![]() The five quintet tracks on the record put the band’s tremendous talent on full display. This quartet of Ayers, Sharrock, Vitous and Carr would record two rare EPs in Japan in 1970, ostensibly under Ayers’ leadership, titled All Blues and Comin’ Home Baby which were both comprised entirely of tunes that had been recorded by Mann and were part of the live set at the time. ![]() The instrumentation of vibes, guitar, bass and drums backing him was one that he’d employed on and off since Right Now! in 1963. The record is representative of Mann’s open ears and wide range of tastes at the time, that also bring the considerable virtues of his sidemen to the fore. Unlike other studio records from the era by other jazz artists, this record actually features Mann’s working band of Ayers, Sharrock, Vitous and Carr. It was recorded at two sessions at Atlantic’s studios in New York on February 8 and April 2 of that year with sessions produced by ubiquitious Atlantic staff producers Joel Dorn and Arif Mardin. This brings us to our record at hand, 1968’s Windows Opened. It has never been properly reissued in the U.S. Perhaps what stands out among some of the other names is their association with avant-garde palettes of jazz in the case of Friedman, Zoller and Sharrock. ![]() He would, of course, go on to become one of the top selling jazz artists of the 70s with his fusion of funky soul styles and jazz. Vibist Roy Ayers had already established a reputation as a top tier jazzman in his native Los Angeles before his long association with Mann in the late 60s and early 70s. ![]() Mann himself recorded several records for Embryo, including the brilliantly atmospheric Stone Flute (1970), the funky Memphis Two-Step and the hit Push Push, both from 1971. These include records by Ayers ( Stoned Soul Picnic ), Corea ( Tones for Joan’s Bones ), Pike ( Doors of Perception ), Marcus ( Tomorrow Never Knows, Count’s Rock Band, and The Lord’s Prayer ), Zoller ( Gypsy Cry ), Sharrock ( Black Woman ), and Vitous ( Infinite Search, later remixed and re-titled Mountain in the Clouds ). ![]() Mann also used his position to help his band members further their careers by making recordings either for Atlantic or the Atlantic off-shoot labels with which Mann was closely associated as a producer, Vortex and Embryo, between 19. ![]()
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