}~~-:~?~"?:;~..:~·/i-:!l<("'.·'',·. ·.·_ ,._.: ., : . sont MO<,e,j:!ourrie, BIii Cole,. Alan Heineman, Wayne · John -Lttweller, )ohn McDonough, Don Morgenstern, Don . 'Ridley,Hat\ley. Siders, Carol Sloane, and Jim Szantor. ;,j{~/ . ' .. ··.• .

, , {~lieht,****v~ry good,*** good,** fair,* poor. record·,··,•_,L·'..\,,\:;;F>-·: / >:-~-::-J.,:; . . , :.· :1:_ ,.··::_--. . ' . . . ~f~ewecl-are i:r.'a11¢,Jefoq:i,urcnose ·through the down beat/RECORD CLUB. flllP.~.~~.••Ip\·,~io-rm"ation ·~ detailselsewhere in this issueor write to REVIEV#S ,.,,.. ,'d()Wtlcceqt;/~CORDCLUB, 22.2-W.Adams, Chicago, IL 60606) . ~"'.{:i!;~<;;{'•_:_;_r-r--,_:~·-_;;;.~..._ ·-: -... ' - -.:_ _.· . . .

pretty heavy entries in this special sweep­ that there isn't m_ore of him on records. l ALICE COLTRANE stakes since then (including Hawk out­ It is a compliment to Ridley and Dawson JOURNEY IN SATCHIDANANDA-Impulse doing himself on Rainbow Mist five years that they match Flanagan's impeccable AS 9203: Journey in Satchidananda; Shiva-Loka; Stopover 8ombay; Something About fohn Col­ later) but this new one by Dexter is a taste-in addition to providing the solid trane; Isis and Osiris. landmark. From a non~historical perspec­ rhythmic foundation Dexter wants and de­ Personnel: Pharoah Sanders, soprano saxophone; serves. Dig the two of them in the "stroll­ Alice Coltrane, piano, harp; Vishnu Wood, oud tive, it is, simply one of the loveliest ballad (track 5 only); Cecil McBee or Charlie Haden performances you'll ever hear. ing" choruses on the potent Blues Walk, (track 5 only), bass; Tulsi, tamboura; Rashied There used to be a myth (and it still and their solo spots. Ali, drums; Majid Shabazz, bells, tambourine. has adherents) that jazz was primarily a Of Dexter's three originals, I especially Rating: * * * * like the moody Valse Robin, a typical My first post-John Coltrane experience young musician's art, and, to be sure, with Alice Coltrane was Easter Sunday of some flames burn themselves out quickly. Gordon melody. Mrs. Miniver is also ap­ 1968 and a concert at Carnegie Hall fea­ Also, music is the only art in which genius pealing, and both are much more than turing most of Trane's former sidemen. can appear fully fledged in mere infants. the mere sketches that often pass for jazz My most recent experience with Lady St-ill, the process of ripening plays no less "compositions." The third, the title track, Trane was at the same hall nearly three a role in music than in other realms of is a minor blues with a subtly contempo­ years later (db, 4/15/71). It has been life. rary beat. The practice of "quoting", which extremely interesting to hear her grow Suffice it to say that if Dexter Gordon can become a bore in lesser hands, is from a pianistic extension of her husband's was heavy when he came on the scene, he something Dexter is a past master at, and musical thinking into an artist in her own is heavier today than ever before. This he indulges himself here. right. album deserves a place alongside Go! and If someone asks you what jazz is, and This music was inspired by Alice Col­ Our Man in Paris among the best of Dex­ where it can still be at today, put on this trane's association with the Swami Satchi­ ter on record. record. That it was made is a mitzvah. dananda. Like John Coltrane's A Love Body is the supreme masterpiece, and -Morgenstern Supreme, Joumey In Satchidananda is in a class by itself, but the rest is not far more than a musical composition-it is a behind. In fact, every note Dexter plays profession of faith. The use of such East­ is a joy to hear. His music has strength and conviction; it is a celebration of life ern instruments as the tamboura and the ELTON JOHN oud is entirely fitting, both to the music looked straig,ht in the eye. There is no and the phi'losophy of llntegral Yoga, a excess of any !Qindin it: no sentimentality, TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION-UNI 73096: no self-pity, no posturing, no striving for Ballad of a Well-K11ot1111Gun; Talking Old Sol• combination of physical yoga, the yoga diers; Son of You,· Father; Co11ntry Comfort; of meditation, bhe yoga of study and effects. It is music that flows with the Amoreena; Bunt Down the Mission; Lave Song; natural ease of speech, and every inflection My Father's Gun,- Come Dott,n ;,, Time; Where knowledge, the yoga of service, and the to Now St. Peter? yoga of love and devotion. is uniquely personal and direct. Personnel: John, piano, organ, vocals· Caleb All tracks but Isis and Osiris were re­ Dexter's tone is like a certain kind of Quaye, Les Thatcher, Mike •Egan or Lesl;y Dun• fine red wine: fullbodied and slightly tart, can, guitars; Dave Glover, Herbie Flowers or Dee corded in the well-furnished studio in Murray, bass; _Roger Pope, Barry Morgan, Nigel Trane's home at Dix Hills, N.Y., where at once warm and cooly refreshing, with Olsson or Chr~s Laurence, drums, percussion; Ian a flavor that lingers. In every register Duck. h_armomca (tracks 4, 5); Gordon Huntley. most of Alice's recordings have been made. steel guitar (t~ack 4); Johnny Van Derek, violin Isis and Osiris, Alice Coltrane's hymn to throughout the range of the horn, his ( track 4); Bnan Dee, organ ( track 6) • Robin sound is round and full. The notes are Jones, congas, tambourine ( track 6) :' Skaila the two Egyptian deities also invoked in Kanga, _harp (track 9); Karl Jenkins, oboe (track Mozart's Magic Flute, was recorded live superbly articulated-only the greatest mu­ 9); vanous backup vocalists; other musicians un­ at The Village Gate. The acoustics of that sicians have such command of the instru­ identified; arranged by Paul Buckmaster. club have never been known to win any ment and only the greatest of jazzmen Rating: One well-dressed turkey awards, and the fact that the recording have such command of the music's lan­ Who is this dude kidding? I mean, what was a one-mike job doesn't help. The more guage. is all this boot-licking of Elton John about? t~e shame, b:cause the music is mag­ In a time when some of even the best When I first heard his debut album I mficent, especially the oud playing of of contemporary music is singularly lack­ thought it stunk, as plain a pronounce­ Vishu Wood and the full bass of Charlie ing in poise and control, too often re­ ment as that, and consigned it to give­ Haden. While one must strain to hear it flecting the disorder of everyday existence away box perdition. But then the deluge is well worth the effort. ' rather than the sense of log,ic and balance hit: the most hy.pe I have ever received This is sacred jazz of the highest order. implicit in the act of creation, music like for any one artist-like several pounds of Whether one is into integral yoga or not Dexter Gordon's seems truly revolutionary. paper! And so, in deference to some hard­ the music will stand. -Kie~ !~stead of draining the listener, it enriches ~osed y.r. _agent, I rescued the LP, played him. 1t agam, listened with considerable inter­ Jazz being a music of interaction, it ~st, and then conceded that my first opin- goes without saying that a session as 10n had been correct. Slickly done and nearly perfect as !!his was not the work so-so pleasant, the date was devoid of DEXTER GORDON of one man alone. The presence of Tommy musical consequence, and certainly offered THE PANTHER-Prestige 7829: Tbe P,mtber· Flanagan. Larry Ridley and Alan Dawson no profundity of word as has been touted. BCohdya11d Soul; Valse Robin: Mrs. Mi11ii-er; Th; creates a climate of understanding and rutmas So11g; The Blues )Valk l'he man simply proved no remarkable Personnel:. Gordon, ten.or saxdphone; Tommy empathy, for each of these men is an talent, despite the protestations of Rolling Flanagan, piano; Larry Ridley, bass· Alan Daw- artist in his own right. son, drums, ' Stone and Time, both of whom consider Flanagan, far too seldom heard in a Elto_n John . some new culture-hero, pre­ Ratmg: * * * * * creative context such as this, is a master­ Since Coleman Hawkins made it so in sen tmg an esthetic perspective equal to ful _accompanist--enhancing, underlining, that of cottage cheese or any other curdled 1939, Body and Soul has been the test feed~ng. supporting. His solos and intro­ piece for tenormen. There have been some substance. duct10ns are radiant-just flawless. A pity Tumbleweed Comzection seldom alters 20 0 DOWN BEAT