Unreleased (Columbia University 1973)

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Unreleased (Columbia University 1973)
Live album by
Sounds of Liberation
Released2018
Recorded1973
VenueColumbia University, New York City
GenreFree jazz, funk, spiritual jazz
Length30:58
LabelDogtown Records
DGTWN-002
Sounds of Liberation chronology
New Horizons
(1972) 		Unreleased (Columbia University 1973)
(2018)

Unreleased (Columbia University 1973) is a live album by the Philadelphia-based jazz collective Sounds of Liberation. It was recorded during 1973 at Columbia University in New York City, and was initially released in 2018 in very limited quantities by Dogtown Records in conjunction with the Brewerytown Beats record store, after which it was made available with broader distribution the following year by both Dogtown and the Corbett vs. Dempsey label. The recording, which was thought to have been lost, features vibraphonist and band leader Khan Jamal, saxophonist Byard Lancaster, guitarist Monnette Sudler, electric bassist Billy Mills, drummer Dwight James, conga player Rashid Salim, and percussionist Omar Hill.[1][2][3][4]

Unreleased was the group's second album, issued 46 years after the 1972 release of New Horizons.[5] On June 13, 2019, the surviving members of Sounds of Liberation reunited for a concert/release party at Philadelphia's Union Transfer, sharing the bill with the Sun Ra Arkestra.[2][6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Vinyl DistrictA−
Tom Hull – on the Web
B+[8]

In a review for JazzTimes, David Whiteis wrote: "The overall mood here is of youthful idealism and optimism, tempered by a startlingly mature aesthetic vision and well-honed musical acumen—all too poignantly reminiscent of a time when this kind of project might be considered almost 'mainstream,' and the future looked bright with promise."[9]

The New York City Jazz Record's Pierre Crépon noted that "the group's approach here is firmly centered on the groove," and is marked by "dense rhythmic layers." He commented: "Unreleased finds the Sounds of Liberation at their most compact and provides a much welcome occasion to look back at the group."[10]

Ed Hazell of Point of Departure called the album "a real gem, full of fire and funk, and uncompromising in both its commitment to the groove and to jazz soloing," and stated: "This is a music that delivers its consciousness-raising message through the pleasure of the groove and the power of improvisation."[11]

Writing for NPR, Tom Moon included the album in his list of "Best Reissues and Archival Albums of 2019," and remarked: "Seek out Sounds of Liberation when you need a high-speed portal back to the early '70s and the moment when jazz musicians went headfirst into groove music with a spiritual dimension and/or 'message'... The thick, hypnotic grooves maintained strong ties to West African and Afro-Cuban music, and atop that sturdy framework, the improvisers pursued spirited, sometimes fitful and always conversational interplay."[12]

In an article for Stereogum, Phil Freeman wrote: "The music combines jazz, funk, and soul in a very progressive early '70s way; Jamal's vibes are a shimmering cloud, but when the band digs into a groove, they can get into a zone somewhere between the Art Ensemble of Chicago and the earliest Earth, Wind & Fire recordings."[13]

The Vinyl District's Joseph Neff described the album as "an enlightening pleasure for the ears," and stated: "the group tapped into what was being played on household stereos and by radio stations during this period... and then integrated it into an approach that remained undisguisedly descended from the '60s jazz avant-garde... it all works much better than expected, partly because it always registers as natural rather than as a strained attempt at commercial viability stemming from frustration and/or desperation."[7]

Bruce Lee Gallanter of the Downtown Music Gallery commented: "Music like this makes me feel good to be alive!"[14]

Track listing

  1. "Thoughts" (Monnette Sudler) – 4:01
  2. "Keno" (Byard Lancaster) – 3:50
  3. "Sweet Evil Mist (Rib Crib)" (Byard Lancaster) – 7:08
  4. "Badi" (Khan Jamal) – 5:17
  5. "New Horizon (Back Streets of Heaven)" (Khan Jamal) – 10:43

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "Sounds of Liberation - Unreleased". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Vettese, John (May 14, 2019). "A lost recording by Philly jazz collective Sounds of Liberation is getting a vinyl release". XPN. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  3. ^ Micucci, Matt (July 12, 2019). "Flying Lotus, Crosscurrents Trio, Victor Gould: The Week in Jazz". Jazziz. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  4. ^ Helfet, Gabriela (May 3, 2019). "Philly jazz and activist collective Sounds Of Liberation's 1973 session released for the first time". The Vinyl Factory. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  5. ^ "Dogtown Records release 1973 studio session by Sounds Of Liberation". The Wire. April 26, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  6. ^ Cohen, Aaron (June 12, 2019). "A soulful album 46 years in the making". Broad Street Review. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Neff, Joseph (July 10, 2009). "Graded on a Curve: Sounds of Liberation, Unreleased (Columbia University 1973)". The Vinyl District. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  8. ^ Hull, Tom. "The Best Jazz Albums of 2019". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  9. ^ Whiteis, David (August 9, 2019). "Sounds of Liberation: Unreleased (Columbia University 1973) (Dogtown)". JazzTimes. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  10. ^ Crépon, Pierre (August 2019). "Reviews" (PDF). The New York City Jazz Record. p. 24.
  11. ^ Hazell, Ed. "Moment's Notice: Reviews of Recent Recordings". Point of Departure. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  12. ^ Moon, Tom (December 11, 2019). "The Best Reissues and Archival Albums of 2019". NPR Music. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  13. ^ Freeman, Phil (July 19, 2019). "Ugly Beauty: The Month In Jazz". Stereogum. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  14. ^ Gallanter, Bruce Lee (June 7, 2019). "DMG Newsletter". Downtown Music Gallery. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
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