James Brandon Lewis/Red Lily Quintet - For Mahalia, With Love

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:36
Size: 165,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:00) 1. Sparrow
(9:21) 2. Swing Low
(9:52) 3. Go Down Moses
(8:17) 4. Wade In The Water
(8:52) 5. Calvary
(9:20) 6. Deep River
(9:02) 7. Elijah Rock
(8:35) 8. Were You There
(4:12) 9. Precious Lord

Tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis has been establishing himself in various contexts for the last few years, but his main focus lately has been on his Red Lily Quintet. Their first album, Jesup Wagon, (TAO Forms, 2021), was dedicated to African-American scientist, George Washington Carver. On their 2023 release, the group's music focuses on the work of the legendary gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson.

This tribute takes the form of interpretations of familiar spirituals Jackson often sang. The gospel-derived power of Albert Ayler also hovers over this music, most strongly on the opening track, "Sparrow," where Lewis' tenor and Kirk Knuffke's cornet plow into the melody with graceful, unhurried power, responding to each other as Ayler and his trumpeter brother Donald Ayler did in their time.

Other tracks have more involved structures. On "Swing Low," Lewis plays melodies and counter-melodies solo, before giving way to a growling undercurrent laid down by the rhythm section, cellist Chris Hoffman, bassist William Parker, and drummer Chad Taylor. This in turn leads to the horns returning with fiery intensity. "Go Down Moses" has Lewis and Knuffke swirling around each other in soulful dialogue over Parker's relentless walking bass while on "Deep River" the horns sway in jubilant harmonies over cello and bass plucks and thumping drums. Lewis and Knuffke answer each other like exuberant choir soloists in their call-and-response on "Elijah Rock" as the drums explode under them like a congregation shouting "Amen" to a preacher's fiery sermon.

This gorgeous music reaches back to the spiritual jazz legacy of Ayler, John Coltrane, and Pharoah Sanders and reconnects it beautifully to the passion and joy of gospel music as Mahalia Jackson and others performed it. It is a major triumph for James Brandon Lewis and his group.

The first edition of this album contains a bonus example of Lewis' many talents, a second CD presenting his composition for tenor sax and string quartet, "These Are Soulful Days," performed live by Lewis and the Lutoslawski Quartet. This extended piece weaves a blend of folk, spiritual and blues ideas into a rich fabric where Lewis' tenor can either sing placidly or lean in hard as the strings bend and breathe around him. The work reaches a high point in "Movement III" where Lewis wails the spiritual "Wade In The Water" as the quartet backs him with a choppy tango rhythm. It is all further proof of Lewis' marvelous versatility. By Jerome Wilson https://www.allaboutjazz.com/for-mahalia-with-love-james-brandon-lewis-tao-form

Personnel: James Brandon Lewis - Saxophone; Red Lily Quintet (cornetist Kirk Knuffke, cellist Chris Hoffman, bassist William Parker and drummer Chad Taylor)

For Mahalia, With Love

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Charlie Apicella & Iron City Meet The Griots Speak - Destiny Calling

Styles: Jazz Contemporary
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:01
Size: 99,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:16) 1. As The Sun Rises
(3:44) 2. Titan Vs. Sphinx
(3:56) 3. Juma Speaks/maliki Malesha
(4:30) 4. We're All Here In Spirit
(4:26) 5. It's Alright To Run
(3:40) 6. I Heard In Passing
(8:15) 7. If You Know Where To Look
(5:04) 8. Where Do You Find These People
(7:05) 9. Sparks

Guitarist Charlie Apicella and his organ trio Iron City are solidly based in the hard-bop mainstream. However, some of their releases are flavored with other motifs, partially by virtue of the guest artists. For instance, the tribute to legendary guitarist B.B. King, Payin' the Cost To Be the Boss (CArlo, Music, 2016), with an augmented sextet, was aptly bluesy. Meanwhile Classic Guitar (Zoho, 2020), with tenor saxophonist Stephen Riley, was an intimate interpretation of the Great American Songbook.

On his eighth, and so far most ambitious, project The Griots Speak: Destiny Calling, he is joined by three masters of free improvisation for a single, nine-part, stimulating and boundary-pushing suite. The mostly improvised music incorporates occasional pre-written passages by Apicella, and, in addition to western instruments, utilises Himalayan and West African ones.

Opening with "As the Sun Rises," multi-reed player Daniel Carter, bassist William Parker and Apicella set a meditative mood before the entire band launches into "Titan vs Sphinx." Carter's lines float coolly over organist Brad Whiteley and drummer Austin Walker's percolating groove. The collective extemporization, with Apicella contributing resonant blistering chords, progresses with unfettered energy.

The exciting piece seamlessly dovetails into the mystical "Juma's Song / Maliki Melasha." Percussionist Juma Sultan drives the cadence while Parker contributes his trademark, eloquent and virtuosic basslines. The ambience is one of primal spirituality. Apicella and Carter engage in a sparse conversation over the controlled yet riotous ensemble performance. The result is contemplative and thrilling.

An understated soulfulness permeates the entire album. On the segment called "Where Do You Find These People?," an angular rhythmic structure is at the core of the pensive performance. Carter's saxophone wails while Whiteley contributes simmering refrains. Walker and Sultan drive this meandering track with their poignant beats. Here, as at many instants on this recording, the band flirts with but never quite embraces dissonance.

The Griots Speak: Destiny Calling is not only a delightful melding of styles, it is also vibrant and alive with brilliant spontaneity. Using international folk instruments, similar to his mentor multi-reed player Yusef Lateef, Apicella demonstrates music's pan cultural appeal which is both very individual yet universal. Apicella has succeeded in creating a work which is simultaneously provocative and has wide appeal. By Hrayr Attarian
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-griots-speak-destiny-calling-charlie-apicella-oa2-records

Personnel: Drums, Producer – Charlie Apicella; Bass, Percussion – William Parker; Congas, Percussion – Juma Sultan; Drums – Austin Walker; Organ – Brad Whitely (2); Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, Piano, Executive Producer – Daniel Carter

Destiny Calling

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David S. Ware - Shakti

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320Ks/
Time: 68:16
Size: 157,5 MB
Art: Front

( 9:43) 1. Crossing Samsara
(18:14) 2. Nataraj
(12:43) 3. Reflection
( 8:31) 4. Namah
( 9:30) 5. Antidromic
( 9:33) 6. Shakti : Durga, Devi, Kali

Shakti is the triumphant return of tenor saxophonist David S. Ware. His first studio recording since 2003's Threads (Thirsty Ear), this album marks the recorded debut of his first working group since he disbanded his famously prolific quartet of 1989-2006. An acknowledged master of the tenor saxophone, Ware's influence spans his seminal days in the seventies loft-era to the early Downtown scene, where his exuberant performances encouraged a new generation to investigate the expressive potential of free jazz. His 23rd release as a leader, Shakti reveals Ware's deepening interest in Eastern philosophy and religion, exemplified by the exotic kalimba introduction to "Namah." Other than a reworking of "Antidromic" from his first AUM Fidelity album, 1997's Wisdom of Uncertainty, this session consists of all new pieces. Conceived around folk-like themes and lyrical fragments, these expansive tunes showcase a darkly poetic side of Ware's strident expressionism. With a mixture of sublime restraint and impassioned yearning, Ware channels his renowned volcanic intensity, concentrating his ecstatic detours and excessive pyrotechnics into a more nuanced approach. Although his circuitous cadences still brim with unfettered altissimo cries, braying multiphonics and coruscating lower register drones, they are tempered by an architectural sensibility that provides incisive focus.

Joined by assiduous bassist William Parker, Ware finds accord in two new ensemble mates, iconic guitarist Joe Morris and legendary drummer Warren Smith. Morris is one of today's most innovative and distinctive guitar stylists, a singular artist with an unparalleled approach and technique. Smith's career dates back to his seminal loft-era collaborations with such visionary avant gardists as Sam Rivers and Muhal Richard Abrams. Morris's first recording session with Ware reveals him to be a brilliant front-line foil for the master saxophonist. Morris's spiky, percolating phrases and bright, round tone create a brilliant contrast to Ware's vociferous linearity and dark, burnished timbre. Ware's effusive commentary dominates the proceedings, but Morris's unique contributions, such as his meticulously metered motifs on "Nataraj" or his spitfire needling on "Antidromic," are equally impressive. While no contemporary rhythm pairing can compare to Parker's clairvoyant work with drummer Hamid Drake, Parker's conversational interplay with Smith yields a malleable pan-African sensibility perfectly attuned to Ware's aesthetic. Their pliant dialogue provides a fluid undercurrent of forward momentum that gracefully modulates tempos and meters. Their sensitive rapport on "Reflection" is supple, while "Nataraj" demonstrates their ability to maintain a hypnotic groove even in the throes of deep abstraction. Ware presents another aspect of his artistry here, one whose seeds were planted early on with the archival 1999 studio recording BalladWare (Thirsty Ear, 2006). A refreshingly lyrical and emotionally committed performance by masterful improvisers, Shakti ebbs with soulful intensity and inspired interplay, making this one of the most compelling, yet accessible, recordings of Ware's career.
~Troy Collins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/shakti-david-s-ware-aum-fidelity-review-by-troy-collins.php

Personnel: David S. Ware: tenor saxophone and kalimba (4); Joe Morris: guitar and percussion (4); William Parker: bass; Warren Smith: drums and percussion.

Shakti

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William Parker - Mass For The Healing Of The World

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:53
Size: 163,6 MB
Art: Front

( 0:31)  1. Invocation
(13:22)  2. First Reading (dawn Song)
( 8:46)  3. Hallelujah
( 5:44)  4. Mysticism
(13:01)  5. Response (muezzin S Call)
(6:55) 6. Second Reading (cathedral In The Mountains)
( 8:36)  7. Willows (can You Give Me Back My Life)
(13:55)  8. Cantos (love God)

Mass for the Healing of the World provides instant nostalgia in the quick change world of modern jazz. Built around William Parker's luminous and now defunct In Order To Survive band, the disc delivers an encore taste of Cooper-Moore's big handed piano stylings and Susie Ibarra's pandemic percussion with Parker's subharmonic depth charges. Old friends Rob Brown and Roy Campbell, Jr. join tenor titan Assif Tshar and others to create this lively version of the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. The Mass begins with an Invocation read by Alex Lodico in Italian. Portentously unfolding with Dave Hofstra's tuba and Ibarra's tympani, "First Reading (Dawn Song)" sets the tone invoking awe of the sacred. Cooper-Moore's broken glass fills keep the rapture grounded. The orchestra's tone colors recall serial Stravinsky as it heats up and stretches. Suddenly, Cooper-Moore uses low stately chords to set up Aleta Hayes' singing of Parker's inspirational lyric. He slips his accompanist's leash to tear into the opening of "Hallelujah." Dave Sewelson's mild baritone sax blows overwhelmed by a piano blizzard. As the rhythm section threatens to fly off the stage, it parts to reveal Parker, the driving heat at the core, firing on all pistons. A spacious opening of tiered fanfares prepares "Mysticism," then a heavy lockstep rhythm provides foundation for Chris Jonas' soaring, roiling soprano, Cooper-Moore breaking stride with shattering chord shards. Altered soprano and processed trombone get "Response (Muezzin's Call)" going, then space is replaced by swing as the rhythm section plays it fairly straight. Tshar blows some torrid tenor and soon enough Brown scorches the stage. Little Huey rolls and blares as Moore/Parker/Ibarra/Brown burn into the Italian night. Lewis Barnes' trumpet dances wildly with the ecstatic crew. "Second Reading (Cathedral in the Mountains)" sets a down blue groove in motion for Campbell to decorate. When Lodico returns with trombone, Campbell peels off sheets of brass a la Don Cherry. An emotional ballad, "Willows (Can you Give Me Back My Life)" has Darryl Foster's thoughtful soprano navigating the minors. Richard Rodriguez soulfully sweeps through on trumpet. "Cantos (Love God)" sounds like an outtake from the Peach Orchard, with its determined stride. Brown and Campbell restlessly wrestle through the rigid structure with unstoppable power. One wonders how many recorded Little Huey performances languish in the can. This one documents a night six years ago that is both timeless and a time capsule. Like all Little Huey projects, all manner of musics emanate from the assembled musicians, all the musics tinted blue. ~ REX BUTTERS https://www.allaboutjazz.com/mass-for-the-healing-of-the-world-william-parker-black-saint-review-by-rex-butters.php

Personnel: William Parker, bass, pocket trumpet; Rob Brown, Marco Eneidi, alto sax; Chris Jonas, soprano sax; Darryl Foster, tenor and soprano sax; Assif Tshar, tenor sax, bass clarinet; Dave Sewelson, baritone sax; Alex Lodico, Masaiko Kono, trombone; Roy Campbell, Lewis Barnes, Richard Rodriguez, trumpet; Dave Hofstra, tuba; Cooper Moore, piano; Susie Ibarra, drums, tympani; Aleta Heyes, vocals.

Mass For The Healing Of The World

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Charles Gayle - Kingdom Come

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:14
Size: 171,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:09)  1. Seven Days
(21:17)  2. Lord Lord
( 9:03)  3. Beset Souls
(13:00)  4. His Crowning Grace
( 5:17)  5. Redeemed
(11:24)  6. Anthem To Eternity
(10:02)  7. Yokes

This is possibly Charles Gayle's weakest recording. Drummer Sunny Murray seems out of place here; the powerful blowing by Gayle on "His Crowning Grace" is offset by Murray's soft drumming and his attempts to play free and in time simultaneously. Kingdom Come marks the recorded debut of Gayle as a pianist (on "Seven Days," "Beset Souls" and "Redeemed"). His piano playing resembles the style of Cecil Taylor, but it is not nearly as dynamic. ~ Brian Flota https://www.allmusic.com/album/kingdom-come-mw0000122863

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Charles Gayle;  Double Bass [Uncredited] – William Parker;  Drums  – Sunny Murray

Kingdom Come

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Charles Gayle - Touchin' on Trane

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:39
Size: 152,9 MB
Art: Front

(14:39)  1. Touchin' on Trane: Part A
( 7:02)   2. Touchin' on Trane: Part B
(12:26)  3. Touchin' on Trane: Part C
(27:42)  4. Touchin' on Trane: Part D
( 4:48)   5. Touchin' on Trane: Part E

A long time ago, there was an advertising line: "The Rolling Stones are not just a band; they are a way of life." That ad man was of course tapping into the old adage of jazz: if you don't live it, it won't come through your music. In the '90s, The New Thing of the '60s came back with tremendous energy and no one embodied that energy better than Charles Gayle. At almost 70 years old, he still plays with the conviction and strength of a Coltrane or Rollins in their twenties and thirties. This CD, one of the strongest of the '90s, was out of print from Germany's FMP label and very difficult if not impossible to find, so this reissue is a cause for celebration. The music on Touchin' On Trane is for those who thought the avant-garde was the wrong direction of the '60s, even though the same musician who created "Giant Steps" was also one of its most important proponents with works inluding Meditations (Impulse!, 1965) and Interstellar Space (Impulse!, 1967). Starting off with "Part A," Coltrane alum/drummer Rashied Ali sets up a fast tempo, Gayle's soaring tenor voice moving quickly from rapid-fire mid-register lines to higher, long notes that fly over the bass and drums, sinking to occasionally deeper honks. The focus is on the leader's relentless energy for the next seven minutes, until he drops out, placing the spotlight on bassist William Parker. Even with Ali moving to brushes, the tumultuous energy continues through the bassist's solo, which precedes Ali's Max Roach-esque lead, concentrating on the foot-controlled opening and closing of the hi-hat cymbals. When moving to the rest of his kit there is a near-bebop approach to the rhythms, snappy snare and melodies emerging from tom-toms. "Part B" changes the sonic scenery. Gayle and Parker melodically weave between each other's lines, and Ali's active yet dynamically sensitive brushes urge lyrical ideas forward. At one point, both saxophonist and bassist play in the upper-most registers of their instruments, producing a very striking sound. And, as with many of the great composing improvisers, they bring that sound back at the end of this beautiful, balladic piece. Once it gets rolling, the energy of "Part D" proves perhaps more intense than anything played prior, and the stamina holds forth for over 27 minutes. It's as if the musicians are transported to a place beyond human limits. Parker's open G-string is tamboura-like in its drone, from which all three musicians spiral. Here Gayle's spirit is unshakable; when it appears that he can't possibly go on, he does. Even as he drops out to Ali's brushes accompanying Parker's arco bass solo, the energy and focus doesn't drop for a moment. "Part E" is a concise summary of the entire set: the slinky counterpoint, the Ben Webster/Sonny Rollins-like tenor tone, Ali's swing, and the powerful compositional/improvisational approach of Parker all contained here in a powerful five minutes. For the believer and non-believer, Gayle's honest, powerful approach is undeniable. ~ Francis Lo Kee https://www.allaboutjazz.com/touchin-on-trane-charles-gayle-jazzwerkstatt-berlin-brandenburg-ev-review-by-francis-lo-kee.php

Personnel: Charles Gayle: tenor saxophone; William Parker: bass; Rashied Ali: drums.

Touchin' on Trane

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Matthew Shipp - By the Law of Music

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:47
Size: 140,6 MB
Art: Front

(0:17)  1. Signal
(2:51)  2. By The Law of Music
(6:58)  3. Implicit
(5:00)  4. Fair Play
(6:45)  5. Grid
(3:05)  6. Whole Movement
(7:56)  7. Game of Control
(4:21)  8. Point to Point
(3:28)  9. P X
(5:36) 10. Grid
(5:05) 11. Coo
(4:31) 12. X Z U
(4:53) 13. Solitude

This is a reissue of the original 1996 Hat Art recording. Yet, pianist Matthew Shipp has gone on to release umpteenth solo outings besides his intermittent performances with bassist William Parker and violinist Mat Maneri. Other than the trio’s rather abstract rendition of Duke Ellington’s “Solitude,” Shipp composed the remaining twelve pieces. They venture into what has now become familiar territory where the band delves into microtonal patterns, and shifting tonalities. The trio also implements various odd-metered time signatures amid a matrix-like platform. The album title might serve as an antithesis to the musicians’ musical output. As they seemingly defy the laws of music via sequences of counterbalancing motifs, and free form improv interspersed with John Cage-like concepts. On “Fair Play,” Parker establishes a fervent pace due to his steady, walking bass lines as Shipp and Maneri render interweaving statements that develop into subsequent mini-motifs. Otherwise, the respective musicians have made signifcant advances since the onset of this release. Recommended. ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/by-the-law-of-music-matthew-shipp-hat-hut-records-review-by-glenn-astarita.php?width=1920

Personnel: Matthew Shipp: piano;  William Parker: bass;   Mat Maneri : violin.

By the Law of Music

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Joe Morris, William Parker, Gerald Cleaver - Altitude

Styles: Guitar, Post Bop
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:27
Size: 166,0 MB
Art: Front

(26:22)  1. Exosphere
(25:22)  2. Thermosphere
(12:04)  3. Troposphere
( 8:39)  4. Mesosphere

Guitarist Joe Morris is on a roll. Hardly a month goes by without a new release featuring the Boston-based musician. Of course, he doubled his chances by adding acoustic bass to his armory alongside his six-stringed axe. It's the latter he wields on this trio date featuring bassist William Parker and drummer Gerald Cleaver, captured at New York City's Stone in June, 2011. Strangely, given their long acquaintance, this is the first time this particular combination has recorded, though each knows the others well from other collaborations. Cleaver and Parker form two-thirds of improvising collective Farmers By Nature, while Parker featured alongside Morris in the Eloping With The Sun (Aum Fidelity, 2003) triumvirate, and the guitarist and drummer both number among Jean Carla Rodea's Azares. What that familiarity ensures is that there is none of the "getting to know you" tentativeness that afflicts some first-time dates. All three leap straight in, spinning yarns. Inspired by the lengthy expositions of Coltrane and Cecil Taylor (although sounding nothing like either) the threesome maintains an urgent pace throughout the first extended piece (50-plus minutes, demarcated into the first two tracks, comprising the opening set in full). In a relatively straightforward execution, the adventure stems from the ceaseless search, as the trio obsessively wrings all the possibilities inherent from a single mood via a steadily blossoming stream of consciousness. As Morris says in the liners: "we kept it simple and let it unfold naturally, listening for the discovery of melody, always comfortable on that tremendous platform of rhythm." And that's how it sounds. While no one is likely to go away humming a refrain from this disc, a certain lower case lyricism permeates the atmosphere, especially the guitarist's genial single line rivulets and Parker's tonally sympathetic counterpoint. Their unity of purpose is such that even when the music opens out for a drum solo towards the end of "Exosphere," the dynamic doesn't change and the energy level barely dips. For the second set, excerpted here in the final two cuts, Parker switches from bass to sintir a Moroccan three-stringed lute. That decision engenders a different feel, with Parker's dusty grooves evoking Africa's vast open plains and timeless emotions. Cleaver avoids the obvious foot-tapping response, preferring instead a clattering pulse resembling fragments of several diverse tempos simultaneously. Subtle accents and changes of emphasis color the flow to maintain interest with Morris at his most assertive on "Mesosphere" pressing his points with a determined vigor. To sum up: three friends with nothing to prove bring home the bacon on a hot night in NYC. ~ John Sharpe https://www.allaboutjazz.com/altitude-joe-morris-aum-fidelity-review-by-john-sharpe.php

Personnel: Joe Morris: guitar; William Parker: bass, sintir; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Altitude

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David S. Ware Quartet - Wisdom of Uncertainty

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:36
Size: 144,0 MB
Art: Front

(12:44)  1. Acclimation
( 7:46)  2. Antidromic
(15:33)  3. Utopic
( 7:16)  4. Alignment
( 7:41)  5. Sunbows Rainsets Blue
(11:33)  6. Continuum

The first recorded appearance of drummer Susie Ibarra with the David S. Ware Quartet is an auspicious one to be sure. Her contrasting style with former drummer Whit Dickey is one of both physicality and fluidity. Ibarra is a far more physical drummer than Dickey is, and is given to deep rhythmic grooves that produce dance-like flourishes in her accents and fills. How that affects the band is obvious from the opening bars of "Acclimation," where her snare and cymbal work set the pace for Ware, who enters singing. Shipp carries in a seriously blues-inflected chordal series of minor thirds and sixths, and Parker is happier than a clam, as his full physical manner of playing is given depth and breadth here. The band charges Ware's compositions (yes compositions), cornering the tiger in them, only to let it loose again in order to chase it down. There is a brightness and fullness in Ibarra's approach that offers Ware more room to fluctuate in his legato phrasing, turning it over and moving through a series of obligato and even ostinatos in his melodic workups and in his solos -- check the long breaks in "Utopic" and "Continuum." Likewise, Shipp is free to rumble around in the deep registers of the piano he so enjoys, as he does on the opener and "Antidromic." His blocky style is far more fluid on this recording, as it shifts its right hands maneuvers with Ibarra's angular accents and around the kit flails and rolls check her solo in "Utopic." This is a record that sings; its song is a wild and wooly one to be sure, but it is a giant leap compositionally for Ware, and for the ensemble with its new drummer. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/wisdom-of-uncertainty-mw0000031416

Personnel:  David S. Ware – tenor sax;  Matthew Shipp – piano;  William Parker – bass;  Susie Ibarra – drums

Wisdom of Uncertainty

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David S. Ware Quartet - Corridors & Parallels

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:55
Size: 112,1 MB
Art: Front

( 1:20)  1. Untitled
(10:02)  2. Straight Track
( 4:22)  3. Jazz Sci-Fi
( 5:58)  4. Superimposed
( 3:08)  5. Sound-a-Bye
( 0:37)  6. Untitled
( 8:59)  7. Corridors & Parallels
( 3:11)  8. Somewhere
( 3:17)  9. Spaces Embraces
( 6:07) 10. Mother May You Rest in Bliss
( 1:48) 11. Untitled

On Corridors & Parallels, you can almost feel tenor saxophonist David S. Ware reaching for the sky. It's a high-octane experience. His yearning, seeking vision on the horn always aims for new heights, and on this record he definitely manages to get just a little closer. The new David S. Ware Quartet record distinguishes itself from the first 12 (!!) with the following two features: * it includes electronic music for the first time; and * it represents Ware's big "comeback" from his major label contract.

About that first part, don't be fearful: Matthew Shipp has figured out how to play the synthesizer just fine. And about the second, be joyous: those corporate tentacles always reach into nooks and crannies and manage to smooth out hard edges where they're most needed. Music always works better when those evil tentacles disappear from the scene, in this listener's opinion. It's hard to classify Corridors & Parallels because the record has so many unexpected angles and quirks. "Superimposed," for example, is a duet between Shipp and Ware. Shipp plays a pre-programmed rhythm track along with additional elements dynamically added live. Meanwhile Ware wastes no time in this context to draw ever-narrowing circles of light, but his integration into the rhythmic feel of the piece is patently devoted. (On other tunes, real live drummer Guillermo E. Brown makes himself quite visible. Brown's prowess and versatility are dumbfounding throughout Corridors & Parallels. It's been said before, but the world of music needs more from Guillermo E. Brown. As Ware put it in typical understatement last we talked, "Guillermo can play the drums." Indeed.) Only one tune after "Superimposed," "Sound-A-Bye" takes an eastern drone effect to its physical and virtual limits. Here Ware challenges the stereotype that his music must always be fast and furious; and the argument is quite compelling. Bells, gongs, and church-like keyboards accompany Ware on a five-minute excursion through just about as many notes. (And that's not under-exaggerating by much.) About Shipp's melodic synthesizer on Corridors & Parallels : it's generally not terribly polyphonic, and he generally doesn't change voices midway through a piece. That, of course, converts Shipp's role from the wildly unpredictable, explosive human dynamo to the pensive and taciturn commentator. He's an extremely smart player, so he adapts well to the new role. It's interesting. It works. When he chooses to play synth drums, the product can be so good it fools the human ear into thinking about drum kits. (Fooled mine on "Superimposed," until I learned the truth.) Ware has invaded a new dimension of sound on Corridors & Parallels. He's making more use textured drumming, including Guillermo Brown's many colors of expression, and he's reinvented Shipp's role in the group. This new effort is a fine record: a living document of an group in flux, and a stand-alone work of art. It will be quite revealing to hear what happens next after such a dramatic change. This is living, breathing music. ~ AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/corridors-and-parallels-aum-fidelity-review-by-aaj-staff.php

Personnel: David S. Ware: tenor saxophone; Matthew Shipp: synthesizer; William Parker: bass; Guillermo E. Brown: drums.

Corridors & Parallels

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David S. Ware Trio - Passage to Music

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:28
Size: 159,4 MB
Art: Front

( 5:50)  1. An Ancient Formula
( 7:35)  2. Ancient Visitors
(10:51)  3. Passage to Music
(10:52)  4. African Secrets
(13:24)  5. The Elders Path
( 9:06)  6. Phonetic Hymn
(11:47)  7. Mystery

A fiery avant-garde tenor saxophonist, David Ware had recorded two early sets for Hat Hut and Palm during 1977-78; a decade later he had his third opportunity to lead a record session. Joined by bassist William Parker and drummer Marc Edwards, Ware performs five of his free jazz originals, mostly on tenor but also playing one song apiece on saxello and stritch. 

Not for the weak-of-heart, David Ware's searching improvisations reward repeated listenings by open-eared listeners. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/passage-to-music-mw0000256959

Personnel:   David S. Ware - tenor saxophone, producer, saxello, stritch;  William Parker - bass;  Marc Edwards - drums

Passage to Music

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Ivo Perelman - Cama De Terra

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:56
Size: 130,5 MB
Art: Front

(0:47)  1. Soundcheck
(2:58)  2. One converse
(4:37)  3. To another
(8:51)  4. Nho quim
(5:37)  5. Spiral
(3:54)  6. Adriana
(4:54)  7. Groundswell Descent
(3:50)  8. Dedos
(2:40)  9. Elephants Have Brains
(9:24) 10. Cama de terra
(6:19) 11. The Dark of Day

In the mid- to late 1990s, Ivo Perelman was recording frequently and freelancing for more than a few independent labels. So many trips to the studio might have been overkill for less interesting players, but Perelman had so much to say musically that it was good to see him being extensively documented. To his credit, he kept things unpredictable by recording in a variety of settings. 

Cama De Terra found the tenor explorer in a drumless trio with bassist William Parker and the Cecil Taylor-influenced pianist Matthew Shipp, both of whom communicate with him splendidly on such absorbing Perelman compositions as the dusky "Elephants Have Brains," the chaotic "Spiral" and the angular "To Another." A very dark and lonely ballad, "Adriana" is one of the most moving songs Perelman has ever written. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/cama-de-terra-mw0000086473

Personnel: Ivo Perelman - tenor sax;  Matthew Shipp - piano;  William Parker - bass

Cama De Terra

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Matthew Shipp Quartet - Our Lady of the Flowers

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:09
Size: 157,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:02)  1. Atomic Note
( 5:17)  2. New Tension
( 7:37)  3. A Different Plane
( 8:26)  4. From The Beyond
( 4:23)  5. Silence Blooms
( 6:45)  6. Irrational
(11:02)  7. Our Lady of the Flowers
( 7:40)  8. Gasp
( 8:55)  9. Cosmic Joke

Our Lady Of The Flowers, titled in homage to French writer Jean Genet, constitutes the second disc by Declared Enemy, a familiar foursome convened by pianist Matthew Shipp. That association apart, the participants share a lot of history together. As a result they move like a finely tuned machine with well oiled parts through a program of nine selections credited to the pianist, but which sound like group inventions. And those parts are magnificent. Drummer Gerald Cleaver creates a chattering pulse fashioned from interlocking lines from disparate elements of his kit, while bassist William Parker majors on ferocious momentum, leavened by the occasional melodic serenade. Shipp propounds his utterly distinctive style, with nagging motifs prominent, though he reins in his customary explosions. Rounding out the ensemble on reeds, Sabir Mateen generates a palpable emotional charge through his surging forays into the altissimo registers. In a trope familiar from other sessions, Shipp varies the instrumentation between tracks, resulting in five full quartet numbers, one trio, two duets, and one solo. Parker engages in the knotty "Silence Blooms" unaccompanied. On "New Tension" the dynamic becomes more conversational, as the quicksilver duet between Shipp and Mateen's clarinet is by turns ethereal, querulous and relaxed. But that's not the only game plan in play. 

Elsewhere a slightly different approach manifests, such that in "Irrational," the duet between Shipp and Cleaver resembles a pair of parallel monologues. It's a choice borne out of experience rather than any deficit of communication. And one that makes this a raw yet sophisticated performance in which no-one worries unduly about matching or mirroring. The consequent sense of creative dissonance pervades the album. Even though the quartet pieces tend to be dense everyone proves adept at allowing enough space for each other without compromising their own direction. Listen to Shipp behind Mateen on "Atomic Note." Comping doesn't get anywhere near describing the complexity of what the pianist is doing, let alone considering Cleaver and Parker's contributions. Mateen himself generates an exciting fluent stream of consciousness, into which he sometimes interjects practiced blues inflected licks to relaunch his exhortations, as on the choppy dancing "Gasp." A lovely moment ensues on the ballad like "A Different Plane" when, after his breathy vibrato laden tenor vies in spirited dialogue with Shipp's piano, he enjoys a falsetto passage which finally tumbles down through the treble clef. "From The Beyond" begins as a tête-à-tête between Parker's arco and Mateen's tenor, before the bassist's urgent sawing is picked up first in a drum tattoo, and then by Shipp's pummeling which ignites the saxophonist into a powerful incantation. The piece ends with an extended drum and bass repeat, until finally Parker's bowing sees out the cut alone. It's just one example among many of the potent full on free jazz which characterizes this date. ~ John Sharpe https://www.allaboutjazz.com/our-lady-of-the-flowers-matthew-shipp-rogueart-records-review-by-john-sharpe.php

Personnel: Matthew Shipp: piano; Sabir Mateen: tenor saxophone, clarinet; William Parker: double bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Our Lady of the Flowers

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Ivo Perelman - Book Of Sound

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:23
Size: 124,4 MB
Art: Front

( 7:22)  1. Damnant Quod Non Intelligunt
( 4:51)  2. Candor Dat Viribus Alas
( 8:30)  3. De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum
( 9:36)  4. Adsummum
( 8:24)  5. Adde Parvum Parvo Magnus Acervus Erit
(13:37)  6. Veritas Vos Liberabit

Brazilian tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman is a remarkably productive recording artist known for combining simple Brazilian folk themes with the techniques of free jazz. While he plays well in the heavily distorted, abstract-expressionist vein first tapped in the '60s by the Albert Ayler, he also fits nicely alongside his similarly inclined contemporaries like Elliott Levin and Ken Simon. Born in Sao Paulo in 1961, Perelman played classical guitar, cello, clarinet, trombone, and piano while growing up. At the age of 19 he adopted the tenor saxophone as his primary instrument. After arriving in the U.S., he attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston for a semester before dropping out (Perelman is purportedly a mostly self-taught player). Perelman's travels took him to Los Angeles in 1986, where he studied privately and performed. His first album, Ivo from 1989, featured an all-star cast that included drummer Peter Erskine, bassist John Patitucci, percussionist Airto, and vocalist Flora Purim, among others. Also around this time, Perelman relocated to New York. During the '90s, he founded his own Ibeji label, releasing albums like Soccer Land and Tapeba Songs. Ever explorative, in 1997 Perelman combined Jewish music and avant-garde jazz, making En Adir: Traditional Jewish Songs for the Music & Arts label. Quite prolific, Perelman recorded often with players of the avant-garde; he's made albums with the bassist Dominic Duval, pianist Borah Bergman, drummers Rashied Ali and Jay Rosen, and pianists Marilyn Crispell and Matthew Shipp, to name just a few. In the 2000s, Perelman continued his busy recording schedule, pairing most often with pianist Shipp, as well as adventurous collaborators like violinist Mat Maneri, guitarist Joe Morris, drummer Gerald Cleaver, and others. Many of these efforts were issued via Leo Records including such albums as 2011's The Hour of the Star, 2012's Clairvoyant, 2014's Book of Sound, and 2016's Blue. Also in 2016, Perelman released six volumes of a series on Leo called The Art of the Improv Trio. A similar series detailing his partnership with Shipp, the seven-volume The Art of Perelman-Shipp, appeared in 2017. ~ Chris Kelsey https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/book-of-sound/1080202636

Personnel: Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone; Matthew Shipp: piano; William Parker: bass.

Book Of Sound

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William Parker - Scrapbook

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:42
Size: 93,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:04)  1. Scrapbook
(11:35)  2. Sunday Morning Church
( 5:02)  3. Singing Spirits
( 5:08)  4. Dust on a White Shirt
( 7:26)  5. Urban
( 3:23)  6. Holiday for Flowers

William Parker's Violin Trio band is one of the more surprising and delightful bands to come out of New York's modern free jazz scene. Parker and his truly singular tone and ingenious modes of attack, violinist Billy Bang, and drummer Hamid Drake conjure the notion of song as it processes itself not only through the simulation and presentation of improvisation but also through the process of memory allegorical, perceptual, cultural, and personal and they turn it back in itself in creating something brand new from the various shards that lay upon the pavement in the dark, highlighted only by an errant street lamp. The possibilities for music like this lyric, harmonic, and tonal is one of the great surprises this trio brings with them. The six selections here are not "compositions" in the formalist sense but are in fact songs. They are "tunes," with rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic bodies that are flexible and transparent enough to allow for each player to move about freely, carry with him something from the body of each piece, and wind it around the other two in a free manner without being held to the concept of breaking down barriers because they are artificial anyway. Bang's minor key solo on "Sunday Morning Church" against Parker's rhythmic, hypnotic bassline recalls a singer mournfully chronicling regret and then affirmation. 

The funky blues at the heart of "Singing Spirits," with Parker popping his bass under Bang's elongated line, and Drake's tom tom work that presents the appearance of shuffle while dancing all around it are stunning in their assuredness of musical purpose. When Bang takes it outside, Parker doesn't race to catch him but flows through a series of changes with ever more stress put upon tension as Drake dances him through. The final cut, "Holiday for Flowers," is a shimmering exercise in the dynamics of balladry and its various seams, where a free for all could develop at any time. Bang lies close to the melody and Parker goes walking, and walking through the blues, swing, soul, and always back to the original blues, those of New Orleans in 1929 and Kansas City in 1931. This is a restrained and lovely album that possesses real firepower in places, but it's almost never necessary because the level of communication runs so deep between these players that everything feels light as a breeze, poignant as a memory, and as fresh as a wound.~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/scrapbook-mw0000033292

Personnel:  William Parker - bass;  Billy Bang - violin;  Hamid Drake - drums

Scrapbook

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William Parker - The Inside Songs Of Curtis Mayfield

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:08
Size: 169,8 MB
Art: Front

( 2:30)  1. The Makings of you
(12:02)  2. People get ready
( 9:43)  3. Inside song 1
(20:54)  4. When people are darker than blue
( 3:12)  5. Spoken introduction
(15:20)  6. Think
(10:24)  7. Freddie is dead

"William Parker is a bassist, improviser, composer, writer, and educator from New York City, heralded by The Village Voice as, "the most consistently brilliant free jazz bassist of all time." In addition to recording over 150 albums, he has published six books and taught and mentored hundreds of young musicians and artists.  Parker's current bands include the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra, In Order to Survive, Raining on the Moon, Stan's Hat Flapping in the Wind, and the Cosmic Mountain Quartet with Hamid Drake, Kidd Jordan, and Cooper-Moore. Throughout his career he has performed with Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Milford Graves, and David S. Ware, among others."
-William Parker Website http://www.williamparker.net/

Personnel:  William Parker - bass, arranger, liner notes, composer;  Hamid Drake - drums;  Dave Burrell - piano;  Lewis Barnes - trumpet;  Darryl Foster - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Sabir Mateen - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone;  Leena Conquest  - vocals;  Amiri Baraka - voice, poetry, lyrics.

The Inside Songs Of Curtis Mayfield

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David S. Ware Quartet - Go See The World

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:06
Size: 157,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:06)  1. Mikuro's Blues
(10:26)  2. Lexicon
( 9:56)  3. Logistic
(14:37)  4. The Way We Were
( 4:47)  5. Quadrahex
(11:33)  6. Estheticmetric
(10:38)  7. Rapturelodic

“Go See The World” represents tenor saxophonist David S Ware’s initial and much anticipated release for Columbia Records. Branford Marsalis’ recent appointment as creative consultant for the label’s jazz division has paved the way for Ware’s induction to Columbia Records. Historically, tenure at Columbia for non-mainstream jazz musicians of similar backgrounds namely Henry Threadgill and David Murray was for the most part short-lived. If Columbia Records is serious and not overtly concerned with substantial profits and quick return than this may be a good thing. Otherwise, Columbia’s seemingly abundant marketing/publicity budget should serve as a good promotional vehicle for Mr. Ware. Thankfully, David S. Ware made little or no concessions to streamline his musical approach in the wake of Columbia’s endorsement. 

“Go See The World” is a continuation of Ware’s ever-evolving musical journey. Besides, no one can reasonably ascertain that David S. Ware suffers from a lack of energy or motivation. He is a true “force of nature”. Ware’s band mates are: William Parker: bass; Matthew Shipp: piano and New York City downtown drummer, Susie Ibarra who replaces long time associate Whit Dickey. The track titled “Lexicon” features Ware’s forceful and explosive signature style. Ware moans, groans, honks, screeches and injects flurries of melodic statements reminding us that somewhere underneath all the dynamics there is a song. Ware benefits from pianist Matthew Shipp’s swirling, heavy-handed chord phrasings and acute ear. Shipp provides much of the color in this band while Parker and Ibarra suggest odd rhythmic patterns, which skillfully compliment Ware’s stratospheric extrapolations into new frontiers. “Lexicon” also features some interesting arco-bass passages from the incredibly adept William Parker. Compelling dialogue ensues while Ware takes a much-needed breather. Marvin Hamlisch’s ballad “The Way We Were” is given the once over here. Ware expends quite a bit of energy during his rendition of this somewhat grandiose love song. Clocking in at 14 minutes it seems almost comical that Ware would pick such a tune as a foray into avant-garde digressions. Here, Ware seems driven and his personalized approach borders on the spiritual. Shipp performs a lovely piano interlude by toying with and suggesting the melody while eventually leading into a bombastic crescendo of flailing keys. Ware concludes with gut-wrenching conviction. “Quadrahex” is a rhythmically free and improvisational piece, which entails a good dose of dialogue among the band members. “Estheticmetric” is perhaps an ode to Ware’s NYC Loft Days featuring more exchanges of free style dialogue accented by some absorbing bass lines from Parker. Ware darts, jabs and appears comfortable during these musical exchanges, which firmly identifies his intentions.  Hopefully Mr. Ware and Columbia will enjoy a healthy, long-term relationship and open up some ears for curious listeners who yearn for something different. However, at times “Go See The World” suffers from sameness in content and doesn’t adhere to compositional form to any observable degree. Ware does not aim to finesse with subtlety and nuance. His style while expressive and at times free, may tend to overwhelm. Otherwise we can accept Mr. Ware for his positive and keen awareness of jazz vernacular. David S. Ware has honed a unique voice on the tenor saxophone and consistently receives astonishing support from a very accomplished band. We wish him the best of luck with Columbia Records.~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/go-see-the-world-david-s-ware-columbia-records-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: David S. Ware (tenor saxophone); Matthew Shipp (piano); William Parker (bass); Susie Ibarra (drums).

Go See The World

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Kidd Jordan, Hamid Drake, William Parker - Palm of Soul

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:49
Size: 125,7 MB
Art: Front

( 0:58)  1. Peppermint Falls
( 8:24)  2. Forever
(14:58)  3. Kidd Jordan, Hamid Drake, William Parker
(10:21)  4. Unity Call
( 2:22)  5. So Often
( 5:42)  6. Resolution
(12:01)  7. Last of the Chicken Wings

Hurricane Katrina left tenor saxophonist Kidd Jordan homeless less than a month before this recording session. Undeterred, the New Orleans native kept a prearranged studio date with bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake. Regularly joined by tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson for powerhouse quartet gigs, Jordan, Parker and Drake had never recorded before as a trio. Improvising collectively with no preset material, they settled into a meditative mood underscored by restless energy. It would seem plausible that such turbulent melancholy is at least partially attributable to an emotional reaction in the aftermath of such disaster. While there is no denying the possibility of such an influence, Palm of Soul is steeped in musical traditions that existed long before. Eschewing the vigorous free-bop at which they excel (tantalizingly hinted at on the brisk one-minute opener, "Peppermint Falls"), they elect to explore a panorama of multi-ethnic, rubato rhythms tempered by an undercurrent of simmering introspection. Though it's not without its frenetic moments, this session is primarily focused on mutual conversation, nuanced interplay, exotic texture and rich, resplendent tonality.

Such a tone belongs to Kidd Jordan. At seventy, his resume boasts innumerable collaborations, from Ray Charles to Cecil Taylor. He conveys years of experience in even the most unadorned of phrases. Supported by a superlative rhythm section, Jordan is able to explore every facet of his horn. Accompanied by shimmering percussion and resounding gongs on "Forever" and "Last of the Chicken Wings," he extracts lissome, forlorn melodies from his breathy, multiphonic tenor. Alternately, he elicits hoarse, cacophonous testimonials on "Living Peace" while Parker bows dissonant harmonics and Drake sporadically accents the ascending drama. Parker and Drake's harmonically rife rhythmic accompaniment is anything but conventional. Parker plays African hunter's guitar (guimbri), gongs and resonating bowls more often than the bass. Drake alternates between traditional trap set, frame drum and tablas. These exotic instruments lend a very strong Asian, African and Indian feel to the majority of the set, invoking none other than Don Cherry, Drake and Parker's former employer. "Unity Call" is especially emblematic of Cherry's pan-global aesthetic. Drake's wordless chanting and loping frame drum rhythm combine with Parker's pulsing guimbri ostinato, driving Jordan into a wailing, raspy frenzy reminiscent of Cherry's work with Frank Lowe in the 1970s. Flirting with tradition, "Living Peace" borrows conventional devices, employing walking bass and a casual ride rhythm that modulates, Mingus-like, from bluesy gait to bop sprint. Building to grandeur worthy of late-period Coltrane, the piece culminates in a burning arco/altissimo finale that is as strident as "Forever" is melancholy and ethereal. With steely determination and emotional resolve in the face of great tragedy, Jordan, Parker and Drake have created a timeless album of understated, dark beauty. Palm of Soul is spiritually revelatory free jazz, hauntingly beautiful and emotionally resonant. ~ Troy Collins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/palm-of-soul-kidd-jordan-aum-fidelity-review-by-troy-collins.php

Personnel: Kidd Jordan: tenor saxophone; William Parker: bass, guimbri, gongs, bowls, talking drum; Hamid Drake: drums, tablas, frame drum, voice.

Palm of Soul

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William Parker - Stan's Hat Flapping In The Wind (Feat. Lisa Sokolov & Cooper-Moore)

Size: 116,0 MB
Time: 48:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Footnote To A Dream (For Miguel Pinero) (2:23)
02. The End Of The World (1:18)
03. Hero’s Song (1:09)
04. Beloved Soul (2:39)
05. The Death Of Death (4:27)
06. Eternal (For Ornette Coleman) (2:09)
07. Norway (0:21)
08. Soul In Heaven (For Butch Morris) (3:27)
09. When A Sound Dances (0:27)
10. Mahalia (2:49)
11. Autumn Song (1:55)
12. All Love (4:58)
13. The Greatest Revolutionary (2:37)
14. For Jeanne Lee (2:44)
15. Poem For June Jordan (3:11)
16. Prayer (3:14)
17. Invocation (For David S. Ware) (5:18)
18. Angel’s Tear (2:09)
19. Light (0:48)

On April 1, 2016, a new album of William Parker's luminous compositions will be released on his own Centering Records imprint (distributed via AUM Fidelity). Stan’s Hat Flapping In The Wind presents new work from one of the jazz avant-garde’s most essential individuals, presented in one of the most traditional of forms: voice & piano duets; by fully illuminated masters of their instruments. 19 new songs composed by William Parker, and performed by Lisa Sokolov & Cooper-Moore. Parker is—among his many great talents—a master of evocative song-craft, as readily evidenced on Corn Meal Dance, and the very recently released Great Spirit, by his Raining On The Moon ensemble. The compositions and performances presented here are filled with devotion to compassion for all life. They touch on the possibility of peace and truth prevailing in the present.

Stan’s Hat Flapping In The Wind is also the name of a musical that William Parker has been writing since 1994. To date he has composed over sixty songs for the production. In this musical, the principal characters—through tribulations and exposure to the magic of all life around them—begin to learn the art of living and the systems of sacred music. On this new studio recording, 19 of these songs are presented; the longest being 5 minutes, the shortest is 22 seconds. All of the songs are connected in that they all reflect on the mysteries of death and life. And, many of Parker’s touchstone subject matters abound: compassion for all living things, the magic of sound, the revolutionary nature of flowers, and deeply affecting dedications and invocations to enlightened spirits who have departed.

Lisa Sokolov is a jazz vocalist, improviser and composer known for her pioneering range of tone, timbre and expression. Parker has worked with her for over 35 years in many situations. As he writes in the liner notes to this release, “she is a master of music healing, interpretation and vocal creativity. I don’t know of any other singer who puts as much love and dedication into singing.” One of her own releases, Presence, received a 5-Star “Masterpiece” review in DownBeat and their January 2010 issue cited the album as one of the Best CDs of the Decade. Sokolov is currently a full arts professor at the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, and is recognized in the music therapy world as an innovator in the applications of the voice to human potential.

Cooper-Moore is another deservingly heralded great in the realm of avant-garde jazz, though he has an incredibly rich history in all manner of performance. He, too, has worked with Parker for many decades, including within his free-jazz supergroup, In Order To Survive. He was also fully featured on Parker’s recent 3CD box set, For Those Who Are, Still. A multi-instrumentalist, composer, storyteller, instrument-builder and educator living in East Harlem, New York City, his approach to music goes beyond simple categorization. Though what he is working on now is informed by Creative Improvised Music and the jazz avant-garde, his ears are rooted in the Gospel, Blues and Bluegrass traditions from where he came, rural segregated Virginia. As Parker writes, “Cooper–Moore is always a great addition to any musical situation he is associated with, and has a huge musical palate of sounds with which he paints both small and large masterpieces. He is a prolific composer, improviser, and builder of instruments, as well as an inventor, cook, and devoted family person who continues to find new ways to enter into the tone world. He is one those rare individuals who has had first-hand experience with the essential magic that circles divine music.” ~by Steven Joerg

Stan's Hat Flapping In The Wind

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