Label: Strata-East – SES-7412
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: US / Released: 1974
Style: Soul-Jazz, Contemporary, Free Jazz
Recorded and mixed at Sound Ideas Studio, New York City.
Artwork [Graphics] – Jerry Harris
Photography By [Liner Photo] – Richard Hinson
Engineer [Recording] – Geoff Daking, George Klabin
Producer – Shamek Farrah / Janfar Productions
Matrix / Runout (Side A Etched): SES-7412-A
Matrix / Runout (Side B Etched): SES-7412-B
A1- Meterologicly Tuned................................................................................... 11:20
A2- Watch What Happens Now .......................................................................... 5:43
Shamek Farrah – alto saxophone
Norman Person – trumpet
Kasa Mu-Barak – piano
Milton Suggs – bass
Clay Herndon – drums, percussion
B1- Umoja Suite ................................................................................................. 7:26
B2- First impressions ....................................................................................... 10:30
Shamek Farrah – alto saxophone
Norman Person – trumpet
Sonelius Smith – piano
Milton Suggs – bass
Ron Warwell – drums
Kenny Harper – percussion
Calvert "Bo" Satter-White – conga
Fantastic piece of free improvised groove jazz. The players are kind of doing there solos together at the same time, but never loose touch to that bassline groove, outstanding, free, but never too free, just really soulful interaction and a mysterious ancient vibe to it.
One of the hardest to find records on Strata East, and one of the best – a darkly-crafted session of pure beauty, one that lives up to all the best promise of the label! The tracks are long, the sound is bold, and the whole thing moves at a pace that none of the bigger jazz labels were matching at the time – the most righteous, most expressive side of jazz in the mid 70s! Alto player Shamek Farrah is at the lead of a unique group that features Norman Person on trumpet, Milton Suggs on bass, and Sonelius Smith on piano – plus lots of additional drums and percussion, especially on side two of the album, which features some really righteous numbers! Titles include the massive bass sample track "First Impressions"– a symphony of dark, descending chord structures – plus "Meterologicly Tuned", "Watch What Happens Now", and "Umoja Suite". Incredible good!
(Dusty Groove, Inc.)
If you find it, buy this album!