The Gardens of Harlem

Last updated
The Gardens of Harlem
Clifford Thornton The Gardens of Harlem.jpg
Studio album by
Clifford Thornton
Released1975
RecordedApril 4, 1974
StudioBlue Rock Studio, New York City
Genre Free jazz
Label JCOA Records
LP 1008
Clifford Thornton chronology
Communications Network
(1972)		The Gardens of Harlem
(1975)
Jazz Composer's Orchestra chronology
Numatik Swing Band
(1973)		The Gardens of Harlem
(1975)		 Echoes of Prayer
(1975)

The Gardens of Harlem is an album by multi-instrumentalist and composer Clifford Thornton. It was recorded at the Blue Rock Studio in New York City in April 1974, and was released in 1975 by JCOA Records. On the album, Thornton is joined by members of the Jazz Composer's Orchestra, supplemented by seven musicians playing African percussion instruments. The music was conducted by Jack Jeffers. [1] [2]

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]

In an article for London Jazz News, Jon Turney stated: "Clifford Thornton... led the final release credited to the co-operative Jazz Composers' Orchestra, and it's a great one. The multiple African percussion that features prominently in the early pieces here energises the music wonderfully. And as the notes made clear, that collection of sounds arises because the whole work explores West African music and how it has travelled 'from West to North Africa, the Caribbean, the South Eastern United States, to Harlem'. He evoked that history by selecting vocal melodies from the territories in question, and orchestrating them... They are fine tunes, orchestrated with great skill, and evocative in their own right. Add some great jazz soloing, and it's a heady brew." [5]

John Corbett called Thornton "another figure whose thin discography distorts his real significance," and described the album as "gorgeous, majestic, intricate." [6]

Writing for The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide , Fred Goodman commented: "this... album... remains one of the more satisfying fusions of traditional Third World musics with the American jazz tradition. Thornton's compositions get superb treatment here from the Jazz Composer's Orchestra... Gardens of Harlem weaves together into one grand tapestry the many experimental directions being pursued on the New York scene during that period." [4]

David Hollenberg, in a 1976 review for Mother Jones , commented: "The Jazz Composer's Orchestra... have published ten records... All are ambitious and honest, especially a recent album entitled The Gardens of Harlem... It is not the first time that a jazz musician has attempted to integrate 'primitive' music with jazz... but it is to my knowledge the most thorough and believable attempt." [7]

In a review for AllMusic, Eugene Chadbourne wrote: "There was something of a struggle getting this project finished and released... Gardens of Harlem... perpetually in the oven or being rehearsed in dribs and drabs, was to be [Thornton's] masterpiece, bringing together Afro-Cuban, Jamaican, Ghanaian, Algerian, American blues, and gospel influences as well as a piece based on the cry of a South Carolina fruit vendor. A massive cast was to be involved, including some hot avant-garde jazz soloists and a stage full of percussionists. Slightly more than 50 minutes was eventually released, and the good moments are truly riveting, making one long for the version of this album that might have been created had someone with deeper pockets been around... it is a shame Thornton was unable to create a larger body of work with this kind of vision." [3]

Track listing

All compositions by Clifford Thornton.

  1. "Ogún Bára" – 5:46 (soloist: Janice Robinson)
  2. "O Desayo" – 8:02 (soloists: Clifford Thornton, Roland Alexander)
  3. "Agbadzá" – 9:42 (soloists: Clifford Thornton, Marvin Peterson, Michael Ridley)
  4. "Changó Obarí" – 4:33 (soloist: Leo Smith)
  5. "Aïn Salah" – 8:16 (soloist: Clifford Thornton)
  6. "Gospel Ballade" – 4:44 (soloists: Carla Bley, Charles Stephens)
  7. "Sweet Oranges" – 1:08
  8. "Blues City" – 8:57 (soloists: George Barrow, Dewey Redman, Ted Daniel)

Personnel

Related Research Articles

McKinney's Cotton Pickers were an American jazz band, founded in Detroit, Michigan, United States in 1926, and led by William McKinney, who expanded his Synco Septet to ten players. Cuba Austin took over for McKinney on drums, with the latter becoming the band's manager. Between 1927 and 1931, they were one of the most popular African American bands. Many of their records for Victor were bestsellers.

<i>Escalator over the Hill</i> 1971 studio album by Carla Bley and Paul Haines

Escalator over the Hill is mostly referred to as a jazz opera, but it was released as a "chronotransduction", with "words by Paul Haines, adaptation and music by Carla Bley, production and coordination by Michael Mantler", performed by the Jazz Composer's Orchestra.

<i>Liberation Music Orchestra</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Charlie Haden

Liberation Music Orchestra is a band and jazz album by Charlie Haden released in 1970, Haden's first as a band leader.

<i>The Ballad of the Fallen</i> 1983 studio album by Charlie Haden

The Ballad of the Fallen is a jazz album by bassist Charlie Haden, with arrangements by Carla Bley, that was recorded in 1982 and released in 1983. The album was voted jazz album of the year in Down Beat magazine's 1984 critic's poll. Haden and Carla Bley placed first in that 1984 poll's Acoustic Bass and Composer categories, respectively.

The Jazz Composer's Orchestra was an American jazz group, founded by Carla Bley and Michael Mantler in 1965, to perform orchestral avant-garde jazz.

<i>Vocalese</i> (album) 1985 studio album by The Manhattan Transfer

Vocalese is the ninth studio album by Jazz band The Manhattan Transfer, released in 1985 on the Atlantic Records. Recording sessions took place during 1985. Production came from Tim Hauser and Martin Fischer. This album is considered to be The Manhattan Transfer's most critically acclaimed album. It received 12 Grammy nominations, making it second only to Michael Jackson's Thriller as the most nominated individual album. It also received extremely high ratings from music critics, including a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating from Allmusic. The album peaked at number 2 on the Top Jazz Albums and number 74 on the Billboard 200. The album's title Vocalese refers to a style of music that sets lyrics to previously recorded jazz instrumental pieces. The vocals then reproduce the sound and feel of the original instrumentation. Jon Hendricks, proficient in this art, composed all of the lyrics for this album.

<i>Dream Keeper</i> 1990 studio album by Charlie Haden

Dream Keeper is an album by bassist Charlie Haden that was recorded in 1990 and released by Blue Note Records. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance and was voted "Jazz album of the year" in Down Beat magazine's 1991 critics' poll. Haden, Carla Bley and Ray Anderson also placed first in that year's Acoustic Bass, Composer and Trombone poll categories, respectively.

<i>The Jazz Composers Orchestra</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Jazz Composers Orchestra

The Jazz Composer's Orchestra is a 1968 album by the Jazz Composer's Orchestra recorded over a period of six months with Michael Mantler as composer, leader and producer. Many of the key figures in avant-garde jazz from the time contributed on the album including Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, Gato Barbieri, Larry Coryell, Roswell Rudd, and Carla Bley. The album's finale features a two-part concerto for Cecil Taylor and orchestra.

Clifford Edward Thornton III was an American jazz trumpeter, trombonist, political activist, and educator. He played free jazz and avant-garde jazz in the 1960s and '70s.

<i>Communication</i> (Jazz Composers Orchestra album) 1965 live album by Jazz Composers Orchestra

Communication is the debut album by the Jazz Composer's Orchestra featuring compositions by Michael Mantler and Carla Bley performed by Paul Bley, Steve Lacy, Jimmy Lyons, Roswell Rudd, Archie Shepp, John Tchicai, Fred Pirtle, Willie Ruff, Ken McIntyre, Robin Kenyatta, Bob Carducci, Kent Carter, Steve Swallow, Milford Graves, and Barry Altschul. The album was released on the Fontana label in 1965. AllMusic described it as "one of the masterpieces of creative music in the '60s".

<i>Relativity Suite</i> 1973 studio album by Don Cherry and the Jazz Composers Orchestra

Relativity Suite is a free-jazz LP by Don Cherry on Jazz Composer's Orchestra Records which was released in 1973.

<i>Crystals</i> (Sam Rivers album) 1974 studio album by Sam Rivers

Crystals is an album by Sam Rivers released by Impulse! Records in 1974 in a stereo/quadraphonic format.

<i>New Orleans Suite</i> 1970 studio album by Duke Ellington

New Orleans Suite is a studio album by the American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington, recorded and released on the Atlantic label in 1970. The album contains the final recordings of longtime Ellington saxophonist Johnny Hodges, who died between the album's two recording sessions. The album won a Grammy Award in 1971 for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band.

<i>The Very Big Carla Bley Band</i> 1991 studio album by Carla Bley

The Very Big Carla Bley Band is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley released on the Watt/ECM label in 1991.

Pacific Mambo Orchestra is a Latin dance music orchestra based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

<i>Impact</i> (1975 Charles Tolliver album) 1975 studio album by Charles Tollivers Music Inc. & Orchestra

Impact is an album by American jazz trumpeter Charles Tolliver's Music Inc. and Orchestra recorded in 1975 and first released on the Strata-East label.

<i>Swiss Suite</i> 1972 live album by Oliver Nelson

Swiss Suite is a live album by American jazz composer/arranger Oliver Nelson featuring performances by a big band with soloists Gato Barbieri and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson. The album was recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1971 for the Flying Dutchman label.

<i>Homage to Africa</i> 1970 studio album by Sunny Murray

Homage to Africa is an album by American free jazz drummer Sunny Murray. It was recorded in Paris in August 1969, and released on the BYG Actuel label in 1970. On the album, Murray is joined by saxophonists Roscoe Mitchell, Archie Shepp and Kenneth Terroade, trumpeter Lester Bowie, cornetist Clifford Thornton, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, vocalist Jeanne Lee, pianist Dave Burrell, bassist Alan Silva, and percussionists Malachi Favors, Earl Freeman, and Arthur Jones.

<i>For Players Only</i> 1975 live album by Leroy Jenkins

For Players Only is a live album by violinist and composer Leroy Jenkins, his first as a leader. It was recorded in January 1975 at Wollman Auditorium, Columbia University in New York City, and was released by JCOA Records later that year. On the album, Jenkins is joined by members of the Jazz Composer's Orchestra.

<i>Echoes of Prayer</i> 1975 studio album by Grachan Moncur III and the Jazz Composers Orchestra

Echoes of Prayer is an album by trombonist and composer Grachan Moncur III on which he is joined by members of the Jazz Composer's Orchestra and the Tanawa Dance Ensemble. It was recorded on April 11, 1974, at Blue Rock Studio in New York City, and was released in 1975 by JCOA Records. Moncur's only recorded work for large ensemble, Echoes of Prayer was commissioned by the JCOA, and consists of four movements dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, Marcus Garvey, and Angela Davis. It was initially performed at a workshop concert at New York University's Loeb Student Center on the day before the recording session.

References

  1. ↑ "Clifford Thornton: The Gardens of Harlem". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Clifford Thornton - The Gardens of Harlem". JazzDisco. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Chadbourne, Eugene. "Clifford Thornton: The Gardens of Harlem". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Swenson, John, ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. Random House. p. 191.
  5. ↑ Turney, Jon (March 15, 2021). "The Gardens of Harlem, Clifford Thornton and the Jazz Composer's Orchestra, 1974". London Jazz News. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  6. ↑ Corbett, John (2017). Vinyl Freak : Love Letters to a Dying Medium. Duke University Press. p. 212.
  7. ↑ Hollenberg, David (September 1976). "Confessions of a Jazz Junkie". Mother Jones. p. 64.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.