Records ore reviewed by Chris Albertson, Don DeMicheol , Gilbert M. Erskine, lro Giller, Alan Heineman, Wayne Jon es, Lawrence Kart, John Litweiler, John McDonough, Da n Morgenstern, Don Nelsen , Harvey Pekar , Horvey Siders, Carol Sloane, Jim Szantor, and Pele Welding. Reviews are signed by the writers. Ratings are: * * * * * excellent, * * * * very good, * * * good, * * fair , * poor. When two catalog numbers are listed, the first is mono, and the second is stereo.

SPOTLIGHTREVIEW sound and what be does with it. I do is a committed artist who makes no secret not love or even like Barbieri's agonized of bis deep involvement in the social and Charlie Haden tenor on Brigada, but that stems from my political issues of our time. His treatment LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA-Impulse general dislike of playing that seems to of old standards like Chicago, Alabama, AS 9183 : Tht lntroduttion; Song of tbt Unittd imitate an emotion rather than attempt­ and All qr Nothing at All is fraught with fronl,- El Qui11to Regimtnte; Los Cuatros Gt11t­ ralts; Viva La Quinct Brigada; Tht Ending lo ing to evoke it. But those who favor the symbolic overtones-Chicago becomes a th, First Sidt; Song for Cht; War Or(Jham; shriek school of modern saxophone play­ wry comment on the 1968 Democratic Th, ln ttrludt (Drinleing J\lmic); Circm '68 '69; 11V,Shall Ovtrron1t. ing will dig it. Convention; Alabama mixes irony with Personnel: Mike Mantler, trumpet; Don Cherry, By the same standards, Circus at times the inherent romanticism, and All is trans• cornet , Indian wood and bamboo flutes (track, 3. 4. S, 7 only); Roswell Rudd, trombon e; Bob overreac hes, but as direct program music formed into a compelling civil rights tract. Norlhern , French horn, military whistle, crow it has its points. However, Rudd's simple, Blake bas close emotional ties to Greece, call, bells. wood block,; Perry Robinson, clari• 011 net; Gato Barbieri, clarioer, tenor saxop hone: unaffected and song-like statement of Over­ and so his Never Sunday moves from Dewey Redman, aho and tenor saxophone; How­ come offers welcome relief after the histri­ sunny tranquility to turmoil. In other in• ard Johnson, tuba; Carla Bley , piano, arranger; onics. stances , the titles themselves tell the story. Sam Brown, guitar , Tanganykian guitar. thumb piano; Haden, bass; Paul ifotian. drums. per­ Haden's Che solo is a tour de force, a However, it is not necessary to be at• cussion; Andrew Cyrille, percussion (track 11 only). blend of awesome instrumental skill (what tuned to or even aware of these matters a gorgeous tone be gets!) and solid musi­ to enjoy the music simply as music, just Rating:* *** 1 This unusu al and interesting record, the cal thought. Miss Bley offers lucid playing as one needs no program notes to savor political aspects of which already have on Ornette Coleman's War Orphans, a Beethoven's Sixth. Blake's passion for so- 1 been debated in our Chords and Discords genuinely moving piece of music. cial and political justice may be a prime section, ranks among the most mature But everybody, featured or not, plays mover of his art, but the end result is a and accomplished artistic stateme nts yet very well on this record. Obviously, all thing unto itself. produced by what is loosely called "the the musicians were totally involved in the Listeners who require sustained tempi new music." project, and it shows. The dubbed-in and a strong, steady rhythmic pulse for Not since Max Roach's Freedom Suite taped material (from a film soundtrack their enjoyment of music might find Blake's has there been a jazz record so strongly and of Cuban singer Carlos Pueblo) is ef­ work beyond their ken, but anyone inter• • and emphatically allied to a non-musical fective. ested in the art of improvisation on Lbe cause. The reference points here range In all, praise to all involved, particularly one band and that of piano playing on Lbe from the Spanish Civil War to the Cuban Haden, who conceived the project, Miss other will be fascinated. If you are am0111 revolutionary movement, the Chicago dis­ Bley, who helped it take creative shape, the latter, this album is the best introdoc­ orders, and human and civil rights in gen­ and Rudd, who to this listener provides tion to the very special world of RD eral. According to one's outlook, this may some of the peak moments of inspiration. Blake to date. -Morge11Jttr1 be cause for rejoici ng, alarm, or ennui, This is a record which well merits the but regardles s of what the reaction in this attentio n of serious listeners.-Morgenstem sphere may be, the resultant creative in­ Maynard Ferguson spiration is undeniable. MAYNARD FERGUSION 1969-Pmtig, 701: Almos/ Uk, Being In Lovt; Knarf ; 01,: V. The ensemble (and a stellar one it is) Ran Blake ing Nittly; Ttndtrlty; WhisPtr Not ; Got tackles its task with enthusiastic convic­ THE BLUE POT ATO-MileStone MPS 9021: Spirit. · God Bl,ss th t Child; Thrtt Sttds ( A Suitt) ; Personnel: Ferguson, crumpet, wi[h Ult tion, and bas produced a potent musical Tht Blut Potato ; All or Notbinx At All: Fablts Hans Mueller · (Southwe st German Radio document. Since jazz bas often been ac­ of Faubus: Chicago; Ntvtr On Sunday; Soul On Orchestra. Rudi Flierl, Gerd Husemann, cused of being insular and/ or esoteric, the let: Vradiazi; Garvty 's Gh ost; B tlla Ciao; Stars saxophone? Herbert Feigl. baritone suo Ft/I on Alabama. Dieter Re1rh, P.:iano; Herman Mutschltr, adven t of the Liberation Orchestra is sig­ Personnel: Blake, solo piano. others un identified . nificant in and of itself, but we shall here Rating: * * * * * Rating: **** concern ourselves with the music rather Ran Blake is a unique musician. Thou gh With a slightly changed sound than other matters. jazz looms large in bis makeup, there are tart , raspy) but basically unaltered First off, Carla Bley must be credited many other influences--in any case, it ce_ption, Maynard is still at it. Pre with pulling together the diverse threads would be misleading to attempt to cate­ residing in Manchester, England, the (SQanish folk songs and jazz origina ls gorize his music. It is wholly personal and note specialist and spirited helmsm among them) into a coherent musical singular; unlike anything else you might yore is backed on this set by the ex tapestry. She bas provided a good balance encounter in today's multifaceted musical Mueller ensemble in a _programof between scored passages, collective im­ environment. ies from the old 12-_piece book (re provisation, and solo freedom, and in ad­ Regardless of predilections, no listener ber?). dition, her introduction and interludes, could remain unimpressed by Blake's skill This trek down memory lane is shor t as they may be, both serve valuabl e as a pianist. His command of the difficult pleasant, powever. The Mueller o connective functions and are charming and instrument is virtuo sic, but there are no tighter than Ferguson's U.S. bands worthwhile pieces as such. empty displays of technique. were and the blowing is above av The beautiful melodies of the three Fortunately, the album is beautifully The arrangements, for the most part, Spanish songs, thou gh one appears only recorded, capturing every nuance of the unchanged-except for Slide Ham obliquely , are good springboards for the pianist's wide-ranging dynamics - from Spirit-and though Maynard had s soloists. Guitarist Sam Brown plays beau­ silence to gentle pianissimos to triple-forte cellent rhythm sections in the Stale,, tifully on Quinto, in the appropriate Fla­ chord clusters--wbicb he employs with section is even better. Pianist Reith menco spirit. Haden also has a fine spot remar kable feeling for dramatic contrast. hard -driving, though very tasteful on this piece, and Cherry is imaginative. His pedalling skills are something to mar­ pani st, and a fine soloist, and d Rudd's work on Genera/es is outstanding; vel at. Mutschler is simply fantastic. I love his burry, emotional trombone In a sense, this is program music. Blake Mr. Chops is not u_p to the im 20 0 DOWN BEAT