Never one to take lyricism for granted, trumpeter and composer Freddie Hubbard entered Creed Taylor's studio for the third time in 1971 with the express purpose of making a record radically different from anything he'd cut before; he was looking for it to use electricity and to be out of the soul-jazz mold, but was also more ambitious and wanted to push that envelope and himself. Taylor and Hubbard assembled a band that included Herbie Hancock on Rhodes, guitarists Eric Gale and George Benson, bassist Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Airto Moreira on percussion, and Richard Wyands on acoustic piano to back him.
Remastered for the first time using the original two-track analog tapes, this brand new 4-CD set celebrates the vintage years of CTI, when a distinctive style and sound were born. Over 5 hours of music showcase all the major artists on the CTI roster, both in solo performances and in the unforgettable collaborations that made each CTI album so distinctive. Includes a lavishly illustrated 20-page, LP-sized booklet containing rare photos, plus new liner notes by noted jazz critic Dan Ouellette with comments by CTI artists and enthusiasts.
One of the greatest albums ever from organist Charles Earland – a double-length set that's filled with spiritual, soaring grooves! The style here is a perfect blend of the rougher soul jazz of Earland's roots with some of the spacier styles of his later recordings – served up in a sound that's majestic and powerful, almost with an indie soul jazz sort of vibe overall! There's an immediate urgency to most numbers that's totally undeniable – a lesson learned from the electric experiments of Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis, but fused down into a core essence – then let loose on a soaring journey to the heavens.