Jazz Archives

Penguin's guide to jazz on CD correctly notes that Freeman was among the first of the avant-garde-leaning players who followed the "New Thing" wave of the '60s to fully embrace the need for tradition and structure. He was -- and remains -- fully capable of pushing the limits of his instrument , particularly on bass clarinet and tenor, but he's also a highly lyrical player and a superb interpreter of ballads. These qualities are strongly displayed in "Spirit Sensitive."
I have the original vinyl, which included six cuts, but I sprung for the CD reissue in order to get the four extra cuts, and it was worth it, particularly for two Coltrane originals Freeman performs (more on those in a minute.)
The album was recorded in 1979 when Freeman was in his 20s, so it's all the more surprising how gentle the sound on this release is, particularly if you are familiar with some of his fiery work from around this period with bassist Cecil McBee (who also appears here.)
From the opening "Autumn in New York" through "You Don't Have to Say You're Sorry," "It Never Entered My Mind," "Close to You Alone" and a superb reading of Horace Silver's "Peace," Freeman renders his material with care, staying close to melody and mood rather than technical showmanship.
Freeman best shows his power on interpretations of two Coltrane tunes, "Lonnie's Lament" and "Wise One." These were two of Coltrane's most introspective compositions and Chico retains their dark colors, but on "Lonnie's Lament," he turns loose on saxophone in a way that Coltrane himself did not on the original. It's a spirited and spirit-filled performance.
John Hicks' piano is a strong plus on "Spirit Sensitive," particularly on the ballads. His lyricism matches Freeman's and he is an attentive accompanist.
The half-star deduction comes about from the drumming. Billy Hart is obviously a fine drummer, but he didn't sound to me in top form on this album. Specifically, he plays a bit "busy" on the ballads; the two-song sequence of "Close to You Alone" and "It Never Entered My Mind" features superb interplay between Freeman and Hicks, but Billy fills up a lot of the space with more work than I thought was necessary, and it gets a little intrusive. By contrast, Don Moye appears on the last two cuts and fares much better, in my opinion, with molding his sound to the rest of the band's.
Although he is a restless spirit who occasionally records a date that doesn't quite connect, Freeman has continued to turn out fine work since this date. "Spirit Sensitive" is an important document of the development of a key modern jazz player.

:::Review by Tyler Smith:::

Chico Freeman - Spirit Sensitive (1979)

1. Autumn In New York 4:15
2. Peace 5:38
3. A Child Is Born 7:41
4. Lonnie's Lament 7:23
5. You Don't Have To Say You're Sorry 4:19
6. Wise One 6:59
7. It Never Entered My Mind 6:19
8. Close Tou You Alone 8:50
9. Carnival 7:35
10. Don't Get Around Much Anymore 4:19

Credits
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Billy Hart, Don Moye (tracks: 9, 10)
Piano – John Hicks
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Chico Freeman
Vibraphone – Jay Hoggard (tracks: 9)

When Kenny Wheeler expatriated from his native Canada to England, it was not headline news. But upon the release of Gnu High, he became a contemporary jazz figure to be recognized, revered and admired. Playing the flugelhorn exclusively for this, his ECM label debut, Wheeler's mellifluous tones and wealth of ideas came to full fruition. Whether chosen in collaboration with label boss Manfred Eicher or by Wheeler alone, picking pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette was a stroke of genius.
They support the elongated and extended notions of Wheeler's in many real and important ways. What is also extant is a sense of self-indulgence, real for listeners with short attention spans. "Heyoke" is such a piece rife for this discussion at nearly 22 minutes.
This lilting waltz is at once atmospheric and soulful, a fairly fresh and inventive style turned more dramatic near the finish of this magnum opus. It's all fueled by the reinvented swing of DeJohnette. Jarrett's vocal whining is kept in check, as his pretty pianistics buoy Wheeler's notions in Zen inspired time and eventually no time improvisations. "Gnu Suite" is similarly rendered in an unforced 4/4 rhythm, but Wheeler is more animated. There's a plus-plus solo from Holland before the group merges into a floating and flowing discourse again in free time. The special track is "Smatter" and at just under six minutes works better, not only for radio airplay, but also in its concise melodic construct by means of the regal and happy persona Wheeler portrays. Pure melody and a repeated anchoring seven-note phrase insert sets this tune apart from the rest. It also clearly identifies the warm and cool stance only Wheeler wields, making seemingly simple music deep and profound. Certainly this was an auspicious starting point, albeit long winded, for a magical performer whose sound and smarts captured the imagination of so many fellow musicians and listeners from this point onward.

 

Kenny Wheeler - Gnu High (1976)

1. Heyoke 21:49
2. 'Smatter 5:58
3. Gnu Suite 12:49

Credits
Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Jack DeJohnette
Flugelhorn, Written-By – Kenny Wheeler
Piano – Keith Jarrett

This experimental big band was lead by Gunnar Lindqvist and featured a huge cast of improvising musicians. Among jazz stars like Bernt Rosengren and Maffy Falay? we also find prominent Movement musicians like Ove Karlsson, Torsten Eckerman, Roland Keijser, Bosse Skoglund, Bengt Berger (all five of whom were in Arbete & Fritid)., Allan Olsson and Sune Spangerberg (both of Iskra) and Gunnar Bergsten (Flasket Brinner). The influence of G.L. Unit showed up in the music of later groups like Forkladd Gud, Lokomotiv Konkret and Iskra. Gunnar Lindqvist were also the producer for EMI acts Solar Plexus, Panta Rei, Energy and Storm.

:::Taken from Tobias Petterson's & Ulf Henningsson's "The Encyclopedia of Swedish Progressive Music 1967-1979" (c) 2007:::

GL Unit - Orangutang! (1970)

A1. Waves 5:35
A2. Experience X 6:25
A3. Orangutang 7:00
B1. Freedom - Equality - Brotherhood 16:06

Credits

Track 1,2 & 3
Peter Hennix, Torsten Eckerman, trumpet
Roland Keijser, clarinet
Alponso Dantzler, alto saxophone
Göran Freese, alto saxophone, flute
Gunnar Lindqvist, tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet, piano
Rune Stålspets, tenor & soprano saxophone, flute
Allan Olsson, baritone saxophone, flute
Åke Holmqvist, melodica, recorder
Allan Wajda, piano, recorder
Kjell Norlén, guitar,
Ivar Lindell, Göran Oskarsson, bass
Bampe Karlsson, Bosse Skoglund, drums (1,2)
Bengt "Frippe" Nordström, alto saxophone (2),
Sune Spångberg, drums (3)

Track 4
Peter Hennix, Maffy Falay, Torsten Eckerman, Lalle Svensson, trumpet
Bo Lindenstrand, alto saxophone
Gunnar Lindqvist, tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet
Roland Keijser, Tommy Koverhult, tenor saxophone, flute
Bernt Rosengren, tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet, oboe
Bengt "Frippe" Nordström, tenor saxophone
Gunnar Bergsten, Göran Freese, baritone saxophone
Allan Olsson, baritone saxophone,,flute
Ove Karlsson, Mats Hagström, cello
Björn Alke, bass, cello
Lennart Sandsjö, bass
Bampe Karlsson, Sven-Åke Johansson, Gunnar Nyberg, Bengt Berger, drums
Peter Smoliansky, bongos

Notes
All music composed by G.Lindqvist.
Track 1 - 3 recorded at Stockholmsterassen on March 19, 1969.
Track 4 recorded at EMI Studio, Stockholm on March 22, 1970.

On the surface, John Stubblefield and his compatriots offered a number of approaches (funk-fusion, Latin, calypso, swing) creativelyrendered. But careful listening revealed an all-too-telling commercial underbelly that put subtle though damaging constraints on the music. So while the leader had a passionate tenor outing (shades of the Pharoah Sanders of yesteryear) on the Trane-influenced "East,"and played some sinewy soprano on the Weather Report-like title cut and "Things," and keyboardist Geri Allen spotlighted her adept skills at imaginatively convoluting phrases over and around stated and implied bar lines (to say nothing of her solid chops overall), and the whole band illustrated solid facility as a group as well as individuals, overall, the album didn't reach the heights to which it aspired.

:::Review by Milo Fine:::

John Stubblefield - Bushman Song (1986)

A1 Serenade To The Mother Land 5:15

A2 Some Things Never Change 7:24

A3 Mwé Malad O 4:15 A4 Loss Of A Moment 3:28

B1 Bushman Song 7:15

B2 East Side - West Side 10:21

B3 Calypso Rose 4:09

Credits

Bass – Charnett Moffett

Drums, Percussion – Victor Lewis

Percussion – Mino Cinelu

Piano, Keyboards [Yamaha Dx-7] – Geri Allen

Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – John Stubblefield

Vocals – Mino Cinelu (tracks: A3)

Obscure and underrated jazz rock from Germany.

Kjol - Take it on (1979)
A1. Do it Again 3:52
A2. For Maggie 9:00
A3. Maria 7:42
B1. Moving Force 6:43
B2. Eleonore`s Downfall 8:50
B3. Green Island 3:38

Info
Label : private german press
Pressing : Z 165 - west germany
Year : 1979

The band Billy Hart assembled for this fine session is remarkable: John Stubblefield on tenor and soprano saxes, Mark Feldman on violin, David Kikoski on piano, David Fiuczynski on guitar, and Santi Debriano on bass. Marc Copland, who produced the album, plays keyboards on tracks five and six. Unorthodox textures abound, thanks to the fruitful juxtaposition of Feldman's mournful violin, Fiuczynski's overdriven yet lyrical guitar, and Stubblefield's soaring saxes. Hart employs these three melody voices in various combinations, keeping the sound consistently fresh. The tracks do sound somewhat similar, however, tending toward open harmonic structures held together loosely by swing and Latin grooves. Each bandmember contributes one tune, save for Hart, who contributes two.
Fiuczynski's "Melanos" is the most unpredictable piece, with its screaming guitar solo and its Jeckyl-and-Hyde transitions between abstraction, cheery Latin, and uptempo swing. Feldman's "Asylum" is also a good deal more unusual than the rest. Of Hart's compositions, "Amethyst" falls roughly within the enigmatic, ethereal universe of his old band Quest with David Liebman and Richard Beirach, while "Irah" is painted in bolder strokes, with powerful solos by Feldman and Fiuczynski. The album ends with an interesting version of Kikoski's "Dirty Dogs," which graced the pianist's 1989 album Presage. In short, there's plenty of beautiful music on the album, plenty of representative brilliance from all these fine players, and even a substantial amount of originality and vision.

:::Review by David R. Adler:::

Billy Hart - Amethyst (1993)

1. Amethyst 12:14
2. King of Harts 7:35
3. El junque 7:32
4. Melanos 10:09
5. Irah 6:52
6. Asylum 12:05
7. Dirty Dog 10:25


Credits
Billy Hart: drums
John Stubblefield: tenor & soprano saxophone
Mark Feldman: violin
David Kikoski: piano
David Fiuczynski: guitar
Santi Debriano: bass
Marc Copland: keyboards (on 5,6)

Ben’s self-titled debut is a classic example of 70s British jazz-rock, beautifully executed. Here are lengthy multi-part suites, excellent musicianship and an overall very appealing early 70′s, very jazzy progressive rock sound with lots of flute, sax, keyboards and guitar.
The group’s harmonic blend of jazz and progressive rock and the considerable talent of each musician takes the listener on an inspired and vivid journey.  

:::Review by myspace.com:::

Ben - Ben (1971)

01. The Influence 10:08
a) The Wooing Of The Child
b) The Innocence Of The Child
c) The Interest Of The Youth
d) The Involvement Of The Man
e) The Realization
f) The Wooing Of The Child
g) The Conclusion
02. Gibbon 9:32
03. Christmas Execution 7:21
04. Gismo 11:50

Credits
- Peter Davey / sax, flute, clarinet
- Alex McCleery / harpsicord, electric piano, mini moog
- Gerry Reid / guitar
- Len Surtess / bass
- Dave Sheen / drums

Wow! AltrOck Productions just can't miss! Yugen, Ciccada, SKE, Kurai, and now Camembert! Music is alive and well, people! And with great production all around! Refreshing, mesmerizing and, in the case of Schnörgl Attahk, humorous and upbeat. Horns, harps and tuned percussion all jamming with and off of one another! This is one group I want to see live! Haven't been back to Strasbourg since 1979 but, who knows? Maybe in the next couple of years?!
The transitional songs ("Clacos Zéro," Clacos 1" et "Clacos 2") are excellent (and often quite funny!) but the big monsters [e.g. "Untung Untungen" (10/10), "El ruotuav ed sraM" (10/10), et "Le meurtrier volant" (9/10)] are incroyable! I listen to "Untung" and "ruotuav" (Vulture from Mars) over and over and find my body and spirit reacting quite the same way I did upon first hearing MAGMA's MDK a few years ago: avec une danse joyeuse, sauvage et frénétique! It is wonderful! The pause at the halfway mark in "Untung" is so startling and such a letdown, yet it's so exciting when the music returns and builds and builds, jelling and spiraling its way in perfect collaboration up and then down to a stop--it's just like a rollercoaster ride! And one can just feel the morose Poe-like tension of "Le meurtrier."
Unfortunately, the 5-part suite which ends the album, entitled "La danse du Chameau" (7/10) doesn't succeed in conveying or evoking this same response. (Plodding like the camel for which it is named, the perfect harmony of "The Vulture of Mars" and "Le meurtrier volant" seems long past.) In the vein of its inspirateur, GONG, the band puts forth some jazzy jams, but, also like GONG, IMHO, the jamming seems a bit pointless--or ecstatic and masturbatory--depending on one's psycho-neuro-chemical state. For some reason, the band seems to have mostly abandoned the wonderful collective weaves of the amazing first 30 minutes of the album. Too bad. That was quite a ride! 4.5 stars rated up for its sheer freshness, enjoyability, and perfect sound production of its compositions.

:::Review by BrufordFreak:::

Camembert - Schnorgl Attahk (2011)

1. Infinicheese (1:35)
2. Clacos Zero (0:35)
3.Untung Untungan (11:13)
4. Clacos 1 : Notre Mere ? Tous (1:58)
5. El Ruotuav Ed Sram (8:16)
6. Clacos 2 : Die Experimente Von Dr Frankenschnoergl (0:48)
7. Le Meurtrier Volant (9:01)
8. La Danse du Chameau - Batifolade (Part1) (5:29)
9. Soif! (Part2) (1:17)
10. La Tempete De Sable (Part3) (4:51)
11. Reveries Lubriques (Part 4) (1:09)
12. The Final Run (Part5) (5:01)

Credits
Fabrice Toussaint - trombone; percussion
Bernard Eber - trumpet; voices
Pierre Wawzyniak - bass
Philemon Walter - drums
Guillaume Gravelin - harp
Vincent Sexauer - el. guitar
With
Julien Traveletti - bass trombone (3, 5, 7, 8)
Francesco Zago - ac. guitar (3, 4)

This out-of-print LP (one of several from the Prestige and Milestone catalog that are long overdue to be reissued on CD) was one of the finest of altoist Gary Bartz's early years. The 24-minute multi-movement "Another Earth" is a stormy affair matching Bartz with trumpeter Charles Tolliver, the fiery tenor Pharoah Sanders, pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Freddy Waits. The flip side of the record has three quartet outings by Bartz, Cowell, Workman and Waits, including the mysterious ballad "Dark Nebula" and an uptempo blues, "UFO," plus a Bartz-Workman duet on "Lost in the Stars." Well worth searching for, this adventurous music is quite colorful and always holds one's interest.

:::Review by Scott Yanow:::

Gary Bartz - Another Earth (1968)

1. Another Earth 23:46
2. Dark Nebula 5:04
3. Ufo 4:49
4. Lost In The Stars 4:04
5. Perihelion And Aphelion 3:47

Credits
Charles Tolliver (trumpet),
Gary Bartz (alto sax),
Pharoah Sanders (tenor sax),
Stanley Cowell (piano),
Reggie Workman (bass),
Freddie Waits (drums)

Alto saxophonist Elton Dean and bassist Hugh Hopper established their reputations with the groundbreaking jazz-rock band Soft Machine in the '70s and have continued to be strong forces in the British free-jazz scene. On this excel1ent 1995 release, they team up with pianist Keith Tippett and drummer Joe Gallivan to create a wide-ranging program of bristling, exploratory jazz and innovative electronic music. Gallivan plays synthesizer in addition to his propulsive, pulse-oriented drums, and on several cuts ("Jannakota" and "Rocky Recluse") the music drifts into beguiling electronic soundscapes. These serve as interludes for the more energetic and fiery pieces featuring Dean's singular sax and Tippett's dense, multilayered piano. Dean's distinctive alto and the seldom-played saxello both project a plaintive, vocalized sound, equally adaptable to the frenzy of "Seven Drones" or the calm of "Echoes." This ability to shift emotional gears, shared by the group as a whole, results in a collective music that is both spontaneous and cohesive.

:::Review by Wally Shoup:::

Hopper, Dean, Tippett, Gallivan - Cruel But Fair (1976)

1. Seven Drones 8:30
Written-By – Hugh Hopper
2. Jannakota 4:36
Written-By – Dean, Gallivan
3. Echoes 8:43
Written-By – Keith Tippett
4. Square Enough Fire 9:23
Written-By – Dean, Hopper, Gallivan, Tippett
5. Rocky Recluse 2:24
Written-By – Gallivan, Tippett
6. Bjorn Free 2:18
Written-By – Dean, Hopper, Gallivan, Tippett
7. Soul Fate 5:38
Written-By – Dean, Hopper, Gallivan, Tippett

Credits
Alto Saxophone, Saxello – Elton Dean
Bass – Hugh Hopper
Drums, Percussion, Synthesizer – Joe Gallivan
Piano – Keith Tippett

Originally a two-fer on vinyl and now on one CD, Shaw's debut as a leader is one of the first "free bop" sessions, in many ways his answer to Bitches Brew. The trumpeter's ensemble extracts dense, energetic, meaty collective sounds based in pure improvisation with a skeleton of a rhythmic framework to expound upon. Saxophonists Gary Bartz & Bennie Maupin, electric pianist George Cables, twin bassists Ron Carter and Clint Houston, and drummer Lenny White respond to Shaw's heavy direction, making for some of the most kinetic jazz heard in that period of early fusion. Shaw's bright melodicism, hard edged swing and refusal to compromise are his greatest assets. They come shining through on tuneful classics like the unstoppable "Think On Me" and stop-start gymnastics of "Boo-Ann's Grand." It represents the progressive bop aesthetic at a fever pitch. The title track is as wild and wooly as Woody could be, while "Lost & Found" is free bop at its finest. "New World" is a free funk number, quite a trend setter for its time, while "A Deed For Dolphy" shows an abstract, no-time side rarely heard from Shaw. All tunes are quite lengthy, no shorter than nine, no longer than seventeen minutes. This allows the band to develop their ideas and interact in a manner more akin to a concert setting. Bartz (alto and soprano saxophone) and Maupin (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet and flute) consistently show why they are two of the best improvising jazzmen out there. As much as the music is the thing, it is the singular presence of Shaw that refracts many colors of light and dark, like a multi-hued beacon directing many ships to port. There is not a better example of this music from its inception, documented on tape, than this other worldly session that brought the trumpeter to the jazz world's attention. Furthermore, few have done it better since. Truly a landmark recording, and a pivot point in the history of post-modern music.

:::Review by Michael G. Nastos:::

Woody Shaw - Blackstone Legacy (1970)

1. Blackstone Legacy 16:08
2. Think On Me 10:49
3. Lost And Found 10:45
4. New World 17:06
5. Boo-Ann's Grand 14:25
6. A Deed For Dolphy 8:56

Credits
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Gary Bartz
Bass – Ron Carter
Bass [Electric] – Clint Houston
Drums – Lenny White
Piano, Piano [Electric] – George Cables
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet [Bass], Flute – Bennie Maupin
Trumpet – Woody Shaw

Godzik Pink was a RIO/Avant-Prog band formed in 1996 in Los Angeles, California. The band consisted of Ara Shirinyan (guitar), Eric Kiersnowski (bass), Jonathan Silberman (tenor saxophone), and Nigel Lundemo (drums). Godzik Pink blended alternative rock, jazz and pop to create their complex and highly original sound. They released three EP albums before disbanding. This high energy band is recommended to fans of punk-prog aka pronk and avantjazz.

:::Review by Evolutionary Sleeper:::

Godzik Pink - Es Em, Ekel Em (2009)

1. Lifting for the Lord (2:55)
2. Fardray'n Akopf (1:29)
3. Several dogs (1:53)
4. Sonna Vonda Beech (2:03)
5. Es Em, Ekel Em (2:18)
6. Mourning Wood (2:50)
7. You're in the Jungle Baby (3:23)


Credits
- Ara Shirinyan / guitar
- Eric Kiersnowski / bass
- Jonathan Silberman / tenor saxophone
- Nigel Lundemo / drums

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