180g audiophile vinyl reissue, remastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London.
Rooted in Bebop, Norman The Bishop Williams' alto is a swinging affair in the Kansas City Charlie Parker tradition. This debut 1976 recording with The One Mind Experience was to be the first release on the Californian Theresa label - their Pharoah Sanders' releases being widely recognised - with some 44 years passing before lovingly remastered by Ray Staff and reissued by Pure Pleasure Records.
As we approach the tenth anniversary of his passing it is with celebration that we now unwrap this, his first release, and encounter two original songs penned by the leader, four by pianist/band member Paul Arslanian and one Hal Galper composition from 1971 which opens side A. Together with Pierre Obadi Baynes on drums, Michael Formanek on Electric Bass and Allen Pittman on Flugelhorn, the sextet unleashes the full weight of their energy on the opening Galper piece 'Figure Eight', a non-alto sax original that excels here as Williams soars through with Paul Arslanian's keys lifting each passage to a majestic place. A stand-out piece indeed and with only one drummer!
Arslanian's 'Terry's Song' is funkier than a Mosquito's Tweeter and a wonderful platform for the leader to dazzle, although there is no mistaking whose song this belongs to and pains this writer to discover there are very few releases with Arslanian featured. His writing skills return with 'Don't Go 'Way Mad', a jazz samba dance-floor monster [did I say this hasn't seen a rerelease before now?]. We then close the first side with Arslanian's 'Christina', a swinging ballad propped up by Williams' alto. Delightful...Essential listening feels like an understatement. - ***** Steve Williams, UK Vibe
