MEDIUM Vinyl Record
WEIGHT 2 x 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 --
Clifford Jordan - tenor sax
Stanley Cowell - piano
Cedar Walton - piano
Bill Lee - bass
Sam Jones - bass
Billy Higgins - drums, percussion
powerful paul robeson - 5:42
glass bead games - 4:36
prayer to the people - 4:16
cal massey - 2:42
john coltrane - 6:48
eddie harris - 4:19
biskit - 5:28
shoulders - 5:19
bridgework - 3:47
maimoun - 5:40
alias buster henry - 8:16
one for amos - 6:47
Fifth part of the Strata-East Dolphy Series, "Glass Bead Games" is arguably the crown jewel of the Strata East movement, an amorphous genre that treads an unusual path between post-bop, 70’s avant-garde and spiritual jazz, with a groove
"Glass Bead Games" is full of revelations at many levels
First, the decade of the 1970s did produce genuinely creative, 'human' new music flowing from the jazz mainstream; second, Bill Lee was more than Spike's dad: he was a superlative bassist, a team player of the first order, a powerful catalyst who, if anything, deserves to be better known than his son; third, Billy Higgins was, as so many musicians insist, a once-in-a-lifetime drummer — the bellows inspiriting the collective flame
Most importantly, Clifford Jordan was an artist of the first order, his playing so effortless and unforced, unselfconscious and focused, mature and wise that, at a time when altissimo fury was all the rage, it's small wonder his authentic voice frequently went unheard
His musical rhetoric is so personally expressive, its substance so compelling, the listener couldn't care less about the extraordinary technique required to convey its captivating message
Compared to some of his more acclaimed peers he's a less aggressive yet paradoxically more directive and shaping influence
The climaxes, rather than spelled out, are merely suggested, registering with deep and lasting impact on the listener
It all comes down to learning the language, those precious little beads
Not every player, including Jordan or the listener, can use it like Shakespeare, but all can learn to read Shakespeare and understand its principles of arbitrariness and serendipity, of invariance and transformation
Jordan, no less than Shakespeare, requires a like-minded cast of players — in this case four musicians of such redoubtable proficiency that each remains committed to keeping the beads in play
He's not a man content with a mere musical 'dialogue' with his fellow musicians nor is he about to take the initiative in pulling his troops up to his level. Instead he begins to tell a musical story that's so compelling his three comrades are inspired equally to contribute to a collaborative narrative
This is brilliant music-making by a Coltrane-influenced successor who feels no obligation to mime the predecessor
It may be the most significant saxophone performance on record since Coltrane and, providing the listener stays with it for any length of time, the most deeply satisfying
Jordan's game — so effortless, unforced, and 'level' — erases distinctions between composed and improvised, soloist and ensemble, narrator and narrative, the dancer and the dance
It seems incapable of wearing out its welcome
RECORDING October 29 1973 at Minot Sound Studios White Plains, New York
ENGINEERING Ron Carran
LABEL Strata-East
RE MASTERING Ray Staff
RE RELEASED 2019
AVERAGE RATING 5 Stars out of 5
PRESSING by Pallas
MADE IN England / Germany
STYLE Jazz
AVAILABLE as long as inventory stock
