| Unity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 2006 | |||
| Recorded | June 1, 1974 | |||
| Venue | Moers Festival, Moers, Germany | |||
| Genre | Free jazz | |||
| Length | 56:28 | |||
| Label | ESP-Disk ESP 4028 | |||
| Frank Wright chronology | ||||
| ||||
Unity is a live album by saxophonist Frank Wright. It was recorded at the Moers Festival in Moers, Germany on June 1, 1974, and was released in 2006 by ESP-Disk. On the album, Wright is joined by pianist Bobby Few, bassist Alan Silva, and drummer Muhammad Ali. [1] [2] [3] [4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | [5] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | A− [6] |
In a review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow wrote: "The two selections are continuous, never run out of intensity, and feature some intense playing, particularly from Wright and Ali. Free jazz collectors will definitely want this powerful performance." [1]
The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings stated that "the music comes across strongly," and noted that "the real star of 'Unity: Part One' is Silva, whose arco solo is a model of form and concentration." [5]
Writing for Jazz Times , Scott Verrastro commented: "The ensemble communicates with the effortless interaction of four men who have been playing together for years, with each instrument naturally weaving in and out of the mix. The solos even reflect this unbound energy... Though the unadventurous and faint-of-heart would surely disagree, there is much beauty to discover here, as is usually the case with such demon-exorcising music." [7]
Derek Taylor of Paris Transatlantic remarked: "True believers are likely to have already heard these sounds on crackle-dusted xth generation tape dubs. But for a completely new audience of free jazz listeners this disc delivers the goods, and at a reasonable asking price to boot." [8]
The Big Takeover's Steve Holtje called the album a "gem," and stated: "They create quite a ruckus; this remained 'in the can' for over three decades not because of any lack of quality, but because of the label's struggles. It's fully up to the high standards of most of Wright's work." [9]
Henry Grimes was an American jazz double bassist and violinist.
Town Hall, 1962 is a live 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 of Coleman's new trio, featuring rhythm section David Izenzon and Charles Moffett.
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.
Muhammad Ali is an American free jazz drummer.
Bobby Few was an American jazz pianist and vocalist.
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.
Rejoice is a double album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, recorded in 1981 and released on the Theresa label.
Live at Jazzfestival Saalfelden 2011 is an album by American jazz saxophonist David S. Ware released on the AUM Fidelity label. It documents the second live performance by Ware's band Planetary Unknown following its world premiere at Vision Festival 16 in New York.
Center of the World is an album by the Frank Wright Quartet, consisting of saxophonist Frank Wright, pianist Bobby Few, bassist Alan Silva and drummer Muhammad Ali. It was recorded live in 1972 and released on the French Center of the World label. The album was reissued on CD in 1999 by Fractal with two previously unreleased performances from a 1978 reunion.
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.
The Call is an album by bassist Henry Grimes. It was recorded in December 1965 in New York City, and was released by the ESP-Disk label in 1966. On the album, Grimes is joined by clarinetist Perry Robinson and drummer Tom Price.
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.
Your Prayer is the second album by saxophonist Frank Wright. It was recorded in May 1967 in New York City and was released by ESP-Disk later that year. On the album, Wright is joined by saxophonist Arthur Jones, trumpeter Jacques Coursil, bassist Steve Tintweiss, and drummer Muhammad Ali. The tracks were reissued in 2005 on the Frank Wright compilation The Complete ESP-Disk Recordings.
Jacques Coursil was a composer, jazz trumpeter, scholar, and professor of literature, linguistics, and philosophy.
Skillfulness is an album by multi-instrumentalist Alan Silva. It was recorded in November 1968 in New York City, and was released in 1969 by ESP-Disk. On the album, Silva is joined by flutist Becky Friend, pianist Dave Burrell, pianist and organist Mike Ephron, vibraphonist Karl Berger, and percussionists Lawrence Cooke, Barry Altschul, and Mario Pavone. The recording was made shortly before Silva moved to Europe.
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.
Blues for Albert Ayler is a live album by saxophonist Frank Wright. It was recorded at Ali's Alley in New York City on July 17, 1974, and was released in 2012 by ESP-Disk. On the album, Wright is joined by guitarist James Blood Ulmer, bassist Benny Wilson, and drummer Rashied Ali.
Norman Howard is a free jazz trumpeter best known for his association with saxophonist Albert Ayler.
Burn Baby Burn is an album by trumpeter Norman Howard and saxophonist Joe Phillips, who are accompanied by bassist Walter Cliff and drummer Corney Millsap. It was recorded in Cleveland, Ohio, in November 1968 as part of a session that was originally intended for release by ESP-Disk as catalogue number 1073. However, the material was shelved until 1989, when some of the tracks were released by Homeboy Music, a label run by British musicologist Roy Morris, on a limited-edition cassette titled Signals. In 1993, Homeboy reissued the contents of Signals, along with additional tracks from the session, on a second cassette called Burn, Baby, Burn. In 2007, ESP-Disk issued eight of the tracks in remastered form on CD as Burn Baby Burn.
Alarm is a live album by saxophonist Peter Brötzmann. It was recorded on November 12, 1981, at NDR Studio 10 in Hamburg, Germany, during the 164th NDR-Jazzworkshop, and was released in 1983 by FMP/Free Music Production. On the album, Brötzmann is joined by saxophonists Willem Breuker and Frank Wright, trumpeter Toshinori Kondo, trombonists Hannes Bauer and Alan Tomlinson, pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach, bassist Harry Miller, and drummer Louis Moholo. In 2006, the album was reissued on CD by Atavistic Records as part of their Unheard Music Series.