Friday, July 4, 2014

LEO SMITH – Spirit Catcher (LP-1979)




Label: Nessa Records – N-19
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album; Country: US - Released: 1979
Style: Free Jazz, Contemporary Jazz
Recorded May 21, 1979 Van Gelder Studio.
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Liner Notes – Robert Palmer
Producer, Photography By – Chuck Nessa

A  -  Images ...................................................................................................  19:15
B1 - The Burning Of Stones ............................................................................  9:47
B2 - Spirit Catcher ...........................................................................................  9:54

Leo Smith – trumpet, flugelhorn
Bobby Naughton – vibraphone [vibraharp] (tracks: A, B2)
Dwight Andrews – clarinet, tenor saxophone, flute [wooden flute] (tracks: A, B2)
Wes Brown – bass, flute [wooden flute] (tracks: A, B2)
Pheeroan AkLaff – drums (tracks: A, B2)
Carol Emanuel – harp (track: B1)
Irene Smith – harp (track: B1)
Ruth Emanuel – harp (track: B1)

"The dry and often esoteric trumpeter Leo Smith is featured with his quintet (consisting of Dwight Andrews on tenor, clarinet and flute, vibraphonist Bobby Naughton, bassist Wes Brown and drummer Pheeroan AkLaff) on the 19-minute "Images" and the colorful "Spirit Catcher." "The Burning of Stones" (dedicated to Anthony Braxton) has Smith's trumpet joined by three harpists for some unusual music. Throughout the LP the performances are unpredictable, and it's frequently difficult to know where the arrangement ends and the improvising begins. This is thought-provoking music that grows in interest with each listen."
_ By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide



Spirit Catcher finds Smith in a key period of his career. Having already played with kindred spirits in Anthony Braxton and in Derek Bailey’s Company, he was moving from solo improvisation to experimenting with radical new group compositions, underpinned by his own personal theories. Spirit Catcher came soon after the highly regarded Divine Love (ECM, 1979) where his muted trumpet was joined by those of Kenny Wheeler and Lester Bowie in an awesome threesome. On Spirit Catcher Smith creates contexts that are just as innovative as those on the ECM album.

The album opens with “Images,” a quintet piece which, as on the ECM album, is immediately given a cool, tranquillity by the inclusion in the rhythm section of Bobby Naughton’s vibes. Also retained from Divine Love is clarinetist Dwight Andrews; the two feed off each other and their lines interweave, complementing and enhancing one another. Throughout, the economy of Smith’s trumpet is worthy of comparison with Miles, foreshadowing his later Yo’ Miles group with Henry Kaiser.

More radical still takes of “The Burning of Stones,” on which the trumpet is accompanied by three harps. This setting takes Smith’s music way beyond the boundaries of “jazz.” Instead, this is almost a concerto for solo muted trumpet. But such distinctions become meaningless when the resulting music is this beautiful, this piece was not improvised but composed, the interactions between harps and trumpet being finely judged to display both to best effect. Dedicated to Braxton, it is Braxtonesque in its vision and its daring.

_ By JOHN EYLES (Dusted Reviews)



Buy this album!

19 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. LEO SMITH - Spirit Catcher (LP-1979)
      FLAC+Artwork

      1fichier:
      https://1fichier.com/?sdtr01hz5l

      Delete
  2. Thanks Vitko for sharing this hard to find Lp on Leo Smith. Keep up the great job. Best regards, K.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kike,
      So where did you get lost? Thanks for your support. All the best. V

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  3. A Nessa production I have never seen before. Thanks, Vitko!

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  4. Thank you very much for this beautitful and challenging music!

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  5. I can't seem to make Firedrive work on this one either. Sorry for the trouble--you have GREAT GREAT stuff!!!

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    1. I'm sorry but Firedrive is broken for a long time. I started replacing the links, I'll for those two albums, that you so many want, make the new links as soon as possible.
      V

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  6. Bravo, thank you, nice fast work!!

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  7. Thanks again to the magic nusic uploader of great Spiritual Jazz.
    I have so many albums I have never heard in all my 50 years, and here they are flowing like a fountain out of your work to share great music. I listen in thanks!

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  8. DEADLINK
    oops I thanked you too soon, The "Gamefront" link is not working.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the notice. For which day I will make a new link.

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  9. Hi santos curser, a new link is placed above.

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  10. Hi Vitko, first of all thanks for the journey through the music here, love your blog!

    Please could you 're-up this fine gem from Mr. Smith? Would be nice, thanks 1L!

    ReplyDelete