Sunday, August 2, 2009

Elvin Jones - "Time Capsule" (1977)



 

Elvin Jones' final album for the Vanguard label in 1977 was his most melodic and "produced" album from the period. His trademark fiery style is slightly reigned in within these highly arranged and produced tracks, which delve further into group-based jazz-funk fusion - quite different from the looser, post-electric Miles jamming which infused the previous year's "The Main Force", which I posted yesterday.

That said, there's some great playing and textures on "Time Capsule", with ample solo space offered and taken with gusto within these tighter structures. After this album, Jones would return to more 'traditional' post-bop territory and acoustic instrumentation with his newly-named "Jazz Machine" on 1978's "Remembrance" for the MPS label.


Guitarist Ryo Kawasaki and percussionist Angel Allende return from the previous album. Whereas Kawasaki's electric edge somewhat stood out on "The Main Force", here it has become something of the norm. Once again he holds composition credits for the opening track : "Frost Bite".

With the reeds players working more in unison melodies, and Kawasaki contributing single lines and wah-chops, Kenny Barron's fender rhodes holds much of the harmonic background for the album. He had appeared on one track of 1975's "New Agenda", but here he's a strong presence throughout.

Barron's solo work is great on tracks like "Time Capsule", "Spacing". and my personal standout track "Moon Dance" (see preview at top of post). The album catches Barron in his peak period as a rhodes player, coming after his albums "Sunset to Dawn", "Peruvian Blue" and "Lucifer" ; and just before "Innocence", after which he would mainly return to acoustic piano. So one more for the Kenny on electric piano discography.


Only Frank Foster remains from the previous album's reeds lineup, here just contributing his soprano sax to Ed Bland's track "Digital Display".



Drummer alert! Mark Feldman has transcribed some of Elvin's patterns for "Digital Display" over here at "Bang! The Drum School".

The dominant new guest here is alto saxophonist Bunky Green, who composed three of the five tracks here. After a decade-long recording break he had returned earlier in the year with his Vanguard album "Transformations", also produced by Ed Bland. Much of that album borders on proto-"smooth jazz", with highly modal covers of pop hits, but on "Time Capsule" he has a rougher, more interesting edge, perhaps from the company he's keeping here.

Tenor saxophonist George Coleman had played on some of Jones' later Blue Note releases, as well as a few Strata-East releases like Charles Tolliver's "Impact!" ; the Jazz Contemporaries' "Reasons In Tonality" and Keno Duke's "Sense Of Values". In 1977, the same year as this album, he also played on Charles Earland's "Smokin".


At this stage, prolific flautist Frank Wess was straddling both the jazz world and the disco-funk session game - recent credits had included albums as diverse as Sister Sledge's "Circle of Love"; Van McCoy's "Disco Baby"; Oscar Brown's "Brother Where Are You"; Woody Shaw's "Rosewood"; and Crap Jazz Covers' favourite, "Sweet Buns and Barbecue" by Houston Person.

In the few years preceding this album, bass player Juni Booth had worked on Larry Young's "Lawrence Of Newark" ; McCoy Tyner's "Song of the New World" and "Atlantis"; and Joe Bonner's "Angel Eyes" . 2nd bassist Milt Hinton has been described as probably appearing "on more records than any other musician", so feel free to peruse his thirteen pages of credits.

Hoping you enjoy this one folks!

TRACKLIST

01. 'Frost Bite' - 7:53 - (Ryo Kawasaki)
02. 'Digital Display' - 7:31 - (Ed Bland)
03. 'Moon Dance' - 6:20 - (Bunky Green)
04. 'Time Capsule' - 8:07 - (Bunky Green)
05. 'Spacing' - 10:35 - (Bunky Green) 


MUSICIANS

Drums - Elvin Jones
Bass - Milt Hinton (1-2), Juni Booth (3-5)
Electric Piano - Kenny Barron
Flute - Frank Wess (1-2)
Guitar - Ryo Kawasaki
Percussion - Angel Allende
Alto Saxophone - Bunky Green
Soprano Saxophone - Frank Foster (2)
Tenor Saxophone - George Coleman (1, 3-5) 


PRODUCTION

Vanguard Records, 1977
VSD 79389
Producer - Ed Bland
Mixed By - David Baker
Engineer - Charlie Repka , Jeff Zaraya
Photography - Joel Brodsky
Design - Jules Halfant
Montage - Hy Radin 


OTHER ELVIN JONES at this blog :

1975 "New Agenda"
1976 "The Main Force"
1976 "Summit Meeting"

POST CREDITS

Rip from deleted Vanguard CD re-release by
Simon666

Other albums linked in this post are at the blogs : Ile Oxumare, Strata-East Fan Club; Magic Purple Sunshine, Nine Sisters, Orgy In Rhythm, My Jazz World, Everything Is On The one, Pharoah's Dance, Raider of the Lost Ark, Jamz for the Soul, Mientras Otros Duermen, My Favourite Sound, Marramua, and Musica Y Programas.
Please thank these people if you visit them.


70 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Simon.As a Rhodes lover i really adore your postings that they gave me new horizons in music...Thanks!

Luis Torregrosa said...

thanks for this Elvin beauties.

Elvin also recorded 2 other albums for Vanguard.

An all star date called "Summitt Meeting" witk Clark Terry,Bunky Green,Roland Prine and James Moody.Albert Dailey and Angel Allende were also featured.

There was also a colaborative record with the band Oregon that came out on Vanguard

Simon666 said...

Thanks Luis . I've never heard "Summit Meeting", curious about it. Do you have it ?

pollux said...

thanks again Simon, I was really looking for this one ! you're the best

marramua said...

Big Thanks for this record..

Visionless said...

Thanks again for another Sunday with Elvin Jones Simon.

Solomon said...

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

thank you
very easy and spacey sound
and in WAV

E-mile said...

Now, THIS ones's new to me!!! thank you VERY much Simon [:-)
looking forward in hearing it tonight !
peace, E-mile

luis torregrosa said...

Simon,

I have Summit Meeting-Pretty cool record

Also have the Oregon one.

Simon666 said...

Hi guys, thanks for the comments :)

Hi Luis -

I just downloaded the Oregon from another blog for a listen - here it is for those who are curious :

http://nestorbarron.blogspot.com/2008/05/oregon-elvin-jones-together.html

Now re "Summit Meeting" :

Would you be interested in uploading it for here? Really curious to hear it, and I can write a post to go with it if you like ...
Anyway let me know what you think :)
all the best.
Simon

Gianni aka Cesare Barbetta said...

I keep downloading and I keep enjoying your blog music.
thank you Simon

Chris said...

I'm totally digging this release, thanks for the upload!

luis torregrosa said...

Simon,

I am a technological nitwit who has no idea on how to upload anything.

I could snail mail you the whole thing on a CD-R

Let me know

alphabet said...

Thanks for all the great Elvin Jones albums!!

Simon666 said...

Thanks Luis -
That would be great. Could you drop me a mail via my profile at the right of the page ?

LYSERGICFUNK said...

Very Lysergic Music
Many Thanks Guido/LF

Visionless said...

Just listened to track no. 2 Digital Display (Did they have those in the 70's?), anyway MIND-BLOWING track bro.

Keep it up Simon, you got to be the best one at this.

Radek said...

A fabulous album. I must admit that normally I tend to be suspicious of jazz records recorded in the middle of the disco era, but this one is trully astonishing. Thanks a lot!

fritz the cat said...

Thanks for all the Elvin Jones. good stuff.

g.raf said...

Thank you Simon.
I am really enjoying the Elvin posts.
Really appreciate all the work you are putting in here!

Joey said...

Just finished hearing the excerpts (by the way thanks for adding those) Can't wait to listen to this album.

Igor said...

Thanks Simon.
Elvin Jones with Bunky Green! It's good enough for me.

Fat Toro said...

Hi

I riped M'Boom Repercussion

Enjoy!

http://fattoro.blogspot.com/

bluntmo said...

still the BEST blog!

ish said...

I'm late to the party. Thanks Simon!

Simon666 said...

No problems ish, still plenty of beer in the fridge :)

Test said...

this place is a blessing man! Thank you so much for sharing all that golden music!

Peace!

deejaycee said...

nOIce. thanks.

Anonymous said...

Thanx 4 the wonderful music!
chronwell

Miles said...

simon...

i apparently have also arrived late, but i must compliment you on the outstanding elvin jones run that you're currently on. of them all, 'time capsule' has always been among my favorites. although i agree that by comparison it's sounds and feels more 'produced,' it simply holds an appeal for me in which i can't explain. maybe it had something to do with the girl i was seeing around the time of its release.

as for barkin and his florid poetics on 'main force,' all i can say was that todd was an unusual man. but god bless him, his 'keystone korner' club was at one time a key reason to live in san francisco. i saw and heard more history on that postage stamp of a stage than i deserved.

Simon666 said...

Thanks again for your comments guys.

Miles, of course I made fun of Todd's prose before without bothering to google him :) So who and what did you see at Keystone Korner ?

Buns O'Plenty said...

great stuff thx

Anonymous said...

Hi Simon

Thanks for this quality as always
like you fave track has to be Moon Dance.

Jazz Obsessive

lcbriza said...

Thanks a lot, Simon, for the Elvin Jones's records, and congratulations for the blog.

cheeba said...

Hi Simon! Finally being able to digest these Jones posts. Must admit that my reticence was due to his intensity but been listening the lats couple days to get in preparation for seeing his close friend Gene Perla perform tonight.

Never heard 'em before but I'm really enjoying these Vanguard sides - especially Time Capsule, especially on the strengths of "Moon Dance" and the title track.

Always love the tangents you send me on through your posts and keep returning to follow up on the some of the threads. Thanks to you (and WK) for these!

Simon666 said...

Heya cheeba -
Glad you like it - what I like about these albums is the space that Jones leaves in his interactions with the others - for bombastic Elvin I'll go straight to the Trane albums :)
Have fun at Gene Perla! Who's he with - link?

Miles said...

simon...

barkin's keystone korner was s.f.'s jazz central for a long stretch after the demise of the blackhawk, the both/and, the jazz workshop, and others that preceded it. rahsaan roland kirk was always a house favorite, as was woody shaw, art blakey's revolving university, stan getz and others. at the risk of appearing to gloat, i saw everyone from sam rivers to george benson (prior to going his pop), elvin, the triumphant return of dexter gordon after years abroad, the art ensemble, marion brown, art pepper, gary bartz, herbie during his fusion period, horace silver, jackie mclean --- so many more, that i could never list them all. i'm almost ashamed to admit to the wealth of talent i had the privilege to witness there. even miles davis brought his electric band to the venue of roughly 60 seats, but unfortunately, i wasn't there for that one. somehow, the stars were just aligned --- i found myself in the right place, at the right time, at the right age. but i was only one of many.

most acts were booked for a week, sometimes two. those 2 week shows were usually broken up by an alternate (equally powerful) bill on the weekend. sunday afternoons had poetry which saw ginsberg, corso, kaufman and many others dropping in.

the club was additionally a hangout for musicians passing through, or perhaps on their off night from another gig elsewhere. it was not uncommon to find other players at the bar, or seated at the table beside you. in fact, the roland kirk date that i posted on my page back in january (which was recorded there) featured freddie hubbard who had just come off the road and was hanging out. that's the way it was, and todd oversaw the whole phantasmagoria in his own unique way --- very laid back, but incredible taste in music, and very well connected.

Simon666 said...

Thanks for telling that story Miles, it all sounds very exciting and inspirational - now i'm jealous! :)

Art Simon said...

Nice One! Moon Dance has an almost Kozmigroove feel at points, and then starts swinging in a standard way. Interesting track. Thanks!

faud said...

Thanks ... for your great job ...

Thanks 1000xxxx

Please visit our blog :

http://lesmainsnoires.blogspot.com

Erberken said...

Thank you for posting these wonderful gifts!!!! Beautiful!!!!

Arkadin said...

Still beer in the fridge? Thanks for the Elvin-Jones-trilogy, Simon and WK! Haven't heard it yet, to be honest, was too busy...

I think you must have found a way to manipulate time cause you do not only spent hours with preparing your excellent posts you also download stuff from numerous blogs and leave comments on them having listened to the stuff before - what's your secret? ;)

Simon666 said...

Thanks for the comments guys :)

Arkadin, the secret is to fall seriously behind at work in the pursuit of blogging. I'm sure you know that one!

cheeba said...

Hey Simon, Perla was great. Very traditionalist and acoustic though. It was all I could do not to yell out "Sweetie Pie" but not a big request shouter, I.

He was supported by three local cats, two who are in their early 20s. I actually stumbled upon the gig by accident on the calendar at Perla's (http://www.perla.org/Schedule.htm) site while digging up info on that Mark Allen record a few days back. No press, but then again, I'm out in the boonies these days and wouldn't see handbills and a couple week's after the Fest there's not too much buzz for jazz.

As for the EJ, yeah, that's a big reason why I dig it, more than the melodic aspect. I'd love to hang with Einstein and riff on idea but but wouldn't be so keen if all he wanted to do was work out equations...


Glad Akadin asked about it cuz I was beginning to wonder how you do it... and your answer made me wince - I know too well myself but I'm freelance contract right now so it's not good news when I slip into that mode!

Fat Toro said...

Unfortunatly I had to stop my blog... So any record you want to re-post from there please be confortable to do it.
I’m sorry for this...

Simon666 said...

Hey Toro what happened ?
Drop me a mail if you want ...

Michael said...

Thank you very much!

Simon666 said...

Hi guys –
I’ve now posted Elvin Jones – “Summit Meeting” (1976) , come check it out.

jacko said...

Hey thankyou VERY much, having these available as wavs is a real treat.

grumpy said...

Thanks for the thre Elvin Jones - all new to me and fascinating to compare with the Blue Notes.

Soulboy said...

HI Simon.thank you for giving us the chance hear these Elvin Jones albums,i will be looking be looking for their re-release date.

hops said...

props and shots simon. 1976 was the year it began...

troods said...

Thank you so much for this!! You are, as always, generous to the music community. I appreciate.

Anonymous said...

thank you thank you thank you

Anonymous said...

thanks super great

Bill said...

Whew!! Thank you!!

iDP said...

Thanks Simon, btw... do you know what happened to My Jazz World blog ???

Simon666 said...

Hi iDP,
Blogger deleted his blog, but he's back here :

http://myfavouritesound.baywords.com/

ish said...

http://myjazzworld.baywords.com/

:)

Nick said...

pianist Ethan Iverson has a lot of nice things to say about this album in a little post on Bunky Green:

http://thebadplus.typepad.com/dothemath/2010/04/bunky-green-on-time-capsule.html

Simon666 said...

Thanks for the link Nick :)

ndhjazz said...

Does anyone have a back scan of this record?

Thanks,
-ndhjazz

Anonymous said...

I just discovered you today! Thanx, what an inspiration...

Best, chagan

Mark Feldman said...

HI --- I stumbled on your blog while researching info for my recent post on this same album. I've transcribed some of Elvin's playing on the track "Digital Display," so if you or any of your readers might have interest, the link is:

www.bangthedrumschool.com/elvin-jones-digital-display/

Hope one or more folks find this interesting! And thanks for your cool blog.
Mark F.

Simon666 said...

Thanks for that Mark :) You're transcribing Elvin Jones? Impressed!
I've added a link back to you in the section of the post that mentions that track.

matt s. said...

Nice to see these links still alive after their initial post1 Thank you

jazztap said...

merci

Unknown said...

Incredible. Thank you very much.

gr8dane said...

Thank you.