DEODATO — Prelude

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3.96 | 8 ratings | 3 reviews

Album · 1973

Filed under Pop/Art Song/Folk
By DEODATO

Tracklist

A1 Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001) 9:00
A2 Spirit Of Summer 4:04
A3 Carly & Carole 3:38
B1 Baubles, Bangles And Beads 5:20
B2 Prelude To Afternoon Of A Faun 5:13
B3 September 13 5:24

Total Time 32:45

Line-up/Musicians

- Airto Moreira / percussion
- Bill Watrous / trombone
- Billy Cobham / drums
- David Nadien / violin
- Eumir Deodato / keyboards, piano, electric piano
- Elliot Rosoff / violin
- Emanuel Green / violin
- Garnett Brown / trombone
- Gene Orloff / violin
- George Marge / flute, violin, alto flute,bass flute, wind
- George Stokey / trombone
- Harry Lookofsky / violin
- Hubert Laws / flute, alto flute, bass flute
- Irwin "Marky" Markowitz / trumpet
- Jay Berliner / guitar
- Joe Shepley / trumpet
- John Frosk / trumpet, horn
- John Tropea / guitar
- Joseph J. Shepley / trumpet
- Marky Markowitz / trumpet
- Marvin Stamm / trumpet
- Max Ellen / violin
- Paul Faulise / trombone, horn
- Paul Gershman / violin
- Phil Bodner / flute, alto flute, bass flute, wind
- Ray Barretto / percussion
- Romeo Penque / flute, alto flute, bass flute, wind
- Ron Carter / bass
- Sprach Zarathustra / guitar
- Stanley Clarke / bass, guitar
- Wayne Andre / trombone
- Al Brown / viola
- Bill Buffington / horn
- Charles McCracken / cello
- Emanuel Vardi / viola
- Harvey Shapiro / cello
- James Buffington / french horn
- Peter Gordon / french horn
- Seymour Barab / cello

About this release

CTI Records ‎– CTI 6021 (US)

Recorded September 1972 at Van Gelder Studios

Thanks to kazuhiro for the addition and snobb for the updates

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dreadpirateroberts

Once again CTI and Van Gelder combine for what was, by now, bit of a tried and true method of releasing successful jazz records, and records that were getting smoother and smoother.

But the warm sonics and classical-meets-jazz arrangement of mid-tempo pieces with laid back grooves works perfectly for Deodato, whose electric piano, skillful arrangements and bossa nova past are employed to fine effect here in 'Prelude' his first US album as leader.

The Latin Jazz feel to the pieces works a treat too, equally pleasant across his three originals and the reinterpretations that are as much a hallmark of CTI as they are a testament to Deodato's savvy arrangements. There's no denying that the pop sensibilities are part of the album's joy. It isn't a noodly record. It's relaxed - it summons up impressions of lying back in the sun, cool drinks clinking with ice, or cruising down sweltering streets with the windows down.

Ron Carter and Billy Cobham (among others) provide the perfect accompaniment to Deodato's breezy horn and string arrangements and occasional guitar or piano solos. In fact, nowhere is this combination more lush than on 'Spirit of Summer' and nowhere is it more successful than on his reworking of the 2001 theme 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' a 9 minute funk odyssey and international hit. Elsewhere, we have another classical adaptation, in 'Prelude To "The Afternoon Of A Faun"' which despite a nice solo from flautist Laws, is not as effective and gets a little lost toward the middle. Much more expressive is 'Baubles, Bangles And Beads' with its fuzzy solos from John Tropea's electric guitar or the strutting 'September 13' co-written by Cobham.

If you are turned off by Pop Jazz or the smoother side of Latin Jazz, then you won't enjoy this. If, on the other hand, you're content to take a break and let yourself be swept along, then you should buy this one from Deodato. 'Prelude' serves as an excellent introduction to his work for CTI, representing quite a peak.

more than 2 years ago
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Members reviews

FunkFreak75

Another addition to my list that may surprise many readers but take pause to read that list of musicians contributing to this album: it's a practical Who's Who of Jazz-Rock All-Stars! Plus, the album produced an anomoly in the world-wide Top 5 hit single, "Also Sprach Zarathustra"--a phenomenon that may have changed the course of Jazz music forever!

Side A: 1. "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (9:00) a song that changed the course and direction of Jazz music: letting record companies know that a certain kind of jazz could make them money! Listening to the album version of the song lets you know why this album belongs in this Compendium. (20/20)

2. "Spirit of Summer" (4:04) a heavily-cinematic Burt BACHARACH-like display of orchestral magic out of which emerges several very brief individual performances: Eumir's BOB JAMES-like Fender Rhodes, Jay Berliner's classical guitar (which is, in my opinion, a little over the top), and Hubert Laws' tasteful flute. The highlight, however, is truly the orchestra. (8.875/10)

3. "Carly & Carole" (3:38) an obviously-sexist homage to two of the era's premier female singer-songwriters. (8.75/10)

Side B: 4. "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" (5:20) so fitting with all of the Latin jazz-rock that had been flowing through the American airwaves during the previous ten years. Great lead guitar work from John Tropea. (8.875/10)

5. "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" (5:13) despite Billy and Airto's contributions, this is really more of a duet between Stanley and Eumir. The smooth transition into Latin-jazz for the second half is so cool: Ray Barretto's congas and Jay Berliner's rhythm guitar providing so much for Eumir and trumpeter Marvin Stamm to fly over. Another chaotic dismantling to get back to the bass and Fender simplicity of the opening in order for Marvin to complete the cover of Debussey's timeless piece. (9/10)

6. "September 13" (5:24) back to the funk. Love those wah-wahed rhythm guitars. Great melody line from the horn bank 90 seconds in. I love it when Stanley and Billy are in sync and the playful flourishes are flowing. (8.875/10)

Total time: 32:39

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion and one of my top 30 Favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums from the "Classic Era."

35 days ago
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Sean Trane

Previously known as a bossa and samba artiste, Deodato jumped the Brazilian shark and threw himself into a rather successful reconversion in flamboyant JR/F with this immensely successful “new debut” album with the widely aired version of 2001’s theme, here called Also Sprach Zarathustra. Indeed, Deodato’s formula of mixing the classic, the jazz and the rock mediums together proved quasi-infallible, despite a few moments of cheesiness here and there, especially so with the sometimes over-sweetish strings. Helped out by bassists Ron Carter and Stanley Clarke and drummer Billy Cobham, the album is filled with another two dozens of no-less deserving fine musos. Incredibly enough, it’s again the Columbia label (this time through its Epic sub-label) that released such a brass and string filled gem.

Opening on the wild adaptation of Kubrick’s 2001 film theme from Strauss, this awesome instrumental fully deserves its mega exposition that it’s gotten for the next two decades, with Deodato’s fiery Rhodes playing, Clarke’s mega-bass presence and Tropea’s brilliant guitar parts. Opening the flipside is Baubles, a Latin work-out of an Antonin Borodin theme, quickly followed by a dissonant (almost free) intro of Debussy’s Faun piece, before going almost Mwandishi-like and finally returning to the dissonant outro. The closing September 13 is a wild- jazz-rock/fusion piece titled after the second and second last day of the recording session and is cowritten by Cobham, who’s quite impressive throughout the whole album.

Despite the resolutely international scheme of this album, you can still hear Deodato’s Brazilian origins, through the samba and bossa nova roots of the man, even if they are not over-powering (quite the opposite) the rest of the music. A rather short album (especially compared to the following one), Prelude is an essential fusion album of the early 70’s that most everyone should own or at least have access to easily.