Some New Bob Moses

[JSngry]

From ejazznews.com

New CD Releases: Bob Moses - Love Animal

Recorded between 1967-68 at Vanguard Apostolic Studios in NYC. This was the time of the cult Jazz-Rock band 'The Free Spirits' with Larry Coryell, Jim Pepper, Chris Hills, Columbus Baker and Bob Moses. Moses was 19 years old and this (Love Animal) was supposed to be his first solo album. All this material previously unreleased except track 3. These young musicians were experimenting with powerful drugs and listening passionately to B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, the Beatles, the Stones, Bob Dylan, The Band, Mongo Santamaria, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Baretto, Coltrane, Miles, Mingus, Monk, Bill Evans, Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, and many more.

Moses says "The music on Love Animal is raw, messy, over the top and mad eclectic but that was the truth of our lives at that time and tho we jumped musical styles like manic kangeroos, I can honestly say we also routinely pushed and expanded the boundaries of those territories to the limit. I.E. we never played any style in a stock, typical or lackadaisical way.

And there are some great musical moments here, Keith Jarrett's profoundly beautiful solo on "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", Steve Swallow's rich tone and across-the-bar phrasing on acoustic bass, Coryell's blistering other worldly guitar playing on "Dancing Bears" and for me most of all another chance to hear the great Native American saxophonist Jim Pepper who I believe is one of the most powerful, unique, soulful and under appreciated voices in the history of the music."

Title : Love Animal

Artist: Bob Moses

Label : Mozown/Amulet Records

Catalog #: amt011

Retail Price: $14.00 ($12.00 at the Amulet Records Store)

Available: At most independant record shops and some larger commercial chains in the USA and Canada via NAIL distribution and directly through the Amulet Records Store. The Amulet Records Store is now taking orders! If you are a store or distributer out of the US or Canada and would like to order, please contact illyb@amuletrecords.com.

[Joe]

An important piece of the puzzle indeed...

[Guest akanalog]

this CD has been out for a while-maybe 5 months. it is ok. very eclectic variety of tunes. annoyingly eclectic at times though it sounds like all the musicians are having fun and it is very impressive when you consider moses was something like 19 when he cut the session. bob moses also wrote some wacky liner notes-he is on some sort of spiritual trip these days i guess.

i am intersted if anyone has heard the other moses album released through amulet which was from the early 70's originally-it is called "bittersuite in the ozone". it looks like it could be interesting.

[JSngry]

It is VERY interesting.

[GA Russell]

I noticed that Love Animal is available on emusic.

[mikeweil]

... turns out I still have that "Bittersuite" LP - I'll give it a listen sometime tomorrow and post my impressions.

[Jim Alfredson]

When I first saw this thread title I thought it said "Some New Mob Bosses".

I was very worried.

[mikeweil]

Had a listen to Bittersuite in the Ozone (which also was on Moses own label Mozown) and recommend it.

Open, free form playing combined with nice compositional touches, experimental but not extreme. Billy Hart plays drums here, Moses plays vibes and percussion, a little piano, and vocalizes. Jeanne Lee is on board, Randy Brecker, John D'Earth, the underrated Daniel Carter, Howard Johnson, Jack Gregg and Eddie Gomez, Mike Lawrence, Dave Liebman, and most of all, pianist Stanley Free, who dominates side B with a long piece dedicated to him: his open, lyrical free playing is so enchanting it is reason alone for me to keep this album. Why isn't there more of this extraordinary pianist?

And what happened to Moses? I had his two Open Sky trio LPs with Frank Tusa and Dave Liebman, but sold them, was a type of music to me that's more interesting to play than to listen to. The most recent outing I have is a percussion duo LP with Billy Martin (of Medeski, Martin & Wood) dating back to 1987, released on a German label.

Edited September 30, 2003 by mikeweil

[.:.impossible]

Moses is still active. Early this year, he was in Charlottesville VA playing with D'Earth and other locals. My brother had an opportunity to play with him while he was down there and Moses actually stayed with a good friend of ours, another drummer. Quite a story, if you know what kind of a character Moses is, you understand. Very philosophical and his life is sort of inseparable from his music. I believe he lives in Suffolk, MA. I may have that wrong.

I own NISHOMA and recommend it highly. Quite a diverse cast, including tap dancer Jimmy Slyde, gives the disc a nice variety of settings.

[mailman]

Could someone please refresh my memory. I used to own the lp by the Free Spirits which I believe came out on ABC records. I got rid of it years ago because I thought it was pretty god awful. Terrible vocals and lyrics that were kind of lousy. Did Bob Moses play drums in that band? I've got two of the lps he did for Grammavision and love them. Great big band writing there.

Thanks.