Muse 5195, 1972 (1980)
Neptune (12:02)
Naima (4:40)
Reflections (2:39)
China (5:30)
Pisces (4:05)
Pat´s Tune (2:24)
Bass – Edward Crockett (tracks: B2), John Hicks
Congas – Robert Kenyatta
Drums – Bill Roy, Richard Lee Wiggins (tracks: B2)
Electric Piano – Ron Burton
Percussion – John Goldsmith, Sherman Ferguson
Piano – Elmer Gibson, Sid Simmons
Producer – Skip Drinkwater
Saxophones – Carl Grubbs, Earl Grubbs
Catalyst - Catalyst
Muse 5170, 1972
01. Ain’t The Truth
02. East
03. Catalyst Is Coming
04. Jabali
05. New-Found Truths
06. Salaam
Eddie Green (keyboards, vocals), Sherman Ferguson (percussion), Odean Pope (saxophone, flute, oboe), Alphonso Johnson (bass)
Cobblestone 1972, Muse 5024, 1976
1. In My Youth (E. Grubbs) (8:11)
2. The Juggler (E. Grubbs) (7:48)
3. The Visit (E. Grubbs) (7:38)
4. Mood Seekers (E. Grubbs) (6:52)
5. Giant Steps (J. Coltrane) (6:45)
6. In My Youth (alternate take) (E. Grubbs) (7:54)
Carl Grubbs (alto saxophone)
Earl Grubbs (soprano saxophone 1, 6; tenor saxophone 2-5)
Sid Simmons (piano)
Stanley Clarke (bass 1-4, 6), James Glenn (bass 5)
John Goldsmith (drums, shakers)
Richard Lee Wiggins (bells 1)
Catalyst - Perception
Muse 5025, 1972
A1 Perception 15:10
A2 Uzuri 2:59
B1 Celestial Bodies 9:20
B2 Ile Ife 7:02
B3 Got To Be There 2:44
Bass – Zuri Tyrone Brown*
Congas, Percussion – Farel Johnson
Drums, Percussion – Onaje Sherman Ferguson*
Electric Piano – Sanifu Eddie Green*
Guitar – Norman Harris
Percussion – Jabali Billy Hart*
Synthesizer [Arp] – Pat Gleason
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Nwalinu Odean Pope*
on b3 - Bass – Anthony Jackson Congas – Larry Washington
The Visitors – Rebirth
Muse Records – MR 5047
Vinyl, LP 1974
A1 Glad To Be Sad 5:58
A2 Black Smoke 9:44
A3 Love Is Magic 5:19
B1 Two Wives 8:04
B2 Gone Are The Days 5:32
B3 Joy 7:02
Bass – Buster Williams
Drums – Albert Heath
Percussion – Sonny Morgan
Piano – Kenny Barron
Saxophone [Alto] – Carl Grubbs
Saxophone [Tenor] – Earl Grubbs
Catalyst - Unity
Muse 5042, 1974
A1 A Country Song 6:20
Bass – Alphonso Johnson Drums, Percussion – Jabali Billy Hart*
A2 Little Miss Lady 4:53
A3 Maze 5:17
B1 Athene 5:27
Flute – Connie Hamilton, Shirley Byrne Brown, Steve Tanzer Percussion – Jabali Billy Hart* Violin – Gail Murdaugh Violin, Soloist – John Blake
B2 Mail Order 6:12
Percussion – Jabali Billy Hart*
B3 Shorter Street 3:53
Bass – Zuri Tyrone Brown*
Drums, Percussion – Onaje Sherman Ferguson*
Electric Piano – Sanifu Eddie Green*
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Mwalimu Odean Pope*
The Visitors - Motherland
Muse 5094, 1975
A1 Kimball 7:23
A2 Body & Soul 6:20
A3 Levelf 6:23
B1 Motherland 3:20
B2 Fables Of Africa 6:03
B3 I Want To Talk About You 5:27
B4 A Touch Of Warm 3:15
Bass – John Lee
Drums – Victor Lewis
Piano – Joe Bonner
Alto Saxophone – Carl Grubbs
Tenor, Soprano Saxophone – Earl Grubbs
Producer – Michael Cuscuna
Recorded at Blue Rock Studios, New York City on Oct. 27 & 28, 1975.
Catalyst - A Tear and a Smile
Muse 5069, 1976
A1 The Demon Pt. 1 4:10
A2 The Demon Pt. 2 3:10
Vocals – Eddie Green (3)
A3 A Tear And A Smile 4:34
A4 Fifty Second Street Boogie Down 3:56
B1 Suite For Albeniz 6:15
Cello – Michael Peebles Clarinet, Flute – George Taylor (6) Flute – Shirley Byrne Brown Flute [Alto], Flute – Steve Tanzer Viola – Aliza Appel Violin [Soloist] – John Blake
B2 A Prayer Dance 5:54
B3 Bahia 6:15
Design [Album] – Ron Warwell
Drums, Marimba, Percussion – Sherman Ferguson
Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass – Tyrone Brown
Electric Guitar – Charles Ellerbe*
Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic], Synthesizer [Moog] – Eddie Green (3)
Engineer [Mastering] – George Horn
Engineer [Recording] – Bob Kosiba, Joel Fein
Engineer [Remix] – Ken Hopkins, Skip Drinkwater
Liner Notes – Onaje Sherman Ferguson*
Photography By [Cover] – Hugh Bell (2)
Photography By [Liner] – Abe Simbu
Producer – Skip Drinkwater
Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Flute [Alto] – Odean Pope
Vocals – Sharon Scott (3)
Vocals [Chant], Percussion [Misc.] – Farel Johnson
These two bands charted a very similar course between 1972 and 1976 and both are nearly forgotten today. The Visitors are a spiritual jazz band lead by two of Coltrane's nephews; names like Ron Burton, Stanley Clarke and Kenny Barron pass thru the ranks of this fine band. Catalyst is more of a Mwandishi style fusion band lead by Eddie Green, Sherman Fergusson and Odean Pope that first featured Alphonso Johnson on bass and later Tyrone Brown. I would imagine that these two groups likely played the same clubs about town so pairing them together just seemed logical to my twisted brain. Another of the Philly mainstays on the club scene was of course Pat Martino who periodically sat in with Catalyst and at one point used the rhythm core of Green, Fergusson and Brown in his own group. Get out those bell bottoms and freaky shirts and fire one up, time to go back to the 70's!
