Tag Archives: Cecil McBee

Pharoah Sanders – The Healing Song (1971)

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From Live at the East by Pharoah Sanders.

Another spiritual jazz gem- “Live at the East” is one of the most consistently and astonishingly brilliant albums Pharoah Sanders has ever put out. This is somewhat surprising as Sanders was without both pianist Lonnie Liston Smith and vocalist Leon Thomas, both of whom contributed heavily to his previous albums and their success. In their place, Sanders had a pianist and a percussionist who would be part of his music for the next several years– Joe Bonner and Lawrence Killian.

Opener (and lengthiest track) “Healing Song” is probably the most like Sanders’ early work, with the leader stating the theme passionately before moving into an extended improv that included a fantastic bass duet. [source]

Tracks: 1. Healing Song / 2. Lumkili Pts 1 & 2 / 3. Memories of J. W. Coltrane

Cecil McBee – Bass
Stanley Clarke - Bass
Lawrence Killian - Congas, Marimba (Bailophone)
William Hart – Drums
Norman Connors – Drums
Carlos Garnett - Flute, Vocals
Joseph Bonner - Piano, Harmonium
Pharoah Sanders - Saxophone
Harold Vic - Tenor Vocals
Marvin Peterson - Trumpet

 

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Pharoah Sanders – Balance (1969)

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Balance is second track on Izipho Zam (My Gifts) by Pharoah Sanders, recorded January 14, 1969 and released on Strata-East in 1973.

Two years after the death of his mentor and boss, John Coltrane, and just before signing his own contract with Impulse!, Pharoah Sanders finally got around to releasing an album as a leader apart from the Impulse! family. Enlisting a cast of characters no less than 13 in number, Sanders proved that his time with Coltrane and his Impulse! debut, Tauhid, was not a fluke. Though hated by many of the jazz musicians at the time – and more jazz critics who felt Coltrane had lost his way musically the minute he put together the final quintet – Sanders followed his own muse to the edges of Eastern music and sometimes completely outside the borderlines of what could be called jazz. That said, Izipho Zam is a wonderful recording, full of the depth of vision and heartfelt soul that has informed every recording of Sanders since. Guests include Sonny Sharrock, Lonnie Liston Smith, Chief Bey, Cecil McBee, Sirone, Sonny Fortune, Billy Hart, Howard Johnson, and others.

“Balance,” the first blowing tune on the set, with the African drums, the modal horns, and Sanders’ microtonal investigations of sonic polarity contrasted with Johnson’s tuba, leaving the rhythm section to join him as Sharrock and Smith trade drone lines and Sanders turns it into a Latin dance from outer space about halfway through to the end — it’s astonishing.

- an exhilarating, indispensable out jazz experience. [source]

Sonny Fortune - Alto Saxophone
Cecil McBee – Bass
Sirone Norris Jones – Bass
Billy Hart – Drums
Majeed Shabazz – Drums
Chief Bey – African Drums
Sonny Sherrock – Guitar
Nat Bettis – Percussion
Tony Wiles – Percussion
Lonnie Liston Smith – Piano
Pharoah Sanders –  Saxophone, Percussion, Vocal, Flute
Howard Johnson –  Tuba
Leon Thomas – Percussion, Vocal
Tony Wylie – Percussion

 

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Art Pepper – Our Song (1980)

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Winter Moon is a 1980 jazz album by saxophonist Art Pepper playing with Stanley Cowell, Howard Roberts, Cecil McBee, Carl Burnett and strings arranged and conducted by Bill Holman (“Our Song”, “When the Sun Comes Out”, “Blues In The Night”, “Winter Moon”) and Jimmy Bond (“Here’s That Rainy Day”, “That’s Love”, “The Prisoner”).



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Graham Moncur III – Some Other Stuff (1964) (full album)

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According to Moncur, “Gnostic”, a free jazz piece “which eliminates a pulsating meter”, should represent the achievement of salvation through the expression of knowledge and wisdom. ”Thandiwa” means “beloved one” in the Zulu language, and it is the least experimental track of the album.With “The Twins”, built off only one chord, he wanted to portrait his twin brothers; he considered the rhythm the focal point of the composition.”Nomadic” is centered on a drum solo by Tony Williams. [source]

Graham Moncur III was one of the top trombonists of the jazz avant-garde in the 1960s although he had only a few chances to lead his own record sessions. This 1964 set (which has been reissued on CD) was one of his finest, a quintet outing with bassist Cecil McBee, two of the members of the Miles Davis Quintet (pianist Herbie Hancock and drummer Tony Williams), and tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter  just a brief time before he joined Miles. The group performs four of Moncur´s challenging originals, including “Nomadic” (which is largely a drum solo) and “The Twins,” which is built off of one chord. None of the compositions caught on but the strong and very individual improvising of the young musicians is enough of a reason to acquire the advanced music. [source]

Tracks: Gnostic  (11:46) / Thandiwa (8:21) / The Twins (12:55) / Nomadic ( 7:43)

Line up:
Cecil McBee – Bass
Anthony Williams – Drums
Herbie Hancock – Piano
Wayne Shorter – Tenor Saxophone
Grachan Moncur III – Trombone

 

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Anthony Braxton – Two Not One (1989)

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Two Not One composed by Lennie Tristano is the first track on the album Eight (+3) Tristano Compositions, 1989: For Warne Marsh by Anthony Braxton. Recorded in 1989 and released on hat ART in 1990.

Critics can bitch all they want about Anthony Braxtons “cerebral” approach to composition and improvisation, because their words — like these — are only words. None of them could handle the jazz canon like Braxton in his taste and execution as a soloist or as a bandleader, and such criticisms are therefore easy to make. This set was recorded as an homage to late saxophone great Wayne Marsh (who was alive at the time of this recording) as well as to Lennie Tristano and his band of the late ’40s and early ’50s, which also included alto saxophonist Lee Konitz and guitarist Billy Bauer. Braxton´s own band mirrors Tristano´s, with Jon Raskin on baritone saxophone, Dred Scott on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums.

Braxton has done numerous recordings of standards, and even a double CD on this same label of his readings of Charlie Parker. But as fine as most of those recordings are, none of them matches the lyrical brilliance and subtle grace of this tribute. [source]

Anthony Braxton – Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Flute

John Raskin – Baritone Saxophone

Cecil McBee – Bass

Andrew Cyrille – Drums

Dred Scott – Piano