orgyinrhythmredux

Cecil McBee for Strata East from 1974 First posted at OIR 09/06. Here is my last post on Strata East for the moment and it's the great Cecil McBee I have so many albums with him as a sideman I thought it was fitting that this solo album by him should be posted.This features the terrific "Tulsa Black" track that was compiled by Soul Jazz some years ago for their Strata East cd. I have lifted this review from the always excellent and eminently readable Daily Jazz Blogspot -Jazz reviews and comment from one man with an unfeasibly large record collection. The bass has always been an essential component of the jazz rhythm section, simultaneously holding down the groove while marking out the changes. Bassists of the hard-bop era often got little in the way of solo space (they were too important to be allowed to wander off by themselves) but throughout the 1960s and 70s, perhaps thanks to the gargantuan presence of Charles Mingus, they began to take a more prominent role. Severa...

Shamek Farrah and Sonelius Smith for Strata East from 1977 First posted at OIR September 06. Another great session of spiritual soul jazz and one of the rarest albums on Strata East from 1976. Shamek Farrah's soulful alto is matched with the free spiritual piano of Sonelius Smith, for a totally memorable session that virtually defines the essence of the Strata East sound. The music is free, but not too free; lyrical, but never indulgent; and always turning over with a fresh sense of imagination, and a strident groove that's very much in the classic Strata East mode.The highlight of this lp is the latin romp of the 10 minute title tune a real banger of the first order.(David Murray also cut a fantastic version of this with his big band on "South of the Border" which i will post some day). This rip is from the original vinyl @320 but it did actually make a cd release in Japan on Bomba which I think is now deleted.

Shamek Farrah for Strata East from 1974. First posted at OIR in September 06. As Strata East got rolling one of the admirable things it was able to do was offer a platform to some more obscure artists who weren’t being heard elsewise, folks like Billy Parker’s Fourth World (including DeeDee, Ronald, and Cecil Bridgewater); the Washington, DC ensemble Juju (who evolved from an Art Ensemble knock-off into the great jazz-funk band Oneness of Juju by the mid-70s); and alto sax player Shamek Farrah. I don’t really know too much about Shamek except that he made two great albums of spiritual jazz for Strata in 1974 and ’77 (the second and half of the first in collaboration with pianist Sonelius Smith). Both are way cool, but my favorite is probably this one, recorded with 2 slightly different ensembles but consistent in style: largely dark, minor-mode pieces w/a drone implied or explicit and executed w/plenty of edge. The playing is chunky, heavy, and group-minded; Farrah emits a glorious wai...

Charles Rouse for Strata East from 1974. First posted at O.I.R. 09/06. The album "Two is One" was recorded in 1974 for Strata East and was Charlie Rouse's first date as both producer and leader.He pulled an interesting mix of players together for this date-Airto-Percussion,Azzedin Weston-Congas,Calo Scott-Cello,David Lee-Drums,Stanley Clarke-Bass, Paul Mitzki and George Davis on Guitars. "Bitchin'" opens the lp on a cool funky groove which flows along and then gets blown out of the window by the savage break beat battery of "Hopscotch".Joe Chambers wrote it-had to be a drummer,didn't it-and David Lee's funky drum patterns combine with Stan the Mans rumbling bottom end bass lock down to produce a monstrous proto-broken beat tour de force.This is followed by"In a Funky Way"which does exactly what it says in the title. "Two is One"is divided into two parts-one is two?- and is an incredible sucession of different rhythms.In...

Music Inc. for Strata East from 1971. First posted at O.I.R. September 2006. CHARLES TOLLIVER-TRUMPET;CECIL McBEE-BASS;STANLEY COWELL-PIANO;JIMMY HOPPS-DRUMS Reeds and Flutes:JIMMY HEATH CLIFFORD JORDAN BOBBY BROWN WILBUR BROWN Trumpets:RICHARD WILLIAMS VIRGIL JONES LARRY GREENWICH DANNY MOORE Trombones:GARNETT BROWN CURTIS FULLER JOHN GORDON DICK GRIFFIN Tuba and Baritone Sax:HOWARD JOHNSON This was the first release from Strata-EastRecords, the label created in 1971 by Music Inc.'s co-leaders, Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell. For the debut, the two lead an advanced, hard bop session of their own compositions arranged for a quartet augmented by a 13-member brass and wind orchestra. The writing has an affinity with McCoy Tyner's modal hard bop from this same period, e.g Tyner's Extensions (Blue Note). Similarly, Cowell's playing shares with Tyner's a powerful technique, effective use of rippling two-handed arpeggios, and an ability to make its presence felt in...

Charles Tolliver for Strata East from 1988. Charles Tolliver - Trumpet ;Alain Jean - Marie - Piano ;Ugonna Okegwo - Bass ;Ralph Van Duncan - Drums check this out from Charles Tolliver : Tolliver is joined by a trio of remarkably proficient, European-based musicians on this recording because, as he notes, his usual group experienced transportation problems. After only one rehearsal, Guadaloupean-born Alain Jean Marie(piano), British-born/West Germany-reared Ugonna Okegwo(bass), and American ex-patriate Ralph Van Duncan (drums) were able to play Tolliver's music with exceptional expertise. Four of Tolliver's distinctive compositions are given extended treatment, allowing each musician to exhibit his improvisational expertise. Once again we have aural evidence of the existence of musicians outside of the USA who can play this music and play it skillfully as their American brothers. Tolliver's bright, well-rounded trumpet sound is front and center here, to remind listeners that...

Hats off to Ish over at Ile Oxumare who has got big love for Strata East and just to prove that love he's started The Strata East Fan Club Blog. It's a work in progress treaure trove full of great info,links and even merchandising so what better way to celebrate the mighty Strata East than to bring back a few choice crackers from the early days of O.I.R. when I ran the "Orgy In Rhythm Loves Strata East" series of posts.These were all at Rapidshare.de so the links have been dead and buried for a long time. I'm kicking it off with one that I didn't post at the time and I can't say I have ever seen it anywhere else in blogland so comin' up : Charles Tolliver At The Quasimodo Vol.2

Gary Bartz for Prestige from 1973. Gary Bartz-Synthesizer, Clarinet, Harmonica, Percussion, Harmonium, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano), Vocals;Hector Centeno-Guitar;Howard King-Drums;Hubert Eaves III-Piano, Clavinet;James Benjamin-Bass, Bass (Electric);Kenneth Nash-Percussion;Maynard Parker-Bass, Guitar One for ish. Dusty Groove says it like it is: One of the last Gary Bartz albums for Prestige and a really unique session with a different feel than some of his earlier work! Gary's still got plenty of angular funk in his sound here thanks to some edgey keyboards from Hubert Eaves but he's also tightened things up a bit without smoothing them out cutting down on the longer jams in favor of a more focused approach, and singing himself on many cuts, taking on the quirky lyrical role that used to be held by Andy Bey! Bartz also produced the record himself, but Larry Mizell handled the final mix giving the record a slightly spacier Mizell-inflected groove, but one that's not as full as...

Cal Tjader for Fantasy from 1973 Arranged and Conducted by Charlie Palmieri and Tito Puente. Total bomb from the Big Three-Cal,Charlie,Tito. Jose Merino-Trumpet, Louis Laurita-Trumpet, Jack Jeffers-Trombone,Tuba, Bobby Nelson-Tenor, Charlie Palmieri-Keyboards, Bobby Rodriguez-Bass, Enrique Davila-Timbales, Tito Puente-Timbales, Ismael Quintana-Percussion,Vocal, Victor Aviles-Vocal, Victor Velasquez-Vocal, William Rodriguez-Bongos, Luis Rodriguez-Conga. Dusty Groove love it: A really hard-hitting set from Cal Tjader and one that's done with a good dose of 60s Latin Soul as well! The album was recorded in the early 70s, but it's really got a late 60s New York flavor thanks to arrangers Charlie Palmieri and Tito Puente who cook up a groove that's sockingly soulful, and much more outta site than some of Tjader's other work from the time! The style here is more Fania than Fantasy Records and Cal jumps right in with some great work on vibes ringing out in a tight, Joe Cuba-es...

Sabu Martinez for SMC from 1960. Sabu-Conga;Rios-Piano;DelValle-Bass;Reynaldo-Timbales; Fuentes-Guiro;Vibes-Unknown Astronautas Thom Jurek on the case again: In the aftermath of the success of Sabu Martinez's Jazz Espagnole, he took the band out on the road. It fell apart after only a few months because of Sabu's inability to control his own destructive urges. Hence, Martinez picked up whomever he could find to try and re-create the music on Jazz Espagnole -- usually with disastrous results. However, a couple of those bands stayed together long enough to record a pair of albums for the SMC label in late 1960, the Astronautas de la Pachangas. Shrouded in mystery, with the name of the vibraphonist not even known and only Martinez credited with both his names -- the rest have names like Raynaldo, Del Valle, etc. -- the set while, not having the stunning character of Jazz Espangnole, is nonetheless an accomplished bit of recorded wizardry, and the cats came a long way from that fir...

Stone Alliance for PM Records from 1977. Three in a row for Gene Perla and Don Alias here at Orgy In Rhythm. Steve Grossman Tenor Saxophone/Gene Perla Bass, Keyboards and Guitar/Don Alias Drums, Congas, Guitar and Percussion/Santiago Giacobbe Piano/José Maria Loriente Congas, Bongos and Percussion Daniel Binelli Bandoneon/Roberto Valencia Percussion Recorded at Studio Netto,Buenos Aries by Jorge Da Silva/Produced by Nano Herrera and Gene Perla. The result of a State Department funded trip down thru South America this album has an even stronger latin influenced sound and features guest artists from Argentina.There's a great percussion workout on "Amigos" with Don Alias doing what he did best,the lovely sound of the Bandoneon is introduced on "I'll Tell You Tomorrow" and,of course,the raw latin funk of Steve Grossman's "Graciela". Stone Alliance never put a foot wrong for me,eschewing the commercial jazz funk of the day and producing a hard fusio...

Elvin Jones for Blue Note from 1971. Frank Foster (ts, afl, acl)Joe Farrell, Dave Liebman (ts, ss)Gene Perla (b, el-b) Elvin Jones (d) Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, February 12, 1971 Steve Grossman,Dave Liebman (ts, ss)Joe Farrell (ts, ss, fl, picc)Pepper Adams (bars) Chick Corea, Jan Hammer (p, el-p)Yoshiaki Masuo (g)Gene Perla (b, el-b) Elvin Jones (d)Don Alias (cga, glockenspiel,oriental bells) Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, December 16, 1971 Keeping the Stone Alliance connection going here's Elvin Jones featuring Gene Perla on Bass & Don Alias on Congas and Percussion.This lp was recorded shortly before Kikuchi's Hollow Out session with Jones and Perla but that is where the similarity ends.Interestingly enough the Japanese guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo(on this set) had been playing with Sadao Watanabe and had impressed Elvin and Gene Perla sufficiently to bring him back to New York to record with this line up. Here's a fairly low key view o...

Stone Alliance for PM Records from 1980. Don Alias-Drums, Congas, Percussion, Voice;Gene Perla-Bass, Acoustic Piano, Voice;Kenny Kirkland-Keyboards;Bob Mintzer-Tenor Saxophone;Jan Hammer-Keyboards;Michael Brecker-Tenor Saxophone;Alex Acuna-Drums;Robert Piltch-Guitar;David Liebman-Soprano Saxophone;Randy Brecker-Fluglehorn;Alan Rubin-Cornet;Jim Pugh-Trombone;Bob Smith-Trombone Produced by Gene Perla Gene Perla and Don Alias reformed Stone Alliance for this cracking slab of break heavy funky fusion in 1980.Alias,Perla,Bob Mintzer and Kenny Kirkland are the principal soloists and the rest of the band make up the ensemble playing.Perla and Alias knocked out all the tunes with the exception of Toninho Horta's "Pedro Da Lua" and Orlando "Cachaito" Lopez's "Para Los Papinos",a typically heavy percussion driven piece. Check out the PM Records sight here -it's well worth a visit. Ripped @320 from the original vinyl-there's a cd reissue available fro...

From time to time I have had contributions and shares left in the comments at this blog by various visitors .I am conscious that these do not always get the full exposure they deserve and feel they need to be given a higher profile.I am hesitant to post them at Orgy In Rhythm as I have always promoted the site as a one man (chimp?)affair which scrupulously draws its posts from my own lp and cd collection. So I decided it's time for a second Orgy In Rhythm site for the contributions made by you generous rippers out there.I will also be posting material there myself which does not fall into the remit I set for my original Orgy In Rhythm concept. Credit will be given to all contributors and if you can't supply details I'll try and hook it all up.Format is up to you(mp3s,flacs etc) but if you can keep them at 192 and above it would be appreciated.Just leave your contributions in the comments boxes(I get all comments emailed to me so I shouldn't miss any of your efforts)and ...

Sabu Martinez for SMC (Spanish Music Centre) from 1960. Sabu Martinez: conga Irez: piano, organ Rios: piano Del Valle: bass Reynaldo: timbales Fuentes: guiro Here is a very brief synopsis about this LP from hipwax . As is often the case with great artists, Sabu's finest hour was something of an accident. Returning from California in 1960, Sabu was offered a chance to record with Al Santiago of Alegre Records. But first Sabu needed a band, and a chance meeting with Louie Ramirez led to the famed Jazz Espagnole session. Sabu's Jazz Espagnole was and is a masterpiece of modern Latin jazz. Most of the credit is due to ensemble founders Marty Sheller and Louie Ramirez, however. As Lasse Mattsson puts it in the liner notes to Groovin' with Sabu, Sabu usually creates an avalanche of sound. Had he truly initiated the work (instead of joining the band in-progress), he might have created a sound more like his previous Afro-Latin, Afro-Cuban bop, and exotic jazz records. Fortunately, ...

Neil Ardley for Decca from 1979. What better way to celebrate a birthday than with this great piece of British jazz by Neil Ardley? Neil Ardley:Synthesizers;John Martyn:Guitars;Billy Kristian:bass;Geoff Castle:Piano,Minimoog;Richard Burgess:Drums;Trevor Tomkins:Percussion;Barbara Thompson:Flute,Soprano Sax;Tony Coe:Clarinet,Soprano Sax;Ian Carr:Trumpet,Flugelhorn;Pepi Lemer,Norma Winstone:Voices (What a line up !!!) Highly Recommended. I lifted this write up from the Neil Ardley site: Neil Ardley based this 1978 album on the ancient idea of the Harmony of the Spheres, the idea that each planet produces a musical note related to its orbit. It was reasoned that, as everything in the heavens is perfect, the notes must sound together to produce a perfect harmony. Neil Ardley synthesized the actual harmony of the spheres, deriving the frequencies of the notes from the orbital periods of the planets. It can be heard in the all-synthesizer track Soft Stillness and the Night, and it is appro...

Orgy In Rhythm is two years old today! Over one and a half million visits,532 posts,thousands of comments and a sackful of downloads. Thanks for visiting and keep spreading the jazz message.

Al Foster for Laurie Records from 1977. Al Foster:Drums,Piano;Masabumi Kikuchi:Piano,Organ;Teo Macero:Piano;T.M.Stevens:Bass;Jeff Berlin:Bass;Ron McClure:Bass;Mike Brecker:Sax Solos;Paul Metze:Guitar;Bob Mintzer:Sax;Sam Morrison:Sax;Jim Clouse:Flute,Sax. Produced By Teo Macero. There's a rear cover scan in the d/load to identify personel by track or look here. Paid a tenner for this in London last week on the back of a comment left on the Hollow Out post by dka and what did I get? A nice piece of funky fusion with some abrasive choppy guitar and aggressive riffing from the ensemble.I guess the nearest comparison might be some of the material recorded on PM records mixed with some obvious later stage Miles Davis ensemble influences.However,"Dark Magus"it aint! Kikuchi,Foster and Morrison had previously played with Davis and this session was cut with Macero on production duties prior to the aborted 78 Davis comeback session featuring Larry Coryell and T.M.Stevens (More abou...

Marcos Ariel and Grupo Usina for Paladar Brasil from 1983. 100 mph samba fusion from one of the great exponents of the genre,Marcos Ariel. This was recorded a couple of years after "Bambu"(posted here 3/07 -the download is still active)and is similar in style with some frantic fusion workouts and encompassing the influences of Chick Corea,Hermeto Pascoal,A.C.Jobim,Pixinguinha and Mozart(!) Only ever available on vinyl this is ripped from the original Brazilian pressing @320-no reissues. Here's a bit more about him from myspace.com: Marcos Ariel is in the forefront of contemporary Brazilian music. His musical style is purely Carioca (one who is a native of Rio de Janeiro) splashed with a passion for Classical and Jazz. His enthusiasm as a pianist, flutist and composer is inspiring. As a musician, he is swift and precise transcending genuine warmth that can only be Marcos Ariel............... In his home of Rio de Janeiro, music flourished. His father encouraged him to lis...

Louie Ramirez for Fania from 1971. Louie Ramirez Timbales/Elio Osacar Piano/Larry Spencer Trumpet/Demereado Alberto Trumpet/Bobby Valentin Trumpet/Hector de Leon Trumpet/Manuel Gonzalez Trombone Victor David Perez Bass/Bobby Rodriguez Bass/Victor Allende Conga/John Rodriguez Jr. Bongo & Bell Arrangements: Louie Ramirez Here's Bobby Marin's sleeve notes to the Fania CD reissue: When Louie Ramirez signed his first contract with Fania Records in 1971, Fania President Jerry Masucci, who was also a lawyer, decided to release Louie’s first album using the pseudonym Ali Baba to avoid any possible legal repercussions from his previous recording commitment. Even before Salsa’s evolution began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Louie Ramirez was at the forefront of the New York Latin Mambo sound. His flare for creating electrifying, danceable musical arrangements was embraced by top band leaders of the era. From Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez to the flourishing Boogaloo bands of that...

Esy Morales rocking the joint with "Jungle Fantasy" but not even a ball busting piano solo by Noro Morales can get Burt onto the floor to get it back together with his main squeeze.

Bobby Paunetto for RSVP from 1999. Composed,Arranged,Conducted & Produced by Bobby Paunetto with many of the original members of the CTM Band: Players:Bobby Vince Paunetto & The CTM Band: Bobby Vince Paunetto (conductor); Billy Drewes (soprano & alto saxophones, flute, drums); Todd Anderson (tenor saxophone, flute); Gary Smulyan (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet); Glenn Drewes (trumpet); Tom Harrell (flugelhorn); Larry Farrell (trombone); Bill O'Connell, Armen Donelian (piano, keyboards); Mike Richmond (acoustic bass); John Riley (drums). Links will be in the comments from now on. RECONSTITUTED" A Modern Jazz Swing CD With Latin Jazz Touches... "Is a potent and a attractive big band that Bobby Vince Paunetto leads...between the individuality of the outstanding soloists & the high level of original material by Paunetto, 12 compositions that range from reflective and graceful, to contours of phrasing that sweep forward with a great deal of honest passion...

Stanley Cowell for Galaxy from 1979. One of my favourite Cowell lps - well,how can you go wrong with support from the great Cecil McBee and the mighty Roy Haynes! Produced by Ed Michel. Highly Recommended. Pianist Stanley Cowell introduced his most famous composition "Equipoise" on this trio set with bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Roy Haynes. Actually the entire LP (which is unfortunately out-of-print) is a fine all-round showcase for Cowell who also plays three of his other lesser-known originals, McBee's "Lady Blue" and Jackie McLean's "Dr. Jackle." Cowell has long had an original style within the modern mainstream and his interplay with his notable sidemen on this program always holds one's interest. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide Ripped @320 from the original vinyl.

Art Blakey for Prestige from 1972. Tracks 1&2:Art Blakey-Drums;Woody Shaw-Trumpet;Ramon Morris-Tenor;George Cables-Piano;Stanley Clarke-Bass;Ray Mantilla-Congas;Manny Boysd-Flute. Track 3:Add Micky Bass-Bass;Buddy Terry-Soprano;John Hicks-E.Piano;Nathaniel Bettis,Sonny Morgan,Pablo Landrum,Emmanuel Rahim-Percussion,Congas.Drop:Cables,Mantilla. Track 4:Blakey,Shaw,Cables,Clarke Stanley Clarke's "Song For A Lonely Woman" is,of course,"500 Miles High" which was to be recorded a few months later on the seminal Return To Forever - Light As A Feather album and credited to Chick Corea in that instance. In 1972 Art Blakey signed a long-term exclusive recording contract with Prestige Records for a series of LP's. Child's Dance (Prestige 10047) was the first album for the label. After several years of few recordings, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers re-emerged with totally new personnel on this Prestige LP. The strongest performance is a quartet feature for t...

Art Blakey for Prestige from 1973. Woody Shaw (tp)Carter Jefferson(ts)Cedar Walton(p)Michel Howell(g)Mickey Bass(b)Art Blakey(d)Tony Waters(cga)Steve Turre(Tb) Much in the same vein as "Buhaina" and in fact recorded at the same session at Fantasy Studios Berkley and produced by Orrin Keepnews.So we get more Woody,Cedar,Carter and the gang and more hard bop with 70 fusion influences in the mix.Great version of Shaw's "Love:For The One You Can't Have" and the title track is another jazz dance classic pioneered by Paul Murphy in the ealy 80s. Ripped @320 from the original vinyl.

Art Blakey for Prestige from 1973. Woody Shaw (tp)Carter Jefferson(ts)Cedar Walton(p)Michel Howell(g)Mickey Bass(b)Art Blakey(d)Tony Waters(cga)Jon Hendricks(vcl) More Woody on this underrated 70s session from Blakey and co."Mission Eternal" was a big dance cut for those with elastic legs back in the day at the Electric Ballroom and if that's your bag then make sure you check out "A Chant For Bu" and "One For Trane" which both move into similar fusion territory. During the decade of the 1970s, American audiences abandoned acoustic jazz, and Blakey struggled to retain first-class musicians and the support of record labels and club owners in the U.S. Setting aside his neo-bop classicism, which he pioneered, Blakey took in band members whose tastes were decidedly more pop than jazz. Chuck Mangione's little-known stay in the Messengers's trumpet chair was perhaps the ultimate reflection of the breakdown in the cultural concensus about the elements...