Black Jazz & Tribe Records

[ep1str0phy]

Picked up a copy of Wendell Harrison's A Message from the Tribe (a co-leadership deal with Ranelin)... more or less the same retinue as the other Tribe discs. Some excellent playing here--explicitly post-boppish (somewhat less 'funky' than the Ranelin discs), some soul overtones. The highlight here is Harrison, who tips into Ayler-caliber harmonics on some of the tunes. I'd caution everyone against the Scorpio CD reissue, however--the sound blows (worth it, though).

[Guest akanalog]

rooster, chill! throughout my complaining right here i would never suggest that i wouldn't get my discs.

i just said the process was ridiculously slow for a "real" business.

and in fact, they came yesterday, quite slowly...but they are here.

in fact, there is a fifth disc i didn't order (the awakening-mirage).

karma? an apology? well there is no note and my emails were never responded to, so we might never know!

i knew i wouldn't like this calvin keys disc! but the awakening sounds good so far so maybe it is karma.

[Rooster_Ties]

It wasn't that I specifically didn't think they'd come throught. Rather, I just wanted to know if anyone else had used them before (and gotten their discs), before I became the test case.

Knowing that others transactions have been successful, I'm sure I'll be placing an order quite soon. If they're slow to send their wares, that's not a problem -- as long as I know that might be the case, and as long as I know I won't be left hangin'.

Plenty of Black Jazz that I find very tempting.

[felser]

i knew i wouldn't like this calvin keys disc!

No doubt it's the drumming ?

[Guest akanalog]

zing!

no-the drumming is tight. bangin' at points.

i am just not such a GUITAR fan and there is a lot of it.

which you know, obviously i knew....but just the other players don't really get a chance to get into the spotlight so much. more backing keys up all the time.

i bought it because the sound samples, all the compositions sounded interesting.

the first henry franklin album is awesome!

the second franklin didn't hit me as hard at first but i need to relisten.

the awakening album was a little esoteric for me...kind of going in too many directions but nothing too memorable on a few listens.

and the rudolph johnson album is beautiful and soulful. every song sounds sort of familiar. sort of reminds me of a lighter and smoother toned joe henderson....

and i will say i still greatly enjoy the walt bishop album i bought with my last black jazz purchase. "keeper of my soul"-definitely a sleeper album. the roland haynes is still tight, too.

if i liked vocals i would like the "adam's apple" doug carn, but i don't...also the longest song on the album is the worst-the sort of stultifying version of wayne shorter's "sanctuary".

i like carn's liner notes for some of these discs-very honest and open about the music.

[ValerieB]

and the rudolph johnson album is beautiful and soulful. every song sounds sort of familiar. sort of reminds me of a lighter and smoother toned joe henderson....

and i will say i still greatly enjoy the walt bishop album i bought with my last black jazz purchase. "keeper of my soul"-definitely a sleeper album.

does anyone know what happened to rudolph johnson? haven't heard anything about him in eons.

first time i ever heard anyone refer to walter bishop as walt. interesting - sort of.

[Guest akanalog]

what's the difference?

i think anyone would know who i was talking about.

i was too lazy to write the "TER".

[ValerieB]

what's the difference?

i think anyone would know who i was talking about.

i was too lazy to write the "TER".

i'm sure everyone did know who you were referring to, akanalog. it's just my "thang" about not changing a person's name. not a biggie though and i didn't mean it to sound like it was.

[felser]

thought i would give a heads up that i ordered 4 discs from black jazz on june 16 and they still aren't here.

i would consider that unacceptably slow for a business.

i emailed them twice with no response...

kind of annoying.

be prepared for the "death in the family" excuse.

it's what I got from him a few years ago.

Sometimes there really is a death in the family.

[rostasi]

thought i would give a heads up that i ordered 4 discs from black jazz on june 16 and they still aren't here.

i would consider that unacceptably slow for a business.

i emailed them twice with no response...

kind of annoying.

be prepared for the "death in the family" excuse.

it's what I got from him a few years ago.

Sometimes there really is a death in the family.

Yes, of course. It is possible that you could receive the same message

and another family member has died.

I did not call him on this.

Still, this has been known to become a convenient excuse.

Your call of course.

[montg]

Reading through this thread it seems like, at least a couple of years ago, ordering through the black jazz site usually worked out. Has anyone ordered through the site more recently? I'm tempted to give it a shot.

blackjazz.com

Nice Black Jazz tribute here (from a few months ago)

jazzwax.com

[Chas]

Reading through this thread it seems like, at least a couple of years ago, ordering through the black jazz site usually worked out. Has anyone ordered through the site more recently? I'm tempted to give it a shot.

I remember my trepidation about ordering from that website years ago because of the "Black Jazz ® A West Africa Company" at the foot of the home page , and because when I called to ask about payment options it took about 10 rings for someone to pick up , and the guy on the end of the line seemed more annoyed than pleased that I had called . In spite of this , I went ahead and ordered a few things and everything then ( and with subsequent orders ) was fine . Haven't ordered anything for awhile though . Black Jazz has a store on Ebay , and the CDs are cheaper if you buy them through there . Given the good feedback , that's the way I'd go if I were you .

[jimi089]

There's going to be an Awakening reunion on March 28th here in Chicago. Original members Ken Chaney, Ari Brown, and T.S. Galloway, and then some ringers: Corey Wilkes, Josh Ramos, and Charles Heath. I'm told there will be mostly new music performed with a couple old tunes mixed in.

[JSngry]

What happened to Frank Gordon?

[jimi089]

Not exactly sure, I know he wasn't available for the gig though. They also reached out to Oscar Brashear but he wasn't available either.

[JSngry]

Hope he's ok...

[jimi089]

I'll ask Ken Chaney next time I see him and let you know. I know they spoke.

[Chas]

What happened to Frank Gordon?

Don't know .

I only remember the cat's name because his intonation on the head of Spring Thing from the first Awakening album bugged me so much . What a tune that is though - so beautifully , joyously , evocative of rebirth . Ken Chaney recorded it again last year with a trio. It's a fine somewhat more impressionistic version , but missing the triumphalism conveyed by the original horn arrangement . It's on this self-produced CD-R :

[JSngry]

I remember that Gordon actually had a little microminibuzz in down beat back in the day, a really WOW type mention in a review or two of Awakening sides, and a published solo transcription, all in the space of about a year or less. Not everybody gets that, ya'know?

[montg]

Black Jazz has a store on Ebay , and the CDs are cheaper if you buy them through there . Given the good feedback , that's the way I'd go if I were you .

Thanks for the suggestion!

There's going to be an Awakening reunion on March 28th here in Chicago. Original members Ken Chaney, Ari Brown, and T.S. Galloway, and then some ringers: Corey Wilkes, Josh Ramos, and Charles Heath. I'm told there will be mostly new music performed with a couple old tunes mixed in

Speaking of Ari Brown, his new CD on Delmark (Live at the Green Mill) is fabulous.

[Stefan Wood]

Black Jazz has a store on Ebay , and the CDs are cheaper if you buy them through there . Given the good feedback , that's the way I'd go if I were you .

Thanks for the suggestion!

There's going to be an Awakening reunion on March 28th here in Chicago. Original members Ken Chaney, Ari Brown, and T.S. Galloway, and then some ringers: Corey Wilkes, Josh Ramos, and Charles Heath. I'm told there will be mostly new music performed with a couple old tunes mixed in

Speaking of Ari Brown, his new CD on Delmark (Live at the Green Mill) is fabulous.

I wish I hadn't seen this. Ah well, I'll expect some Henry Franklin and Doug Carn in the mail this week......... )

[jimi089]

What happened to Frank Gordon?

Apparently he's living in Japan teaching, and doing well otherwise.

Edited March 12, 2008 by The Danimal

[JSngry]

That's good to know. Thanks!

[Rooster_Ties]

Any opinions of these??

<<click to enbiggenate

Wendell Harrison -- Evening With The Devil ... LP . . . $11.99 (Item: 45619) -- Tribe, 1972

One of the rare early albums on the Detroit based Tribe label, now made legendary by the compilations on Soul Jazz and PVine. Tenor player Wendell Harrison leads a group that includes Marcus Belgrave, Charles Eubanks, and Phil Ranelin, and which features occasional poetry by the "Black Messengers". The groove is laidback and spacey, with some nice electric piano, and good mellow solos that have a nice soulful vibe to them. Other parts of the album are a little bit more out, and have a sharp edge to them. Tracks include "Mary Had An Abortion", "Angry Young Man", "Consciousness", and "Rebirth". Wild cover, too!

<<click to enbiggenate

Detroit Jazz Composers Ltd -- Hastings St. Jazz Experience ... LP . . . $8.99 (Item: 418674) -- Midnite, 1976

Sweet soul jazz from the 70s Detroit scene -- and a record with a ties to the same scene as Tribe Records! The sound here is straightforward and soulful -- a bit of electricity at the bottom and some fluidly gliding horn work on the top -- plus some key vocals from a group that includes Kim Weston in the lead, supported by other female singers -- in a righteous mode that really makes the best tunes sparkle! Other players include Phil Ranelin on trombone, Nasi Hafiz on vibes, Miller Brisker on tenor and piano, and Sylvia Truner on harp -- all working together in a largeish group with the best spiritual energy of groups on Strata East! The whole thing's great -- a beautiful lost treasure, and the kind of record that's rarely carried off so perfectly -- and titles include "Song For M", "A Little Love For You", "Mark I", "Ja-Mil", "Nobody Had To Tell Me", "Arjuna", and "Now You're Gone".

Edited August 26, 2008 by Rooster_Ties

[relyles]

Seeing this thread reminds me that I still have not received the two CDs I ordered from the Black Jazz site in May. I called them two weeks ago to inquire about the status and someone told me they would look into it, but I have not heard back again. Time for another call.