CECIL TAYLOR – Nuits De La Fondation Maeght Vol. 1 / Vol. 2 / Vol. 3 (3LPs-1972)

Cecil Taylor – Nuits De La Fondation Maeght Vol. 1

Label: Shandar – SR 10011 / 83 507

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: France / Released: 1972

Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation

Recorded live on 29 July 1969 at Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France.

Photography By – Horace, Philippe Gras

Engineer [Sound] – Claude Jauvert

Producer [Conception] – Georges Perdriaud

Sleeve Notes [Inside] – Daniel Caux

Matrix / Runout (Side A): 10011 A [83507A]

Matrix / Runout (Side B): 10011 B [83507B]

A - Second Act Of A ............................................................................... 21:25          

B - Second Act Of A ............................................................................... 19:55

Cecil Taylor – piano

Jimmy Lyons – alto saxophone

Sam Rivers – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone

Andrew Cyrille – drums, percussion

Nuits De La Fondation Maeght is a live album by Cecil Taylor recorded in St. Paul de Vence, Nice, on July 29, 1969. The album was originally released as Nuits de la Fondation Maeght on the French Shandar label, 3LPs-1971 as a box set.

In 1972 the French label Shandar also announced 3 albums individually packaged, Nuits De La Fondation Maeght Vol. 1 / Vol. 2 and Vol. 3. Each has a gatefold cover with same photo but different tint. Black labels with disc logo.

This was a truly magical night for the Taylor unit. The interplay between Lyons and Rivers is impeccable, exploring intervallic reaches of tonal ambience and equanimity. The lack of a bassist in this case is a plus, not a minus, as Taylor gets to indulge his rhythmic impulse to the extreme in order to let the two sax players go into arpeggio overdrive in tandem. The polytonality of Rivers is especially important here as he doesn't so much collide with Lyons, who instinctively knew, in 1969, how Taylor articulated his language, he "extends" him linguistically. Rivers brittle tone on tenor and his shrill soprano engage the steady polyrhythmic attack of Lyons whose ostinato are the cues Taylor takes for his own when moving the piano into solo position. And the two horns find the striated expanses of sonic terrain Taylor prepares them for. And Cyrille knows just how to escalate; the result is no less spectacular than John Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders on Live in Seattle -- the only real difference is, it's Taylor who does the yelling and shouting when the music gets to the outer limits and can't express what he needs it to. The great Paris concert in its entirety is a Taylor masterpiece.

(Review by Thom Jurek)

Cecil Taylor – Nuits De La Fondation Maeght Vol. 2

Label: Shandar – 83 508

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: France / Released: 1972

Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation

Recorded live on 29 July 1969 at Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France.

Photography By – Horace, Philippe Gras

Engineer [Sound] – Claude Jauvert

Producer [Conception] – Georges Perdriaud

Sleeve Notes [Inside] – Daniel Caux

Matrix / Runout (Side A): NPO SR 83508A

Matrix / Runout (Side B): NPO SR 83508B

A - Second Act Of A ............................................................................... 18:20          

B - Second Act Of A ............................................................................... 16:22

Nuits De La Fondation Maeght, trilogy recordings (for me) is his best work from a particularly enigmatic period. Taylor was playing sprawling immeasurably intense reckless refulgence & asymmetrical avant wizardry with the insane Andrew Cyrille, for me indubitably one of the most fantastic & original drummers ever. Out of the many things that could be said, I would emphasise that Taylor & his unit redefined the elongated-outburst & prolonged-peaking coming with ceaseless surging’s of unparalleled clamour & volatility. Frequently without intervals, extenuation or cessation they would dance an immensely detailed & dynamic squall within the singularity of remorseless & unforgiving outermost, fully-cyclic, hell-for-leather frenzy. A heteronomous hurricane & blitzing blizzard of ebullient fulmination Cyrille was able to maintain physically these momentous requirements but also inflect with a cycle of extensive improvisational embellishment & continually capricious contrasting...

Cecil Taylor – Nuits De La Fondation Maeght Vol. 3

Label: Shandar – 83 509

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: France / Released: 1972

Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation

Recorded live on 29 July 1969 at Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France.

Photography By– Horace, Philippe Gras

Engineer [Sound] – Claude Jauvert

Producer [Conception] – Georges Perdriaud

Sleeve Notes [Inside] – Daniel Caux

Matrix / Runout (Side A): NPO SR 83509A

Matrix / Runout (Side B): NPO SR 83509B

A - Second Act Of A ............................................................................... 13:00          

B - Second Act Of A ............................................................................... 20:00

...Taylor’s closest adjutant saxophonist Jimmy Lyon’s would also duck in & out with sax screel & hysteria. These Olympic stints of decadent comminute went way beyond the threshold, agreeable limitation or somatic restriction that pretty much everybody else was on, with an unapologetic & frankly extremist activity/ideology of severe surplus pandemonium & improvident forceful action whilst exercising immense technical credibility. Many a marvel of withering extravagance was being exercised by other legends during this great era, but this lot did it, to my knowledge, longer & harder without intermission including mostly for each individual musician (consecutive group participation), never slacking & all exploding into one sustained shock-wave of terrific turbulence. these recordings though, do offer the secondary function of a more Avant-Garde slower & emotionally alternate medium occasionally with vocal extracts from Taylor. They are stunning diverse & intricate but also often bizarre. This is another phenomenon of Cecil Taylor & much of his music, lyrics & imagery. It’s dark, I would say at times even quite minatory. Much of the furore from the depths of Free Jazz’s sonic battle field encompassed anger, madness & intensity are as a commodity, but Taylor as with Sunny Murray often depicts & conjures stuff that I would not feel at error calling nasty, dark, or threatening in a direct & mostly unequivocal manner...

...Yes, for me, tones of hazard, tragedy & outright tenebrous madness etc are very apparent (hell, it could be just my misinterpretation, but I feel these elements skulk within his work amongst other sentiments & energies of a far more positive distinction). This is another specialist feature of Taylor & contributes even more to his significant idiosyncrasy. Anyway, as for this mind-blowingly marvellous 3LP set released by Shandar, there is another foreign element/irregularity that kicked shit completely into hyper-space. On these recordings they threw fucking Sam Rivers into the mix! Can you imagine? As if things were not preposterous enough, the absolute madman Rivers was air-dropped into the vortex with his tenor & soprano cannons. The results are just ridiculous & why these recordings are amongst the most precious & heavily rotated in my stash. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, no further foray frenzy was created with Rivers after this tour. Thank the goddess that someone was recording & captured this brain scattering murrain so expertly & issued it in this cult vinyl trilogy...

Enjoy!

If you find them, buy these albums!

HAROLD VICK – Don't Look Back (Strata-East – SES-7431 / LP-1974)

Label: Strata-East – SES-7431

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: US / Released: 1974

Style: Contemporary Jazz, Modal, Hard Bop

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Generation Sound Studio, New York City.

Album Design, Art Supervision – Creative Hands, Inc.

Photography – Jim Dunn

Engineer [Recording] – Eddie Korvin

Mastered By – David Crawford

Mixed By – Tony May

Produced – Harold Vick / Blue Rock Studio, New York City

Matrix / Runout (Side A etched): SES-7431-A

Matrix / Runout (Side B etched): SES-7431-B

A1 - Don't Look Back ...................................................................................... 6:04

A2 - Melody for Bu .......................................................................................... 7:22

A3 - Senor Zamora ......................................................................................... 5:40

B1 - Stop and Cop .......................................................................................... 6:38

B2 - Lucille ...................................................................................................... 9:20

B3 - Prayer ..................................................................................................... 1:05

All compositions by Harold Vick

Personnel:

Harold Vick – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, bass clarinet

Virgil Jones – trumpet, flugelhorn (tracks A1-A3)

Kiane Zawadi – euphonium (tracks A1-A3)

Joe Bonner – electric piano, piano, percussion, tuba

George Davis – guitar, flute (tracks A1-B1)

Sam Jones – bass (tracks A1-B2)

Billy Hart – drums, percussion (tracks A1-B2)

Jimmy Hopps – percussion (track B1)

"Don't Look Back" is an album led by American saxophonist Harold Vick recorded in 1974 and released on the Strata-East label.

This is one of my favourite Strata-East albums and a complete joy to listen to. There's something unique about Harold Vick's saxaphone sound that made me want to look deeper into his career.

"Don't Look Back" was recorded and released in the wake of Harold Vick's recovery from a heart attack, which may partially explain the passion with which he approaches his playing throughout.

One of the best-ever Strata East sessions! The album's a masterfully conceived session by reed player Harold Vick – best known to the world as the funky tenorist from albums by John Patton and Jack McDuff in the 60s, but emerging here as an incredibly sensitive soul jazz player, capable of turning out some incredibly sophisticated and emotional compositions. Vick produced and wrote all the material on the album, and other players include Joe Bonner, Virgil Jones, and Sam Jones. The record's darn tough to find, and is a treasure all the way through. Titles include "Don't Look Back", "Melody For Bu", "Stop & Cop", "Senor Zamora"  and "Lucille".  (Dusty Groove, Inc.)

If you find it, buy this album!

SHAMEK FARRAH – First Impressions (Strata-East – SES-7412 / LP-1974)

Label: Strata-East – SES-7412

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: US / Released: 1974

Style: Soul-Jazz, Contemporary, Free Jazz

Recorded and mixed at Sound Ideas Studio, New York City.

Artwork [Graphics] – Jerry Harris

Photography By [Liner Photo] – Richard Hinson

Engineer [Recording] – Geoff Daking, George Klabin

Producer – Shamek Farrah / Janfar Productions

Matrix / Runout (Side A Etched): SES-7412-A

Matrix / Runout (Side B Etched): SES-7412-B

A1 - Meterologicly Tuned ................................................................................... 11:20

A2 - Watch What Happens Now .......................................................................... 5:43

Shamek Farrah – alto saxophone

Norman Person – trumpet

Kasa Mu-Barak – piano

Milton Suggs – bass

Clay Herndon – drums, percussion

B1 - Umoja Suite ................................................................................................. 7:26

B2 - First impressions ....................................................................................... 10:30

Shamek Farrah – alto saxophone

Norman Person – trumpet

Sonelius Smith – piano

Milton Suggs – bass

Ron Warwell – drums

Kenny Harper – percussion

Calvert "Bo" Satter-White – conga

Fantastic piece of free improvised groove jazz. The players are kind of doing there solos together at the same time, but never loose touch to that bassline groove, outstanding, free, but never too free, just really soulful interaction and a mysterious ancient vibe to it.

One of the hardest to find records on Strata East, and one of the best – a darkly-crafted session of pure beauty, one that lives up to all the best promise of the label! The tracks are long, the sound is bold, and the whole thing moves at a pace that none of the bigger jazz labels were matching at the time – the most righteous, most expressive side of jazz in the mid 70s! Alto player Shamek Farrah is at the lead of a unique group that features Norman Person on trumpet, Milton Suggs on bass, and Sonelius Smith on piano – plus lots of additional drums and percussion, especially on side two of the album, which features some really righteous numbers! Titles include the massive bass sample track "First Impressions" – a symphony of dark, descending chord structures – plus "Meterologicly Tuned", "Watch What Happens Now", and "Umoja Suite". Incredible good! 

(Dusty Groove, Inc.)

If you find it, buy this album!

KENO DUKE / CONTEMPORARIES – Sense Of Values (Strata-East / LP-1974)

Label: Strata-East – SES-7416

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: US / Released: 1974

Style: Contemporary Jazz, Modal, Hard Bop

Recorded, mixed and edited at Minot Studios, White Plains, N.Y.

Graphics – Theodore Plair

Painting [Cover] – Roland Bloch

Photography By – Manos Angelakis

Engineer – Ron Carran

Produced by Ja Co Productions

Matrix / Runout (Side A Etched): SES-7416-A

Matrix / Runout (Side B Etched): SES-7416-B

A1 - Sense Of Values ................................................................................... 4:48

A2 - Mirage ................................................................................................... 9:25

A3 - Tibiron ................................................................................................... 5:50

B1 - Too Late, Fall Back Baby ...................................................................... 7:00

B2 - D.R.T.  ................................................................................................... 8:16

B3 - Bajan-Bajan .......................................................................................... 6:12

Keno Duke – drums, percussion

George Coleman – tenor saxophone

Harold Mabern – piano

Lisle Atkinson – bass

Frank Strozier – flute, alto saxophone

KENO DUKE – Sense of Values (1974) Strata-East-7416.  An amazing modal / spiritual session the great drummer Keno Duke joined by Harold Mabern on piano, George Coleman on tenor sax, Lisle Atkinson on bass and Frank Strozier on alto sax and flute. This is a rare and sought-after release on the great Strata-East Records label.

Sustained rhythmic momentum was never a problem for Keno Duke's jazz quintet, Contemporaries, on this album you will enjoy in selections that were brimming with imagination, color and solo excitement.

Man for man, the group is exceptionally strong. It has two outstanding and contrasting saxophonists—George Coleman, a tenor saxophonist who is a solid, consistent follower of the John Coltrane style, and Frank Strozier, an altoist whose clean, precisely shaped notes and flowing phrases sound like a nineteen‐seventies Jimmy Dorsey. Harold Mabern has long been a pianist with a startling manner of overwhelming the piano in his solos and providing unusually strong background for other soloists, here surely complemented by Lisle Atkinson on bass and Mr. Duke on drums.

When their talents were applied to the fresh, provocative lines and harmonies of such pieces as “Mirage”, “Too Late, Fall Back Baby”, "D.R.T." or "Bajan-Bajan", they produced jazz that sparkled with vitality and gave Mr. Mabern and Mr. Strozier stimulating showcases for their solo talents. These performances maintained so high and distinctive a level. This is a beautiful spiritual jazz.

Review By John S. Wilsonfeb

If you find it, buy this album!

UNITY / BYRON MORRIS – Blow Thru Your Mind (E.P.I. Rec - EPI-02 / LP-1974)

Label: E.P.I. Records – EPI-02

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: US / Released: 1974

Style: Free Improvisation, Modal

Recorded on December 30, 1973, at Minot Sound Studios, White Plains, NY.

Cover [Cover Art] – John Blazeski

Photos By – Gerald Wise

Photography By [Photo Consult] – Peter Hurd

Layout – Betty Morris

Mixed By – Byron Morris, Ron Carran

Producer – Byron Morris, Gerald Wise

Matrix / Runout (Side A): EPI-02-A

Matrix / Runout (Side B): EPI-02-B

A1 - Kitty Bey ............................................................................................. 12:25

A2 - Ether ..................................................................................................... 6:20

B1 - Reunion .............................................................................................. 11:40

B2 - Transcendental Lullaby ........................................................................ 7:00

Personnel:

Byron Morris – baritone saxophone, alto saxophone

Vince McEwan – trumpet

Mike Kull – piano

Jay Clayton – vocals

Milton Suggs – bass

Abdush Shahid – drums

Tony Waters – percussion, congas, maracas

The music on this LP is excellent. A major departure from the dissonant free jazz that Morris explored on 1969's Unity session, Blow Thru Your Mind contains modal post-bop that is melodic and relatively accessible. This is a very spiritual album; a lot of spirituality goes into the solos of Morris and trumpeter Vincent McEwan, as well as the ethereal vocals of female singer Jay Clayton (who is featured on tracks like "Ether," "Reunion," and "Transcendental Lullaby"). Blow Thru Your Mind is enthusiastically recommended to anyone who is seriously into modal jazz...

Byron Morris and Unity released Blow Through Your Mind originally in the US in 1974. 
The LP was recorded a year earlier at Minot Sound Studios in White Plains, New York. This studio was a favorite with many independent Jazz groups at this time -- for instance, many recordings for the independent Strata East Records, co-owned by Stanley Cowell and Charles Tolliver, were made here. Unity was formed with similar values, aims and objectives of many similar groups at the time, as the name suggests. Uniquely, it managed to match the musical and spiritual searching of John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Ornette Coleman alongside an equally experimental New York art-music dimension that was brought into the group by vocalist Jay Clayton, who has performed with, amongst many others, Steve Reich. With bassist Milton Suggs having played in Sun Ra's Arkestra, and Byron Morris studied with Ornette Coleman and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, it is possible to see the path that makes up 'Kitty Bey', twelve minutes of musical intensity, that sounds like nothing else ever recorded. 
Kitty Bey was originally featured on Universal Sounds Of America on Soul Jazz. Originally released on Unity's own EPI label and distributed by hand, this record has remained an underground classic recording for over 25 years?......

Note:

Blow Thru Your Mind, which first came out on vinyl in 1974, was EPI's second release. In 2002, Blow Thru Your Mind and Morris' next album, Vibrations, Themes and Serenades, were both reissued on CD by Céleste Music (a Japanese label). But those Céleste reissues weren't the first time that Morris' '70s recordings had been heard on CD; in 1994, Morris combined material from Blow Thru Your Mind and Vibrations.

Unfortunately, all of these re-releases have long ago are out-of-print.

Review by Alex Henderson

If you find it, buy this album!