Tracklisting:
The Black Cat
Long Long Time
Piece To Keep Away Evil Spirits
Jug Eyes
Something
Hi Ruth!
Personnel:
Gene Ammons (ts)
Harold Mabern (p, el-p)
George Freeman (g)
Ron Carter (b)
Idris Muhammad (d)
Bill Fischer (arr -2,5) 9 violins (-2,5)
Notes:
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, November 11, 1970
** Also part of Prestige PRCD 24188-2
Review (By Stewart Mason - AMG):
One of Gene Ammons' best late-period albums, 1970's Black Cat is a bluesy, low-key album and a comparative anomaly: a primarily acoustic soul-jazz album! Ammons was experimenting heavily with the amplified, feedback-laced electric saxophone during this period, but for Black Cat he sticks to his familiar unamplified tenor, playing raunchy gutbucket lines over Ron Carter's warm, deep-toned bass, Idris Muhammad's laid-back drums, and Harold Mabern's twinkling piano (yes, piano, not the soul-jazz cliché Hammond organ). Most of the time, only guitarist George Freeman is plugged in, but even he plays with clean-toned restraint. The centerpiece tracks are the funky soul-jazz blues "Piece to Keep Away Evil Spirits" and the more danceable, groove-oriented "Jug Eyes," which would become two of Ammons' most popular tracks, but the surprises are a pair of pop covers, Gary White's "Long Long Time" (popularized by Melanie and Linda Ronstadt) and the Beatles' "Something." Most soul-jazz covers of pop songs sound like boring, uninspired feints towards radio airplay, but Ammons turns both of these melodic ballads into solo showcases for himself and Mabern that show off both players at their finest.
Note:
Original post on the 'free' blog: 05/04/2008
MFS note:
From now on MFS have a new contributor: Bill! Welcome to our new friend! And this is his first (...) post!
By Bill
The Black Cat
Long Long Time
Piece To Keep Away Evil Spirits
Jug Eyes
Something
Hi Ruth!
Personnel:
Gene Ammons (ts)
Harold Mabern (p, el-p)
George Freeman (g)
Ron Carter (b)
Idris Muhammad (d)
Bill Fischer (arr -2,5) 9 violins (-2,5)
Notes:
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, November 11, 1970
** Also part of Prestige PRCD 24188-2
Review (By Stewart Mason - AMG):
One of Gene Ammons' best late-period albums, 1970's Black Cat is a bluesy, low-key album and a comparative anomaly: a primarily acoustic soul-jazz album! Ammons was experimenting heavily with the amplified, feedback-laced electric saxophone during this period, but for Black Cat he sticks to his familiar unamplified tenor, playing raunchy gutbucket lines over Ron Carter's warm, deep-toned bass, Idris Muhammad's laid-back drums, and Harold Mabern's twinkling piano (yes, piano, not the soul-jazz cliché Hammond organ). Most of the time, only guitarist George Freeman is plugged in, but even he plays with clean-toned restraint. The centerpiece tracks are the funky soul-jazz blues "Piece to Keep Away Evil Spirits" and the more danceable, groove-oriented "Jug Eyes," which would become two of Ammons' most popular tracks, but the surprises are a pair of pop covers, Gary White's "Long Long Time" (popularized by Melanie and Linda Ronstadt) and the Beatles' "Something." Most soul-jazz covers of pop songs sound like boring, uninspired feints towards radio airplay, but Ammons turns both of these melodic ballads into solo showcases for himself and Mabern that show off both players at their finest.
Note:
Original post on the 'free' blog: 05/04/2008
MFS note:
From now on MFS have a new contributor: Bill! Welcome to our new friend! And this is his first (...) post!
By Bill
3 comments:
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Long time no look here, glad I did! Cheers Bill!
found some nice scans here
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