Albert Heath - Kwanza (The First), vinyl rip

Well folks...here we are again. Long time friends will recall that this was long one of my Holy Grail's from the Muse catalog. Once I had finally acquired what appeared to be a nice copy I was heartbroken to discover that side one was flawed with a fierce crackle or groove noise that I wasn't able to remove via software nor cleaning. Eventually I tried so many times to clean side 1 of this record that I likely caused new damage. My attempt to re-rip one last time yesterday was too just too flawed to work with, so I went back to my last, best rip and decided to see if the spectral denoising of Isotope RX4 Advanced could finally rid me of the flaw. It took some experimentation and a couple of junked tries, but I managed to sweep the vast majority of the noise away without messing with the music! The wonders of modern editing software!

So this is still the 16/48 rip from last year, but it is very clearly cleaner and a better listen. I recommend that you upgrade!

    Bass – Percy Heath
    Drums, Timpani [Tympani], Chimes – Albert Heath
    Electric Piano, Piano – Kenny Barron
    Flute, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath
    Guitar – Ted Dunbar
    Trombone – Curtis Fuller
 Recorded By – Paul Goodman
    Liner Notes – Gary Giddins
    Producer – Don Schlitten, Design, Photography By – Don Schlitten



Preceding the Strata East 1975 release "Marchin' On" by two years, this could be considered the first Heath Brothers release. A lovely set of spiritual modal jazz that has that 70's feel I can't resist. All the compositions are originals, written either collectively or individually by the brothers; each one a new gem. For me this one is a classic of the genre.

Don Patterson - These Are Soulful Days (1973) [re-rip]

On this 1973 date, organist Don Patterson and guitarist Pat Martino again show themselves to be equally at home with gritty, organ combo sounds and the more refined vocabulary of hard bop. Brothers Jimmy Heath (tenor sax) and Albert Heath (drums) round out the band. They are bop-oriented players who also have an affinity for the Patterson and Martino blend of brains and barbecue sauce. The quartet comes together nicely on all five tracks, beginning with the long, melodic line of Cal Massey's mid-tempo title track and winding up with the slow-cooking, 18-minute "Muse Blues." As for the group's cover of "Whistle While You Work," Patterson, Martino, and the Heaths transform the Disney ditty into a solid, straight-ahead, swinger, with intelligent solo work and without a speck of corn. Patterson's pianistic approach and sparing use of bass pedals creates lots of space for his bandmates. Martino, who is known for his fleet, single-note solo work spends considerable time playing behind the soloists on this set, demonstrating what a staggeringly accomplished accompanist he can be. Heath draws on his history with Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, and Art Farmer, and as a leader in his own right, to build tenor solos that have force, logic, and passion. These Are Soulful Days is easily recommendable to fans of classic organ, guitar, sax combos, as well as to listeners who simply enjoy the playing of top-flight jazz musicians who have a healthy respect for the music's blues roots. ~ by Jim Todd, Allmusic.com.

Muse Records, MR 5032, 1973

Recorded 17th September, 1973

Personnel:

Don Patterson - Organ

Pat Martino - Guitar

Jimmy Heath - Tenor Saxophone

Albert Heath - Drums

Track Listing:

A1. These Are Soulful Days {Cal Massey} (8:19)

A2. Whistle While You Work {Frank Churchill, Larry Morey} (7:33)

A3. Skylark {Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer} (9:13)

B1. Blue 'N' Boogie {Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli} (4:11)

B2. Muse Blues {Don Patterson} (17:54)

Credits:

Producer - Don Schlitten

Engineer - Paul Goodman

“These Are Soulful Days” is a very rewarding set; it catches Don Patterson at his very best. It features Don in a fine quartet which includes Jimmy Heath on tenor sax, Pat Martino on guitar and Albert Heath on drums. Right from the start the quartet presents an exhilarating interpretation of Cal Massey's and the album's title tune. This is followed by two standards ”Skylark” and an unusual but rewarding version of “Whistle While You Work”; and finally two blues compositions “Blue 'N' Boogie” by Dizzy Gillespie and Patterson's own lengthy “Muse Blues”. All players have opportunities to solo; Patterson in particular shows great sensitivity. Jimmy Heath excels on “Whistle While You Work” and “Blue 'N' Boogie” and indeed Pat Martino has no trouble blending seamlessly with Patterson on all tunes adding some amazing solos, especially heard on the slower tracks. However he really comes into his own and truly expresses his expertise on the faster numbers.

According to Douglas Payne this is Patterson’s ‘best recorded work and offers proof that this melodic bop organist is a neglected talent that, even a decade after his death, remains deserving of wider recognition.'