GLEN HALL – The Book Of The Heart (Sonora – SA-101 / LP-1979)

Label: Sonora – SA-101

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: US / Released: 1979

Style: Free Jazz, Contemporary Jazz

Recorded May 5, 1979, Generation Sound, New York.

Cover Design – Glen Hall

Photography / Cover Art – Guntram Porps

Engineer – Tony May

Mixed at Sierra Pacific Studio, Studio City, California

Mixing engineers - Ian Gardiner, Reed Stanley

Mastered at Lacquer Channel - Toronto

Production By – Glen Hall

Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched): WRC-1-934 SA-101-A

Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched): WRC-1-934 SA-101-B

A1 - Orchid Opening Downwards ......................................................................... 7:15

A2 - Kitab Al Qalb (The Book Of The Heart) ........................................................ 3:14

A3 - El Borrado ..................................................................................................... 1:54

A4 - For Marianne ................................................................................................ 7:00

B1 - Blue Seven .................................................................................................... 6:23

B2 - Iris ................................................................................................................. 9:20

Personnel:

Glen Hall – tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, percussion

Joanne Brackeen – piano

Cecil McBee – bass

Billy Hart – drums, percussion

Joshua Breakstone – guitar (A4)

The expression "I trust myself" means different things to different people, but mainly means to believe in my creativity. In Glen Hall's case it means "I am almost unknown, but for my first record I want as sidemen Cecil McBee, Billy Hart and Joanne Brackeen". It was more than just a brave decision because these three musicians are artists with abilities at so high a point that they could (because of that) overpower the leader. The final result that came out of this record proved that Hall was not just flying in the clouds, but his choice of personnel of the group had been established on the basics of dynamics that he believed were contained in his work.

The record opens with a Hall original, "Orchid Opening Downwards", a piece of great suspense and beauty, taken at a slow breathing speed, building in a deliberate decentralized way, around solos from Hall and Brackeen and non-directional rhythm, to a lovely McBee bowed solo. Slow waves of crescendoing beauty on a piece rare in its combination of naturalness of composition and instant composition. "Kitab al Qalb", another Hall original, show some Dolphy roots with Hall playing a talking double time solo backed by Hart and McBee over Brackeen's free comping.

"El Borrado" is the last of the three Hall originals, a piece featuring the leader in asolos role, sqeezing out, in slow motion, forced blown and invertedly blown sax-sounding like overmiked amplifier feedback-it works, it moves. Manfred Schoof's "For Marianne" ends side one and has guitarist Joshua Breakstone in attendance for this one track. Breakstone has the first solo on this loping almost waltz time piece; he reminds me somewhat of Pat Martino.

Hall also solos on it nicely. Rollins' "Blue Seven" opens side two and rather than go head on with Sonny's original power, the theme is boldly stated by bowed bass and bass clarinet in unison: very effective. Everyone free forms behind the solos that drift in and out from Hall, McBee and Brackeen. Great balance, great execution, great freedom. Side two closes with Wayne Shorter's "Iris", this free floats but without the focus, strength and interplay that the rest of the record maintains. A recording that must sit well with all invlolved. Did everything just manage to work right-magic in the studio? Or is Hall a master organizer and catalyst? 

Gutsy music strongly recommended.

If you find it, buy this album!

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!

CHICO FREEMAN – The Search (LP-1983)

Label: India Navigation – IN 1059
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album; Country: US - Released: 1983
Style: Hard Bop, Free/Avant-Garde Jazz
India Navigation Studio Recording, 1982
Design – Tan Ohe
Photography By – Beth Cummins
Producer – Bob Cummins

This is a beautiful collaboration between Freeman and the vocalist Val Eley. All four tracks include vocals by Eley. Her singing is very strong. The opening, "The Search", starts with unaccompanied vocal line. The moment when the piano trio jumps in always gives me goosebumps even after tens of listens to this album. I was at a cafe one day and listened to this album, fascinated with it, and walked immediately to a record store and bought it. Kenny Barron is so wonderful on this album. McBee playing in this album is very secure (in terms of intonation). Participation of Nana Vasconcelos is also great. All the four compositions are very well composed, arranged, and performed.

A1 - The Search  10:52
A2 - Illas  11:48
B1 - Close To You Alone  7:30
B2 - Soweto Suite  12:25

CHICO FREEMAN – Saxophone, Flute
KENNY BARRON – Piano
VAL ELEY – Vocals
CECIL McBEE – Bass
JAY HOGGARD – Vibraphone, Marimba
NANA VESCONCELOS – Berimbau, Percussion
BILLY HART – Drums

Surely, it ’ s not the most known album nor the easiest to find of this musician and composer. Even so, it ’ s an excellent work, where the vocal performance of Val Eley gives it a character of great beauty and exclusivity.

Although Jazz always was the basis of the music composed by Chico Freeman, many of his works present a rather sharp stylistic diversity as he himself likes to point out: “ My objective is to explore new worlds, and I don ’ t want to be limited by categories. The only limitations I place on myself are the limitations on my own imagination, and within that realm, there are none ” .

Comprising three originals from Freeman and one from Cecil McBee, “ The Search ” is a memorable album, which reveals the vocal performance of Val Eley denoting a strong lyrical component, a style of recitation and drama so popular in the Cabaret music or the hippie revival of the musical “ Hair ” . Although I ’ m not a special follower of the singing Jazz, this album left me rendered to Eley ’ s vocal and interpretive skills, from the very first audition.

But this musical piece is much more than the voice of Eley, or we were not dealing with a star cast, composed of the finest instrumentalists. The faultless performance of Cecil McBee (bass) and Billy Hart (drums) is joined by the brilliant Kenny Barron (piano), giving the 40 minutes of this record, an unparalleled rhythmic robustness. Jay Hoggard (vibraphone/marimba) and Nana Vasconcelos (berimbau/percussion) complement the aesthetic sense of this work, with details of great opportunism and excellence. As for Chico Freeman, those who know him from other albums, know how exciting his performance can be. A real musical treat.

Generating a positive wave that emanates a contagious spirituality of influences as diverse as the Hard- Bop, R&B or the Free/Avant-Garde Jazz, this work can be heard with the greatest pleasure, without ever becoming dull or boring.

"The Search" is indeed a serious case of inspiration and musical quality and therefore I never tire of recommending it to all my friends and lovers of good music.



If you find it, buy this album!

ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT – Man Of The Light (LP-1977)

Label: MPS Records – 68.163
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album; Country: Germany - Released: 1977
Style: Free Jazz, Fusion
Recorded: September 27 - 30, 1976, Tonstudio Zuckerfabrik Stuttgart, Germany.
Artwork By [Cover] – Thyrso A. Brisolla / B.R.M.
Photography – Reinhard Truckenmüller
Producer – Joachim-Ernst Berendt
Recorded By – Chips Platen

Zbigniew Seifert (6 June 1946 – 15 February 1979), Polish jazz violinist

 "Man of the Light" is a true desert island disc; one of the most exhilarating, important, and underexposed jazz albums ever recorded, and all the more tragic for its largely unfulfilled promise of even greater things to come.

Tracklist:
A1 - City Of Spring  6:37
A2 - Man Of The Light  9:45
A3 - Stillness  5:00
B1 - Turbulent Ployer  7:27
B2 - Love In The Garden  6:12
B3 - Coral  6:54
Composed By – Zbigniew Seifert, except track A3 by Cecil McBee

Musicians:
ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT – violin
JOACHIM KÜHN – piano
JASPER VAN'T HOF – electric piano, organ
CECIL McBEE – acoustic bass
BILLY HART – drums

An incredible jazz album of refreshing quality for its year. These people here have captured the spiritual intensity of John Coltrane with with the grace of classical exuberance, romantic creativity and electric dynaminism. The outstanding whoppers of "modality" such as "City of Spring", "Man of the Light" and "Turbulent Plover" are just beyond my expectation. I usually am a bit annoyed by the long formulaic modal workouts of the acoustic piano, but the classical undercurrents on this album really make these bits shine more than just the usual display of technical fludity, which is mandatory anyway for any solid jazz musician.

And the man on one of my favorite instruments of all time is fiddling away like shining star, radiating unbelievable creativity at the avant-garde/fusion galaxies where people like Coltrane or Jean-Luc Ponty used to travel. What really makes this effort even more interesting are some of these ideas that exhibit some melancholic spiritualism, such as the threnodial number of "Stillness" that carries some folk baggage within its spheres of lamentation. Such a great and simple bass riff there as well. Superb! "Love in the Garden" stumbles on the plains of the same arcane spiritualism that Mahavishnu Orchestra used explore. It even reminds me of an ambient scape. The similarities fortunately aren't overbearing as the amount of interpetrational weight is just staggering in Seifert's expressive strokes of virtuosity.

Truly stunning interaction, interpretation and execution of musical ideas.

This exceptional album by Polish violin virtuoso / composer Zbigniew Seifert was the first major exposure of his talents outside of his motherland. Legendary MPS producer Joachim Berendt, who had close ties to the Polish Jazz scene, was aware of Seifert's incredible talent and managed to pull off this recording session, bringing on board a superb team of players, which consisted of German pianist Joachim Kuhn and an American rhythm section: bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart. Dutch pianist Jasper van`t Hof also participates on one track. Seifert composed all the music on this album, which is a great example of typical Eastern European Jazz, which cleverly combines elements of modern American Jazz, especially that of John Coltrane, with Folklore and Classical influences. Seifert's "obsession" with Coltrane's music and his improvisational technique are plainly evident, especially during the up-tempo numbers. The album's title track is dedicated to Coltrane's pianist McCoy Tyner. Hearing the album 37 years after it was recorded makes one realize how great music gets better with time, losing absolutely nothing of its initial grandeur. Both Seifert and Kuhn play some incredible solos here and the rhythm section supports them admirably every step of the way. Tragically, just three years after this music was recorded Seifert died, stricken by cancer, before his endless potential was realized and recognized properly. Seifert managed to record several albums in the US before his untimely death, but this album is definitely his most important and most perfect legacy.
Absolutely essential!