Fantasy June 29 reissues

[mikeweil]

Gary Bartz Ntu Troop: Harlem Bush Music ~ Milestone (street date 6/29)

"In late 1970 to early 1971, when the sessions that produced the companion LPs herein were recorded, the notion of "Black consciousness" had come to the fore in both pop/soul and jazz. During this period Gary Bartz (b. 1940), a rapidly-rising alto saxophonist whose muscular attack had attracted the attention of Miles Davis, who hired him to share the front line in the trumpeter's fusion group, also formed the potent Ntu Troop. Like tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders's contemporaneous quartet featuring singer Leon Thomas, this version of the Ntu Troop spotlighted a saxophonist-vocalist team in Bartz and Andy Bey, whose recent resurgence has been among the happier musical stories of the early 21st century. The lyrics addressed various aspects of urban African-American life; with Bartz providing the obbligatos and solos on alto and soprano saxophone, Bey eloquently addressed such matters as Black pride and self-determination as well as the daily joys and sorrows of Black America. Harlem Bush Music finds post-bop and post-Coltrane sensibilities melding with African sounds, yielding music that is equal parts mind, body, and soul.

Rise, People Dance, Drinking Song, Taifa, Parted, The Warriors' Song, Blue (A Folk Tale), Uhuru Sasa, Vietcong, Celestial Blues, The Planets

with Andy Bey, Ron Carter, Joony Booth, Harold White, Nat Bettis"

Paul Bley: Circles ~ Milestone (street date 6/29)

"Paul Bley (b. 1932) has always been well ahead of the curve. In New York in the late 1950s to mid-'60s Bley and Cecil Taylor were the two most consistently adventuresome pianists on that highly-charged scene. During the 1960s Bley introduced many important compositions written by Carla Bley (his first wife) and Annette Peacock (his second), both of whose works figure prominently in Circles. Bley had previously recorded some of these pieces--but never quite like this. In yet another example of his musical foresight, he pioneered the use in jazz of the then-still-new ARP synthesizer. On the first half of this disc he's accompanied by several young, open-eared rhythm sections, while his bass-and-drums partners for the set's remainder are the inestimable Dave Holland and Barry Altschul, the drummer-percussionist most highly attuned to Bley's conception. Heard herein on RMI electric piano and grand piano as well as synthesizer, Bley successfully transfers his splintered lines, broken rhythms, and foreboding, pointillistic ballads to forge a new electronic landscape.

The Archangel; Nothing Ever Was, Anyway; Gary, Snakes, Parks, Circles, El Cordobes, Capricorn, King Korn, Dreams, Syndrome, Gesture Without Plot, Ictus

with Dick Youngstein, Glenn Moore, Frank Tusa, Steve Haas, Bobby Moses, Dave Holland, and Barry Altschul"

Richard "Groove" Holmes: Super Soul ~ Prestige (street date 6/29)

"In 1967, when the two LPs that comprise this CD were recorded, organist extraordinaire Richard "Groove" Holmes was still riding high from his 1966 hit single "Misty," which climbed to number 12 on Billboard?s R&B chart. One of the top names in "soul-jazz," Holmes (1931-1991) was a big man with a sound commensurate with his size. On the first ten selections herein, Holmes grooves in front of a first-call Chicago big band arranged and conducted by Richard Evans, best known for his work with pianists Ahmad Jamal and Ramsey Lewis; on the remainder of this collection the organist fronts a sextet featuring tasty guitarist Wally Richardson. The repertoire tends toward soul and pop hits of the day ("Ain't That Peculiar," "Sunny"), but there are also the straight-ahead Groove-ers ("On Green Dolphin Street, "The Preacher," "I Will Wait for You") and low-lights ballads ("In Between the Heartaches," "Since I Fell for You") that won Holmes the kind of popularity not customarily associated with true jazz players.

Why Don?t You Do Right?, Ain?t That Peculiar, In Between the Heartaches, Function at the Junction, On Green Dolphin Street, I Will Wait for You, (Back Home Again In) Indiana, Tennessee Waltz, Bluesette, Super Soul, Soul Power, How Can I Be Sure?, Sunny, Since I Fell for You, The Preacher, Girl Talk

with Dave Blume, Ben Dixon, Jimmy Lewis, Wally Richardson, Steve Wolfe"

BOLA SETE: Voodoo Village Fantasy FCD-24779-2 ~ AVAILABLE 6/8

"By the time the great Brazilian guitarist-composer Bola Sete recorded the two albums paired herein, bossa nova had become the world?s most popular non-rock music?and surely its most spellbindingly melodic. Born Djalma de Andrade in 1923 (he died in 1987), Bola Sete was also by this point a somewhat familiar name in the U.S., having performed in clubs, hotel showrooms, and at several major jazz festivals; he was also ?New Star Guitarist? of 1965 in Down Beat magazine?s annual poll. On The Incomparable Bola Sete, recorded in 1964, he?s backed by three of Los Angeles?s finest jazz-studio players, including flutist Paul Horn, whose affinity for this music is readily apparent; he?s also heard on three selections with percussionist Johnny Rae who, like Sete, is overdubbed (the guitarist is heard on bass, as well). Autentico!, from 1966, finds the guitarist accompanied by his Brazilian working trio of the day. While bossa novas and soft sambas are the primary bill of fare, Bola Sete was also an accomplished European classical and flamenco artist, and the influence of those disciplines on his exquisite, virtuosic solos is bell-clear.

Bolido, Lamento de Negro, Influência do Jazz, Voodoo Village, Saravá, Be-Bossa, Waltz of the City, Just Another Love, The Girl from Lodi, Original Joe?s, Brejeiro, Consolação, Quindim de Yaya, Soul Samba, Baion Blues, Pau de Arara, Coisa, Odeon, Mulher Rendeira"

I have one each of the Bartz and Bley pairings on LP but will get me these nonetheless .... fond memories of the 1970's always will be tied to this music for me.

[Eric]

Any word on the Grovoe Holmes sides?

[LarryCurleyMoe]

Great news...more groovy twofers! I dig Bartz from this period but am undecided on purchasing cds- have lps already...Bley looks fantastic - MORE CARLA TUNES OUT!

I look forward to the Groove Holmes as I dig funky organ - also like Richard Evans. I know some consider him weak, but his writing is soulful and I love his stuff with Kenny Burrell (with Richard Evans Big Band), Dorothy Ashby, Ramsey, Ahmad, etc. on Cadet/Chess...just something I'm into.

29th is also street date for the Reuben Wilson "Groovy Situation" - haven't heard & haven't heard much positive about it, but will pick up for the good vibes nonetheless!

Edited June 3, 2004 by LarryCurleyMoe

[Eric]

Larry et al,

I have the Wilson on lp and I would recommend you either take a pass or get it cheap. It is just not very good, at least compared to his two Rare Groove CDs or On Broadway, which I have on lp.

Groovy just falls flat to me ... it seems as if they tried to come up with something easier to digest than his earlier stuff (not that any of it is hard to digest) ... pretty lightweight IMHO ...

[LAL]

That Paul Bley release sounds very tempting. Thanks for the information.

[mikeweil]

That Paul Bley release sounds very tempting. Thanks for the information.

You're welcome. I think Bley's merging of acoustic (Baldwin) piano, RMI electric piano and tasteful synthesizer is one of the musically most satisfying I ever encountered. And it's all done live without overdubs. Holland and Altshul are great on this one, too , although the bass sound is very thin, typical for the time.

[alankin]

That Paul Bley release sounds very tempting. Thanks for the information.

You're welcome. I think Bley's merging of acoustic (Baldwin) piano, RMI electric piano and tasteful synthesizer is one of the musically most satisfying I ever encountered.

Those early synthesizers were huge. I remember an interview with Annette Peacock where she talked about how insane they were to be lugging around all that equipment. Makes me want to listen to some of those sides again!

[GA Russell]

I've been waiting for years for Super Soul to be released on CD.

I'm curious about the Bley. I recall having an album of his on Limelight about 1970 which I think included some syntesizer. It was called Mr. Joy.

So I'm curious regarding what year this Fantasy was recorded, and what label it was originally on. I don't recall ever seeing a Bley on Milestone before.

[alankin]

I'm curious about the Bley.  I recall having an album of his on Limelight about 1970 which I think included some syntesizer.  It was called Mr. Joy. 

So I'm curious regarding what year this Fantasy was recorded, and what label it was originally on.  I don't recall ever seeing a Bley on Milestone before.

Paul Bley - Circles (Milestone) June 29

-- with Dick Youngstein, Glenn Moore, Frank Tusa, Steve Haas, Bobby Moses, Dave Holland, and Barry Altschul

-- all compositions by Carla Bley and Annette Peacock

-- two-fer of "The Paul Bley Synthesizer Show" (12/9/1970) and "Paul Bley & Scorpio" (11/24/1972)

-- Bley's experiments with combining synthesizer and electric & acoustic pianos

Scorpio (Milestone 9046) is the one with Holland and Altschul. I have it on vinyl.

I also own (also on vinyl), Improvisie (America 30 AM 6121) on the French label. Recorded in 1971 with Bley on synth, Annette Peacock on vocals, el & ac pianos and Hans Bennink on drums. One side is the title track, a 16' improv; the other side's a 23'45 version of Annette's "Touching." Makes me wish my turntable was hooked up again.

Edited June 5, 2004 by alankin

[GA Russell]

Thanks Al!