Forty-four years ago, one of the last of the original CTI releases found its way onto American record-store shelves. But hardly anyone noticed. The shame of it is that Art Farmer and Joe Henderson’s Yama is a terrific record - and one that pointed the way to a new "CTI sound" that could have accorded well in the post-fusion Eighties. Surprisingly, Yama represents the only time trumpeter Art Farmer had ever recorded with Joe Henderson - though, even here, they may not have been in the studio at the same time. The label’s waning fortunes at the time likely prevented any further releases by Joe Henderson on CTI. But you have to wonder what else may have been recorded and remains unreleased. Interestingly, both Farmer and Henderson were born in Iowa. But it’s there the similarities end. Farmer got his chops in Los Angeles while Henderson honed his in Detroit and a later stint in the Army. Farmer had long been in New York by the time Henderson arrived in the early Sixties. How Farmer and Henderson’s paths ever crossed in the first place is something of a miracle. Yama is that miracle, one of two paths that really should have crossed much more often but surprisingly didn’t. The record was recorded in April 1979 (and there is likely much more than the five tracks heard here) and although it was announced as a forthcoming release later in the year, CTI ran out of funding and this and several other discs were not released stateside. Yama was, however, issued in Japan that year but was not released in the US until May 1982. The record’s sound and success - and, most likely, its programming - are due in no small measure to the participation of composer, arranger, producer, keyboardist, percussionist, and, oh yeah, vibes player Mike Mainieri. "In Yoga," the liner notes tell us, "Yama is the first rung on the ladder toward the gateway to self-realization. Yama is also the Japanese word for mountain." According to Julian "Cannonball" Adderley’s approach to his art. "First you get together with yourself. Then you get together with your instrument. Finally, you arrive at direct communication - with the people you are playing with and those you are performing for." For this listener, Yama is a success that leaves you wanting more. And that’s its only fault: Yama ends after a mere 33 breezy minutes. ~ Extract by Doug Payne.
CTI Records, CTI 9000, 1979
Recorded and Mixed April,
1979 at Power Station Studios, New York
Musicians:
Art Farmer - Flugelhorn
Joe Henderson - Tenor
Saxophone
Don Grolnick, Warren
Bernhardt, Fred Hersch - Keyboards
Mike Mainieri - Synthesizer,
Vibraphone, Arranger
David Spinozza, John Tropea -
Guitar
Eddie Gomez - Bass
Will Lee - Electric-Bass
Steve Gadd - Drums
Sammy Figueroa - Percussion
Suzanne Cianni - Synthesizer
Programming
Tracks:
A1. Dulzura {Clare Fischer}
(8:21)
A2. Stop [I Think Again]
{Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb} (4:08)
A3. Young And Fine {Joseph
Zawinul} (6:26)
B1. Lotus Blossom {Don
Grolnick} (6:43)
B2. Blue Montreux {Mike
Mainieri} (7:12)
Total Time: 32:53
Credits:
Producer - Creed Taylor
Associate Producer, Arranger
- Mike Maineri
Engineer - Neil Dorfsman
Mastering - Rudy van Gelder
Cover Illustration - Susannah
Kelly
Photography, Design [Inside]
- Alen MacWeeney
Design - Neal Pozner
Calligraphy - Bernard Maisner
An obscure late 70s set from CTI - and a near-lost chapter in the career of both artists in the title! Mike Mainieri arranged and produced the set - and the album's got a sweet, warm fusion approach that's very much like his own work - using a larger group of keyboards, vibes, bass, and percussion to set up backgrounds for solos by Farmer on flugelhorn and Joe Henderson on tenor! The mode's nicely colorful - different than early 70s CTI - and although the tracks have electric components, the main glow in the set seems to come from the horns. Players include Mainieri on vibes, Don Grolnick and Warren Bernhardt on keyboards, John Tropea on guitar, and Suzanne Ciani on electronics - and the approach is actually quite nice, and more sensitive than you'd think - with almost a soundtrack sort of feel overall. Titles include "Blue Montreux", "Lotus Blossom", "Dulzura", and "Stop". © Dusty Groove, Inc.
