McCoy Tyner - Enlightenment (1973)

This is one of the great McCoy Tyner recordings. The powerful, percussive, and highly influential pianist sounds quite inspired throughout his appearance at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival. Azar Lawrence (on tenor and soprano) is also quite noteworthy and there is plenty of interplay with bassist Juney Booth and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. But Tyner is the main star, whether it be on his three-part "Enlightenment Suite," "Presence," "Nebula," or the 25-minute "Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit."

by Scott Yanow in All Music Guide

Styles:
Progressive Jazz
Modal
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 - Presenting The Mccoy Tyner Quartet (01:19)
02 - Enlightenment Suite, Part 1: Genesis (10:02)
03 - Enlightenment Suite, Part 2: The Offering (04:00)
04 - Enlightenment Suite, Part 3: Inner Glimpse (10:04)
05 - Presence (10:35)
06 - Nebula (09:39)
07 - Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit (24:04)

Line-up:
McCoy Tyner - piano, percussion
Azar Lawrence - soprano & tenor saxophone
Joony Booth - bass
Alphonse Mouzon - drums

Ornette Coleman - Dancing in Your Head (Live, 1986)

Line-up:
Ornette Coleman - Alto Sax, Violin, & Trumpet
Burn Nix - Guitar
Charles Ellerbee - Guitar
Larry McRae - Bass
Albert McDowell - Bass
Denardo Coleman - Drums
Kamal Sabir - Drums

Ornette Coleman - Dancing in Your Head (1976)

Following the symphonic explorations of 1972's Skies of America, Ornette Coleman became fascinated with the music of Morocco. Dancing in Your Head is the chaotic result of that experimental period with the formation of Prime Time. "Theme From a Symphony" (Variation One and Two) is a 27-minute dervish whirlwind mixed with funk. This was the first opportunity listeners had to hear the two-guitar assault of Charles Ellerbee and Bern Nix. With its infectious danceable melody, Coleman fused these musics together in a unique unpredictable way that had not previously been attempted. "Midnight Sunrise" is a field recording with Ornette playing in Morocco alongside the Master Musicians of Jajouka during a religious ceremony. Music critic Robert Palmer, the first to expose Ornette to the music and culture of Morocco, plays clarinet. Unfortunately this fascinating piece clocks in at only 4:36, with an alternative take not on the original album, at 3:50 featuring Coleman and Palmer playing in an absolute frenzy. Dancing In Your Head sustained Ornette Coleman's role of controversial innovator.

by Al Campbell in All Music Guide

Styles:
Avant-Garde
Free Funk
Free Jazz

Tracks:
01 - Theme From A Symphony [Variation One] (15:47)
02 - Theme From A Symphony [Variation Two] (11:10)
03 - Midnight Sunrise (4:45)

Line-up:
Ornette Coleman - alto saxophone
Bern Nix - 1st lead guitar
Charlie Ellerbee - 2nd lead guitar
Rudy McDaniel - Bass guitar
Shannon Jackson - drums
Robert Palmer - clarinet on "Midnight Sunrise"
Master Musicians of Jajouka on "Midnight Sunrise"

Sun Ra - Sleeping Beauty (1979)

This is the great late-night Sun Ra chillout album you never knew about. The band had been working in a more groove-oriented setting off and on for over a year, as evidenced by the albums Lanquidity and On Jupiter, with both featuring prominent electric bass and electric guitar. Sleeping Beauty picks up right where On Jupiter left off, with the gentle, swaying "Springtime Again" echoing the same mellow vibe of "Seductive Fantasy" from On Jupiter. A skittering intro coalesces as different instruments pick up bits of the melody, which is then fully expressed by the horn section and ensemble vocals. It's a simple two-chord vamp, with beautiful solos that seem to embody the reawakening and rebirth of springtime. "The Door of the Cosmos" starts with a gospel-like chant and handclaps, with comments from Ra's electric piano and electric guitar. A strong bassline enters, very reminiscent of "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement," but the accompanying chant celebrates the mysteries of the unknown rather than the universal truth of A Love Supreme. This track builds in intensity, but never loses its groove or becomes nearly as raucous as the Arkestra is sometimes known for. "Sleeping Beauty" is the album centerpiece, taking up all of side two. Ra's beautiful electric piano gets things rolling, and the band falls into a peaceful groove before the vocals enter, led by the wonderful June Tyson. These songs are all built on the simplest of structures, and the playing from everyone is understated and sublime. Sleeping Beauty is truly a high point in an unwieldy discography, and something of an anomaly at the same time. There's a good reason copies of this album go for several hundred dollars on the collector's market, but it really deserves a proper release so more people can hear it. Outstanding.

by Sean Westergaard in All Music Guide

Styles:
Modern Big Band
Progressive Jazz
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 - Springtime again (09:17)
02 - The Door of Cosmos (08:57)
03 - Sleeping Beauty (11:50)

Line-up:
Sun Ra - piano synth, organ, vocals
Michael Ray - trumpet, fludgehorn
Walter Miller - trumpet
Tony Bethel - tambourine
Marshall Allen - alto sax, flute
John Gilmore - tenor saxophone, percursion
Danny Ray Thompson - baritone sax, flute, percursion
Noel Scott - alto sax
June Tyson - vocals
Eloe Omoe - bass clarinet
Craig Harris - trombone
Tommy Hunter - drums
Al Evans - flugelhorn
Jarbu Shahid - bass
Samarai Celestial - drums
Vincent Chancey - french horn
Francisco Mora - percussion
Tani Tabbal - percussion
Bright Moments - congas
The Bell Brothers - bells
John Ore - bass
James Jackson - Ancient Egyptian Infinity Lightning Drum

Pharoah Sanders - Doktor Pitt (Live in San Francisco, 1981)

Line-up:
Pharoah Sanders - tenor sax
John Hicks - Piano
Walter Booker - Bass
Idris Muhammad - Drums

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

Max Roach - We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite (1960)

We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite, co-authored by Max Roach and Oscar Brown, Jr., was a pivotal work in the early-'60s African-American protest movement, and continues to be relevant in its message and tenacity. It represents a lesson in living as to how the hundreds of years prior were an unnecessary example of how oppression kept slaves and immigrants in general in their place. Vocalist Abbey Lincoln expresses this oppression as effectively as anyone could with her thespian-based wordless vocals, and lyrics written by Brown that tell the grim story of the struggle of African-American for far too long. Musically, Roach assembled one of the greatest bands, from his own emerging ensemble with trombonist Julian Priester and trumpeter Booker Little, to the legendary Coleman Hawkins and lesser-known, underappreciated tenor saxophonist Walter Benton. Percussionists Ray Mantilla and Michael Olatunji gave the poetic pieces sung by Lincoln enough substance and spice to also refer to Afro-Cuban and South American prejudice and urgency for change. Hawkins is particularly impressive, as his emotional range during the deep and dour, 5/4 slave song "Driva' Man" clearly feeds off of Lincoln's blues singing about quittin' time. "Triptych; Prayer/Peace/Protest" is the magnum opus of the set, introduced by Roach's signature drum moves, an eerie operatic vocal or oppressed angst yelling from Lincoln, and a 5/4 beat from the percussionist against a calmer vocal component, all written for interpretive dance. Of the modern jazz that Roach is renowned for, the horns jump into furious hard bop with solos from Little, Benton, and Priester on "Freedom Day" after Lincoln quietly invites you to "whisper/listen," while the obscure bassist James Schenck leads in 6/8 and 5/4 ostinato over Lincoln's sustained tones on "Tears for Johannesburg," with the layered horns in and out of well-wrought harmonies, and another triad of instrumental solos. "All Africa" sports lyrics about being on the beach, or maybe the beach head in the battle for freedom, as chants of tribal names echo similar village beats. This is a pivotal work in the discography of Roach and African-American music in general, its importance growing in relevance and timely, postured, real emotional output. Every modern man, woman, and child could learn exponentially listening to this recording -- a hallmark for living life.

by Michael G. Nastos in All Music Guide

Styles:
Hard-Bop
Post-Bop
Vocal Jazz

Tracks:
01 - Driva Man (5:10)
02 - Freedom Day (6:02)
03 - Triptych: Prayer/Protest/Peace (7:58)
04 - All Africa (7:57)
05 - Tears for Johannesburg (9:36)

Line-up:
Abbey Lincoln - vocals
Coleman Hawkins - tenor saxophone on "Driva Man"
Walter Benton - tenor saxophone
Booker Little, trumpet
Julian Priester - trombone
James Schenk - bass
Max Roach - drums
Michael Olatunji - conga drums on "Tears for Johannesburg"
Raymond Mantilla - percussion on "Tears for Johannesburg"
Tomas du Vall - percussion on "Tears for Johannesburg"