Miles Davis - Live Electric and Brutal in Berlin (1973)

Line-up:
Miles Davis - trumpet, organ
Dave Liebman - soprano sax, tenor sax, flute
Pete Cosey - guitar, percussion
Reggie Lucas - guitar
Michael Henderson - electric bass
Al Foster - drums
James Mtume Forman - congas, percussion

Gary Bartz - The Shadow Do! (1975)

Not as known as the later Music Is My Sanctuary -- which was an even further departure, in its increased smoothness, from his Ntu Troop dates, and more popular by virtue of being released on Blue Note -- The Shadow Do! was the first time Gary Bartz sought production assistance from Fonce and Larry Mizell, the sibling duo who enlivened many sessions throughout the '70s with their soaring fusion of soul, funk, and (as Bartz would say) "the j-word." At this point, some j-word purists were hip to the Mizell program, what with dates from Bobbi Humphrey, Donald Byrd, and Johnny Hammond already in circulation. Checking the back of this Prestige release supplied all the info they needed to know: production by the Mizells, and four people credited with playing some form of synthesizer. Keyboardist Hubert Eaves, bassist Michael Henderson, guitarist Reggie Lucas, percussionist Mtume, and drummer Howard King help lend a sound that is a little funkier and heavier than most Mizell-guided sessions, but it's no less sweet. The second through fourth songs of side one exude joy and love, anchoring the album in a sense of contentedness so infectious that it might have even won over a few cold souls expecting straight jazz. Bartz's saxophones are at their melodic best, dancing, skipping, and trilling through the arrangements. He also sings lead, present on most of the songs, and though he probably didn't win any publication's best vocalist award, no one sounds like him, and the Mizells' own background harmonies are on-point as ever. [The Shadow Do! was reissued on CD at least twice in Japan, in 1993 and 2007.]

by Andy Kellman in All Music Guide

Styles:
Jazz-Funk
Post-Bop
Soul Jazz

Tracks:
01 - Winding Roads (03:19)
02 - Mother Nature (06:34)
03 - Love Tones (05:15)
04 - Gentle Smiles (04:21)
05 - Make Me Feel Better (04:40)
06 - Sea Gypsy (06:17)
07 - For My Baby (04:58)
08 - Incident (03:01)

Line-up:
Gary Bartz - Saxophone [Alto, Soprano], Synthesizer, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Michael Henderson - Bass
Howard King - Drums, Synthesizer
Reggie Lucas - Guitar
Hubert Eaves - Piano, Clavinet, Synthesizer
Larry Mizell - Synthesizer
James Mtume - Percussion

Lonnie Liston Smith - Astral Traveling (1973)

Lonnie Liston Smith was 32 when, in 1973, he finally got around to recording his first album as a leader, Astral Traveling. By that time, the pianist/keyboardist had a great deal of sideman experience under his belt, and this superb debut made it clear that former employers like Pharoah Sanders, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Gato Barbieri, and Betty Carter had taught him well. One hears a lot of Sanders, John Coltrane, and McCoy Tyner influence on Astral Traveling; Smith obviously shares their passion for all things spiritual. Nonetheless, this LP leaves no doubt that the improviser is very much his own man and has a wealth of brilliant ideas of his own; thankfully, he has a cohesive band to help him carry them out. On Astral Traveling, Smith's 1973 edition of the Cosmic Echoes includes George Barron on soprano and tenor sax, Joe Beck on guitar, Cecil McBee on bass, David Lee Jr. on drums, James Mtume and Sonny Morgan on percussion, Badal Roy on Indian tabla drums, and Geeta Vashi on the Indian tamboura. An impressive lineup, and one that shows a great understanding of Smith's spiritual nature. Ninety-five percent of the time, Astral Traveling is serene and tranquil; but on "I Mani (Faith)," the unexpected interesting happens when Barron goes outside during his sax solo and gets into the type of dissonant, forceful screaming one would expect from Albert Ayler or late-period Coltrane. "I Mani (Faith)" has a hauntingly peaceful melody, but Barron's out-of-left-field solo makes it the most avant-garde track that Smith ever recorded as a leader. Produced by the late Bob Thiele -- an eclectic heavyweight who worked with everyone from Coltrane, Ayler, and Charles Mingus to Coleman Hawkins, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong -- Astral Traveling is among Smith's most essential and rewarding albums.

by Alex Henderson in All Music Guide

Styles:
Fusion
Post-Bop
Jazz-Funk

Tracks:
01 - Astral Traveling (05:33)
02 - Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord (06:21)
03 - Rejuvenation (05:33)
04 - I Mani (Faith) (06:11)
05 - In Search of Truth (07:18)
06 - Aspirations (04:35)

Line-up:
Lonnie Liston Smith - Acoustic & Electric Piano, Organ,Guitar,Vocals
Joe Beck - Guitar
Cecil McBee - Bass
Lonnie Badal Roy - Tabla
George Barron - Sax Soprano &Tenor
James Mtume - Percussion,Conga
Sonny Morgan - Percussion,Conga
Geeta Vashi - Tabla,Tambourine
David Lee - Drums