Three From Catalyst!

Catalyst

"Catalyst"
( LP Cobblestone Records, 1972 )
Catalog # CST 9018

Tracklisting:
A1 - Ain't It The Truth 2:42
A2 - East 8:03
A3 - Catalyst Is Coming 8:13
B1 - Jabali 8:44
B2 - New-Found Truths 5:44
B3 - Salaam 1:34

Personnel & Credits:
Bass - Zuri Tyrone Brown
Drums, Percussion - Onaje Sherman Ferguson
Electric Piano - Sanifu Eddie Green
Saxophone [Tenor], Flute - Mwalimu Odean Pope

Review:
One of the hippest funky jazz combos of the 70s stepping out here in their amazing debut for Cobblestone records! Catalyst had a groove that was unlike most of their contemporaries a sound that was often jazzier than some of the tighter funk artists on labels like Kudu or Prestige, with some deeply spiritual leanings in the solos but also a style that was still pretty tight and focused, not as far out as some of the headier groups on the Strata East label. There's loads of great choppy rhythms and tight-edged grooves on the record, thanks to Fender Rhodes from Eddie Green, reeds from Odeon Pop, bass from Al Johnson, and drums and percussion from Sherman Ferguson. Skip Drinkwater produced the session at Sigma Sound, and it's definitely got some of his hallmark appreciation of rhythm in the mix on titles that include "Ain't It The Truth", "New Found Truths", "East", "Catalyst Is Coming", "Jabali", and "Salaam".
© Dusty Groove America, Inc.

Catalyst

"Unity"
( LP Muse Records, 1974 )
Catalog # MR 5042

Tracklisting:
A1 - A Country Song 6:20
A2 - Little Miss Lady 4:53
A3 - Maze 5:17
B1 - Athene 5:27
B2 - Mail Order 6:12
B3 - Shorter Street 3:53

Personnel & Credits:
Bass - Zuri Tyrone Brown
Drums, Percussion - Onaje Sherman Ferguson
Electric Piano - Sanifu Eddie Green
Saxophone [Tenor], Flute - Mwalimu Odean Pope

Review:
Catalyst was a funk/jazz quartet from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, whose material presaged the work of later jazz fusion artists.[1] The group encountered regional success in the 1970s and have become more widely known since the re-release of their material.
The group was discovered by producer Skip Drinkwater, who signed them to Muse Records after hearing them play at a club in West Philadelphia. Drinkwater produced their debut self-titled LP, released in 1972 with the following personnel: Eddie Green (keyboards, vocals), Sherman Ferguson (percussion), Odean Pope (saxophone, flute, oboe), Al Johnson (bass). The group received little label support for major tours and so spent most of their playing time in the Philadelphia and New York areas.[1] The group recorded and released a second album in 1972 on Cobblestone Records, entitled Perception; by this time, bassist Johnson had left the group to join Weather Report, and was replaced by Tyrone Brown.
Garnering comparisons to John Coltrane, Weather Report, and Return to Forever, a cult following had grown up around the band by this time, who returned in 1974 with Unity, again on Muse. The album featured Billy Hart in addition to its core members. 1975's After a Tear and a Smile would be the group's final release; poor album sales and disenchantment with the industry led the group to disband in 1976.
Following their time with Catalyst, Green played with Pat Martino and MFSB, and both Pope and Brown began playing gigs with Max Roach; Pope also played with the Saxophone Choir. Ferguson later played with Pharaoh Sanders, Bud Shank, and Kenny Burrell.
In the 1990s, the Muse catalog was acquired by Joel Dorn's 32 Jazz label, which released some of Catalyst's work on a 1998 compilation album. Fan interest led to their entire four-album discography being released as a 2-reissue set, entitled The Funkiest Band You Never Heard.
"Ain't it the Truth" and "Ile Ife" were covered by Uri Caine (keyboards), A.Thompson (Drums, from The Roots), and Christian McBride (bass), on their album "The Philadelphia Experiment".
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Catalyst

"A Tear To A Smile"
( LP Muse Records, 1976 )
Catalog #MR 5069

Tracklisting:
A1 - The Demon Pt. 1 4:10
A2 - The Demon Pt. 2 3:10
A3 - A Tear And A Smile 4:34
A4 - Fifty Second Street Boogie Down 3:56
B1 - Suite For Albeniz 6:15
B2 - A Prayer Dance 5:54
B3 - Bahia 6:15

Review:
Sublime and crucial slice of 70s jazz funk.
Perhaps the best LP by this group, which I do not say lightly.
Features the killer cuts 'The Demon' and '52 st. Boogie Down.'

By Celo