Woody Herman And His Thundering Herd - Keep On Keepin' On (1968-1970)

After the period of the Young Thundering Herd (documented by Philips and Columbia) and prior to his projects for Fantasy, Woody Herman recorded three generally commercial albums for Cadet. Herman always believed in having his band stay updated and modern, and he supported his younger musicians in their quest to perform new and current music. His output for Cadet, however, was quite streaky, ranging from worthwhile new originals to covers of pop and rock tunes that sometimes sounded a bit awkward. This single CD from 1998 has six of the ten selections originally on Light My Fire, four of the ten tunes from Heavy Exposure, and three of the six numbers (plus a previously unreleased "The Indigenous Artifact") from 1970's Woody. Completists will want to search for the three earlier LPs but should be warned that they are quite erratic and often dated. Even in this best-of collection, there are some throwaways (such as "My Cherie Amour" and "Aquarius"), but the better selections ("Keep On Keepin' On" which has some heated Sal Nistico tenor; "Impressions of Strayhorn," and Alan Broadbent's massive everything-but-the-kitchen-sink reworking of "Blues In The Night") make the set overall better than expected. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Chess\GRP Records, GRD-818, 1998
Recorded October, 1968 - 30th October, 1970 in Chicago, Illinois 

Musicians:
Woody Herman - Clarinet, Alto, Soprano & Tenor Saxes
Gary Grant, Harry Hall, Sal Marquez, Rich Murphy, Nat Pavone - Trumpet
Tom Harrell, Tony Klatka - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Tom "Bones" Malone, Ira Nedus, Vincent Prudente, Henry Southall - Trombone
Steve Lederer, Frank Vicari, Frank Tiberi, Sal Nistico - Tenor Saxophone
Alan Gauvin, Jim Thomas - Baritone Saxophone
Donny Hathaway - Organ
John Hicks - Piano
Mick Goodrick, Phil Upchurch - Guitar
A'nt Idy Harper, Arthur Harper, Gene Perla - Bass
Ed Soph - Drums
Morris Jennings - Drums, Percussion
Marshall Thompson - Percussion 

Tracks:
01. Light My Fire {Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Bob Krieger, John Densmore} (3:37)
02. Keep On Keepin' On {Richard Evans} (4:19)
03. Impressions Of Strayhorn {Richard Evans} (3:27)
04. Pontieo {Edú Lobo, Capinan} (3:46)
05. I Say A Little Prayer {Burt Bacharach, Hal David} (3:35)
06. Hush { William "Mickey" Stevenson} (4:18)
07. My Cherie Amour {Stevie Wonder, Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy} (2:48)
08. Catch That Bird {Loonis McGlohon} (2:54)
09. I Can't Get Next To You {Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield} (2:57)
10. Aquarius {James Rado, Gerome Ragni, Gait MacDermot} (4:31)
11. Blues In The Night {Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen} (13:43)
12. A Time For Love {Paul Francis Webster, Johnny Mandel} (6:49)
13. Smiling Phases {Steve Winwood, James Capaldi, Chris Wood} (5:27)
14. The Indigenous Artifact {Alan Broadbent} (6:23) 

Total Time: 68:40 

Credits:
Producer [Original Albums] - Richard Evans
Reissue Producer - Orrin Keepnews
Digital Transfer, Audio Enhancement, Remastering - Erick Labson
A&R [Direction] - Steve Backer
Art Direction, Design - Hollis King, Kerosene Halo
Photography - Chuck Stewart
Liner Notes [Annotation] - Jack Tracy 

Notes:
#1-6 originally on Woody Herman - Light My Fire.
#7-10 originally on Woody Herman - Heavy Exposure.
#11-13 originally on Woody Herman - Woody.
#14 previously unissued. 

Light My Fire

Jeremy Steig - Fusion (1972) [vinyl>flac]

One of the greatest jazz-rock flute players around. This double vinyl album puts together a compilation that clearly showcases his mastery.

Fusion pairs the entirety of Jeremy Steig's landmark 1971 Capitol release Energy alongside unreleased material from the same sessions. Energy is a miracle of alchemy -- Jeremy Steig transforms his flute from the ethereal to the elemental, forging a heavy, deeply funky jazz-rock record that defies gravity. Paired with keyboardist Jan Hammer, bassists Gene Perla and Eddie Gomez, and drummer Don Alias, Steig creates Technicolor grooves that float like butterflies and sting like bees. His music doesn't so much fuse jazz and rock as it approaches each side from the perspective of the other, exploring their respective concepts and executions to arrive at a sound all its own. If anything, the tonal restrictions of Steig's chosen instrument push him even farther into the unknown, employing a series of acoustic and electronic innovations to expand the flute's possibilities seemingly into the infinite. While some of the unissued content here is no less astounding, as a whole Fusion feels like too much of a good thing; one can't help but miss the focus and shape of Energy in its original incarnation. ~ By Jason Ankeny.

I think I'd avoided Jeremy Steig's 1971 album "Fusion" because, well, the word 'fusion' always carried connotations for me of lightning-speed distorted guitars separating twenty minute bass solos - not really my thing. And it had Jan Hammer on it, who I generally associate with the same masturbatory activity, albeit on synthesisers. So when I finally grabbed it. I was pleasantly surprised by its soulful funky rawness, great rhodes playing from Hammer and of course Steig's crazy flute. ~ Never Enough Rhodes

Groove Merchant, GM 2204, 2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 1972

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, 52 West 8th Street, New York

Track Listing:

A1. Home {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer} (4:38)

A2. Cakes {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer} (4:50)

A3. Swamp Carol {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer} (4:09)

A4. Energy {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer, Don Alias, Gene Perla} (4:48)

B1. Down Stretch {Jan Hammer} (4:12)

B2. Give Me Some {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer} (6:43)

B3. Come With Me {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer} (8:00)

B4. Dance Of The Mind {Jeremy Steig, Don Alias} (2:20)

C1. Up Tempo Thing {Jeremy Steig} (5:21)

C2. Elephant Hump {Jeremy Steig} (5:53)

C3. Rock #6 {Jeremy Steig} (2:58)

C4. Slow Blues In G {Jeremy Steig} (6:31)

D1. Rock #9 {Jeremy Steig} (5:48)

D2. Rock #10 {Jeremy Steig} (4:13)

D3. Something Else {Jeremy Steig} (7:01)

Personnel:

Jeremy Steig - Flute, Alto Piccolo, Alto Flute, Bass Flute

Jan Hammer - Electric Piano, Chinese Gong

Gene Perla - Electric Bass, Electric Upright Bass

Eddie Gomez - Electric Upright Bass (#B1, B3)

Don Alias - Drums, Congas, Clap Drums, Percussion

Released on Groove Merchant Fusion is a double album compilation of Jeremy Steig’s work compiled by Sonny Lester. The first album contains all of the songs from Steig’s Energy LP released on Capitol, while the second slab contains new material. Standouts are, Home that opens up with an interesting piano line by Jan Hammer before the band gets a little funky. Similarly, Cakes starts with a nice bass and drum beginning by Gene Perla and Don Alias. Both of these beginnings could be looped. Swamp Carol, Down Stretch (with a short drum break at the beginning) and Give Me Some all feature some pretty funky rhythms. These songs are from the Energy album. The previously unreleased material, is a bit mellower, with a bluesy influence to most of them but worth a listen. Probably the best song is Up Tempo Thing, a soulful groover despite the name. Soulstrut