Jazz Archives

Switching over to Blue Note, which was then reaping a fortune with Donald Byrd's R&B outfit, Eddie Henderson pursued a harder, earthier, more structured, funk-driven sound on his first album, while maintaining some of his marvelously spacier instincts for spice. Henderson continued to keep several components of the Herbie Hancock Septet together, for drummer Billy Hart, bassist Buster Williams, reedman Bennie Maupin, and now trombonist Julian Priester are back. But this time, Hancock is replaced by George Duke, and fusionaire bassist Alphonso Johnson and drummer Harvey Mason (late of the Headhunters) are added -- and these switches make much of the difference. Duke is as much of an techie as Herbie was; he delights in flaunting his Echoplex and burbling, shooting, twinkling synthesizer effects. Henderson himself is more into electronic echo and wah-wah effects than before, definitely pursuing the current Miles Davis line but in a brighter, more tonally brilliant manner, and Maupin has many impassioned and creepy (on bass clarinet) moments. The title track, a ruminative Henderson tune with a leaping funk beat, and Mason's archetypical funk workout "Hop Scotch" are the best cuts.

:::Review by Richard S. Ginell:::

Eddie Henderson - Sunburst (1975)

1. Explodition (6:34)
2. The Kumquat Kids (4:30)
3. Sunburst (5:46)
4. Involuntary Bliss (6:49)
5. Hop Scotch (3:52)
6. Galaxy (6:35)
7. We End In A Dream (3:10)

Credits
- Buster Williams / acoustic bass
- Alphonso Johnson / electric bass, effects
- Billy Hart / drums
- Harvey Mason / drums
- George Duke / electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer
- Bobby Hutcherson / marimba
- Bennie Maupin / saxophone, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, saxcello, bass clarinet
- Julian Priester / trombone, post horn
- Eddie Henderson / trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet

Other personnel
- Fred Catero / recording and remix engineer
- George Horn / mastering
-Skip Drinkwater / producer

Notes
1975 Vinyl LP, Sunburst, United States , Blue Note BN-LA464-G
2002 CD, Sunburst [Rare Groove Series] [Remastered], United States, Blue Note 7243 5 38698 2 3
Recorded and mixed at Wally Heider Recording Studios in San Francisco in March and April 1975

"Dedicated To The Living" Weather Report's ever-changing lineup shifts again, with the somewhat heavier funk-oriented Leon "Ndugu" Chancler dropping into the drummer's chair and Alyrio Lima taking over the percussion table. As a result, Tale Spinnin' has a weightier feel than Mysterious Traveller, while continuing the latter's explorations in Latin-spiced electric jazz/funk. Zawinul's pioneering interest in what we now call world music is more in evidence with the African percussion, wordless vocals, and sandy sound effects of "Badia," and his synthesizer sophistication is growing along with the available technology. Wayne Shorter's work on soprano sax is more animated than on the previous two albums and Alphonso Johnson puts his melodic bass more to the fore. While not quite as inventive as its two predecessors, this remains an absorbing extension of WR's mid-'70s direction.

 

1. Man in the Green Shirt (6:28)

2. Lusitanos (7:24)

3. Between the Thighs (9:33)

4. Badia (5:20)

5. Freezing Fire (7:29)

6. Five Short Stories (6:56)

Bass - Alphonso Johnson

Drums - Leon Ndugu Chancler

Keyboards - Joe Zawinul

Percussion - Alyrio Lima

Saxophone - Wayne Shorter

P 1975 Sony Music Entertainement Inc.

No Jewel Box - This CD-Package looks like a miniature version of a Vinyl album.

JOE ZAWINUL : (Melodica, Rhodes Piano, TONTO, ARP 2600 Synthesizer, Organ, Oud, Mzuthra, Vocal, West African Xylophone &Acoustic Piano / Composer of Tracks 1, 3, 4 & 6) and WAYNE SHORTER (Tenor & Sopran Saxophones / Composer of Tracks 2 and 5) = WEATHER REPORT

with the Rhythm Section from SANTANA (Borboletta 1974) : 

'Ndugu' Leon Chancler (Drums, Tympani &Marching Cymbals) 

Alphonso Johnson (Electric Bass).

plus :

Alyrio Lima (Percussions)

Recorded January & February 1975 in L.A. at Wally Heider

Orchestration : Joe Zawinul

Recording Engineer : Bruno Botnick