Dollar Brand - African Space Program (1974)

A heady, ambitious and joyous blast of large-group arranging and playing from South African jazz legend Dollar Brand.  Known as Abdullah Ibrahim since his late 60s conversion to Islam, Dollar Brand was still the name that appeared on his albums up until about the mid 70s, after he took a trip back to South Africa (having lived in New York for some time) and produced some of his most enduring music there.

This album comes just before that period, and was recorded in NYC in November 1973.  Brand's writing and arrangements in the two-part Tintiyana evoke Ellington and Mingus, firstly in bold, colourful layers, then settling into a blues groove that absolutely cooks.  The rest of the album is taken up by the 23-minute Jabulani - Easter Joy, with an initial theme that (presumably accidentally, but who knows given the 'Easter' theme) brings to mind 'Jesus Christ, Superstar' before launching into a ferocious free-for-all.  It's an exhilarating wild ride that doesn't start to cool down until about 15 minutes in, and the perfect closer to a great record.

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pw: sgtg

Pharoah Sanders - Thembi (1971)

A hugely enjoyable, often downright mellow and groovy, mixed bag from Pharoah Sanders' early years on Impulse.  The fearsome free jazz skronk of his previous records and guest appearances began to tone down around this time, concentrated into just one burst of ferocity on the second track here.

Before that is the gorgeous opener Astral Travelling, spontaneously written by Lonnie Liston Smith on his first encounter with a Fender Rhodes.  The title track coasts along on a nice Latin rhythm, then Love, a bass solo spotlight for Cecil McBee, completes the November 1970 recording session.  The final two tracks date from January 1971, and are the most intricate and interesting in terms of their instrumentation.  Sanders packs in turns on koto, flute and sax on Morning Prayer, before the tempo picks up and leads straight into the closing free-for-all of Bailophone Dance.  All in all, a great album that shows Sanders' stylistic versatility to maximum effect.

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Charles Lloyd - Forest Flower: At Monterey, 1966 (rel. 1967)

Speaking of Keith Jarrett... nearly thirty years prior to that trio date in Tokyo, he appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival in his early sideman role to the great Charles Lloyd.  Showing great promise even then, Jarrett fills out the clipped, Latin rhythm (Jack DeJohnette's here too) of the 'Forest Flower' suite as the perfect foil to Lloyd's warm, mellifluous tenor sax.

Jarrett ups the groove whenever Lloyd takes a more free flight and takes an assured solo early in the 'Sunset' section, and even plucking the piano strings towards the end.  The fact that I've mostly made this writeup all about Jarrett clearly shows I need to listen more widely to Charles Lloyd (his flute playing on the Jarrett composition Sorcery is also superb), so consider that my homework.

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