This and 100s more review like it available in my e-Book:
"...Euphoric..."
What you get here is the
last two albums Big Band Leader and Jazz Trumpeter Don Ellis made for Columbia
Records (USA) - one being a full double-album from 1971 of new material
recorded over several nights live at the legendary Basin Street West Jazz Club
in San Francisco - and the other, a 1972 single studio album of contemporary
covers augmented with three new songs. Both albums are newly remastered here in
2017 from licensed Sony tapes - with the first's running order split across two
CDs in order to make it fit without audio compromise.
A collection of contemporary
cover versions across a wild scope of genres (Gilbert O'Sullivan to Yes, The
Carpenters to The Crusaders), the second album "Connection" has
probably Don Ellis' most sought after crossover moment – his jagged yet funky
original theme to the ultimate gritty cop chase movie "The French
Connection" starring Gene Hackman (Frog 1 baby).
But there's so much more -
the fabulously inventive and superbly recorded and played "Tears Of
Joy" 2LP set is rated by fans as one of his best – seventeen minutes of
"Strawberry Soup" baby. And man does it all sound good too (England's
Beat Goes On (BGO) has done a top job as usual). Here are the euphoric
details...
UK released 15 December 2017
(22 December 2017 in the USA) - "Tears Of Joy/Connection" by DON
ELLIS on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1317 (Barcode 5017261213174) offers two albums (one
a double, the other a single) Remastered in full onto 2CDs that play out as
follows:
Disc 1 (60:11 minutes):
1. Tears Of Joy [Side 1]
2. 5/4 Getaway
3. Bulgarian Bulge
4. Get It Together
5. Quiet Longing [Side 2]
6. Blues In Elf
7. Loss
8. How's This For Openers?
[Side 3]
9. Samba Bajada
Tracks 1 to 9 are Sides 1, 2
and 3 of the double-album "Tears Of Joy" - released October 1971 in
the USA on Columbia Records G 30927.
Disc 2 (68:54 minutes):
1. Strawberry Soup [Side 4]
2. Euphoric Acid
Tracks 1 and 2 are Side 4 of
the double-album "Tears Of Joy" - released October 1971 in the USA on
Columbia Records G 30927. All songs written by Don Ellis except "Get It
Together" by Sam Falzone, "Samba Bajada" by Hank Levy and
"Euphoric Acid" by Fred Seldon
3. Put It Where You Want It
[Joe Sample song, Crusaders cover] - Side 1
4. Alone Again (Naturally)
[Gilbert O'Sullivan song]
5. Superstar (from the Rock
Opera "Jesus Christ Superstar") [Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
song]
6. I Feel The Earth Move
[Carole King song]
7. Theme From "The
French Connection" [Don Ellis song]
8. Conquistador [Keith Reid
and Gary Brooker song, Procol Harum cover]
9. Roundabout [Jon
Anderson/Steve Howe song, Yes cover] - Side 2
10. Chain Reaction [Hank
Levy song]
11. Goodbye To Love [John
Bettis and Richard Carpenter song, Carpenters cover]
12. Lean On Me [Bill Withers
cover]
13. Train To Get There
[Richard Halligan song]
Tracks 3 to 13 are the
single album "Connection" - released November 1972 in the USA on
Columbia KC 31766.
The card slipcase lends the
reissue an air of class and the 20-page booklet comes resplendent with new MATT
PHILLIPS (Musician and Founder of
soundsosurprise.com and movingtheriver.com) and all the original artwork
including the song-by-song notes from Ellis that adorned the inner gatefold of
the mammoth "Tears Of Joy" double. It's nicely done with new
Remasters from BGO's long-standing Audio Engineer ANDREW THOMPSON. These CDs
sound great - the new transfers bringing out the best of the original Don Ellis
and Phil Macy production values. To the Jazz...
Although "Tears Of
Joy" was recorded live (climaxing a US tour) – such is the restraint of
the crowd – you'd barely notice. But don't let that make you think the
performances are too staid or po-faced reverential. If you want to know how a
band 'cooks' – check out the staggering syncopation of the ensemble on
"5/4 Getaway" – eight minutes of trumpet and horns merging – the two
drummers Ralph Humphrey and Ron Dunn giving in some solo time before the whole
group keeps it tight-tight to the end followed by whoops from a clearly
geared-up crowd (sticks man Humphrey would join Zappa and his band just after
this). From that and the wildness of the Sam Falzone contribution of "Get
It Together" – we feel the complete contrast of "Quiet Longing"
– a lone trumpet with some strings - sounding just like its title – images of a
lone hombre on the range aching for his love as he stares up at the stars in
the stillness of the night.
"Blues In Elf"
begins in a reverential classical mode until piano player Milcho Leviev (much
to the mirth of the crowd who spot the clever mood change) gets all sloppy New
Orleans on its ass. Leviev is later joined by a string section and Don Ellis on
Trumpet, the combo of which suddenly turning the initial Jazz Blues rhythm into
something way cooler and more 1971-contemporary. "Loss" is equally
beautiful and its complex string arrangements buffering off the trumpets and
horns gives it a sort of magnificence that is truly epic. The hank Levy
composition "Samba Bajada" that ends Side 3 feels like Santana
crossbreeding with a Big Band by way of Herb Alpert – its eleven minutes again
displaying amazing virtuosity from the whole ensemble (joyful stuff). Side 4
offers us two – an epic 17:38-minutes of "Strawberry Soup" where a
lone sad cello is followed by cascading flute but is soon thrown into pure
Zappa experimental territory – the band still managing to sound musical as it
sounds at times like "The French Connection" – the extended car
chase.
The predominantly covers
album "Connection" opens with a very clever choice – Joe Sample’s
fabulously funky and groovy "Put In Where You Want It" – an
instrumental from the "Crusaders 1" double-album on Blue Thumb
Records released only months earlier in 1972. Never one to take the easy route,
Ellis then unfortunately embarks on an unwise cover of Gilbert O'Sullivan's
mega hit "Alone Again (Naturally)" but instead of sounding cool, his
version feels destined for some horrible elevator somewhere (going down). His
takes on the Jesus Christ Superstar title track is a bit better as is the
lesser-heard Procol Harum single "Conquistador", but you can't help
racing towards that real moment of cool – his jerky theme to "The French
Connection" movie – very groovy stuff indeed. Another smart choice is his
suitably brass-bopping take on the Fragile track "Roundabout" – a Yes
cover that even features some Rick Wakeman copycat keyboard sounds.
The double is a wonder, a
genuinely great release that's unfairly forgotten now while the 1972 platter
may have been cool-ish back in the day, but sounds the most dated of the two
despite its odd moments of brilliance. Still with presentation and great audio,
this is another stellar five-star winner form BGO. Dig in and get connected...
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