SoulMusic Records is very proud to present “Valentine Love – The Buddah/Arista Anthology,” a musically sumptuous 2-CD set by renowned musician and producer, the multi-talented Norman Connors.
When Norman Connors made the transition from jazz albums to commercially successful R&B-oriented dates, the drummer found himself being lambasted repeatedly in jazz press (something Roy Ayers, Patrice Rushen, George Duke and George Benson could also relate to). Myopic jazz critics trashed Romantic Journey simply because it contains so much R&B/pop, as opposed to judging its merits as an R&B/pop-oriented album. Though not as strong as its predecessor, You Are My Starship, this decent offering has its strong points, including Philip Mitchell's vocal on the haunting "Destination Moon" and Eleanore Mills' performance on a likable cover of the Stylistics' "You Are Everything."
Norman Connors delivered some of the finest jazz fusion of the 1970s, often integrated with vocalists and soloists he would discover and send on their way to significant solo success. After touring as drummer with Pharaoh Sanders and featuring on five of his albums, Norman landed at Buddah Records in 1972 then after the acquisition of Buddah by Arista in the late 70s he arrived at the main Arista imprint in 1980 and delivered these two classic albums Take It To The Limit and Mr.C, the pinnacle of his work as a musician, co-ordinator, and producer of live music pre the dawn of programmed drumming and keyboard replicaters.
A dream of a record from this legendary spiritual jazz duo – drummer Norman Connors and reedman Pharoah Sanders – coming together in a freewheeling spiritual jazz style that's a lot more like Connors' earlier albums than the soulful fusion he was mostly recording in the late 70s! The album was recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and features long-spinning tracks that step out nicely in a way that takes us back to Norman's Cobblestone Records years – no vocals at all, and instead some nicely expressive work from Pharoah Sanders on tenor, Bobby Lyle on acoustic piano, and Buzzy Jones on tenor, soprano sax, and flute. Lyle and Sanders drop out for two of the album's five tracks, but there's still a very unified, jazzy vibe to the record throughout.
In 2013, Funky Town Grooves reissued a significant portion of Norman Connors' discography as a leader slash highly connected talent organizer. Along with straightforward Dance of Magic/Dark of Light and You Are My Starship/Aquarian Dream two-for-one releases, as well as individualized bonus-track-enhanced reissues of Invitation and Take It to the Limit, there was this - a pairing of Connors' 1974 Buddah dates. Among the highlights: a gorgeous eight-minute "Love from the Sun," a storming version of Carlos Garnett's "Mother of the Future" (with Jean Carn at full, jaw-dropping power), and Reggie Lucas' funky instrumental "Slew Foot."