Dennis Gonzalez Band Of Sorcerers - Hymn For The Perfect Heart Of A Pearl (1991) {Konnex}
EAC Rip | FLAC | scans | 391 mb
MP3 CBR 320 kbps | RAR | 170 mb
Genre: jazz, contemporary jazz
Hymn For The Perfect Heart Of A Pearl is the 1991 album by Dennis Gonzalez Band Of Sorcerers. Konnex are the label that made this something.
This
year's Dennis Gonzalez group goes by the moniker "Band of Sorcerers,"
and may be a little lighter on AACM/avant-jazz name-power, but it can't
stop Hymn for the Perfect Heart of a Pearl from being a really strong
disc. The rhythm section strongly backs Carlos Ward's tart opening alto
solo to the first movement of the six-part title suite. Bassist Paul
Rogers is very busy, but it's a good busy that largely avoids the
too-frenetic (even when he's strumming behind Tim Green's stately tenor
sax) and his strong solo provides a nice re-entry to the melody colored
by spare horn commentaries. Rogers' busy-ness should be a problem on
"Astonishing Emptiness," but it doesn't get in the way of the deep
spirit mojo at work, with the lovely three-horn harmonies built around
Green's simple vibrato spine, and drummer Louis Moholo brushes and
rattles around like he does to excellent effect most of the time. "Hymn
for Louis Moholo" has a decided South African tinge – hardly surprising
since Gonzalez has explored that feel before, the drummer hails from
there and Ward is in the midst of a lengthy tenure as Abdullah Ibrahim's
chief horn soloist. It's a 180 degree emotion switch to celebration,
with a tart Ward solo kicking things off as Rogers locks down into the
buoyant anchor riff, and Green gleefully takes off from foundation. It
ends with the horns going off on some playful round action that reminds
you of the distance from South African jazz marabi to mbqanga – or from
Ibrahim to Mahlathini if you prefer – ain't that far. "Peculiar
Stillness at Noon" phase-shifts the emotions again with its arco bass
and muted harmonies drifting into abstraction behind beacon of clarity
solos by Green and Gonzalez as the rhythm section takes it outside and
back to peace. But what are the two tracks featuring Canadian pianist
Paul Plimley doing here? He's a great musician, but neither the
collective improvisation "Angels of the Bop Apocalypse," (great title)
with Gonzalez going into very Miles-mode (as he often does here), or
Plimley's original "Parachute One," with its studied, extended left-hand
ostinato melody line, fit the program the quintet has been putting
down.
They're certainly no bridge to "Hymn for Lionel Batiste-De
Lawd's Train," when the quintet comes roaring back in on a pretty
serious train groove with a jaunty, bopping head. It turns on to the
outside tracks pretty quick, but works around to an almost koto-like
pastoral resolution in Rogers' solo before Gonzalez' train whistle
brings the train back roaring around the bend. Maybe Gonzalez just got
greedy (or too generous) by putting the Plimley tracks on – they're both
really good but just belong in a different context. Hymn for the
Perfect Heart of a Pearl is one of the best discs the Dallas trumpeter
has released during a very fertile period for him. Don't let the absence
of better-known musician names make you overlook it – Green and Rogers
remain unfamiliar to many, but both impress the listener as players to
watch out for.
1. Movement One: Hymn For The Perfect Heart Of A Pearl (11.55)
2. Movement Two: Astonishing Emptiness (15.59)
3. Movement Three: Hymn For Louis Moholo (9.46)
4. Movement Four: The Peculiar Stillness At Noon (12.02)
5. Movement Five: Angels Of The Bop Apocalypse (Group Improvisation) (6.28)
6. Parachute One (7.15)
7. Movement Six: Hymn For Lionel Battiste/De Lawd's Train (11.26)
Dennis González-trumpet, C trumpet, train whistle
Carlos Ward-alto sax, flute
Tim Green-tenor sax
Paul Rogers-bass
Louis Moholo-drums, whistles, vocals
Paul Plimley-piano (tracks 5 & 6)
Recorded on 3 April 1990 at Omega Audio, Dallas, TX.
Thank you to the original uploader.
