David Liebman - Light'n Up, Please! (1976) [re-rip]

Along with mainstay Pee Wee Ellis, Dave Liebman turns his hand to funk. Many admirers of his Post-Bop adventures may not at first be impressed but with further appraisals this LP is still a solid bit of well-crafted jazz and not to be so easily written off as a less important album within his now vast discography. He is joined by some mighty fine players including the poorly acknowledged Link Chamberland. Others include the splendid pianist Richie Beirach, drummer Al Foster and percussionists Juma Santos and Sonny Brown. Not to overlook the mighty voice of Leon Thomas on three tunes. Overall Liebman still continues to showcase his multi-instrumental talents with great prowess. A highlight is his soprano mastery on “Tranquility Of The Protective Aura.” Enjoy!

Horizon Records, SP-721, 1977

Recorded May, 1976 at the Record Plant, Sausalito, California
and September, 1976 at Electric Lady Studio, New York City

Personnel:

David Liebman - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, C Flute, Alto Flute,
Electric Piano, Talking Drum, Percussion, Vocals

Pee Wee Ellis - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Electric Piano, Percussion, Vocals

Harold Williams - Electric Piano, Minimoog, Vocals (#A3,B2,B3,B5)

Richie Beirach - Acoustic Piano (#B4)

Link Chamberland - Electric Guitar (#A1,A3,B1-B3,B5)

Chris Hayes - Electric Guitar (#A1,A2,A4,B1)

Jeff Berlin - Electric Bass (#A3,B2,B3,B5)

Tony Saunders - Electric Bass (#A1,A2,A4,B1)

Jimmy Strassburg - Drums, Percussion

Al Foster - Drums (#A3,B2,B3,B5)

Juma Santos - Congas, Percussion (#A1,A3,B1-B3,B5)

Sonny Brown - Percussion (#B2)

Leon Thomas - Vocals, Percussion (#A1,B1,B2)

Tracks:

A1. Light'n Up, Please! {David Liebman} (6:39)

A2. Children Of The Ghetto {David Liebman, Leon Thomas, Eleana Steinberg, Pee Wee Ellis} (3:44)

A3. Tranquility Of The Protective Aura {Harold Williams} (5:54)

A4. The Fonz's Strut {David Liebman, Pee Wee Ellis} (5:55)

B1. Got To Work {David Liebman, Pee Wee Ellis, Leon Thomas} (3:17)

B2. Chicken Soup {David Liebman, Pee Wee Ellis} (3:52)

B3. Exquisite Torture {David Liebman} (5:05)

B4. Win Your Love {David Liebman} (1:31)

B5. Slow Dance On The Killing Ground {David Liebman} (4:24)

Credits:

Producer - David Liebman, John Snyder, Pee Wee Ellis

Engineer - Skip Juriad , Assistant - Jerry Soloman [Electric Lady]

Engineer - Tom Anderson [The Record Plant]

Mixing - Bob Edwards, Assistant - Eric Schilling [The Record Plant]

Photography - James Fee [Front], Benno Friedman [Back]

Photography - Barbara Ellis

Art Direction - Roland Young

Design - Phil Shima

Sax boffin and one-time Miles Davis sideman, David Liebman, and James Brown's sax man Pee Wee Ellis get together for a light-hearted rhythm workout. On two tracks ("Light'n Up Please!" and "Got To Work") they lock swords with their tenors and Ellis plays electric piano and tenor on the others. Liebman tries his hand at funky stuff on side one, and although the whole album sounds hastily produced rather than spontaneous, we are treated to some wonderfully creative and searching soprano solos on "Slow Dance On The Killing Ground", "Exquisite Torture" and "Tranquility Of The Protective Aura". ~ vitalwill, RYM.

Archie Shepp - For Losers (1968+1969) [vinyl]

One of the grooviest albums from Archie Shepp's post-new thing years for Impulse - a nicely grooving session that mixes soul-based tracks with more righteous spiritual jazz moments! The approach here is a nicely varied - a laidback, collaborative spirit that's even quite different from Shepp's work in France at the time, or even from some of his other sessions for Impulse. At one moment, Archie's playing in a gently spare and soulful mode - foreshadowing his late 70s sides - but at another, he'll be opening up with intensity, egged on by a group of well-matched players who include Woody Shaw, Grachan Moncur III, James Spaulding, and Cedar Walton. Side 2 features the extended "Un Croque Monsieur" - a modally building number with some free post-Coltrane energy, and a righteous poem from Chinalin Sharpe. Sharpe returns in a completely different spirit on "I Got It Bad" - singing the lyrics in a Billie Holiday mode alongside Shepp's solo - and Leon Thomas sings on the soul-based number "Stick Em Up", again very different than usual! Titles also include a great version of Cal Massey's "What Would It Be Without You" and the funky groover "Abstract". © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Impulse! Records, AS-9188, 1970

Recorded 9^th September, 1968 (#A1) at RCA Studios, New York City

Recorded 17^th February, 1969 (#A2) at RCA Studios, New York City

Recorded 26^th August, 1969 (#A3,A4,B) at RCA Studios, New York City

Personnel:

A1. Stick 'Em Up {Archie Shepp} (2:05)

Archie Shepp - Tenor Saxophone

Robin Kenyatta - Alto Saxophone

Grachan Moncur III - Trombone

Martin Banks - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Andrew Bey - Piano

Mel Brown - Organ, Guitar

Bert Payne - Guitar

Albert Winston - Fender Bass

Wilton Felder - Fender Bass

Beaver Harris - Drums

Doris Troy - Vocals

Leon Thomas - Vocals

Tasha Thomas - Vocals

A2. Abstract {Archie Shepp} (4:21)

Archie Shepp - Tenor Saxophone

James Spaulding - Alto Saxophone

Charles Davis - Baritone Saxophone

Grachan Moncur III - Trombone

Jimmy Owens - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Wally Richardson - Guitar

Dave Burrell - Organ

Bob Bushnell - Fender Bass

Bernard Purdie - Drums

A3. I Got It Bad [And That Ain't Good] {Duke Ellington, Paul Webster} (5:15)

Archie Shepp - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone

Clarence Sharpe - Alto Saxophone

Cedar Walton - Piano

Wilbur Sharpe - Bass

Joe Chambers - Drums

Chinalin Sharpe - Vocals

A4. What Would It Be Without You {Cal Massey} (4:05)

Archie Shepp - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone

Cecil Payne - Baritone Saxophone, Flute

Cedar Walton - Piano

Wilbur Sharpe - Bass

Joe Chambers - Drums

B. Un Croque Monsieur [Poem: For Losers] {Archie Shepp} (21:47)

Archie Shepp - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone

Cecil Payne - Baritone Saxophone

Clarence Sharpe - Alto Saxophone

Woody Shaw - Trumpet

Matthew Gee - Trombone

Cedar Walton - Piano

Wilbur Sharpe - Bass

Joe Chambers - Drums

Chinalin Sharpe - Vocals

Credits:

Producer - Ed Michel

Supervision - Bob Thiele (#A1,A2), Ed Michel (#A4,A4,B)

Artwork Design - George Whiteman

Photography - Chuck Stewart

Liner Notes - Archie Shepp

Tracklist:

A1. Stick 'Em Up {Archie Shepp} (2:05)

A2. Abstract {Archie Shepp} (4:21)

A3. I Got It Bad [And That Ain't Good] {Duke Ellington, Paul Webster} (5:15)

A4. What Would It Be Without You {Cal Massey} (4:06)

B. Un Croque Monsieur [Poem: For Losers] {Archie Shepp} (21:47)

At the time this record was recorded, Shepp was bouncing back and forth between Paris and New York. He also bounced between the Impulse! and BYG labels. He also bounced between styles. For BYG, his music reached to grasp the bare beginnings of black music, back to Africa and the blues. His music for Impulse! tried to embrace the contemporary sounds of R&B, with very mixed results that to this day divide his fans. This record is a transitional one. For the traditionalists, there's his shattering and amusing cover of "I've Got It Bad" performed by the usual suspects one would think to find on an Archie Shepp record, including Cecil Payne and Joe Chambers. For those enraptured by albums like Attica Blues, songs like "Stick 'Em Up" will fascinate, as Shepp's raspy tenor is joined not only by a legion of avant-garde brethren (including names like Beaver Harris and Grachan Moncur), but also by the funky wood of electric bass, guitar, and organ. Some will find those later tracks a bit hard to take. Some will even find themselves snickering. But for anyone wishing to understand the music and career of this brilliant musician, this is an undervalued piece of the puzzle. ~ Rob Ferrier, AMG.

David Liebman - Light'n Up, Please! (1976) [vinyl>flac]

Allied with Pee Wee King of James Brown fame, Dave Liebman plunges headlong into funk in the wake of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, but his heart doesn't seem to be in it. At times, he sounds bored playing R&B riffs that he seemed to have outgrown at the time, lapsing into free-jazz flurries in an effort to stay interested, and the rhythm section is leaden. The whole thing is recorded with a dry, airless ambience, possibly emulating Headhunters and its sought-after riches -- but no, it didn't translate into anything close to a gold record. Leon Thomas makes some fairly ridiculous vocal appearances on the energetic but mindless funk of "Children of the Ghetto" and the pale imitation of a JB groove, "Got to Work." Yet there are a few moments, particularly on "Tranquility of the Protective Aura," where Liebman's lovely soprano is permitted to soar unimpeded. The title of the album refers either to photography or cigarettes, depending upon which side of the cover you're looking at. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide.

Horizon Records, SP-721, 1977

Recorded May 1976 at the Record Plant, Sausalito, California;
and September 1976 at Electric Lady Studio, New York City

Personnel:

David Liebman - Tenor & Soprano Saxes, Alto & C Flutes, Electric Piano,
Talking Drum, Vocals, Handclaps

Pee Wee Ellis - Tenor & Soprano Saxes, Electric Piano, Vocals, Handclaps

Harold "Ivory" Williams - Synthesizer [Mini Moog], Electric Piano, Vocals

Link Chamberland - Electric Guitars

Chris Hayes - Electric Guitar

Jeff Berlin - Bass

Tony Saunders - Bass

Al Foster - Drums

Jimmy Strassburg - Percussion

Jumma Santos - Congas, Handclaps

Sonny Brown - Percussion

Richard Beirach - Piano [Acoustic]

Leon Thomas – Vocals

[See included Info.txt file for specific details]

Track Listing:

A1. Light'n Up, Please! {David Liebman} (6:39)

A2. Children Of The Ghetto {Liebman, Thomas, Steinberg, Ellis} (3:44)

A3. Tranquility Of The Protective Aura {Harold Williams} (5:54)

A4. The Fonz's Strut {David Liebman, Pee Wee Ellis} (5:55)

B1. Got To Work {Liebman, Ellis, Leon Thomas} (3:17)

B2. Chicken Soup {David Liebman, Pee Wee Ellis} (3:52)

B3. Exquisite Torture {David Liebman} (5:05)

B4. Win Your Love {David Liebman} (1:31)

B5. Slow Dance On The Killing Ground {David Liebman} (4:24)

Like many appraisals they can be quite subjective to a reviewer’s preferences and prejudices. Although not the usual side you would expect from David Liebman, it is however a major attempt to fashion a pleasurable jazz funk album. He is helped by a myriad of sophisticated players and performers. If the listener overlooks some of the dated riffs and concentrates on some of the artists solos they will soon realise a high standard of music. It is also an opportunity to hear the elusive Link Chamberland in action. Overall Liebman demonstrates some wonderful virtuosity across a broad range of instruments, in particular when he swaps to soprano. Pee-Wee Ellis’ contribution as musician, writer and producer is also impressive. Apart from a couple of rambling moments, this LP sets up some very funky grooves. Ripped from a well loved vinyl the resulting music makes for an enjoyable listen.