Horacee Arnold - Tribe / Tales of the Exonerated Flea

Drummer Horacee Arnold recorded two LPs for Columbia Records in the early 1970's featuring some of the foremost musicians of that time. Tribe and Tales of the Exonerated Flea, from 1973 and 1974 respectively, are now reissued together in one remastered package.

The leader is joined by saxophonist Joe Farrell, keyboardist Jan Hammer and bassist Rick Laird (both founder members of the Mahavishnu Orchestra), percussionist Dom Um Romao (then with Weather Report) and guitarists Ralph Towner and John Abercrombie, who went on to record extensively for ECM.

Arnold's own credentials include playing with Charles Mingus, Roland Kirk and Stan Getz and recording with Chick Corea and Sonny Fortune. In addition to showcasing some quite superb drumming these recordings also illustrate what a fine composer he was with most of the pieces being from Arnold's pen. Chick Corea's 500 Miles High is also included, which now given Arnold's now largely forgotten status, reminds us that he was briefly the first drummer in Corea's Return To Forever, preceding both Airto Moreira & Lenny White.

Personnel: Horacee Arnold (drums, percussion), Joe Farrell (flute, alto flute, soprano saxophone), Sonny Fortune (soprano saxophone, flute), Art Webb (flute, alto flute), Ralph Towner (guitars), John Abercrombie (electric guitar), Jan Hammer (Moog synthesizer, electric piano, piano), David Friedman (vibes, marimbas, xylophone, percussion), George Mraz, Clint Huston, Rick Laird (bass), Ralph McDonald (conga, percussion), Dom Um Ramao (percussion), Dave Johnson (percussion, congas)