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COP DIS JAM

watercolors

What separated Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes apart from the rest of the jazz/fusion/funk cats were the vocal tracks. His brother, Donald could not only play the flute, he could blow!

Yeah, yeah I know you’ve got your fusion vocal cats like Flora Purim, Milton Nasciemento, Tania Maria and the rest.
Donald Smith is home grown, and his voice is tinged with a kind of native sultry swagger giving him a place of his own among vocalists of the time.

The title track”Renaissance” on the RCA label 1977 is my favorite Lonnie/Donald tune.

What makes this tune work along with the vocals is the excellent bass groove by Al Anderson, and slammin’ synth “string” arrangement by Lonnie, Horace Ott, and Leon Pendarvis.

On top of all this is Lonnie on acoustic/electric keyboard fills.

I’m tellin’ you fellas, you can melt some babes with this jam.

Unofficial lyric:

Now the time has come
And we all want to change the world you see
Now you know the peace
Of warmth, of love, for Which you can be

And you wonder why the world
Hasn’t shared this feeling too
Now you know, now you see,
And wonder why you are one of so few

And you soar and flow and the colors peak and so
you find
That every answer you sow
Yes is in your mind

The love for which you feel can bring this world
to be

So free, so free, so free,

So Be It!

COP DIS JAM

Track Listing:

1. Space Lady
2. Mardi Gras
3. Starlight And You
4. Mongotee
5. A Song of Love
6. Between Here and There
7. Renaissance

Personnel:

Al Anderson Bass
Gene Bertoncini Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar
Kenneth Bichel Synthesizer, Moog Synthesizer
Wilby Fletcher Drums
Guilherme Franco Percussion
Harvey Goldberg Engineer, Mixing
Brendon Griffin Liner Notes
Dave Hubbard Flute, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Lawrence Killian Conga
Acy Lehman Art Direction
Horace Ott Arranger
Leon Pendarvis Clavinet
Donald Smith Flute, Vocals
Lonnie Liston Smith Guitar, Piano, Piano (Electric), Vocals, Producer, Author, Mixing, Electronics
Bob Thiele Producer, Mixing

When the group recorded a live album for RCA in 1977, the lineup included Smith on piano and keyboards, his brother Donald on vocals, Dave Hubbard on tenor and soprano sax, Al Anderson on electric bass, Ronald Miller on electric guitar, and Hollywood Barker on drums — a lineup that, except for Lonnie Liston Smith himself, is totally different from the Cosmic Echoes lineup heard on 1973’s Astral Traveling.

COP DIS JAM

mystic voyage

Right from the start, the track “Mystic Voyage” from the album of the same name is slick. Captivated… by what must be a synth string arrangement(no string credits in personnel info) we are musically given an example of this master vibists’ technique. Mellow understated jazz-funk.

Roy’s string arrangements are nothing short of remarkable in terms of authenticity in clarity and timbre.

Add to this vibes, vibes, vibes! His facility on the vibraphone is at least as good as any of the giants of the genre, and better than quite a few.
Not to mention the electric piano, arp, and clavinet.

This track was the first of his I heard back in ‘75, and I knew I had to see him live.

His studio albums have always been tight, from this album forward. He seemed to have a knack for assembling just the right cats to interpret his sound. Take particular notice of native Detroiter Ricky Lawson’s timing on the drums.

This album put him on the map, and as a result, flaws in his early live performances(i.e. sound quality, engineering etc.) would eventually disappear, and subsequent shows with new material/albums became top notch.

This is a must have for any jazz-funk novice or devotee.

COP DIS JAM

Track Listing

1. Brother Green (The Disco King)
2. Mystic Voyage
3. Wee Bit
4. Take All The Time You Need
5. Evolution
6. Life Is Just A Moment
7. Life Is Just A Moment
8. Funky Motion
9. Spirit Of Doo Do
10. Black Five

All songs written or co-written by Roy Ayers except “A Wee Bit” (Calvin Brown), “Take All The Time You Need” (Nick Ashford/Valerie Simpson), “Funky Motion” (Ronnie Foster) and “Spirit Of Doo Do” (Edwin Birdsong/Michelle Birdsong).

Roy Ayers Ubiquity: Roy Ayers (vibraphone, vocals, Arp synthesizer, electric piano, Clavinet, percussion); Chicas (vocals); Joe Brazil (soprano saxophone); Calvin Brown (guitar, vocals); Byron Miller (bass, background vocals); Ricky Lawson (drums); Willie Michael (percussion); Chano O’Ferral (congas, bongos); P. Craig Turner (programming).

Additional personnel: Edwin Birdsong (vocals).

COP DIS JAM

in a special way

I first got hip to Gene Harris from the “Astral Signal” album, released the previous year(’75). “In a Special Way” is his next, and between the two, the former was the more popular and hence, the more familiar.

Both albums mark a departure from a simpler production approach to one more complex. I like it!
“Theme for Relana” is an update in style reflecting the young-up-and-coming style to the jazz influenced music of the time.

Careful listening reveals smatterings of a Lonnie Liston Smith-style bass line feel, along with haunting EWF vocal harmonies and guitar grooves. Notice can also be taken of the splendid french horn riffs during the changes, as if harkening the hunting call:”the fox has been run to ground”.

Through it all, Harris’ facility on piano comes through in staccato fashion like light rain will contain smoldering embers.

All in all, this track is an excellent blend of the new and old, and comes very highly recommended.

COP DIS JAM

Gene Harris - In A Special Way [1976]

personnel:

George Bohanon (tb) Sidney Muldrow, Marnie Robinson (frh) Azar Lawrence (ts) Ed Green (vln) Charlotte Politte (el-p, syn) Jerry Peters (el-p, syn, string ensemble, arr, vo) Gene Harris (key) Lee Ritenour (g, el-g) Al McKay (el-g) John Rowin (el-g, arr) Chuck Rainey, Verdine White (el-b) James Gadson (d) Harvey Mason (d, per) Mayuto Correa (per) Phillip Bailey (per, vo) Merry Clayton, Ann Esther Jessica, D.J. Rodgers, Sigidi, Stephanie Spruill, Denise Williams (vo)

01 Theme For Relana
02 Rebop
03 Zulu
04 Always In My Mind
05 Love For Sale
06 It’s Your Love
07 Soft Cycles
08 Five_Four
09 Naima

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