Byron Morris (sax; b. 1941)
Blow Your Mind (reissue on Soul Jazz Records, original release on EPI; 1974)
Vincent McEwan (trumpet) Milton Suggs (bass) Jay Clayton (vocals)
Tony Waters (percussion) Mike Kull (piano) Abdush Shahid (drums)

Well the term "soul jazz" doesn't always have to mean it's based around funky themes. The music of Virgina native, Byron Morris is something that encapsulates both funky, soul and more importantly spiritual themes. Byron Morris learned saxophone from his father, James, who was a saxophonist and band leader during '50s and '60s. Byron Morris later developed an early style with his first group Unity that resembled the more ethereal work of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Pharoah Sanders. Morris is expressive and entertaining and his group Unity while symbolising the energy and feelings of the black community during the 70s.

Unity's first album Blow Your Mind (EPI Records) was the result of a year long set of performances that helped evolve the bands communal style. The first track, "Kitty Bey" with a forceful and driving rhtyhm from Morris, Kull and McEwan and some great vocal improvisation by Clayton. Jay Clayton vocals are prominent throughout the proceedings and her poetic vocal delivers gives the session a lovely spiritual vibe.

Blow Your Mind isn't as psychedelic or eclectic as some of the other material of time period but it does hold your interest for the entire experience. The other centerpiece here is "Reunion" which see Morris and Suggs deliver some awesome solo work as well their own interplay. This is good piece of modality that anyone a fan of contemporary, free, or spiritual jazz would enjoy immensely. "Transcendental Lullaby" is a ballad that wonderfully and surprisingly ends the session with some delicate playing by Kull and beautifully evocative vocals from Clayton. A touching end to a journey that blow your mind.

Blow Your Mind is slightly hard to find nowadays but it is worth seeking out. If you can't find it, there is a compilation of Unity's three albums with its original members called Vibrations In Time that is still widely available and I highly recommend it. Byron Morris still records and teaches to this day (mostly in the Washington DC area). His playing is still big, vibrant and entertaining and the material may be more tempered and mature but his attitude isn't.

Soul Jazz Week: Marcus Belgrave

This week jazzmusic24 looks at a few rare and new soul jazz albums which helped shape the genre and moved them it forward.

Marcus Belgrave (trumpet; b. 1936)
Gemini (reissue on Universal Sound, originally release Tribe Records 1974)

Phil Ranelin (trombone) Wendel Harrison (sax)
Billy Turner (drums) Roy Brooks (drums)
Lorenzo Brown (bongos) Ed Pickens (bass)
Harold McKinney (electric piano) Daryl Dybka (moog)

Emerging from a Detroit psychedelic funk movement of Detroit in the '70s, Marcus Belgrave has turned into one of the elder statesman of jazz in Detroit. His talents have been instrumental to recordings by a myriad of artists including; Kenny Garrett, Charles Mingus, Gerri Allen and most significantly Ray Charles and pop/alternative funkmiesters Was Not Was. Marcus Belgrave also studied under one the great trumpeters ever, Clifford Brown. Belgrave's ability to move up and down the scales does have many to remark the similarity to his famous mentor. His more recent recordings still contain some groovy elements but nothing like his 1974 album, Gemini.

Gemini is an amazing and weird blend of swing and funky beats. The opening track "Space Odyssey" starts out with some great atmospherics from Daryl Dybka (moog) before diving into the slow funk groove of Harlod McKinney (electric piano) and lead by Belgrave and the rest of the horn section. This is heady stuff by worthy of a couple of glass of wine. The unison that Belgrave, Harrison and Ranelin have throughout "Space Odyssey" and the rest of the recording is superb.

Gemini shows Belgrave's versatility on the swinging "Marcia's Opal" which mixing the big band aspects with the some great noodling from McKinney. It's crazy to say this but its like a big band doing a swing version of Miles Davis fusion material. Weird, trippy but definitely cool. This ensemble while not a big band sure performs like one at times and it gives Gemini a great deal of depth.

The standout track for me is "Glue Fingers I & II" which is a fierce little number with interchanges across the band. This is definitely the highlight for Belgrave and Ranelin. It's a big, full bodied sound with great accompaniment from the percussion and drum section and again McKinney's electric piano.

Gemini is funky, head twisting stuff that not only demonstrates the expert skills of Marcus Belgrave, it signifies the marvelous talents of the band he surrounded himself with. They were mostly Detroiter's whom are still active today. Gemini is a stellar document of the Detroit jazz scene in the '70s (a scene which gets overshadow by the history of Motown) and an album which many may not know about you should definitely pick it up. Gemini has been distributed under two different covers but if you see "Space Odyssey" and "Glue Fingers" listed than you found yourself a little piece of history. Enjoy.

Soul Jazz Week: Harry Whitaker

This week jazzmusic24 looks at a few rare and new soul jazz albums which helped shape the genre and moved them it forward.

Harry Whitaker (piano; b. 1942)

Black Renaissance: Body, Mind and Spirit

(reissue: Luv N' Haight; originally released: 1976)

Woody Shaw (trumpet) Buster Williams (bass) Billy Hart (drums) Howard King (drums)
Mtume (percussion) Earl Bennett (percussion) David Schintter (sax) Azar Lawrence (sax)

As mentioned in the liner notes (written by DJ Giles Peterson), Harry Whitaker's Black Renaissance is the "holy grail of soul jazz records" for collectors. I originally heard the album at a neighbors house as a kid but never really paid any attention because I thought it was too out-there. Somehow I thought swirling grooves, a smokin' trumpet, funky bass and trippy vocals were not for me. Idiot.

Harry Whitaker, was born in Florida and spent time in the Detroit jazz scene before finally landing in New York. After a number of stints with successful jazz and R&B outfits (including Blood Sweat & Tears), Whitaker landed what would the gig that his most famous for with Roy Ayers Ubiquity. With Roy Ayers, Harry Whitaker was integral part of the success of the band. Whitaker also wrote and produced for Roberta Flack and produced and the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film Coffy. All this is the short pan of about five years.

Amazingly, it wouldn't be until 1976 that Whitaker would go into the studio and recorded his first album as leader. Black Renaissance consist of two very long tracks, "Black Renaissance" is a reflection of the times. It is funky and spiritual with some truly soulful playing from Whitaker. The performances from Woody Shaw, Azar Lawerence and David Schnitter are rich, dynamic and very fluid. Shaw really shows why he was a natural successor to Miles Davis.

The second track, "Magic Ritual" is a real journey into Afro-American psyche. With some wonderful interplay between Shaw, King, and Howard King, "Magic Ritual" takes on a real spiritual vibe reminiscent of the best Impulse records recording of a decade earlier. The bass solo from Buster Williams that takes this to the closing bars is simply fantastic is its emotion depth.

While Whitaker's playing is understated throughout this session its really the arrangements that you will undoubtedly focus in on. Most this session was improvised but you get a strong sense these musicians had great reading on each other which makes this all joy to listen to. Black Renaissance is not only an opening onto the Black Cultural movement of the 70s it's solid jazz album built on a lot rich ideas from a pianist and arranger with a serious and grossly under-rated reputation.

Whitaker has recorded three albums since (Thoughts Past and Present, The Sound Of Harry Whitaker, and One Who Sees All Things). All recorded in last eight years and are more straight ahead contemporary jazz albums which you should also seek out. But Black Renaissance is definitely an album monumental funk proportions that is worth it's tag as the "holy grail" of soul jazz.

Celebrating Rahsaan Roland Kirk

Rahsaan Roland Kirk (sax, b. 1936 - d. 1977)

Rahsaan Roland Kirk was born in Columbus, OH and developed the ability to play and compose music in various genres (jazz, classical and pop). But essentially he was a hard bop player with an extreme cutting edge. You could almost call it free jazz but I believe there was more structure in ideas than just mere adventure of thought.

He is famous among the jazz community to his unique performance style which he would play two or three instruments (mainly sax or flute) at once. For many the thought sounds like white noise but the harmonics Kirk would produce were unbelievably fascinating. All of this and Rahsaan Roland Kirk was blind (since the age of two).

Rahsaan Roland Kirk may not be a household name to many but the masses are very familiar with one tune in which he famously performers. "Soul Bossa Nova" recorded by Quincy Jones, Rahsaan Roland Kirk plays flute throughout. "Soul Bossa Nova" was already when it was originally released in 1962 and has been used ad-nauseam in film and commercials but 35 years later it became an international sensation thanks to Mike Myers Austin Powers films.

Kirk recorded mainly as leader (Quincy Jones, Tubby Hayes, Roy Haynes and a short stint with Charles Mingus the major exceptions) and his catalog is massive. His first release was in 1956, but my personal favourite is also the first Roland Kirk album I ever bought, Rip, Rig and Panic (Verve; 1965). This is a great hard bop date that really shouldn't be ignored. It features a stellear lineup of Elvin Jones (drums), Jaki Byard (piano) and Richard Davis (bass).

From the killer opening of "No Tonic Press" to the lovely free moving flute work of "Mystical Dreams" and bluesy avant garde foreshadowing of his later work on the closing number "Slippery, Hippery, Flippery", Roland Kirk puts himself in a whole different strata than his contemporaries of the period.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk's thinking and modal structure was definitely ahead of its time and many listeners had no idea what to think of the blind multi-reed playing musician. He would go on to record a series of really avant garde albums for Atlantic Records during the late 60s and early 70s. These albums are much more for the die-hard fan. There have been a whole batch of compilations in the last few years on both Kirk's Verve and Atlantic years and they are worth picking up if you don't want to acquire any of the individual albums. My suggestions would Finest Hour (Verve) and Introducing Rahsaan Roland Kirk (Warners UK).

Kirk suffered two strokes in late 70s and finally succumbed to the second stroke in 1975 but he continued to play up to that point. Rahsaan Roland Kirk's legacy as a true innovator and prognosticator of improvisation is without question and today we should celebrate one of the true originals of Jazz. Happy Birthday Mr. Kirk.

Roy Budd — Get Carter (1971)

Get Carter (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1971)

Roy Budd (piano)
Chris Karan (drums, percussion, tablas)
Jeff Clyne (double bass, bass guitar)
Brian Daly (guitar)
Judd Proctor (guitar)

Anyone who knows me well is aware that I have a serious jones for crime jazz soundtracks of the '50s, '60s and '70s. That's a pretty broad range, covering everything from Henry Mancini's brassy music for Peter Gunn to Lalo Schifrin's propulsive jazz score for Bullitt to Quincy Jones' atmospheric funk for heist flicks like Dollar$ and The Split. More recently, I'd include David Holmes' groovy Ocean's Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen soundtracks.

Any discussion of crime jazz must also include Roy Budd, a former child prodigy who was an in-demand UK jazz pianist before he scored more than one dozen movies (his career was cut short when he died in 1993 from a brain hemorrhage). Most of Budd’s scores are in the crime thriller vein, and are characterized by the use of spacious string arrangements, passages of virtuoso piano and bottom-heavy modal grooves. Next to John Barry, Budd is the British thriller composer of the '70s.

Budd’s most stunning theme music came on his second feature in ’71 for the original Get Carter, the soundtrack for which is being reissued by Silva Screen on August 23. It’s one of the era’s most exotic and evocative of crime jazz themes, as it features tablas, a hypnotic double bass figure, Budd's electronically treated harpsichord, plus the sounds of locomotion and crashing waves. It's a stunner.

Unfortunately, Get Carter is one of those soundtracks that relies heavily on Budd-backed pop songs that offer little appeal for the crime jazz fan (on the other hand, if you're a fan of post-flower-power rock and soul, it has some pleasing nuggets such as ""Love is a Four Letter Word" and "Livin' Should Be That Way".)

Only Budd's fast and light instrumental "The Girl in the Car" is likely to excite with its shimmering piano chords and pitter-patter percussion. At the very least, Get Carter demonstrates Budd's tremendous range.

Another potentially annoying feature of Silva Screen's and previous editions of Get Carter is the heavy use of movie dialogue cuts in between every music track. For the most part the dialogue is forgettable and fails to engage repeated listener interest without the accompanying visuals. Better to just watch the movie, which is a hard-bitten classic of revenge and redemption that helped make Michael Caine a huge star.

Silva Screen intends to reissue some of Budd's later (and in my opinion more interesting soundtracks) as well, including the high octane Fear is the Key and truly dope The Stone Killer. Hopefully, they'll also reissue Diamonds, The Black Windmill and The Marseille Contract, among others, because Budd's deep and Get Carter only scratches the surface.

Plunge: Swedish Accesibility?

Plunge (group; formed 2001)

Andreas Andersson (sax)

Mattias Hjorth (bass)

Peter Nilsson (drums)

Swedish trio Plunge were a bit of a revelation for me. I was stumbling around in a used record with 12 USD (9 Euros) in my pocket. I had no idea what I wanted that day. I noticed a CD by a band name Plunge. The artwork wasn't very convincing but I had a strange feeling this was meant for me. I decided to picked up the album and had 2 USD left to spend (not much you can buy with two dollars).

I had a small apprehension because I felt my collection was overflowing with trio albums but once I got home and put their debut CD Plunge (Kopasetic) things change within minutes. Plunge present a very different element. While this may be considered free jazz or avant garde and there is definitely a improvisational aspect to the recording, there is a great deal on structure, melody and interplay that can make this appealing to the average jazz listener.

The opening piece "Exhibit A" is great statement of intent by this young band. "Exhibit A" builds slowly with some powerful counterpoint from Andersson and Nilsson and subtle undertones from Hjorth. This is precision at its best. Plunge don't sound like many of their Scandinavian counterparts. There is a real sense of accessibility within the experimental elements of their songs. This is evident of both "Solace" and "Bommen", both are loose ballads that have nice rhythmic beauty to them. Nilsson and Hjorth move freely next to Andersson's richly toned lyrics.

The album does have is serious free jazz moment with "Ebonology" which could almost be a David S. Ware or Ken Vandermark piece in its dynamic approach. "Ebonology" shifts from silence to catharsis and back again with effortless precision. Even the non-free jazz listener would be impressed.

Plunge have definitely set a marker for how harmonics, improvisation and accessibility can coexist. Their debut was a great find. And while their music is available for download I have forced myself into the always frustrating but rewarding journey of tracking down the physical CDs. For those of you out there interested in free jazz/avant garde but might be afraid because you might not "get it" or its too difficult to follow--Plunge might be the best offering and entry for you. Well worth your checking out. It was 10 dollars well spent for me...

Hank Jones: A Distinguished Legend

Hank Jones (piano; b. 1918 - d. 2010)
The Complete Original Trio Recordings (Lone Hill Jazz)

It's always a big deal when someone tells, "Yea, he never made a bad record." Well in the case of Hank Jones that statement pretty much holds true. This past weekend would have be Hank Jones' 92nd birthday. He passed away in May of this year at the young age of 91. He was an incredibly versatile and beloved pianist. He had just finished recording what is intended to be the follow up to one of my favourite albums by Jones, a gospel inspired collaboration with Charlie Haden entitled Steal Away (Verve; 1995). It was said that Hank was in fine form and was might have recorded two additional albums during this session. That is a real treat for us all in the future.

Hank Jones was the eldest of three legendary jazz musicians (Thad Jones (trumpet) and Elvin Jones (drums)). The brothers did recorded together occasionally throughout their careers. Hank was performed with such greats as Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Williams, Jimmy Cobb, Lester Young and more. His style was beautiful and gentle. He could swing with the best and pour on the hard bop beat with the rest. Jones was unique in that he added a distinct voice to any setting he was as a session member. But as leader he was a real beacon of brilliance.

Probably the best way for anyone to experience Hank Jones is through a trio recording. One of my favourites is actually a compilation of trio material spans 1953 - 1955 entitled The Complete Original Trio Recordings (Lone Hill Jazz). It features a lovely upbeat rendition of "Have You Met Miss Jones?" The Complete Original Trio Recordings features various lineups including; Charles Mingus (bass), Max Roach (drums), Ray Brown (bass), Johnny Smith (guitar), Wendell Marshall (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums), Elvin Jones, Art Davis (bass) Aaron Bell (bass), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Charlie Smith (drums) and Ed Thigpin (drums). An impressive and exhaustive lineup but they are all important in mentioning.

The playing is superb. Hank stretches out and you really get a feel for his depth of talent and the musicians in each session also have an opportunity to shine. One of my favourite tracks doesn't happen until the end and its a lovely upbeat rendition of "Have You Met Miss ones?" which is actually a session led by drummer Charlie Smith but you get a great sense of friendship among the musicians and how much fun the recordings must have been.

The album actually starts "You Go To My Head" a wonderful mid-tempo ballad with legends Max Roach and Charles Mingus. "Odd Number" and "We're All Together" (two Jones penned originals) are sizzling pieces with some exceptional drumming from Kenny Clarke. Another beauty is "There's A Small Hotel" written by Richard Rogers gains a new identity under Jones leadership. Powerful and emotional stuff. Definitely the Marshall, Clarke and Jones session on this disc are worth the price of admission.

Hank Jones has left a legacy that is undeniable and incredible. Hank Jones is a musician that if you haven't heard him before, now is a great time to start your collection.