MILTON MARSH – Monism (Strata-East / LP-1975)

Label: Strata-East – SES-19758

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: US / Released: 1975

Style: Post Bop, Avant-garde Jazz, Spiritual, Free Jazz

Recorded 3rd July 1973 and 23rd May 1974 at Media Sound, New York.

Arranged By, Composed By, Producer – Milton Marsh

Artwork [Graphics] – Carole Byard

Published By – Milton Marsh Publishing Co.

Matrix / Runout (Side A Etched Runout): SES-19758-A e

Matrix / Runout (Side B Etched Runout): SES-19758-B

A1 - Vonda's Tune (part 1 of "Earth, Home Of The Mortals") ........................ 2:14

A2 - Community Music ................................................................................... 6:43

A3 - Monism ................................................................................................... 8:49

B1 - Metamorphosis ....................................................................................... 5:57

B2 - Ode to Nzinga ........................................................................................ 7:18

B3 - Sabotage, 3 preparations ....................................................................... 9:15

alto saxophone, conductor, voice [spoken text]  – Milton Marsh

piano – Cedric Lawson

alto saxophone – Joseph Ferguson, Rene McClean

baritone saxophone  – Reynold Scott

tenor saxophone  – Bill Cody, David S. Ware

trombone – Charles Stevens, Bill Lowe, Bill Campbell

trumpet – Kamal Abdul-Alim, Sinclair Acey, Bubbles Martin, Frank Williams

tuba – Bill Davis

double bass – Don Pate

drums, percussion – Greg Bandy

One of the harder to find records on Strata East, and a beautiful set of spiritual/free jazz tracks composed and arranged by reed player Milton Marsh.

Recorded in 1973 and 74 and released in limited quantities in 1975. Six song album of free jazz mixed with African rythmns! Personnel include: Rene McClean, Joseph Ferguson, David Ware, Bill Cody, Reynold Scott, Frank Williams, Sinclair Acey, Bubbles Martin, Kamal Abdul-Alim, Bill Campbell, Charles Stevens, Bill Lowe, Bill Davis, Cedric Lawson, Don Tate, Greg Bandy. ULTRA-RARE!!

 arranged, composed, producer – Milton Marsh

In 1975, Milton Marsh released his first album "Monism" for the Strata-East label. Marsh, a composer, arranger, saxophonist and flautist, recorded the album in New York City, and the musicians on "Monism" represent some of the finest living in NYC at the time: pianist Cedric Lawson, bassist Don Pate, along with two rising stars at the time, David Ware on saxophone and Greg Bandy on percussion. Ironically, all of these artists would go on to record several volumes of music in their careers except for Marsh, who recorded only one additional album, 1985’s Continuum, after a decade long absence.

Marsh composed and arranged all of the album’s six compositions, each of which featured between nine and 17 players. This sizable headcount explains the album’s ability to soar from quiet, minimal moments to robust, dissonant explosions, depending upon the track.

“Vonda’s Tune”, the album’s opener, begins with a brief solitary and somber horn solo, which later opens up to the more “avant” sounds of “Community Music”. The title track is where Marsh’s compositions reach their most unpredictable and exciting moments, however. “Monism” closes out the A side with a free jazz jamboree, complete with a spoken word delivery of a Sufi poem from Marsh himself. The album’s B side is relegated to more traditional structures, and features some of the most driving piano, drum and saxophone playing. Nice stuff, and one of those that you hardly ever see!

An incredible album from Milton Marsh on Strata East. Essential.

If you find it, buy this album!