DAVE BURRELL – High Won - High Two (2LP-1976)

Label: Arista – AL 1906, Freedom – AL 1906

Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album; Country: US - Released: 1976

Style: Free Improvisation, Free Jazz

Recorded in New York City, 6th February 1968 except East Side Colors (9th September 1968)

Art Director – Bob Heimall

Artwork [Cover Art] – Benno Friedman

Design – Nancy Greenberg

Liner Notes – Stanley Crouch

Photography By – Raymond Ross

Producer – Alan Douglas

Producer [Additional Production] – Michael Cuscuna

"High Won-High Two" is the second studio album released by jazz pianist Dave Burrell. It was recorded on February 9, 1968 and was first released as an LP record later that year by Black Lion Records.

A  -  West Side Story (Medley) . . . 19:48

        (Arranged By – D. Burrell, Composed By – L. Bernstein)

B1 - Oozi Oozi . . . 3:11

B2 - Bittersweet Reminiscence . . . 3:45

B3 - Bobby And Si . . . 2:13

B4 - Dave Blue . . . 2:37

B5 - Margie Pargie (A.M. Rag) . . . 3:02

C  -  East Side Colors . . . 15:52

D  -  Theme Stream Medley . . . 15:35

        a. Dave Blue

        b. Bittersweet Reminiscence

        c. Bobby And Si

        d. Margie Pargie (A.M. Rag)

        e. Oozi Oozi

        f. Inside Ouch

DAVE BURRELL – Piano, Composed, Arranger

SIRONE (Norris Jones) – Bass

PHAROAH SANDERS – Tambourine

BOBBY KAPP – Drums (tracks: A to B5, D)

SUNNY MURRAY – Drums (track: C)

Dave Burrell has long been a favorite pianist for his remarkable ability to play across stylistic boundaries in jazz. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 1965 with a degree in composition, arranging and performance, Burrell dedicated himself to the pursuit of creative music that combines his dual talents as composer and free jazz improviser, performing alongside artists such as Marion Brown, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders and David Murray. Few pianists have so successfully and consistently performed improvised music containing influences ranging from Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington to classical composers such as Puccini—see Burrell's LP, "La Vie de Boheme" (BYG/Get Back Records, 1969) and this a front of you, Leonard Bernstein trio LP "High Won-High Two" (Douglas/Black Lion, 1968 - Arista/Freedom, 1976) with Sirone and Sunny Murray. His predecessor, pianist Jaki Byard was similarly able to seamlessly employ the entire history of jazz in a single solo with Charles Mingus' 1964 sextet...

... Dave Burrell has long had a highly original style on piano, not quite outside but far from conventional. This LP, a trio set with bassist Sirone and either Bobby Kapp or Sonny Murray on drums. Most intriguing is a 19½-minute "West Side Story Medley" that features Burrell playing many of the songs from Leonard Bernstein's work in abstract fashion. There is also the lengthy "East Side Colors," five brief (around three-minutes apiece) versions of five of Burrell's originals and the "Theme Stream Medley" which has reprises of the five songs plus a sixth piece ("Inside Ouch").

_ By Scott Yanow

Extremely good set.

If you find it, buy this album!