Donald Byrd • Places and Spaces

 

Review from AllMusic (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine):
Reuniting with Larry Mizell, the man behind his last three LPs, Donald Byrd continues to explore contemporary soul, funk, and R&B with Places and Spaces. In fact, the record sounds more urban than its predecessor, which often played like a Hollywood version of the inner city. Keeping the Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, and Sly Stone influences of Street Lady, Places and Spaces adds elements of Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Stevie Wonder, which immediately makes the album funkier and more soulful. Boasting sweeping string arrangements, sultry rhythm guitars, rubbery bass, murmuring flügelhorns, and punchy horn charts, the music falls halfway between the cinematic neo-funk of Street Lady and the proto-disco soul of Earth, Wind & Fire. Also, the title Places and Spaces does mean something -- there are more open spaces within the music, which automatically makes it funkier. Of course, it also means that there isn't much of interest on Places and Spaces for jazz purists, but the album would appeal to most fans of Philly soul, lite funk, and proto-disco.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/places-and-spaces-mw0000616571

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Resena de AllMusic (por Stephen Thomas Erlewine):
Reuniendose con Larry Mizell, el hombre detras de sus ultimos tres LPs, Donald Byrd continua explorando el soul contemporaneo, el funk y el R&B con Places and Spaces. De hecho, el disco suena mas urbano que su predecesor, que solia sonar como una version hollywoodense del centro de la ciudad. Manteniendo las influencias de Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield y Sly Stone de Street Lady, Places and Spaces agrega elementos de Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind & Fire y Stevie Wonder, lo que inmediatamente hace el album mas funky y mas lleno de alma. Con arreglos de cuerdas expansivos, guitarras ritmicas sensuales, un bajo elastico, fliscornos murmurantes y potentes arreglos de vientos, la musica se situa a mitad de camino entre el neo-funk cinematico de Street Lady y el soul proto-disco de Earth, Wind & Fire. Ademas, el titulo Places and Spaces tiene un significado real: hay mas espacios abiertos dentro de la musica, lo que automaticamente la hace mas funky. Por supuesto, esto tambien significa que no hay mucho de interes en Places and Spaces para los puristas del jazz, pero el album atraera a la mayoria de los fans del soul de Filadelfia, el lite funk y el proto-disco.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/places-and-spaces-mw0000616571

Joe Henderson • Inner Urge

 

Review
by Daniel Gioffre
This early recording by Joe Henderson is not only one of the finest of all of his recordings, but is also a high point for 1960s jazz. At this point in his career, Henderson was a full-time member of Horace Silver's combo and did not yet have a steady band in his hire. He is joined on Inner Urge by veterans of other combos: McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones from John Coltrane's unit and Sonny Rollins sideman Bob Cranshaw. The presence of these luminaries aside, Inner Urge is home to two of Henderson's best (and best-loved) compositions: "Inner Urge" and "Isotope." The leader's solo on the title track is a marvelous thing, full of melody as well as anarchic bursts of sound, which is in perfect keeping with the spirit of the song's probing, searching theme. The other musicians support Henderson nicely as well as turning in some strong solos of their own. Tyner especially sounds fantastic on this record. Although not the equal of the leader in terms of the quality of his lines or the overall sense of composition of his solos, his performance is at least the rival of Henderson's in terms of raw kinetic power. The other great song on "Inner Urge," the Monk-ish "Isotope," is another ideal showcase for Henderson's total command of his instrument. The remaining tracks on Inner Urge are also fantastic, especially the wailing cry of "El Barrio" and the Henderson-altered head to "Night and Day," but the first side, even if taken alone, is by itself enough to guarantee this album as perhaps the best Henderson recorded in his long and illustrious career, and stands easily alongside the best records of the era.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/inner-urge-mw0000200926?1657207832707

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Reseña
por Daniel Gioffre  
Esta temprana grabación de Joe Henderson no sólo es una de las mejores de todas sus grabaciones, sino que también es un punto álgido para el jazz de los años 60. En este punto de su carrera, Henderson era miembro a tiempo completo del combo de Horace Silver y todavía no tenía una banda estable en su alquiler. En Inner Urge le acompañan veteranos de otros combos: McCoy Tyner y Elvin Jones, de la unidad de John Coltrane, y el lateral de Sonny Rollins, Bob Cranshaw. Aparte de la presencia de estas luminarias, Inner Urge alberga dos de las mejores (y más queridas) composiciones de Henderson: "Inner Urge" e "Isotope". El solo del líder en el tema que da título al disco es una maravilla, llena de melodía así como de estallidos anárquicos de sonido, lo que está en perfecta consonancia con el espíritu del tema de búsqueda y sondeo de la canción. Los demás músicos apoyan a Henderson de forma excelente, además de ofrecer algunos sólidos solos propios. Tyner suena especialmente fantástico en este disco. Aunque no está a la altura del líder en cuanto a la calidad de sus líneas o el sentido general de la composición de sus solos, su interpretación es al menos el rival de Henderson en términos de potencia cinética bruta. La otra gran canción de "Inner Urge", "Isotope", de estilo Monk, es otro escaparate ideal para el dominio total de Henderson sobre su instrumento. El resto de los temas de Inner Urge son también fantásticos, especialmente el grito ululante de "El Barrio" y la cabeza alterada de Henderson en "Night and Day", pero la primera cara, incluso si se toma sola, es por sí misma suficiente para garantizar que este álbum es quizás el mejor que Henderson grabó en su larga e ilustre carrera, y se sitúa fácilmente al lado de los mejores discos de la época.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/inner-urge-mw0000200926?1657207832707

www.bluenote.com/artist/joe-henderson ...

John Barry • The Music Of John Barry

 

Sonny Stitt • Stitt Plays Bird

 

Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band • Black Pot

 

Review from OffBeat Magazine (by Dan Willging):
Despite its perplexing black skillet cover, Black Pot is Chubby Carrier's most unusual and selfless release of his extensive discography. Admittedly, he didn't have enough material to head back into the studio, but Bayou Swamp Band drummer Jayme Romain did, hence an album of all Romain originals. As a result, most of this is radically different from anything Carrier has ever waxed but better positions him in the contemporary zydeco market.

The first two tracks, the infectiously festive "Blackpot" and the slaying funky grooves of "No Time," are absolutely killer. Romain handles the lion's share of vocals with Carrier singing on only four tracks. Romain often exudes charisma with his originals touching various shades of modern zydeco, like the R&B-tinged "The Reason Why" with its R&B background vocals and the Temptations-recalling "Nothing Like My Girl." A few tunes are classic enough to fit Carrier like a glove.

Obviously, Carrier isn't the uptight control freak. On the breezy, soulish "Who You," bassman Randall Jackson plays the smaller, single-row squeezebox, as opposed to Carrier's beefy triple-row variety, for a change-up in sound. "Dancing with a Feeling" is novel when you realize both Carrier's triple and Jackson's single-row accordions are on the same track, which is practically unheard of.

By the time "Offshore Shuffle" rolls around, it all makes sense. It's a tribute to Carrier's late father/accordionist Roy who, for years, hosted Thursday night jams at his Offshore Lounge that helped many budding accordionists, like Beau Jocque, on their way. In a way, this is an extension of that.
https://www.offbeat.com/music/chubby-carrier-black-pot/

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Resena de OffBeat Magazine (por Dan Willging):
A pesar de su desconcertante portada con una sarten negra, Black Pot es el lanzamiento mas inusual y desinteresado de Chubby Carrier en su extensa discografia. Reconocidamente, no tenia suficiente material para volver al estudio, pero el baterista de Bayou Swamp Band, Jayme Romain, si lo tenia, de ahi un album de originales compuestos enteramente por Romain. Como resultado, la mayor parte de esto es radicalmente diferente a cualquier cosa que Carrier haya grabado, pero lo posiciona mejor en el mercado del zydeco contemporaneo.

Los dos primeros temas, el "Blackpot" festivamente infeccioso y los devastadores grooves funky de "No Time," son absolutamente demoledores. Romain lleva la mayor parte de las voces, con Carrier cantando en solo cuatro temas. Romain a menudo irradia carisma con sus originales que tocan varios matices del zydeco moderno, como el "The Reason Why" con tinte R&B con sus coros de fondo y el "Nothing Like My Girl" que recuerda a The Temptations. Algunos temas son suficientemente clasicos para encajarle a Carrier como un guante.

Obviamente, Carrier no es el maniaco del control. En el "Who You" relajado y con alma, el bajista Randall Jackson toca el acordeon mas pequeno de una sola hilera, en contraste con la robusta variedad de triple hilera de Carrier, para un cambio de sonido. "Dancing with a Feeling" es novedoso cuando te das cuenta de que tanto el triple de Carrier como el acordeon de una sola hilera de Jackson estan en el mismo tema, lo que es practicamente inaudito.

Cuando llega "Offshore Shuffle," todo tiene sentido. Es un tributo al fallecido padre/acordeonista Roy de Carrier, quien durante anos organizo los jams de los jueves por la noche en su Offshore Lounge, que ayudo a muchos acordeonistas en ciernes, como Beau Jocque, en su camino. En cierto modo, esto es una extension de aquello.
https://www.offbeat.com/music/chubby-carrier-black-pot/

 

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