Wednesday 29 May 2019

Rashied Ali Quintet ‎– "Rashied Ali Quintet" (Survival Records ‎– SR-102) 1973


All bands dread that moment when the drummer says, "I've been writing some songs"!!!!??? Then you reluctantly volunteer some fake encouragment,and they play their terrible creations,expecting the next album to be theirs.
Upon rejection it ineviably leads to the drummer throwing his toys out of the pram and quitting, only to return two weeks later,humbly returning to the drum stool where he should stay.
Yes, drummers are,mostly, really good at drumming,so stick to that, and leave the creative stuff to people who know better.
Rashied Ali was a great drummer who realised that to have a solo album as a drummer, you have to surround yourself with proper musicians, which he did here, and for the rest of his releases on his own label throughout the 1970's.This is no Cozy Powell's "Dance With The Devil" however,it be far more 'sophisticated'...its Free Jazz innit?
A young James 'Blood' Ulmer is expertly utilised here, and contributes some improvised guitar, and a composition called 'Captain Black';about the traitorous spectrum agent gone bad in Captain Scarlet,who joined forces with the Mysterons.......what?....It could becouldn't it!?

Tracklist:

A Address 16:55
B Theme For Captain Black 18:13


5 comments:

antiguoautomata said...

Sonny Fortune & Rashied Ali Live - Impressions by John Coltrane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYi5OgkUe6c

Anonymous said...

This looks good! Early James "Blood" Ulmer on guitar. Many thanks.

-Brian

Dan said...

thank you. Greetings from Australia

Anonymous said...

Incredible,
even if i have a collection of 900 free jazz recordings, and iìm a huge fan of Rashied Ali, i''ve found here two recordings that was missing, and this one in particular even didn't new it existed!!!!!

That's great....
Maybe you're one ot the very few that understood that free jazz was hardcore punk for black musicians10 years before!!!!

thanxxx
Lilith

Jonny Zchivago said...

Cheers Lilith, I'm a Jazzer and a Punker,also, like all jazzers and punkers they would never describe themselves as such.
Grew up with free jazz,and i'm glad you've found something you don't have.
Not sure if i may have something else obscure with Rashied on it.You'll be pleased to know I will be returning to Free Jazz in a month or so.It was Alice Coltranes fault that i went in a weird direction and ended up in Cold War east germany.....there was a lot of Iron Curtain Free Jazz that was quite good.May post that.....I suppose they had an unlikely affinity with the American Black musicians through different kinds of slavery and lack of freedom that lead to Afro centric and spiritual Free Jazz? A kind of freedom that couldn't be stopped either by rednecks or the Stasi.