Tag Archives: 1979

Dewey Redman – Alone Again (Naturally) (1979)

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Paul Murphy flogged this to Chris Bangs who would drop the cut “Unknown Tongue” from the LP Musics in his DJ sets back in the early 80s which is where I first heard it.What a tune!!! Kicking off with the high pitched Middle Eastern whine of Dewey on musette which is joined after a few minutes with the bowed bass of Mark Helias….then comes the marching snare and percussion of Eddie Moore and the bow is dumped for a bass line worthy of Cecil McBee while the musette keens on….until the whine drops down and out while the bass/percussion remain then Dewey begins speaking in tongues…shouting and gabbling away like a man possessed but that rhythm keeps it all storming ahead…then back in with the musette to a fade…Bomb! Can you imagine the impact this had on a crowd of southern soul boys all waiting to hit the floor to Lonnie Liston Smith and Donald Byrd? Well funnily enough it did fuck all to ‘em which either goes to show that most people were either totally off their heads or didn’t listen to the music anyway.I of course belonged in the former crew as it helped deaden the boredom of hearing “Expansions” for the umpteenth time that week.And given some of the utter shite that got played in those days you were probably better off not listening to it anyway. And yes,before you ask, that is a version of Gilbert O’Sullivan’s nauseating vomit fest “Alone Again” lurking on side 1 – but trust Dewey to give it a good overhall in a mutant bossa stylee. [Blog source]




Dewey Redman (tenor saxophone, oboe musette, vocals, harp) Fred Simmons (piano, cowbell) Mark Helias (bass) Eddie Moore (drums, saw, percussion, vocals)

Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA, October 17-19, 1978

Need To Be
(The) Virgin Strike (March)
Alone Again (Naturally)
Unknown Tongue
One Beautiful Day
Daystar Nightlight

** also issued on Original Jazz Classics OJCCD 1860-2.


deweyredman_musics

Sun Ra And His Arkestra – Springtime Again (1979)

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Springtime Again is from the album Sleeping Beauty  by  Sun Ra And His Arkestra.

This is the great late-night Sun-Ra chillout album you never knew about. The band had been working in a more groove-oriented setting off and on for over a year, as evidenced by the albums Lanquidity and On Jupiter, with both featuring prominent electric bass and electric guitar. Sleeping Beauty picks up right where On Jupiter left off, with the gentle, swaying “Springtime Again” echoing the same mellow vibe of “Seductive Fantasy” from On Jupiter. A skittering intro coalesces as different instruments pick up bits of the melody, which is then fully expressed by the horn section and ensemble vocals. It’s a simple two-chord vamp, with beautiful solos that seem to embody the reawakening and rebirth of springtime. There’s a good reason copies of this album go for several hundred dollars on the collector’s market, but it really deserves a proper release so more people can hear it. Outstanding. [source]

Richard Williams – Bass / Eloe Omoe – Bass Clarinet, Flute / James Jacson – Bassoon, Flute, Percussion / Luqman Ali – Drums / Disco Kid – Electric Guitar / Marshall Allen – Flute, Alto Saxophone / Danny Ray Thomson – Flute, Baritone Saxophone / Vincenet Chancey – French Horn / Atakatune – Percussion / Sun Ra – Piano, Electric Piano, Vocals, John Gilmore – Tenor Saxophone, Percussion / Craig Harris – Trombone / Tony Bethel – Trombone / Walter Miller – Trumpet / Michael Ray - Trumpet, Flugelhorn / Harry Wilson – Vibraphone / June Tyson - Vocals

 

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Ahmed Abdullah – Life’s Force (1979)

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Life’s Force is composed by Ahmed Abdullah and is the last track on his album by same name. It is recorded in New York City and was released in 1979.

The short-lived About Time label started off with this stimulating release from trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah. Abdullah, who has an appealing tone and an adventurous style, heads a sextet also including the french horn of Vincent Chancey, vibraphonist Jay Hoggard, cellist Munneer Abdul Fatah, bassist Jerome Hunter and drummer Rashied Sinan for explorations of five of his compositions plus Cal Massey´s ”Assunata.” The unusual blend of colorful instruments is the prime reason to pick up this obscure Lp. [source]

Tracks: Eternal Spiraling Spirit / Assunta / Qhude / Song Of Tenderness / A Long Time Black / Life’s Force

Line Up : Jerome Hunter – Bass  / Muneer Abdul Fatah - Cello /  Rashied Sinan - Drums / Vincent Chancey - French Horn / Ahmed Abdullah - Trumpet / Jay Hoggard - Vibraphone

 

Art Pepper – Nature Boy (1979)

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Nature Boy is the second track on the album Straight Life by saxophonist Art Pepper. Recorded September 1979 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA and released same year on Galaxy Records.

Brilliant music.

Art Pepper (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982), born Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr., was an American alto saxophonist and clarinetist.

About Pepper, Scott Yanow of All Music stated, “In the 1950s he was one of the few altoists (along with Lee Konitz and paul Desmond) that was able to develop his own sound despite the dominant influence of Charlie Parker ” and: “When Art Pepper died at the age of 56, he had attained his goal of becoming the world’s great altoist”. [source]

Tracks :
Surf Ride (Art Pepper) / Nature Boy (Eden Ahbez) / Straight Life” (Art Pepper) /
September Song (Anderson; Kurt Weill) / Make A List (Art Pepper)

 

Art Pepper – Alto Saxophone
Tommy Flanagan – Piano
Red Mitchell – Bass
Billy Higgins – Drums
Kenneth Nash – Cowbell, Reco-Reco (on “Make A List” only)