MEDIUM Vinyl Record
WEIGHT 180gr (black Vinyl) 33rpm
CONDITION sealed
COVER Gatefold
CONDITION COVER M mint
COVER DAMAGES No, we take care about that
SERIALNUMBER No
LIMITED Yes
MISCELLANEOUS Stereo
MUSICIAN HOMEPAGE --
Richard Davis - bass
Roy Haynes - drums
Richard Landrum - percussion
Cecil McBee - bass
Pharoah Sanders - tenor sax
Lonnie Liston Smith - piano
James Spaulding - flute, alto sax
Leon Thomas - flute, percussion, vocals
the creater has a master plan - 4:23
one - 3:07
echoes - 5:38
song for my father - 5:17
damn nam (ain't goin' to vietnam) - 4:42
malcolm's gone - 8:35
let the rain fall on me - 5:24
Leon Thomas' debut solo recording after his tenure with Pharoah Sanders is a fine one
Teaming with a cast of musicians that includes bassist Cecil McBee, flutist James Spaulding, Roy Haynes, Lonnie Liston Smith, Richard Davis, and Sanders (listed here as "Little Rock"), etc.. Thomas' patented yodel is in fine shape here, displayed alongside his singular lyric style and scat singing trademark
The set begins with a shorter, more lyrical version of Thomas' signature tune "The Creator Has A Master Plan", with the lyric riding easy and smooth alongside the yodel, which bubbles up only in the refrains
It's a different story on his own "One", with Davis' piano leading the charge and Spaulding blowing through the center of the track, Thomas alternates scatting and his moaning, yodeling, howling, across the lyrics, through them under them and in spite of them
It's an intense ride and one that sets up the glorious "Echoes"
This tune is Thomas at his most spiritual and uplifting, carrying the mysterious drift of his tune entwined with Spaulding's flute and a set of Pan pipes, fluttering in and out of the mix before his wail comes to the fore as a solo
The end of side one reaches into Thomas' past (he sang with everyone from Count Basie to Grant Green and Mary Lou Williams) for a highly original read of Horace Silver's classic "Song For My Father"
Thomas imbues the tune with so much emotion, it's a wonder he can keep it under wraps
Side two is more free from in nature with "Damn Nam", a near rant, but one possessed with melodic vision and harmonic invention with this band
There's also the deeply moving "Malcolm's Gone", a co-write between Thomas and Sanders that features the latter's gorgeous blowing, hard and true in the middle of the mix, and a wildly spiritual Eastern vibe coming through in the improvisation
It's the longest track on the record, and one of the most criminally ignored in Thomas' long career
The album closes with Bell and Houston's "Let The Rain Fall On Me"
It's a shimmering straight jazz number with a beautiful piano solo by Smith
It sends out a visionary album out on a sweet, soulful note
Ultimately, this is among Thomas' finest moments on vinyl, proving his versatility and accessibility to an audience who, for too long already, had associated him too closely with the avant-garde and free jazz
RECORDING October 21 - 22 1969 in New York City
ENGINEERING Bob Arnold
LABEL Flying Dutchman
RE MASTERING Ray Staff
RE RELEASED 2019
AVERAGE RATING 4 ½ Stars out of 5
PRESSING by Pallas
MADE IN England / Germany
STYLE Jazz / Soul Jazz / Avantgarde
AVAILABLE as long as inventory stock
