The Will Come, Is Now

Last updated
The Will Come, Is Now
Ronnie Boykins The Will Come Is Now.jpg
Live album by
Ronnie Boykins
Released1975
RecordedFebruary 1974
Genre Free jazz
Length46:59
Label ESP-Disk
3026

The Will Come, Is Now is an album by bassist Ronnie Boykins, his sole release as a leader. It was recorded during February 1974, and was released on LP in 1975 by ESP-Disk. On the album, Boykins is joined by multi-instrumentalists Joe Ferguson and Jimmy Vass, saxophonist Monty Waters, trombonist Daoud Haroom, and percussionists Art Lewis and George Avaloz. Saxophonist Marzette Watts was the recording engineer. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

According to ESP-Disk owner Bernard Stollman, he initially met Boykins in 1964, during the October Revolution in Jazz festival in New York City. He invited the bassist to record an album, but was told that he was not yet ready. Ten years later, Boykins contacted Stollman, and a recording session was arranged. The album was the last release by ESP-Disk before it temporarily suspended operations. [4]

The title track was included in the 2009 compilation Spiritual Jazz: Esoteric, Modal + Deep Jazz From The Underground 1968-77. [5] [6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
All About Jazz Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [7]
All About JazzStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]

In a review for AllMusic, Dan Warburton wrote: "Ronnie Boykins is best known for his work as bassist with Sun Ra..., but the odd meters and horn arrangements in this 1975 septet session for ESP... recall Mingus more than they do Boykins' former employer... Lively and entertaining it may be, but Heliocentric Worlds it definitely is not." [1]

Raul d'Gama Rose of All About Jazz commented: "Boykins journeys through the Heliocentric worlds back to his Afro-centric soul at the helm of a fine ensemble with music that cuts to the heart of a spiritualism born of John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, and Archie Shepp... Bernard Stollman's patience and permission has paid off and a record to rival the best from John Coltrane to Albert Ayler and [Sam] Rivers makes a lasting impression in one fell swoop." [7] AAJ's Jerry D'Souza noted that the album "marks [Boykins'] place as an adventurous bassist and a composer with a gift for style and genre." [8]

Writing for The Sound Projector, Ed Pinsent stated that the album "has its moments of near-lugubrious wailing on side one, such as the poignant 'Starlight at the Wonder Inn', while side two livens the pace with 'Dawn is Evening, Afternoon' which reveals a strong Ornette influence in its open-ended construction, while 'The Third I' is reminiscent of Don Cherry's interests in non-Western rhythms and modes." [9]

In an article for Point of Departure, Francesco Martinelli remarked: "this lone effort of Boykins as a leader stands out as the testimony of an original artistic personality with strong musical, esthetic and philosophical connections to a pan-African concept, where music has a communal and spiritual value. His other sessions show his importance as instrumentalist, but this is the only chance we have to appreciate his compositional and arranging style." [10]

Bill Hart of The Vinyl Press called the album "great fun," and wrote: "The sonics... are extremely good in the sense that the instruments sound very real... stark and uncluttered and you get a real sense of the original recording space." [11]

Track listing

All compositions by Ronnie Boykins.

Side A

  1. "The Will Come, Is Now" – 12:26
  2. "Starlight at the Wonder Inn" – 7:28
  3. "Demon's Dance" – 3:16

Side B

  1. "Dawn is Evening, Afternoon" – 6:12
  2. "Tipping on Heels" – 4:47
  3. "The Third I" – 12:25

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Ayler</span> American jazz saxophonist (1936-1970)

Albert Ayler was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESP-Disk</span> American record company and label

ESP-Disk is a New York-based record company and label founded in 1963 by lawyer Bernard Stollman.

<i>Town Hall, 1962</i> 1965 live album by Ornette Coleman

Town Hall, 1962 is an album by Ornette Coleman, recorded on December 21, 1962 at New York City's Town Hall and released in 1965 by the ESP-Disk label. It was the first recording to feature Coleman's new trio, which included bassist David Izenzon and drummer Charles Moffett.

<i>The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume Two</i> 1966 studio album by Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra

The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume Two is a 1965 recording by the jazz musician Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra. Where Volume One of the Heliocentric Worlds series had predominantly featured short abstract pieces, Volume Two features longer pieces performed by a smaller group, making it closer in spirit to the contemporaneous The Magic City, released on Ra's own Saturn label. The record has been widely bootlegged, some versions of which were retitled The Sun Myth.

Ronald Boykins was a jazz bassist and is best known for his work with pianist/bandleader Sun Ra, although he had played with such disparate musicians as Muddy Waters, Johnny Griffin, and Jimmy Witherspoon prior to joining Sun Ra's Arkestra.

<i>Spiritual Unity</i> 1965 studio album by the Albert Ayler Trio

Spiritual Unity is a studio album by American free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler. It was recorded on July 10, 1964 in New York City, and features bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Sunny Murray. It was the first album recorded for Bernard Stollman's ESP-Disk label, and it brought Ayler to international attention as it was so "shockingly different". At the same time, it transformed ESP-DISK into "a major source for avant-garde jazz". A 5-star review in AllMusic called it a "landmark recording that's essential to any basic understanding of free jazz", "the album that pushed Albert Ayler to the forefront of jazz's avant-garde... really the first available document of Ayler's music that matched him with a group of truly sympathetic musicians", and stated that "the results are a magnificently pure distillation of his aesthetic."

Frank Wright was an American free jazz musician, known for his frantic style of playing the tenor saxophone. Critics often compare his music to that of Albert Ayler, although Wright "offers his honks and squawks with a phraseology derived from the slower, earthier funk of R&B and gospel music." According to AllMusic biographer Chris Kelsey, Wright "never recorded even a single record under his own name for a major label; he was 'underground' his entire career." In addition to tenor saxophone, Wright also played the soprano saxophone and bass clarinet.

<i>Other Planes of There</i> 1966 studio album by Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra

Other Planes of There is an album by the American Jazz musician Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra. Recorded in 1964, the album had been released by 1966 on Sun Ra's own Saturn label. The record was reissued on compact disc by Evidence in 1992.

'Granted, the selection is certainly not as abrasive and demanding as later efforts, although there is strident involvement from everyone within the dense arrangement. The brass and reed sections provide emphasis behind an off-kilter and loping waltz backdrop. All the more impressive is how well the material has held up over the decades. Even to seasoned ears, the music is pungent and uninhibited, making Other Planes of There a highly recommended collection.' Lindsay Planer

Bernard Stollman was an American lawyer and the founder of the ESP-Disk record label.

<i>Prophecy</i> (Albert Ayler album) 1975 live album by Albert Ayler

Prophecy is a live album by American free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler recorded in New York City on June 14, 1964 and first released in 1975 on the ESP-Disk label.

<i>Spirits Rejoice</i> 1965 live album by Albert Ayler

Spirits Rejoice is a live album by American free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler recorded in New York City in 1965 and first released on the ESP-Disk label. The recording session took place without an audience at Judson Hall, which had been rented solely for recording purposes.

Roger Blank is an American jazz drummer.

<i>In the Beginning 1963–1964</i> 2012 compilation album by Pharoah Sanders

In the Beginning 1963–1964 is a 4-CD compilation album by American free jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1963-1964 and released in 2012 on the ESP-Disk label. It features previously-unreleased recordings of Sanders performing with groups led by Don Cherry and Paul Bley, complete concert recordings of Sanders' appearances with Sun Ra, a re-release of Sanders' first album, and various interviews.

<i>The Giuseppi Logan Quartet</i> 1965 studio album by Giuseppi Logan

The Giuseppi Logan Quartet is an album by American jazz saxophonist Giuseppi Logan, recorded at Bell Sound Studios in 1964 and released in 1965 on the ESP-Disk label. His first recording as leader, it features Logan on alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, Pakistani oboe, bass clarinet, and flute along with pianist Don Pullen, bassist Eddie Gómez, and drummer Milford Graves. Logan had moved to New York City in September 1964, and the recording took place shortly after the October Revolution in Jazz, at which Logan performed, and during which he met ESP-Disk founder Bernard Stollman. According to Logan, the musicians had not played together prior to the recording session.

<i>Marion Brown Quartet</i> 1966 studio album by Marion Brown

Marion Brown Quartet is an album by American saxophonist Marion Brown, his debut as a leader. It was recorded in November 1965 in New York City, and was released in 1966 on the ESP-Disk label. The album features Brown on alto saxophone, Alan Shorter on trumpet, Bennie Maupin on tenor saxophone, Reggie Johnson and Ronnie Boykins on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums.

<i>Sunny Murray</i> (album) 1966 studio album by Sunny Murray

Sunny Murray, also known as Sunny Murray Quintet, is an album by American free jazz drummer Sunny Murray, his second as a leader. It was recorded in New York City in January, 1966, and released on the ESP-Disk label. The album features Murray on drums along with alto saxophonists Byard Lancaster and Jack Graham, trumpeter Jacques Coursil, and bassist Alan Silva. A remastered version, which includes an interview between Murray and ESP founder Bernard Stollman, was issued by ESP-Disk in 2007.

<i>Frank Wright Trio</i> 1966 studio album by Frank Wright

Frank Wright Trio is the debut album by saxophonist Frank Wright. It was recorded in November 1965 in New York City, released by ESP-Disk in 1966, and reissued on CD in 1992. On the album, Wright is joined by bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Tom Price. The tracks were also reissued in 2005 on the Frank Wright compilation The Complete ESP-Disk Recordings.

<i>Marzette Watts and Company</i> 1968 studio album by Marzette Watts

Marzette Watts and Company, also known as Marzette and Company, is the debut album by saxophonist and composer Marzette Watts. It was recorded in December 1966 in New York City, and was released by ESP-Disk in 1968. On the album, Watts is joined by saxophonist, flutist, and bass clarinetist Byard Lancaster, cornetist and trombonist Clifford Thornton, guitarist Sonny Sharrock, vibraphonist Karl Berger, bassists Henry Grimes and Juney Booth, and drummer J. C. Moses. The album, which was reissued by ESP-Disk in 2012, was recorded under the supervision of Clifford Thornton.

<i>Music from the Spheres</i> 1968 studio album by Sonny Simmons

Music from the Spheres is an album by saxophonist Sonny Simmons. It was recorded in December 1966, and was released by ESP-Disk in 1968. On the album, Simmons is joined by saxophonist Bert Wilson, trumpeter Barbara Donald, pianist Mike Cohen, bassist Juney Booth, and drummer Jim Zitro.

<i>The Complete ESP-Disk Recordings</i> 2005 compilation album by Frank Wright

The Complete ESP-Disk Recordings is a two-CD compilation album by saxophonist Frank Wright. Issued by ESP-Disk in 2005, it contains two studio albums released by the label during the 1960s: Frank Wright Trio, recorded in 1965 and issued in 1966, featuring bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Tom Price, and Your Prayer, recorded and released in 1967, featuring saxophone Arthur Jones, trumpeter Jacques Coursil, bassist Steve Tintweiss, and drummer Muhammad Ali. The compilation also features a twelve-part interview with Wright, conducted by ESP-Disk founder Bernard Stollman.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Warburton, Dan. "Ronnie Boykins: The Will Come, Is Now". AllMusic. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Ronnie Boykins / The Will Come, Is Now". ESP-Disk. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Ronnie Boykins Discography". JazzDisco. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  4. ↑ Weiss, Jason (2012). Always in Trouble: An Oral History of ESP-Disk, the Most Outrageous Record Label in America. Wesleyan University Press. p. 22.
  5. ↑ "Various Artists: Spiritual Jazz: Esoteric, Modal + Deep Jazz From The Underground 1968-77". AllMusic. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Various - Spiritual Jazz: Esoteric, Modal + Deep Jazz From The Underground 1968-77". Now Again Records. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Rose, Raul d'Gama (May 14, 2009). "Ronnie Boykins: The Will Come, Is Now". All About Jazz. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  8. 1 2 D'Souza, Jerry (May 31, 2009). "Ronnie Boykins: The Will Come, Is Now". All About Jazz. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  9. ↑ Pinsent, Ed (April 14, 2009). "Gods on a Safari". The Sound Projector. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  10. ↑ Martinelli, Francesco. "Recent CDs Briefly Reviewed". Point of Departure. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  11. ↑ Hart, Bill (September 30, 2019). "Ronnie Boykins (The Will Come, Is Now)". The Vinyl Press. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
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.