1. Wind Chant
2. Swish
3. Midday Dreams
4. Factory
5. Don the Don
6. Stonehenge
7. Romance of Death
8. City Light
9. All Points South
10. Loufiana
11. Street Song
Harris Simon - Piano, Rhodes, harmonica
Michael Brecker - Tenor sax
Claudio Roditi - Trumpet, flugelhorn
Bill Washer - Guitar
Mike Richmond - Upright bass, electric bass
Brian Brake - Drums
Ann Lang, Janice Pendarvis, Lani Groves - Vocals
Juilliard Strings
Joe Farrell - Flute
Several others feature on single tracks
These tracks all come from two CDs recorded by the Harris Simon ensemble
in 1978 and 1980. They were originally intended for the Japanese market.
In 1978 Simon was a young unknown Jamaican who had recently arrived
in the USA; he was heard by record producer and Resonance Records
President George Klabin. George realised the potential of the young
Simon, who was 21 when the first record was made, and George assembled
the other musicians to be used. That was a piece of real inspiration;
Simon did not even know most of them at that time.
I am really surprised that I have not heard this music before; it is so exciting and engaging to listen to that, once you have heard it, you want to play it again. Everything swings like mad and the playing of Michael Brecker is off the end of the scale. The ensembles are tight and the rhythm section superb. Normally I have problems listening to albums where nothing is familiar, but not on this one; my concentration was 100% from start to finish. Harris Simon's playing is fascinating throughout. It seems a shame to me that he is a university teaching faculty member in the USA; he is so good that he ought to be a permanent performance artist, so that more people can hear him.
Claudio Roditi, a Brazilian, is a very fine trumpet player indeed as is evident not only in his solos, but also when he is leading the ensemble with great panache. I find it hard to believe that this music is at least 30 years old. To me it demonstrates what I have suspected for a long time, that a lot of today's jazz is up a blind alley going nowhere. The sounds are as fresh as today and this album is a must for all serious jazz listeners - and for Michael Brecker fans it is a double must! I have never heard him play better.
Don Mather
CD Reviews
Resonance HCD 2009
