67:::

Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante (1995)

1. Everyone I Went To High School With Is Dead (2:44)
2. Chemical Marriage (3:09)
3. Sleep (Part II): Carry Stress In The Jaw (8:59)
4. Desert Search For Techno Allah (5:24)
5. Violenza Domestica (5:14)
6. After School Special (2:47)
7. Sleep (Part III): Phlegmatics (3:16)
8. Ma Meeshka Mow Skowz (6:06)
9. The Bends (10:28)
...1) Man Overboard
...2) The Drowning Flute
...3) Aqua Swing
...4) Follow The Bubbles
...5) Duet For Guitar and Oxygen Tank
...6) Nerve Damage
...7) Screaming Bends
...8) Panic
...9) Love On The Event Horizon
...10) Re-Entry
10. Backstrokin' (2:27)
11. Platypus (5:07)
12. Merry Go Bye Bye (12:58)

Credits
- Trevor Dunn / bass
- Mike Patton / organ, ocarina, vocals, microcassette
- William Winant / percussion, bongos, cymbals, glockenspiel, Jew's-Harp, tabla, xylophone, kanjira, sistrum
- Graham Connah / piano
- Theobald Brooks Lengyel / reeds (multiple)
- Clinton McKinnon / clarinet, drums, keyboards
- I Quit / percussion, wood block
- Lisandro Adrover / bandoneon
- Trey Spruance / pipa, keyboards/organs, guitar, electronics

JAN "PTASZYN" WROBLEWSKI [YAHN PTOSH-shin vroo-BLEFF-ski] Polish tenor saxophonist and composer. Wróblewski is the one of the first Polish musicians who started playing in a free-jazz style and, although later he used a more traditional approach, he remained open to musical experimentation. Some of his compositions are influenced by Polish folk music.This LP was recorded in Warsaw in 1978. Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski Quartet: Andrzej Dąbrowski (dr), Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski (ts), Witold Szczurek (cb), Marek Bliziński (g).

:::Taken from nme.com:::

Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski Quartet – Flyin’ Lady (Polish Jazz vol. 55) (1978)

Side A
1. Pastuszek Stomp
2. Grzmot nad ranem
3. Bossa Nostra

Side B
1. Pani Ptakowa
2. Dlaczego małpa...
3. Licheć Checioł Dana

Credits
Jan “Ptaszyn” Wróblewski – tenor sax
Marek Bliziński – guitar
Witold Szczurek – bass
Andrzej Dąbrowski – drums

It's impossible to hear Jaco Pastorious' debut album today as it sounded when it was first released in 1976. The opening track -- his transcription for fretless electric bass of the bebop standard "Donna Lee" -- was a manifesto of virtuosity; the next track, the funk-soul celebration "Come On, Come Over" was a poke in the eye to jazz snobs and a love letter to the R&B greats of the previous decade (two of whom, Sam & Dave, sing on that track); "Continuum" was a spacey, chorus-drenched look forward to the years he was about to spend playing with Weather Report. The program continues like that for three-quarters of an hour, each track heading off in a different direction -- each one a masterpiece that would have been a proud achievement for any musician. What made Jaco so exceptional was that he was responsible for all of them, and this was his debut album. Beyond his phenomenal bass technique and his surprisingly mature compositional chops (he was 24 when this album was released), there was the breathtaking audacity of his arrangements: "Okonkole Y Trompa" is scored for electric bass, French horn, and percussion, and "Speak Like a Child," which Pastorious composed in collaboration with pianist Herbie Hancock, features a string arrangement by Pastorious that merits serious attention in its own right. For a man with this sort of kaleidoscopic creativity to remain sane was perhaps too much to ask; his gradual descent into madness and eventual tragic death are now a familiar story, one which makes the bright promise of this glorious debut album all the more bittersweet. (This remastered reissue adds two tracks to the original program: alternate takes of "(Used to Be a) Cha Cha" and "6/4 Jam").

:::Review by Rick Anderson:::

Jaco Pastorius - s/t (1976)
1. Donna Lee 2:28
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Congas – Don Alias
Written-By – C. Parker

2. Come On, Come Over 3:52
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Trombone [Bass] – Peter Graves
Saxophone [Baritone] – Howard Johnson
Clavinet, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Herbie Hancock
Saxophone [Tenor] – Michael Brecker
Written-By – B. Herzog, J. Pastorius
Vocals – Dave Pratter, Sam Moore
Drums – Narada Michael Walden
Featuring – Sam & Dave
Trumpet – Randy Brecker, Ron Tooley
Congas – Don Alias
Saxophone [Alto] – David Sanborn

3. Continuum 4:33
Written-By – J. Pastorius
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Alex Darqui, Herbie Hancock
Drums – Lenny White
Bells – Don Alias

4. Kuru/Speak Like A Child 7:42
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Cello – Beverly Lauridsen, Charles McCracken, Kermit Moore
Viola – Manny Vardi, Julian Barber, Stewart Clarke
Arranged By [String Arrangement] – Jaco Pastorius
Violin – David Nadien, Harold Kohon, Harry Cykman, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, Paul Gershman
Drums – Bobby Economou
Bongos, Congas – Don Alias
Concertmaster – David Nadien
Piano – Herbie Hancock
Written-By – H. Hancock, J. Pastorius
Conductor [Strings] – Michael Gibbs

5. Portrait Of Tracy 2:22
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Written-By – J. Pastorius

6. Opus Pocus 5:29
Saxophone [Soprano] – Wayne Shorter
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Herbie Hancock
Steel Drums – Leroy Williams, Othello Molineaux
Written-By – J. Pastorius
Percussion – Don Alias
Drums – Lenny White

7. Okonkole Y Trompa 4:25
French Horn – Peter Gordon
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Bata [Okonkolo Iya], Congas, Cabasa [Afuche] – Don Alias
Written-By – D. Alias, J. Pastorius

8. (Used To Be A) Cha-Cha 8:57
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Written-By – J. Pastorius
Flute [Piccolo] – Hubert Laws
Drums – Lenny White
Piano – Herbie Hancock
Congas – Don Alias

9. Forgotten Love 2:14
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Viola – Al Brown, Manny Vardi, Julian Barber, Stewart Clarke
Arranged By [String Arrangement] – Jaco Pastorius
Written-By – J. Pastorius
Double Bass – Homer Mensch, Richard Davis
Cello – Alan Shulman, Beverly Lauridsen, Charles McCracken, Kermit Moore
Violin – Arnold Black, David Nadien, Harold Kohon, Harry Cykman, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, Matthew Raimondi, Max Pollikoff, Paul Gershman
Concertmaster – David Nadien
Piano – Herbie Hancock
Conductor [Strings] – Michael Gibbs

Bonus Tracks (Previously Unreleased)

10. (Used To Be A) Cha-Cha 8:49
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Written-By – J. Pastorius
Flute [Piccolo] – Hubert Laws
Drums – Lenny White
Piano – Herbie Hancock
Congas – Don Alias

11. 6/4 Jam 7:45
Written-By – J. Pastorius
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Congas – Don Alias
Drums – Lenny White
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Herbie Hancock

:::Review by Scott Yanow:::

Lee Morgan - The Rumproller (1965)

1. The Rumproller 10:26
Written-By – Andrew Hill
2. Desert Moonlight 9:22
Written-By – Lee Morgan
3. Eclipso 6:53
Written-By – Lee Morgan
4. Edda 7:19
Written-By – Wayne Shorter
5. The Lady 7:30
Written-By – Rudy Stevenson
6. Venus Di Mildrew 6:26
Written-By – Wayne Shorter

Credits
Bass – Victor Sproles
Drums – Billy Higgins
Piano – Ronnie Mathews
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson
Trumpet – Lee Morgan

Released as a double LP on Chisa/Blue Thumb in 1972, Hugh Masekela's Home Is Where the Music Is marked an accessible but sharp detour from his more pop-oriented jazz records of the '60s. Masekela was chasing a different groove altogether. He was looking to create a very different kind of fusion, one that involved the rhythms and melodies of his native South Africa, and included the more spiritual, soul-driven explorations occurring in American music at the time on labels like Strata East, Tribe, and Black Jazz as well as those laid down by Gato Barbieri on Bob Thiele's Flying Dutchman imprint. The South African and American quintet he assembled for the date is smoking. It includes the mighty saxophonist Dudu Pakwana and drummer Makaya Ntshoko, both South African exiles; they were paired with American pianist Larry Willis and bassist Eddie Gomez, creating a wonderfully balanced, groove-oriented ensemble. Produced by Stewart Levine and composer Caiphus Semenya, this is a near mythic date that was reviewed favorably but infrequently back in the day.
The ten tunes here range between five and 11 minutes; half were written by Semenya, Masekela and Willis wrote one apiece, and the balance were covers -- including a gorgeous arrangement of Miriam Makeba's "Uhomé." "Part of the Whole"opens the set with Willis on Fender Rhodes piano, with a lazy rolling blues groove that is equal parts soul-jazz and South African folk melody. The horns enter behind him playing a vamp before they ramp it up in the chorus twice before Pakwana takes his solo against the rhythm section. Willis' sense of time is indomitable and the funky breaks laid down by Ntshoko are beautifully balanced by Gomez's woody tone. Pakwana wails emotionally, swerving between post-bop and more free explorations. Masekela answers his solo on his flugelhorn in tight, hard blues lines. His flight remains inside with the rhythm section offering this deep groove-laden backing. It's merely a taste of things to come however, as the following cut, Sekou Toure's "Minawa," makes clear. Willis opens it with his own solo backed by the rhythm section; his touch is deft, light, elegant, and deeply melodic. It feels like a different band until the horns enter. When they do, they open that intricate lyric line into waves of passion and restraint. Semenya's "The Big Apple," feels like a tune written by Ramsey Lewis with a horn section backing him. It's all bass note groove, hypnotic repetition, and soulful blues before the horns get to move around one another and solo above Willis' beautiful fills on the grand piano. This set marks the first appearance of Willis' tune "Inner Crisis," the title track of his debut solo LP which would appear a year later on Groove Merchant -- only this time with an acoustic piano intro before moving to the Rhodes. This track is a funky spiritual jazz classic and this version may be better than his -- largely due to this killer horn section. Other standouts include Kippie Moeketsi's loping "Blues for Huey," the ballad "Nomali," and Masekela's knotty, joyous "Maseru." In sum, Home Is Where the Music Is, is a stone spiritual soul-jazz classic, that melds the sound of numerous emerging jazz schools in its pursuit of musical excellence; it succeeds on all counts and is one of the greatest recordings in Hugh Masekela's long career. In a year full of amazing titles, this is still a standout.

:::Review by Thom Jurek:::

Hugh Masekela - Home Is Where The Music Is (1972)

1. Part Of A Whole 9:37
Written-By – Caiphus Semenya
2. Minawa 9:38
Written-By – Sekou Toure
3. The Big Apple 7:52
Written-By – Caiphus Semenya
4. Uhomé 5:20
Written-By – Miriam Makeba
5. Maseru 7:12
Written-By – Hugh Masekela
6. Inner Crisis 5:52
Written-By – Larry Willis
7. Blues For Huey 6:26
Written-By – Kippie Moeketsi
8. Nomali 7:20
Written-By – Caiphus Semenya
9. Maesha 11:49
Written-By – Caiphus Semenya
10. Ingoo Pow-Pow (Children's Song) 6:47
Written-By – Caiphus Semenya

Credits
Alto Saxophone – Dudu Phukwana
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Eddie Gomez
Drums – Makhaya Ntshoko
Flugelhorn – Hugh Masekela
Piano – Larry Willis

Black Fire, Andrew Hill's debut record for Blue Note, was an impressive statement of purpose that retains much of its power decades after its initial release. Hill's music is quite original, building from a hard bop foundation and moving into uncharted harmonic and rhythmic territory. His compositions and technique take chances; he often sounds restless, searching relentlessly for provocative voicings, rhythms, and phrases. Black Fire borrows from the avant-garde, but it's not part of it -- the structures remain quite similar to bop, and there are distinct melodies. Nevertheless, Hill and his band -- comprised of tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Roy Haynes -- are not content with the limitations of hard bop. Much of the music is informed by implied Afro-Cuban rhythms and modal harmonics, resulting in continually challenging and very rewarding music. Hill's complex chording is thoroughly impressive, and Henderson's bold solos are more adventurous than his previous bop outings would have suggested. Their expertise, along with the nimble, unpredictable rhythm section, help make Black Fire a modern jazz classic.

:::Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine:::

Andrew Hill - Black Fire (1963)

1. Pumpkin 5:22
2. Subterfuge 8:02
3. Black Fire 6:53
4. Cantardos 5:39
5. Tired Trade 5:48
6. McNeil Island 2:55
7. Land Of Nod 5:45

Credits
Bass – Richard Davis

Drums – Roy Haynes
Piano – Andrew Hill
Saxophone [Tenor] – Joe Henderson

Sun Ra - Celestial Love (1982)

Side A
1. Celestial Love (Ra)
2. Sometimes I'm Happy (Caesar-Youmans)
3. Interstellarism (Insterstellar Low Ways) (Ra)
4. Blue Intensity (Ra)

Side B
5. Sophisticated Lady (Carney-Ellington)
6. Nameless One #2 (Ra)
7. Nameless One #3 (Ra)
8. Smile (Chaplin)

Credits
Ra-p, keyb, org;
Walter Miller-tp;
Tyrone Hill-tb;
Vincent Chancey-frh;
Marshall Allen-as, fl;
John Gilmore-ts;
Danny Ray Thompson-bs, fl;
James Jacson-bsn, perc; pos.
Hayes Burnett o
John Ore-b; prob.
Eric Walker-d;
Atakatune (Stanley Morgan)-cga;
June Tyson-voc en Smile y Sometimes I'm Happy.

Of Mythic Worlds is a fine album recorded in 1979 that sounds like a studio date. "Mayan Temples" is a great piece: slow and exotic with lots of flutes and bass clarinet. A nice reading of "Over the Rainbow" follows, then a great piano feature called "Inside the Blues." Side two heads just a bit farther out, with "Intrinsic Energies" sounding like some kind of space bebop while "Of Mythic Worlds" is a great tenor feature for John Gilmore. This is another album that will probably be tough to find but well worth it.

:::Review by Sean Westergaard:::

Sun Ra - Of Mythic Worlds (1980)

A1 Mayan Temples 7:48
A2 Over The Rainbow 5:15
A3 Inside The Blues 5:45
B1 Intrinsic Energies 8:40
B2 Of Mythic Worlds 12:5

Credits
Arranged By – Sun Ra
Artwork By [Cover Art] – Lisabeth Sterling
Composed By – Sun Ra (tracks: A1, A3, B1, B2)
Executive Producer – Rick Barry, Tom Buchler
Liner Notes – Spencer Weston
Producer – Sun Ra