WILLIAM PARKER — The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield: Live in Rome (review)

WILLIAM PARKER — The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield: Live in Rome album cover Live album · 2007 · Vocal Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
Fans of a legendary jazz bassist William Parker know that he has a long lasting collaboration history with singers on some his projects and Texas-born Leena Conquest is one of his most regular vocalist. Still, Parker's "The Inside Songs Of Curtis Mayfield" project is quite unusual since his all-star combo plays a soul star Curtis Mayfield songs here.

Recorded in Rome, Italy during 2004 New York IS Now! Festival and released by Rai Trade, a publishing division of national public broadcasting company of Italy three years later, "The Inside Songs Of Curtis Mayfield - Live In Rome" is a real rarity. Parker leads the band, containing his regular drummer Hamid Drake, pianist Dave Burrell, capable reeds section of Sabir Mateen, Darryl Foster and Lewis Barnes, plus renown in 70s poet and voice artist Amiri Baraka on support of singer Leena Conquest. Music itself is a bit quirky mix of straight-forward r'n'b with Leena vocals, with rich brass arrangements, plenty of Amiri Baraka politically sharp recitatives and free jazz sax soling over it. Most probably, Curtis Mayfield songs never sounded this way.

Recording sound is clear, but the mix is odd, most probably taken from initial video recording. Vocals are on the very front, with drums sounding extremely flat with loud brass arrangements beside. Leena Conquest singing is OK, but Baraka's participation is a bit out of place - in a first decade of New Millennium his lyrics sounds really dated. The editing could be better as well - in all the release sound as average quality bootleg from the era.

Being a rarity, this album is mostly a collectors' item. There is another, not so rare album, recorded by same Parker's project and containing similar material, recorded by almost the same band on US and European tours, "I Plan To Stay A Believer: The Inside Songs Of Curtis Mayfield", released in US by AUM Fidelity.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Bow Code Post-Fusion Contemporary
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anthem For No Man’s Land Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ANDREAS SCHAERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cabaret Eclectic Fusion
MARIUS NESET
Buy this album from MMA partners
Living Ghosts Post-Fusion Contemporary
MICHAEL WOLLNY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Live at Donte's, Vol. 1 Vocal Jazz
MIKE CAMPBELL
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Sunday afternoon
FURIO DI CASTRI
snobb· 9 hours ago
Harmônicos
FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO
js· 23 hours ago
Con Alma
GENE BERTONCINI
js· 1 day ago
Our Walk (Live)
BEN MARKLEY
js· 1 day ago
Solar (feat. Vicente Archer & Otis Brown III)
JERRY LÉONIDE
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed