darkprinceofjazz Realization is one of those albums that flies under the radar somewhat, Eddie Henderson who was heavily influenced by the electric music of Miles Davis, but not to point of absurdity, really cranks out a funk fusion masterpiece, Very much in the style of the Mwandishi band albums he participated on, with loose bubbling bass grooves, but certainly they do not groove in the Headhunters sense, this music has more in common with the Hancock album Sextant, "Space Funk" would be a good way to describe this music, I have really grown fond of this style and sound, high quality imaginative rhythms and special effect sounds sprinkled throughout, with free wheeling trumpet bursts, African style rhythms driving the music, perfect to my ears, Realization and Inside Out both are in the Hancock Crossings and Mwandishi style, and well worth exploring.

FunkFreak75 Recorded in the Winter of 1973 (February 27 & 28), this was recorded with Herbie Hancock's sitting Mwandishi Septet before its disbandment.

1. "Scorpio-Libra" (11:12) opens immediately with a funky Isaac Hayes "Shaft"/Bitches Brew pretentiousness that is immediately winning due to its cocky arrogance. It's spacey yet still jazzy, free form but mapped out, and full of musicians sounding like they're really having fun. Patrick Gleeson's play on synths and organ sounds so loose and liberating and I LOVE the two drummers! Billy and Lenny both bringing their best, playing with and off of one another. Herbie, of course, is so solid on the Fender Rhodes but he's mixed a little too far into the background (until his solo in the seventh minute). And Bennie Maupin and Eddie just playing their hearts out. Great stuff! (18.5/20)

2. "Mars in Libra" (8:40) sounds very much like the same foundation as the previous song with much wilder performances from the soloists, more dynamic and independent energy from the drummers. Space music in which the pioneers are exploring deep dimensions of the universe. I can tell the boys are having their fun but I personally find that I'm kind of done with Buster Williams' bass line that's holding it all together. Then it all just kind of ends: no ceremony or gravitas just ... done! Weird. (17.5/20)

3. "Anua" (8:30) opens with bass and drums, long-sustained flue and keyboard notes with crazy-wind synth sounds flying around just beneath the surface. Eddie's muted and unmuted horn joins in, takes the lead as the band solidifies its support beneath. It's a beautiful weave of full whole-band chords with incredible leadership from Buster Williams' double bass. The dreaminess of the foundational music reminds me of Freddy Henderson's Love Connection a few years down the road as well as many of the Crusader's Joe Sample's and Huber Laws' solo albums from the time. Beautiful stuff that could easily exist without the soloists on top--thought there are some dreamy solos in the seventh and eighth minutes. (despite the drums getting a bit drowned out by the cymbal play). (19/20)

4. "Spiritual Awakening" (2:33) synth-generated "water"/"bird" noises over which Eddie ejaculates his horn and riffs while the rest of the band just floats and flit in and out of the sonic field. (4.375/5)

5. "Revelation Realization" (8:00) really smooth night groove from the bass with double horn tracks on top and the two drums and keys pushed way down in the mix. I know this gives the listener much greater access to the fine bass and horn play, but then we have to listen that much harder to pick up the nuances of the two amazing drummers. Fender Rhodes and Bennie Maupin's bass clarinet get brought forward somewhere in the third minute. Everybody (except Pat Gleeson's continued synth play with constantly panning water and wind sounds) is contributing some truly beautiful melodies. So nice. The dénouement is long (almost 2:30) and a bit too drawn out for my tastes. A weird but, at the same time, wonderful song. (13.75/15)

Total Time: 38:55

I know that one of the reasons I like this album and its successor, Inside Out--as well as the last two of the Mawndishi albums, Crossings and Sextet--is due to the presence and influence of synthesizer expert Patrick Gleeson. Patrick's contributions to Lenny White's Venusian Summer--making that five out of the the 30 albums in "Classic Era" Jazz-Rock Fusion--make me think that his genius plays no small factor in my coming over to Jazz-Rock Fusion 1972-75.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of spacey jazz-rock from the Mwandishi lineup.

Sean Trane After being part of the early jazz-rock adventures with Mwandishi, Henderson went out on his own for a steaming hot trio of album in the first half of the 70’s, the first of which Realization owes much to Hancock’s band, to the point that the entire Mwandishi line-up plays on it, in addition to Lenny White (then Return To Forever). And indeed, if you’re looking for a successor to Sextant, Realization is the one to search for. Soooo, with Herbie, Bennie, Billy, Buster, Lenny and electronic wizard Pat Gleeson in tow, the mood is certainly very much Mwandishi-like, but slightly quicker, since we have a double-drummer line-up. The ambiance is lso slightly different, maybe due to the West-Coast Frisco recording location (where he was practicing medecine), recorded over two days in the late winter and produced by resident studio Drinkwater (can’t invent that name, uh?).

If the general mood of Realization is somewhat faster and more energetic than in Sextant, it’s also a bit more accessible, even if Gleeson’s electronic “bidouillages” are a bit more present. The two lengthy Libra tracks on the first side are often bordering on dissonance, but never really cross the barrier. Unfortunately, if Maupin’s bass clarinet is not sufficiently present on this album, Eddie Mganga’s brass instruments are well counter-balanced with Bennie Mwile’s wood instruments, but under the refereeing of Hancock’s Rhodes. Maupin’s Anua opens the flipside in the same kind of mood, but the short cosmic Spiritual Awakening is filled with spacey electronic wizardry, slowly leading in the Hancock-penned track Revelation title track thing, where Hart’s bows the contrabass for a few seconds.

Sooo, if you want to acquire this album in CD format, you’ll have no choice than to find the 2on1 Capricorn Years Anthology, where Realization is coupled with his next album Inside Out, but since these two are very similar in style, you probably won’t mind at all casting two shots from one stone. The only downside to this solution is that one of the two artworks gets sacrificed and that the succession of both albums so similar can be a bit lengthy and too much in one sitting. But nevertheless, this is a killer JR/F album that’s always reaching for the limits of your sanity, but never outreaching itself in heavy dissonances. Wild stuff, especially if Mwandishi’s three albums is your thing.

Logan "Realization" is my favourite Eddie Henderson album, one of my favourite "Mwandishi players" albums, and I consider it to be an essential Fusion album. The music blends funk, modal jazz, and cosmic "spacey" music/ electronics, in an exhilarating fashion. It is finely nuanced, and while the music is very busy at times, there is space for the music to breathe. It is a stunning effort by Eddie Henderson, as well as those that joined him.

All of the players are in top-notch form, and Henderson is, I think, one of the finest trumpeters in Fusion and is not as widely recognised as I think he deserves.

To think that music was a side-line for him as he was also a medical doctor. This album, and other albums of his, was not commercially successful at the time, and was largely forgotten and neglected until the later release on CD (his "Anthology" compilation with this and "Inside Out" has been excellently remastered and is well worth getting). There has been some quite recent surge in interest in Henderson's early music by dubbers. His music has been sampled quite extensively -- rub-a-dub-dubbed by DJ George "Dubya" Bush; now there's a thought, lame though it is. In fact, a great many terrific Fusion works are being sampled/ dubbed these days).

This album comes from a really innovative and exciting time in Fusion, and stands, I feel, amongst the very best of its ilk. Other players that Henderson was acquainted with, including the Mwandishi band (see Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi", "Crossings", and "Sextant") were also releasing amazing material. I see this album as a spin-off or extension of the "Mwandishi" work, and this is a "Mwandishi" band effort (which is not to underplay Henderson's importance to the project under his name). Aside from shared members who came together to work with the former Mwadishi member Henderson, musically it falls into that category. Aside from Hancock's influence (as well as other Mwandishi members), I think Gleeson's work cannot be understated in giving it that cohesive Mwandishi sound (as in the "Crossings" and "Sextant" parts of the Mwandishi album trilogy -- the fusion of electronics).

This is an absolutely essential album for those who like Herbie Hancock and friends Mwandishi trilogy. Aside from "Crossings", "Sextant", and "Mwandishi", albums with a musical relation to "Realization" worth getting include: - Eddie Henderson's "Inside Out" (if you don't have Anthology, Vol. II), and "Sunburst"; Julian Priester's fantastic "Love, Love" and his "Polarization"; Bennie Maupin's "The Jewel in the Lotus" and "Slow Traffic to the Right"; as well as Buster Williams'"Pinnacle", though I find that more forgettable than the others I mentioned. Norman Connors' "Dance of Magic" and "Dark of Light"is also an album that I think should appeal to those who enjoy MWandishi style music.

Lenny White, who performed on this album, released another excellent Fusion album "Venusian Summer" (the suite being particularly good), though he has other excellent works too. Billy Hart's "Enchance is good", and, though different, Pat Gleeson's electronic explorations in "Beyond the Sun" are very good.

Of course mentors to Henderson such as Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard should need no introduction, but if they both do, you have wonderful discoveries ahead.

A word of warning: I don't recommend "Realization" to those who can't take their jazz more adventurous than Kenny-G.

supertwister Realization is the first of two Eddie Henderson albums that were recorded by the Mwandishi band, known from Herbie Hancock's highly acclaimed early 70s albums. Only the drummer got substituted. The music is very similar to that on Crossings and Sextant , and features very elaborate psychedelic jazz fusion.

The main difference with the albums released under Hancock’s name is the focus on Henderson’s trumpet playing. Clearly influenced by Miles Davis, Henderson blows our breath away with his emotional strikes and stabs on the instrument, expressing pain as easily as joy or sodaness. The rhythm section provides a very involved and engaging backbone, that, just like the Hancock albums, borders on funk but is still too complex and stubborn to groove as easily as later and more accessible mid 70s fusion albums.

Talking about gems, this one takes the cake. And best of all it’s easy and cheap to get as it is paired with Henderson’s other Mwandishi album Realization on one CD that I bough for a mere 6.55£. Easily my best bargain in years.