<iframe sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon®ion=GB&placement=B0BSVDQRK1&asins=B0BSVDQRK1&linkId=f7eb49e12011244c3efc9fa0a747fde3&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>
"...Expansions..."
Delayed from February 2023 to the last day in March 2023 – you only have to look at the track list to "This Is Flying Dutchman 1969-1975" as a 16-song compilation and you can understand why Ace of the UK have also released it as a 2LP BLACK VINYL set (Ace/Beat Goes Public BGP2 314 - Barcode 029667013611).
Link to the VINYL Version
<iframe sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon®ion=GB&placement=B0BSVDKD6L&asins=B0BSVDKD6L&linkId=75fcb1e338436d98b8a49361d5bbfd0e&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>
This is the kind of Jazz, Fusion, Latin, Jazz Funk and Political Soul mash up covering 1969 to 1975 that chappies of my expanded vintage love. The names alone - Gil Scott-Heron, Leon Thomas, Lonnie Liston Smith, Ornette Coleman and Gato Barbieri – with guests like guitarist Brian Jackson, Saxophonists Tom Scott and Pee Wee Ellis, Hubert Laws and Joe Farrell on Flute, Ron Carter on Bass and loads more. There is mucho to discuss, so let us go flying and make it Dutch. Here are the details...
UK released Friday, 31 March 2023 (delayed from 24 February 2023) - "This Is Flying Dutchman 1969-1975" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Ace/Beat Goes Public CDBGPD 314 (Barcode 029667103329) is a 16-Track CD Compilation of Remasters that plays out as follows (72:51 minutes):
1. The Revolution Wil Not Be Televised – GIL SCOTT-HERON (from the December 1971 US Album "Pieces Of A Man" on Flying Dutchman Records FD 10143)
2. Just In Time To See The Sun – LEON THOMAS (from the December 1973 US Album "Full Circle" on Flying Dutchman Records FD 10167)
3. Head Start – BOB THIELE EMERGENCY (from the 1969 US 2LP-set "Head Start" on Flying Dutchman Records FDS-104 in Stereo)
4. See Saw Affair – CESAR (from the November 1975 US Album "Cesar 830" on Flying Dutchman Records BDL1-0830)
5. Peaceful Man – ESTHER MARROW (from the 1969 US Album "Newport News, Virginia" on Flying Dutchman Records FDS-113 in Stereo)
6. Expansions – LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES (from the May 1975 US Album "Expansions" on Flying Dutchman Records BDL1-0934)
7. Bolivia – GATO BARBIERI (from the 1974 album "Bolivia" on Flying Dutchman Records FD 10158)
8. Friends And Neighbours – ORNETTE COLEMAN (from the 1970 US Album "Friends And Neighbours" on Flying Dutchman FDS 123 in Stereo)
9. 125th St & 7th Ave – OLIVER NELSON (from the 1975 US Album "Skull Session" on Flying Dutchman Records BDL1-0825)
10. Mama Soul – HAROLD ALEXANDER (from the 1971 US Album "Sunshine Man" on Flying Dutchman Records FD 10145)
11. Heavy Soul Slinger – PRETTY PURDIE (from the 1972 US Album "Soul Is..." on Flying Dutchman Records FD 10154)
12. Soulful Strut – STEVE ALLEN (from the 1969 US Album "Soul Brass No.2" on Flying Dutchman FDS 101 in Stereo)
13. Whitey On The Moon – GIL SCOTT HERON (from the 1970 US Album "Small Talk At 125th And Lenox" on Flying Dutchman FDS 131)
14. Lament For John Coltrane (Take 1) – BOB THIELE EMERGENCY (Previously Unreleased outtake recorded 29 April 1969 during the album sessions for the "Head Start" 2LP set released in 1969. Take 1 first issued on the April 2013 UK CD Compilation "Liberation Music: Spiritual Jazz And The Art Of Protest on Flying Dutchman Records 1969-1974" on Ace/Beat Goes Public CDBGPD 259 – Barcode 029667525923)
15. Peaceful Ones – LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES (from the 1974 US Album "Cosmic Funk" on Flying Dutchman Records BDL1-0591)
16. Echoes – LEON THOMAS (from the 1969 US Album "Spirits Known And Unknown" on Flying Dutchman Records FDS-115)
The 20-page colour booklet has new liner notes from Genre-Lover and long-time associate with Ace Records – DEAN RUDLAND – and he (quite rightly) sings the praises of Jazz Musician and Producer BOB THIELE who formed Flying Dutchman Records – a label he hoped would expand the Jazz Genre into all manner of different areas. With artists like Gil Scott-Heron and Lonnie Liston Smith – two heroes for many lovers of music that entwines Soul and Jazz into something new yet still accessible – you could call a lot of the FD output as Spiritual Jazz, Protest Soul with a few dollops of spoken word and Be-Bop Poetry thrown in.
Rudland tackles his notes by giving you the profile on each artist and the couple of tunes the compilation affords them. Black and White publicity photos, live period shots and album covers abound. A very clever discography touch is that each track lists all the musicians when it could have taken the lazy way out – guest names included too. So we see that a virtual who's-who went through the FD studios doors - including guitarists Brian Jackson, Burt Jones and John Abercrombie, Bassists Richard Davis and Charlie Haden, flautists Hubert Laws and Joe Farrell, Soprano Saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, Tenor Saxophonist Little Rock, Alto Saxophonist Tom Scott, Bass and Keyboards Stanley Clarke, Drummers Roy Haines, Ed Blackwell and Airto Moreira, Willie Bobo on Percussion and loads more.
NICK ROBBINS – one of the resident Audio Engineers Ace Records uses regularly – has handled the transfers - and the sound is never less than great and in some cases all shiny brilliant and uplifting. Also for a Jazz-infused compilation spanning six years of experimentation with the genre – the uniformity of excellent sound is a pleasure to listen to. To the music...
Leon Thomas was one of the first signings to Flying Dutchman Records and between 1969 and 1973 made five albums for the label under his own name and appeared with Johnny Hodges and H Rap Brown on two others. This compilation features two tracks – "Echoes" is from the famous 1969 debut album "Spirits Known And Unknown" and his fifth and last record for Bob Thiele "Full Circle" from late 1973 that features his cover of the 1972 Santana Caravanserai LP song "Just In Time To See The Sun".
I must admit I have never had the time (or a copy) of the Bob Thiele double-album "Head Start" – but what a blast the Saxophone and Horn led the instrumental title track is – all Blood, Sweat & Tears funky – and in stunning neck-jerking audio. That is followed by the treated echoed guitar of "See Saw Affair" – a very Sly & The Family Stone funky dancer circa 1971 made by the Bolivian piano-player Cesar in 1975. Cesar Ascarrunz employs the talents of Jim Vincent, Joe Jammer and Stephen Busfield who play the amazing guitar parts, Merle Saunders on Piano with impassioned vocals about finding a solution from Linda Tillery and a background-punching Horn Section of Six.
She later became a Gospel Singer after a stalled career, but for her 1969 outing with FD Records, Esther Marrow gives her deep voice and obvious passion to the message song "Peaceful Man" – hoping he will bring it to her land. There will not be many Seventies kids who will not get a little tingle in the arm-hairs as the tinkering beginning of "Expansions" slides in – then the drums and keys – and we are off. Lonnie Liston Smith’s clarion call for all of us to live in peace (Love to all mankind) was a weekly playlist in Reckless Records in London’s Berwick Street shop and always had punters demanding to be pointed in the direction of this Jazz Funk/Humanist Soul gem. And you get the full album cut of 6:05 minutes.
One of the pleasures of a compilation like this is discoveries – and if you haven’t heard the Terry Callier-slinky Santana-shimmering rhythms of "Bolivia" by Tenor Saxophonist Gato Barbieri – then you are in for a 7:46 minute instrumental treat. He is ably abetted in the tune’s trance-like sonic sins by a seriously great crew – Lonnie Listen Smith on Piano, John Abercrombie on Acoustic Guitar, Stanley Clarke on Bass, Airto Moreira on Drums with James Mtume on Congas – all names that would go on to have huge careers in Jazz Funk, Soul and New Age Music.
Can’t say I am a huge fan of the Ornette Coleman track "Friends And Neighbours" – her free-form Jazz, Horns and Drums will either be music to your ears or a sort of indulgence guiltily born on a Saturday morning. Things lift up immediately into a 6:20 minute Piano Funky groover from Oliver Nelson – the seriously cool Mission Impossible Ocean’s Eleven instrumental "125th St & 7th Ave" – yeah baby –and in spectacular audio too. The New York Streets and Avenues track also employs a massive 15-or-so Horn players including Bud Shank on Tenor Saxophone alongside the ever-lurking Lonnie Liston Smith on Keyboards. Things get scat-crazy with Saxophonist and Flautist Harold Alexander going vocally ape on "Mama Soul" during Flute notes – the tight and funky rhythm section of Richard Davis on Bass and Bernard Pretty Purdie on Drums keeping it in check.
Beautiful Production values on "Heavy Soul Slinger" where ace session player Bernard Pretty Purdie is dreaming of Steely Dan and "Aja" in 1977 as he whacks his kit - Harold Ott getting seriously Donny Hathaway funky on his electric piano (chune!). Although good in its very 60ts elevator music way, the instrumental of Young Holts "Soul Strutt" (as used in so many movies) is a little too brass heavy and probably the least representative track of FD Records (still expect to hear it in some cool flick soon). But that rare blip moment is properly whomped by the ethereal Flute, Bass and Drums only "Lament For John Coltrane". This astonishing Bob Thiele Emergency "Take 1" instrumental of 5:19 minutes first surfaced on the 2013 Ace/Beat Goes Public CD Reissue and Remaster as a Bonus Track. It’s gorgeous stuff and seriously well produced too - Joe Farrell sifting over the warm mood with Flute, Wilbur Little playing bass with Elvin Jones shuffling those drums and high-hats.
The "This Is Flying Dutchman 1969-1975" 16-Track CD and 2LP compilation comes to a joyful/mellow finish with two smooth gems - "Peaceful Ones" by Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes featuring Donald Smith on Lead Vocals – a 1974 Jazz sweetheart track beloved by Seventies fans. The mellow beautiful things vibe continues with yeah-e yeah-e-o vocals of Leon Thomas getting seriously creative with his voice on "Echoes".
"This Is Flying Dutchman 1969-1975" is a winner and a fabulous way to access music that has always been fringe and hard to find – music that has seeped its way back into kids of the Naughties and onwards. Check it out...and the VINYL 2LP set looks like a proper winner to me...
Titles in the 'Flying Dutchman Jazz Classics' Series of CD Reissues
by Ace/Beat Goes Public of the UK include
1. Fenix - GATO BARBIERI (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 268)
2. The Third World - GATO BARBIERI (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 272)
3. El Pampero – GATO BARBIERI (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 283)
4. Cesar 830 – CESAR (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 261)
5. Friends And Neighbors: Ornette Live At Prince Street – ORNETTE COLEMAN (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 266)
6. Afrique – COUNT BASIE (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 271)
7. Barefoot Boy - LARRY CORYELL (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 269)
8. George Russell Presents… - THE ESOTERIC CIRCLE (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 284)
9. Small Talk At 125th & Lenox - GIL SCOTT-HERON (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 290) - see REVIEW
10. Pieces Of A Man – GIL SCOTT-HERON (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 274)
11. Free Will – GIL SCOTT-HERON (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 281)
12. Astral Traveling – LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 273)
13. Cosmic Funk - LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 278)
14. Expansions – LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 263 – Barcode 029667526326)
15. Visions Of A New World – LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 294)
16. Reflections Of A Golden Dream – LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 296)
17. Cosmic Funk And Spiritual Sounds; The Best Of The Flying Dutchman Years – LONNIE LISTON SMITH (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 254)
18. Newport News, Virginia – ESTHER MARROW (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 264)
19. Swiss Suite: Recorded Live At The Montreaux Jazz Festival - OLIVER NELSON (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 279)
20. Soul Is… - (Bernard) PRETTY PURDIE (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 282)
21. Head Start – BOB THIELE EMERGENCY (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 265)
22. Spirits Known And Unknown – LEON THOMAS (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 262)
23. The Leon Thomas Album - LEON THOMAS (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 270)
24. Blues And The Soulful Truth – LEON THOMAS (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPM 277)
25. The Creator: The Best Of The Flying Dutchman Masters – LEON THOMAS (Ace/BGP Records CDBGPD 257)
