Robert Bosscher - Multiple Views (2013)

One day, a young man casually strolls into Swingmaster, Sem van Gelder's record store in Groningen. He has a stack of CDs in his hand, ready to sell. Van Gelder puts on the record. The customers present sit down. Before the first song is even over, the deal is sealed. With "Multiple Views," Robert Bosscher has delivered an excellent CD with a fantastic lineup. Bassist Joris Teepe and drummer Billy Hart bolster the rhythm section, which is then joined by tenorist Mark Turner and trumpeter Scott Wendholt. The album opens strongly with "Staying Real," whose East Coast jazz style clearly sets the tone of the album. The song "Fierce," in particular, is full of interesting harmonic and rhythmic twists. The title track, "Multiple Views," is a somewhat dreamy yet beautiful trio piece. On the cover, Bosscher writes that his album is "a reflection of daily life, with its many influences and perspectives." At the end of the album, these many influences and perspectives are explored in "Echoes from my mind" and "Wondering," in which the Groningen pianist experiments with opera-style vocals. Perhaps not surprising for those who know that Bosscher also composed the musical "One year later." However, the tone of the CD changes drastically with this release, and these kinds of experiments really belong on a different album. Fortunately, between the two "vocal" pieces is the magnificent "Brainstorm," which again emphasizes the quintet. "Multiple Views" is self-released. Robert Bosscher has delivered a gem with it! A successful record deal must surely be on the horizon. ~ Bart Hollebrandse, JazzFlits. [Translated from Dutch] 

Self-Released, Jan 16 2013 

Musicians:
Robert Bosscher - Piano
Scott Wendholt - Trumpet
Mark Turner - Tenor Sax
Joris Teepe - Bass
Billy Hart - Drums

Tracks:
1. Staying Real (5:46)
2. Cell (6:30)
3. Lantana (8:12)
4. Dreamwake (6:38)
5. Multiple Views (5:17)
6. Fierce (6:55)
7. Wondering (6:49)
8. Brainstorm (8:07)
9. Echoes From My Mind (6:59) 

All compositions by Robert Bosscher 

Total Time: 60:18

LINK

Fierce

Tim Armacost - Fire (1995)

Let's face it, most great young players in jazz don't have careers like Charlie Parker or Joshua Redman - they don't rise right to the top. Rather, these artists make their way gradually to being the musicians everybody talks about. Tim Armacost has that kind of potential, too. He's definitely got the goods: a warm, regal tone, a commanding technique that unleashes clean, round notes at any tempo, an imagination that concocts melodic yet steamy improvisation, a sense of emotional maturity that communicates real feeling and a rhythmic whammy that makes everything swing. And he can write. Influenced by the best - Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley, Ornette Coleman, Parker, Clifford Brown and others - Armacost has racked up some solid credits in his decade-plus as a working pro. Fire is sure to spread the good news about this superb saxophonist. ~ Extract by Zan Stewart, Liner Notes. 

Concord Jazz, CCD-4697, 1996
Recorded 20th-21st November, 1995 at Sound-On-Sound, New York 

Musicians:
Tim Armacost - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax
Kenny Barron - Piano
Gerald Cannon - Bass
Billy Hart - Drums (#1-5)
Shingo Okudaira - Drums (#5-10) 

Tracks:
01. Norwegian Wood {John Lennon, Paul McCartney} (7:38)
02. The Old Familiar Faces {Tim Armacost} (5:43)
03. Long Haired Girl {Tim Armacost} (5:14)
04. Pennies From Heaven {Johnny Burke, Arthur Johnson} (7:25)
05. The Tabla Master {Tim Armacost} (6:21)
06. Macondé {Shingo Okudaira} (6:53)
07. There's A Lull In My Life {Mack Gordon, Harry Revel} (6:40)
08. Voyage {Kenny Barron} (6:42)
09. Imprint {Tim Armacost} (7:05)
10. Bailey's Blues {Tim Armacost} (7:50) 

Total Time: 67:34 

Credits:
Producer - Allen Farnham
Production Manager - Kathleen Vance
Executive-Producer - John Burk
Engineer - Alan Varner
Engineer [Assistant] - Devin Emke, Tsumoru ("T.K.") Kume
Mixing Engineer - Phil Edwards
Mastering Engineer - George Horn
Photography - Teri Bloom
Art Direction - Kent Judkins 

Long Haired Girl

Thomas Clausen, Tomas Franck, Jesper Lundgaard, Billy Hart - Blue Rain (2015)

Thomas Clausen, Tomas Franck, Jesper Lundgaard and Billy Hart are all jazz stars. The first three mainly on the European firmament, while the legendary American drummer's light shines throughout most of the universe. This new group was on the road during the fall of 2014 and wrapped up their tour with a two-day recording session in Copenhagen. They brought the atmosphere from their intense concerts with them to the studio and played away. It was a hot session: All four musicians in the same room; no headphones, and exclusively first takes focusing on the improvisational art that is the heartbeat of jazz. This new quartet is a reunion for Thomas Clausen and Swedish tenor saxophonist Tomas Franck. Tomas Franck is one of Scandinavia's leading saxophonists with numerous recordings under his belt. Blue Rain also brings one of Denmark's leading bassists, Jesper Lundgaard together with Tomas Franck again. Jesper has played with just about everybody -you name them; he's been there! As a new challenge, Thomas invited one of the absolute top drummers in the world, Billy Hart. Thomas Clausen put this super-group together to play a repertoire consisting mainly of his original compositions. The two exceptions are the lovely Ellington tune "Prelude to a Kiss" and a special bonus, the wonderful "Spring Is a Promise of Fall" composed by Cecilia Heick, who sings the tune with the band on the album. ~ Extract from www.amazon.com. 

Stunt Records, STUCD 15012, 2015
Recorded 22nd-23rd September, 2014 at Millfactury Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark 

Musicians:
Thomas Clausen - Piano
Tomas Franck - Tenor Saxophone
Jesper Lundgaard - Double Bass
Billy Hart - Drums
Cecilia Heick - Vocals (#7) 

Tracks:
1. Leaves {Thomas Clausen} (7:26)
2. Blue Rain {Thomas Clausen} (10:07)
3. Punk Monk {Thomas Clausen} (10:35)
4. Prelude To A Kiss {Duke Ellington} (10:12)
5. Prism {Thomas Clausen} (10:44)
6. Things You Are {Thomas Clausen} (9:03)
7. Spring Is A Promise Of Fall {Cecilia Heick} (9:25) 

Total Time: 67:32 

Credits:
Producer - Thomas Clausen
Executive-Producer - Peter Littauer, Søren Friis
Recording Engineer - Boe Larsen
Mixing & Mastering - Bjarne Hansen
Photography - Stephen Freiheit
Cover - Yellow1

Leaves

Dick Griffin - Now Is The Time (1979, 1997)

Here we have a great example of a deep and spiritual jazz album from trombonist Dick Griffin. He is joined by a stunning line-up including Clifford Jordan on tenor sax, Bill Saxton on both tenor & soprano, Hubert Eaves on piano, flute, piano, vocals from Lonnie Liston Smith's brother Donald Smith and then if that's not enough to exhilarate a listening frenzy there’s Calvin Hill on bass, Lawrence Killian on percussion, congas and finally Billy Hart, Freddie Waits sharing drums. The initial LP release on provided six tracks but with the CD reissue another two bonus tracks are added. All compositions are penned by Dick Griffin, a truly an underrated trombonist and composer. A classic of its time, Enjoy! 

Trident Records, TRS-504, 1979
Boplicity Records, CDBOP 021, 1997 

Musicians:
Dick Griffin - Trombone
Clifford Jordan - Tenor Saxophone
Bill Saxton - Tenor & Soprano Saxophones
Donald Smith - Flute, Piano, Vocals
Hubert Eaves - Piano
Calvin Hill - Bass
Billy Hart, Freddie Waits - Drums
Lawrence Killian - Percussion, Congas 

Tracks:
A1. Now Is The Time (6:18)
A2. Madrid (8:20)
A3. Multiphonic Blues (5:10)
B1. Waltz My Son (5:40)
B2. The Queen (7:21)
B3. Peaceful Thinking (6:25) 

CD Bonus Tracks:
7. Darkness Of Duke (4:46)
8. Come Dance With Me aka Come And See (6:26) 

All Compositions by Dick Griffin 

Total Time: 50:20

Buried Treasure in your own yard! Part one...

 

One of the things that many of you can testify to is that when you have a ridiculous huge digital collection, things can hide from you in your own files... even stunningly good stuff that you never got around to listening to! There was a time when I was into live recording trading and to this day there is a Live and Unreleased file on my hard-drive that has a bunch of stuff that I never quite got around to listening to. Now that I am officially in the 'old fart do it now' mode, I make a point of exploring what is there at least once a month. Today was that day and I found 2 jaw dropping gems... both in FLAC! I am relatively sure that I never actually listened to either of these recordings as it is tough to believe that I would not remember. Here is part one of what will be a two parter! The following comes from a text file in the file...

Red Rodney, Ira Sullivan & the Jack Wilkins Trio

Amsterdam (de Meervaart), International Jazz Festival, 9 August, 1980

The Jack Wilkins Trio with guests Red Rodney and Ira Sullivan at the International Jazz Festival Amsterdam (de Meervaart), Saturday 9 August, 1980. My taping of the direct Dutch radio broadcast.

Ira Sullivan arriving a little late on stage, thinking the Jack Wilkins Trio would play a longer set; Rodney and Sullivan had never played with Wilkins before.

There was a news bulletin (of almost 5 minutes) in between "Mr Oliver" and the following track, causing these tracks to be incomplete and  fading in, respectively.

Any info on the two "unknown" tunes is of course appreciated.

Enjoy!

Personnel:

Red Rodney (tp,flh), Ira Sullivan (tp,flh,as,fl), Jack Wilkins (g), Ron McClure (b), Billy Hart (d)

Track list:

1 Announcements

2 Unknown

3 Mr Oliver (nc)

4 Unknown (fading in)

5 Dolphin Dance

6 Monday Dance

7 The Red Arrow

8 Announcements

9 Happy Birthday into Buzzy

Lineage: FM > tape > recording, tracking and editing wav file in Audacity > CD-R > Wav > TLH (Flac 8, sector align) 

Audio quality:

A- (FM)

There it is, that is what I got... Hell, I didn't even know that I had it!

Dave Kikoski - Persistent Dreams (1991)

Persistent Dreams, which was produced by Walter Becker, jumps between two different genres. While Becker in the liner notes expresses admiration for pianist Dave Kikoski's modern straight-ahead quintet which he had heard a couple of years earlier at the legendary Hollywood jazz club Catalina Bar & Grill, four of the first five selections on this CD are somewhat commercial. Kikoski and his sidemen play well but the material is forgettable. Best on those mostly sleepy tracks are the wordless vocals of Vera Mera during the haunting "Lord of the Vine." Things begin to wake up with David Jensen's fiery tenor on John Coltrane's "Satellite" and Kikoski finally cuts loose on Wayne Shorter's "Toy Tune." The high point is the heated quintet on "Falling in Love with Love," featuring Kikoski, Jensen and trumpeter Randy Brecker. If only the entire CD was at that level. Still, if found at a budget price, this now-obscure CD is worth picking up. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Triloka Records, 7191-2, 1992
Recorded 17th & 18th October, 1991 At Clinton Studios, New York 

Musicians:
Dave Kikoski - Piano, Synthesizer (#1,4,5), Arranger
Randy Brecker - Trumpet (#3,8)
Dave Jensen - Tenor Saxophone (#4,8)
Cecelia Tenconi - Flute (#5)
Vadim Zilbershtein - Guitar (#5)
James Genus - Electric Bass (#1,3,5)
Ed Howard - Acoustic Bass (#2,4,6-8)
Ben Perowsky - Drums (#1-3,5)
Billy Hart - Drums (#4,6-8)
Alex Acuña - Percussion (#1,3,5)
Vera Mera - Vocals (#1) 

Tracks:
1. Lord Of The Vine {Dave Kikoski} (5:25)
2. Morning After {Al Kasha, Joel Hirschhorn, John Williams} (8:11)
3. Train Of Thought {Dave Kikoski} (6:23)
4. Satellite {John Coltrane} (6:27)
5. Green Trees {Dave Kikoski} (5:12)
6. Toy Tune {Wayne Shorter} (5:04)
7. Lonely {Dave Kikoski} (6:58)
8. Falling In Love With Love {Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart} (7:14)
9. Persistent Dreams {Dave Kikoski} (3:28) 

Total Time: 54:22

Credits:
Producer, Liner Notes - Walter Becker
Executive-Producer - K.D. Kagel, Mitchell Markus, Paul A. Sloman
Engineer, Mixing, Editing [Digital], Assemblage, Mastering - Roger Nichols
Engineer [Assistant] - Jackie Brown
Coordinator - June Popowich
Art Direction - The Duke Design Co.

Buster Williams - Heartbeat (1978) [re-rip]

This is a great acoustic-jazz album by bassist Buster Williams, released in 1979 on Muse Records. Players include Buster Williams on bass, Kenny Barron Pianist on four tunes, Jimmy Rowles on another, Suzanne Klewan vocalist on "Pygmy Lullabye", Ben Riley and Billy Hart share drums, plus a small string section with Gayle Dixon on violin and Pat Dixon on cello. All players get a chance to synchronise beautifully with William's majestic bass. Kenny Barron in particular excels alongside Buster. The addition of Klewan's vocals and Rowle's piano on "Pygmy Lullabye" sets a wonderfully serene atmosphere to Williams's strumming. Equally intoxicating is the sequencing of both cello and violin on both "Shadows" and "Pygmy Lullabye". Not to overlook Bill Hart and Ben Riley's contribution on drums. Overall this a very delightful album.

Muse Records, MR 5171, 1979

Recorded 28^th, 30^th, March and 3^rd April, 1978 At Generation Sound Studio, NYC

Personnel:

Buster Williams - Bass

Kenny Barron - Piano (#A1-A3,B2)

Jimmy Rowles - Piano (#B1)

Pat Dixon - Cello (#A3,B1)

Gayle Dixon - Violin (#A3,B1)

Ben Riley - Drums (#A1,A2)

Billy Hart - Drums (#A3,B1,B2)

Suzanne Klewan - Vocals (#B1)

Tracks:

A1. I Fall In Love Too Easily {Julie Styne, Sam Cahn} (5:11)

A2. Toku-Do {Buster Williams} (5:25)

A3. Shadows {Buster Williams} (9:42)

B1. Pygmy Lullabye {Jimmy Rowles} (6:54)

B2. Ruby P'Gonia {Buster Williams} (8:23)

B3. Veronica {Buster Williams} (2:33)

Credits:

Producer - Elliot Meadow

Recording Engineer - Tony May

Engineer [Assistant] - Franklin Fletcher

Arranger [Strings] - Buster Williams (#A3,B1)

Album Design, Photography [Cover] - Hal Wilson

Richard Davis - Dealin' (1974) [vinyl>flac]

This album was released on Muse in 1974. The first side is made up of a couple of funky jazz groovers while the second side is on a more mellow tip. The session is led by bassist Richard Davis, who also wrote the tunes. Marvin Peterson is on trumpet, Clifford Jordan on saxophone, Paul Griffin plays Piano, Rhodes, Organ and Clavinet, David Spinozza plays guitar and Freddie Waits is on drums.

“After Scott LaFaro, Richard Davis is the most important of the young bassists who helped extend the role of their instrument during the early Sixties. He influenced every important bassist of his generation. Like many brilliant sidemen, Davis doesn’t score so well as a leader. There is a general lack of focus that few of his LP’s have overcome.” ~ Steve Futterman. ~ Listening to this album years later brings a different perspective and in a lot ways the reviewer’s comment may seem a bit over stated.

Muse Records, MR 5027, 1974

Recorded 14^th September, 1973

Musicians:

Richard Davis - Bass, Vocals (#A3)

Marvin Peterson - Trumpet, Tambourine, Cow Bell

Clifford Jordan - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Cow Bell

Paul Griffin - Piano, Organ, Rhodes Piano, Clavinet

David Spinozza - Guitar

Freddie Waits - Drums

Tracks:

A1. What'd You Say (6:17)

A2. Dealin' (5:59)

A3. Julie's Rag Doll (5:33)

B1. Sweet'n (3:49)

B2. Sorta (3:10)

B3. Blues For Now (10:50)

All Compositions by Richard Davis

Credits:

Producer, Design, Photo - Don Schlitten

Recording Engineer - Paul Goodman [RCA]

Liner Notes - Dan Morgenstern

Richard Davis - Harvest (1977) [vinyl>flac]

A very nice record that bassist Davis did for Muse in the late 70s. As with previous recordings he works closely with fellow bass player Bill Lee. Lee plays on the record, co-produced and arranged the album and shares songwriting credit with Davis on a couple of the tracks. Davis is joined by Ted Dunbar on guitar, Consuela Moore on piano, Freddie Waits on drums, James Spaulding on flute and alto sax and Marvin 'Hannibal' Peterson on trumpet, among others. Tracks include the two Davis/Lee originals "Half Pass" and "A Third Away" plus in conjunction with the title, there are several songs with flowers in the titles such as "Windflower", "Forest Flower", and "Passion Flower". He also throws in some familiar tunes like "Take The “A” Train". ~ Dusty Groove, Inc.

Muse Records, MR 5115, 1979

Recorded on May 3^rd & 16^th, 1977 at CI Recording, New York City

Personnel:

Richard Davis - Bass

Marvin Hannibal Peterson - Trumpet (#B1,B3,B4)

James Spaulding - Flute (#B1), Alto Saxophone (#B1,B3,B4)

Consuela Moore - Piano (#A1-B2,B5)

Ted Dunbar - Guitar (#A1-A3,B1-B2)

Bill Lee - Bass (#A1-B2,B4)

Billy Hart - Drums (#B1,B3,B4)

Freddie Waits - Drums (#A1-A3,B2), Percussion (#B1)

Tracks:

A1. Forest Flower {Charles Lloyd} (4:55)

A2. This Masquerade {Leon Russell} (6:33)

A3. Half Pass {Bill Lee, Richard Davis} (4:12)

A4. Three Flowers {McCoy Tyner} (1:51)

B1. Windflower {Sara Casey} (7:13)

B2. Passion Flower {Billy Strayhorn} (4:15)

B3. A Third Away {Bill Lee, Richard Davis} (4:25)

B4. Take The 'A' Train {Billy Strayhorn, Milt Raskin} (3:08)

B5. Forest Flower [Reprise] {Charles Lloyd} (1:55)

Credits:

Producer - Frederick Seibert

Co-Producer, Arranger - Bill Lee

Engineer - Elvin Campbell

Cover Photo - Pat Davis

Cover Design - Ron Warwell

Liner Notes - Richard Davis

Walter Bishop Jr. - Valley Land (1974) [vinyl>flac]

This album finds Walter Bishop Jr. in a trio setting. Here Bishop showcases his ability to play and interpret some of the more well-known jazz standards and to great effect. The highlight is the title track, one of his own compositions "Valley Land". Essentially, it is very much a standards trio album. All players are in good form and clearly state their mastery indicative of their years affiliated with the jazz scene. It is not his best album, but the listener gets to hear a well-versed trio playing some mighty fine tunes.

Muse Records, MR 5060, 1976

Recorded 30^th December, 1974

Personnel:

Walter Bishop Jr. - Piano

Sam Jones - Bass

Billy Hart – Drums

Tracks:

A1. Invitation {Bronislau Kaper} (8:35)

A2. Lush Life {Billy Strayhorn} (3:47)

A3. Sam's Blues {Sam Jones} (5:38)

B1. You Stepped Out Of A Dream {Nacio Herb Brown} (4:15)

B2. Valley Land {Walter Bishop Jr.} (5:41)

B3. Killer Joe {Benny Golson} (4:54)

B4. Make Someone Happy {Jule Styne} (4:28)

Credits:

Producer - Fred Norsworthy

Art Direction, Design and Photography - Hal Wilson

Liner Notes - Peter Keepnews

"It's all here in its purest, most unadulterated no-frills form. Put it on your turntable and prepare to take off" ~ Peter Keepnews, from Liner Notes.

Kenny Barron - Lucifer (1975) [re-rip]

Totally excellent Kenny Barron album on Muse, and one of his hardest to find! There's a killer cut on here called "Hellbound" that's got Kenny playing this fantastic electric piano and moog stuff on top of overdubbed acoustic piano, which provides a rhythmic underpinning. The track is long and spacey, with an excellent modal groove that would make an excellent sample, but which also grooves beautifully on its own! Lots of other cool cuts too, all with more instrumentation, and a nice soulful funky sound. Titles include "Lucifer", "Spirits", "Firefly", and "Ethereally Yours" – and players include James Spaulding, Bill Barron, and Billy Hart. Beautiful! ~ Dusty Groove, Inc.

Kenny Barron recorded this album in 1975, at the age of 32 with the help of his brother and host of heavy jazz cats. The result is pure bliss. Not unlike his previous album "Peruvian Blue", Lucifer hands us a bit of a mixed bag as far as styles go. There are some scorching jazz-funk numbers, a spiritually tinged acoustic affair and an almost avant-garde fusion cut. Kenny even coined a term to describe his music called “Electracoustic Fusion” which is talked about in length on the back cover. Regardless of what its called, the music is surely one of the bright spots in Kenny’s career as a leader.

This album was recorded just as Barron was leaving Yusef Lateef’s band. The liner notes on the back are all about Barron’s thoughts and experiences with Fusion and electronic instruments as opposed to Bop, which was Barron’s roots having played with Dizzy Gillespie in the mid-1960s. I don’t know what the big deal was though, because his other albums from the time period all had electric instruments on them as well, but let’s focus on the actual music. The reason to check for this album is the opening Spirits, a fine piece of funky Soul-Jazz with a nice rhythm and a series of solos. Hellbound is also a good Fusion piece with a distorted bass line over which Barron plays electric and acoustic piano as well as clavinet.

Muse Records, MR 5070, 1975

Recorded 28^th April, 1975 at Bell Sound, New York City

Musicians:

Kenny Barron - Piano (#A1,A3,B1,B2,B3), Electric Piano (#A2,B1)
String Synthesizer (#A2,B1), Clavinet (#A1), Cowbell (#A1,B2)

Charles Sullivan - Trumpet (#A1,A2,B2)

James Spaulding - Bass Flute (#A2,A3), Alto Saxophone (#A1,B2)

Bill Barron - Soprano Saxophone (#A1,A2,B2)

Carlos Alomar - Guitar (#A1,B2)

Chris White - Electric Bass (#A1,A2,B1,B2)

Billy Hart - Drums (#A1,A2,B2)

Track Listing:

A1. Spirits {Kenny Barron} (8:56)

A2. Firefly {Kenny Barron} (8:45)

A3. Ethereally Yours {Kenny Barron} (5:45)

B1. Hellbound {Kenny Barron} (12:58)

B2. Lucifer {Kenny Barron} (5:32)

B3. Oleo {Sonny Rollins} (5:03)

Credits:

Producer - Michael Cuscuna

Engineer - Malcolm Addey

Mixing - Tony May

Cover - Ron Warwell

Azar Lawrence - Summer Solstice

On his second album on Prestige there is even more powerful tenor and soprano work because there are fewer soloists and no singers. There is a Brazilian overtone and a spiritual jazz undertone (and sometimes vice-versa) that puts this album into a world of it's own except perhaps for the short lived acoustic Weather Report. Both of these albums grow on you with repeated listening (for example I barely notice the vocals on Bridge anymore) but this one kind of opens up and reveals more and more depth. This guy was one baaad ass player!

from Dusty Groove
"A beautiful album of spiritual soul and Brazilian influenced jazz from Azar Lawrence – ... Lawrence is a stellar sax player with a sound that's a bit like Gary Bartz, which means that he fits in perfectly with the Fantasy-era Prestige Records sound – but the sounds on this set are uncommonly rich and globally influenced. The set's predominantly acoustic, with lots of modal grooves in kind of a Strata East vein – and angular post-Coltrane playing that's very similar to Bartz's work on the Libra album from his early days. Players include Raul De Souza on trombone, Ron Carter on bass, Billy Hart on drums, Dom Salvador, who is really allowed to shine on piano on a few tracks, and drummer & percussionist Guilherme Franco, who brings a world of wonderful percussion on a couple of numbers. Titles include "Highway", "From The Point of Love", "Novo Ano", and "From The Point Of Light".

Norman Connors - Dance Of Magic (1973) [vinyl>flac]

Following on from the recent Carlos Garnett Muse posts; here’s a magnificent album where he collaborates with a young Norman Connors and other great players to produce what is got to be one of the best spiritual jazz albums from the seventies. Recorded in 1972 it was Connor's debut as a leader. The record features four tracks that include the full-sided "Dance of Magic", as well as "Morning Change", "Blue" and the short but potent "Give The Drummer Some". Apart from this final track, the album has a solid sound that comfortably blends together an overall spiritual feel with many funky and spacey grooves. The record boasts a "Dream Team" lineup that includes Gary Bartz & Carlos Garnett, Stanley Clarke & Cecil McBee, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Henderson, Airto Moreira, Billy Hart, and many others. Later Connors would alter his style to produce many soulful classics like "You Are My Starship" and "Betcha By Golly Wow", but "Dance of Magic" is a definitive early showcasing of Connor's true musical gifts; an exemplary producer, composer and masterful musician capable of assembling the right players and musical components to create great records.

This is definitely a true gem; not to be overlooked.

Alternative cover from 1976 Buddah Records [BDS 5674] release

Cobblestone Records, Catalog#: CST 9024

Recorded 1972 at Bell Sound Studios, New York City

Track Listing:

A. Dance of Magic {Norman Connors} (20:53)

B1. Morning Change {Cecil McBee} (6:22)

B2. Blue {Stanley Clarke} (10:17)

B3. Give The Drummer Some {Norman Connors} (2:22)

Personnel:

Norman Connors - Drums

Herbie Hancock - Piano, Fender Rhodes, Electric Piano

Gary Bartz - Alto & Soprano Saxophones

Carlos Garnett - Tenor & Soprano Saxophones

Eddie Henderson - Trumpet

Art Webb - Flute

Cecil McBee - Bass (A,B1)

Stanley Clarke - Bass

Anthony Wiles - Baliphone, Percussion

Airto Moreira - Percussion (B1,B2,B3)

Alphonse Mouzon - Percussion (A,B2)

Babafemi - Percussion (A)

Billy Hart - Percussion (B1,B2,B3)

Nat Bettis - Percussion, Congas

The U.B.F. Singers - Vocals

This album is drummer Norman Connors earliest and most rewarding date as a leader. Recorded with a who's who of fusion titans including trumpeter Eddie Henderson bassist Stanley Clarke, and keyboardist Herbie Hancock, Dance of Magic channels the lessons drummer Norman Connors learned in the employ of Pharoah Sanders, Sam Rivers and Sun Ra, marshaling Latin rhythms, electronic textures, and cosmic mysticism to create nondenominational yet deeply spiritual funk-jazz. The sprawling 21-minute title cut spans the entirety of the record's first half, capturing a monumental jam session that explores the outer edges of free improvisation but never steps past the point of no return. Connors' furious drumming is like a trail of bread crumbs that leads his collaborators back home. The remaining three tracks are smaller in scale but no less epic in scope, culminating with the blistering "Give the Drummer Some." ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide.