Pharoah Sanders – The Healing Song (1971)

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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Imamu Amiri Baraka – Come Back Pharoah (1972)

From the album It’s Nation Time – African Visionary Music by Imamu Amiri Baraka.

Amiri Baraka, born in 1934, in Newark, New Jersey, USA, is the author of over 40 books of essays, poems, drama, and music history and criticism, a poet icon and revolutionary political activist who has recited poetry and lectured on cultural and political issues extensively in the USA, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe. [source]

Akbar Bey - Congas / Pat Carrow - Congas / Joseph Armstrong – Congas, Cowbell / Charles Jones - Congas, Percussion (Shakari) / Gwendolyn Guthrie -  Vocals

 

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Kip Hanrahan – Velasquez (1983)

Album: Desire Develops An Edge (1983), American Clavé.

Congas – Puntilla Orlando Rios
Drums (Trap) – Anton Fier, Ignacio Berroa
Electric Bass – Steve Swallow
Electric Guitar – Arto Lindsay, Elysee Pyronneau, Jody Harris
Vocals – Jack Bruce

 

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Clifford Thornton – Pan African Festival (1969)

From the album Ketchaoua by Clifford Thornton , recorded August 18, 1969 in Paris , France. Released on  BYG records in 1969.

Clifford Thornton’s only Actuel date as a leader is, like many of the others in this BYG series, an all-star blowing session highly indicative of the times. For some, it will be difficult to tell whether taking credit for composing these pieces is a lost cause. This is some very free music and, save for a handful of scored passages, almost wholly improvised.  [source]

Clifford Thornton – Cornet , Conga Drums
Arthur Jones – Alto Saxophone
Archie Shepp – Soprano Saxophone
Grachan Moncur III – Trombone
Beb Guerin – Bass
Dave Burrell – Piano
Sunny Murray – Drums
Earl Freeman - Bass

 

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Dizzy Gillespie Big Band – Cubano Be, Cubano Bop (1947)

Cubano Be, Cubano Bop, arranged by George Russell and recorded by the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band featuring Chano Pozo, New York, Dec. 22, 1947.

Luciano Pozo González, better known as Chano Pozo (January 7, 1915 in Havanna - December 3, 1948 in New York City) was an Afro-Cuban jazz percussionist, singer, dancer and composer who played a major role in the founding of Latin Jazz. Though he died young of unnatural causes, no discussion of Latin jazz is complete without mentioning his name and no discussion of the trumpet giant Dizzy Gillespie, the godfather of Latin jazz in the U.S., can begin without the name of Pozo, who was the first in a long line of Latin percussionists in Dizzy’s various bands. Dizzy’s dozens of Latin-flavored compositions, including the hit song “Manteca” and “Tin Tin Deo” (both co-written by Pozo), “Fiesta Mojo” and others – have Afro-Cuban drumming derived from the ritual rhythms of West Africa as their rhythmic backbones. Despite a short stint in Dizzy’s band abbreviated by Chano’s early death, Pozo’s influence could be felt in Dizzy’s playing and compositions for decades, which Dizzy acknowledged without hesitation. [source]

Dizzy Gillespie – Trumpet / Dave Burns – Trumpet / Elmon Wright – Trumpet /
Lamar Wright Jr. – Trumpet / Benny Bailey – Trumpet / William Shepherd – Trombone /
Ted Kelly – Trombone / John Brown – Alto Saxophone / Howard Johnson – Alto Saxophone /
Joe Gayles – Tenor Saxophones / Big Nick Nicholas  - Tenor Saxophones /
Cecil Payne –  Baritone Saxophone / John Lewis – Piano /Al McKibbon – Bass /
Kenny Clarke –  Drums / Luciano “Chano” Pozo – Congas , Bongos.

 

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