Label: Gramavision – 18-8407-1
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: US / Released: 1986
Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation, Avant-garde Jazz
Recorded at Mad Hatter Studios, Hollywood, California, January 1985.
Design – Neal Pozner
Engineer – Bernie Kirsch
Produced By – James Newton
Cover Art: St. Prosper – by Catharine Warren courtesy of the LIGHT Gallery
A1 - Star Crossed Lovers . . . 3:33
A2 - Lone Hill . . . 10:41
A3 - The Crips . . . 7:58
B1 - Water Mystery . . . 8:56
B2 - One For Strayhorn . . . 5:18
B3 - Dance Steps . . . 5:24
James Newton - flute
Charles Owens - English horn, soprano sax
John Carter – clarinet
April Aoki – harp
Allan Iwohara - koto
Red Callender - tuba
Greg Martin - oboe
John Nunez - bassoon
Roberto Miranda - bass
Anthony Brown – percussion
The five musicians of James Newton's wind ensemble featured on The Mystery School in 1982 (flutist Newton, bassoonist John Nunez, Charles Owens on English horn and soprano, clarinetist John Carter and Red Callender on tuba) are joined by oboist Greg Martin, bassist Roberto Miranda, percussionist Anthony Brown, April Aoki on harp and Allan Iwohara on koto for a rather colorful set. There are two tributes to Billy Strayhorn (including a version of "Star Crossed Lovers"), one for George Russell, a remake of "The Crips" and a pair of features for the koto. A very interesting program of adventurous yet quite logical explorations.
_ Review by Scott Yanow
If you find it, buy this album!