"…Love Is Blue…"
In their on-going trawl
through the Charles Taylor Inc catalogue of primo Jazz albums from the late
Sixties and into the late Seventies (CTI Records) - Beat Goes On of the UK
(BGO) gives us 3 albums by Jazz Flutist HUBERT LAWS onto 2CDs.
Released 25 August 2014 – "Crying Song/Afro-Classic/The Rite Of Spring" by HUBERT LAWS on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1149 (Barcode 5017261211491) offers 3LPs Remastered onto 2CDs and breaks down as follows:
Disc 1 (71:32 minutes):
1. La Jean
2. Love Is Blue/Sing A
Rainbow
3. Crying Song (from the
motion picture “More”)
4. Listen To The Band
5. I’ve Gotta Get A Message
To You
6. Feelin' Alright
7. Cymbaline
8. How Long Will It Be?
9. Let It Be
Tracks 1 to 9 are the album
“Crying Song” – released 1969 in the USA on CTI Records CTI 1002
10. Fire And Rain
11. Allegro From Concerto
No. 3 In D
12. Theme From Love Story
13. Passacaglia In C Minor
14. Flute Sonata In F
Tracks 10 to 14 are the
album “Afro-Classic” – released 1970 in the USA on CTI Records CTI 6006
Disc 2 (30:53 minutes):
1. Pavane
2. The Rite Of Spring
3. Syrinx
4. Brandenburg Concerto No.
3 (First Movement)
5. Brandenburg Concerto No.
3 (Second Movement)
Tracks 1 to 5 are the album
“The Rite Of Spring” – released 1972 in the USA on CTI Records CTI 6012
The chunky 20-page booklet
has superb liner notes by noted musical expert CHARLES WARING with
reminiscences from the great player himself - while the 2014 ANDREW THOMPSON
remasters are typically lovely – the rhythm and vibes so complimentary –
allowing Laws to solo over them without drowning them out. It also comes with a
card slipcase.
Even with the best will in
the world – it’s hard to get excited about someone doing a Flute interpretation
of “Sing A Rainbow”- (Track 2 on “Crying Song”) - awful stuff that would
embarrass elevator music. But then you’re suddenly hit with two unexpected
hypnotic gems – his covers of Pink Floyd’s “Crying Song” and “Cymabaline” –
both from their 1969 Soundtrack “More”. They’re trippy and very cool. Funk
dudes on a Jazz tip will dig the hip version of a hip tune – “Feelin’ Alright”
- Dave Mason’s Traffic hit – a song that’s been covered to buggery ever since
because it’s just so damn good.
1970’s “Afro-Classic” opens
with a great organ-flute Jazz interpretation of James Taylor’s “Fire And Rain”
clocking in at just eight minutes with Dave Friedman giving it some fuzz-pedal
vibes. The rest of the album’s mainly orchestral takes of Bach and Mozart seem
wildly out of place after the tuned-in and turned-on opener.
Debussy, Bach and Stravinsky
dominate 1972’s “The Rite Of Spring” this time upping the acoustic guitars in
tandem with the vibes and flute. Both “Pavane” and the title track feature
fusion centre passages while the second half of the album is taken up by
orchestral versions the “Brandenburg Concerto No.3”.
Beautifully presented and
sounding wonderful – it’s an acquired taste for sure – but if you’re a fan –
then this BGO remaster is another quality buy…
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