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Harold Vick – Don’t Look Back – Strata East/PurePleasure 

Harold Vick – Don’t Look Back – Strata East/PurePleasure 

by | Jun 19, 2018 | Jazz CD Reviews

Continuing the Strata East tradition… Harold Vick – Don’t Look Back – Strata East/PurePleasure SES-7431 – audiophile 180 gm vinyl – 1974 – ****: (Harold Vick – tenor sax, flute, bass clarinet, soprano sax; Virgil Jones – trumpet and flugelhorn; George Davis – alto flute, guitar; Kiane Zawadi – euphonium; Joe Bonner – piano, Fender Rhodes, tuba, percussion; Sam Jones – bass; Billy Hart – drums, percussion; Jimmy Hops – percussion) Strata East was a black musician owned jazz label started by Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell in the 1970s. The label produced over fifty albums during this period. A unifying factor to most all of their issues was an assertive, spiritual, post bop modal African influence. There was a lot of percussion used, and the musicians were deeply involved with interplay, as opposed to comping behind the soloist. Standards were minimized, and the session leaders both composed and arranged their own material. Multi instrumentalist, Harold Vick, recorded for the label in 1974, after having been with Blue Note, Muse, and RCA. His first album from 1963, Steppin’ Out, was a classic Blue Note hard bop release and featured an all star line-up with Blue Mitchell, Grant Green, John Patton, […]

Ronnie Cuber – Cuber Libre / Sam Jones – Changes and Things – both Elemental/Xanadu

Ronnie Cuber – Cuber Libre / Sam Jones – Changes and Things – both Elemental/Xanadu

by | Aug 9, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Two more Xanadu reissues of note. Ronnie Cuber – Cuber Libre – Elemental/Xanadu 90607, 52:48  (1976) ****: (Ronnie Cuber – baritone sax) Sam Jones – Changes and Things – Elemental/Xanadu 906088, 41:58 (1977) ****:) (Sam Jones – bass; Blue Mitchell – trumpet; Slide Hampton – trombone; Bob Berg – tenor sax; Barry Harris – piano; Louis Hayes – drums) At the time that Cuber Libre was issued, Ronnie Cuber was 34 years old, and this was his debut as a leader. He was a sideman, and cut his teeth playing baritone sax for pop legends such as Aretha, Clapton, Steely Dan, and Dr. John. He continues to go strong today and his rock solid baritone anchors the tribute Mingus Big Band. Ronnie is noted for his big throaty baritone timbre and it is put to good use on an extended “Star Eyes.” It’s off to the races on”Rifftide” with Barry Harris quoting “Lady Be Good.” “Sudwest Funk” is a double-time 12 bar blues. Donald Byrd wrote this track and it’s fun to compare it to Byrd’s recorded version that featured Pepper Adams on baritone. Sam Jones’ Changes and Things from 1977 come highly recommended as it has a dream front […]