Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod the Mod finds his solo footing, headed for stardom, with the Faces in his wake.
6:00 AM GMT 22/06/2011
Features Disc of the day
Michael White
The Land Of Spirit And Light
(Impulse!, 1973)
Awesome jazz-fiddle odyssey... Stop! Don't run away!
While the violin seems to have largely faded from popularity as a jazz instrument, it nevertheless holds a long and distinguished place in the music's history. From the early ragtime and vaudeville era onwards violinists were a common component of many jazz and swing bands, with artists such as Joe Venuti and Stuff Smith enjoying considerable success in the '20s and '30s, while players such Ray Nance and Jean-Luc Ponty were able to significantly broaden the instrument's use and appeal to audiences in the post-bop and rock eras.
While not nearly as well known as his French contemporary Ponty, Texan-born violinist Michael White also played a significant part in ensuring the instrument's relevance and worth within the changing jazz scene of the '60s. As well as numerous appearances both on stage and in the studio with figures such as Pharoah Sanders and Joe Henderson, White began recording under his own name for Impulse in the early '70s. Recorded in February, 1973, The Land Of Spirit And Light is perhaps White's crowning achievement - an album of profound melodic and rhythmic scope that mixes the experimentalism of the avant-garde with the intensity of jazz-rock fusion, yet always manages to be inviting and uplifting.
From the stirring title suite to the sombre moods created by White and Cecil McBee's bowed bass on the closer Lament (Mankind), listeners are treated to an extraordinary aural trip. White's violin work throughout sounds as lyrical and perfectly suited to jazz as a trumpet, drawing out long evocative lines as well as rapid-fire melodies that give the already bubbling avant/fusion mix a thrilling classical hint. The 10-minute free-form canvas of Fatima's Garden draws the audience into a restless and intriguing mix of modal melodies and exotic percussion. Fiestica Domenical has a joyous Afro-Latin feel, before segueing into the hypnotic, Middle Eastern-flavoured O Ancient One, which features more haunting flute and clarinet from the legendary woodwind master Prince Lasha. In fact, every player here plays their proverbial butts off; percussionist Kenneth Nash is so good we don't miss a traditional drummer at all, Ed Kelly's piano is an often subtle but essential element throughout, and the bass work of Cecil McBee has to be heard to be believed - his nimble, elastic bass runs almost steal the show on several occasions.
After finally receiving an overdue CD reissue in 2005, here's an album that deserves much wider currency amongst fusion, avant-garde and spiritual jazz lovers.
Ange Tsibogiannis
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 22/09/2010
Further Listening
Michael White - Father Music, Mother Dance (Impulse!, 1974)
Pharoah Sanders - Thembi (Impulse!, 1971)
Alice Coltrane - Journey In Satchidananda (Impulse!, 1971)
Previous Disc of the day
-
-
Earl Brutus - Larky
Last salvo of Ginsters Pasty-Warholism from Britpop ramraiders.
12:04 PM GMT 08/06/2011
-
Loudon Wainwright - T-Shirt
An overlooked small wonder from an unpredictable career.
6:00 AM GMT 03/06/2011
-
Landscape - From The Tea-rooms Of Mars… To The Hell-holes Of Uranus
Dry computer club Futurists, upon hitting implausible chart paydirt.
6:00 AM GMT 17/05/2011
-
-
Causa Sui - Summer Sessions Vol 1-3
Epic Danish jams, for when the neighbours get you down.
6:00 AM GMT 12/05/2011
end of body content back to top
Footer
Join us on:
© Copyright Bauer - all
rights reserved.
Reproduction of this
website, in whole or in
part, in any form or
medium without express
written permission from
Bauer is prohibited. All
use is subject to our
Terms of Use
|
|
Comments
Comment on this post
You know what? That was a pretty compelling write-up. I'm going to track down a copy and give a go. Thank you!
Posted by Mike Mueller at 8:17 AM GMT 23/09/2010 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
Comment on this post