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Billy Bang - Sweet Space/Untitled Gift (8th Harmonic Breakdown)

25 November 2005

As one of the three greatest living jazz violinists, leader BILLY BANG is a major attraction on this valuable reissue, his bluesy tone and harmonic sense always making him immediately identifiable and irresistible. But his bands are also pretty hot on this two-disc set that revives two rare albums from the Anima label, now on CD for the first time. Sweet Space (1979) is by a sextet featuring fiery tenor saxophonist FRANK LOWE along with alto saxman LUTHER THOMAS, cornetist BUTCH MORRIS, pianist CURTIS CLARK, bassist WILBUR MORRIS, and drummer STEVE MCCALL. Recorded in concert, it’s now augmented by an additional 35 minutes of alternate takes recorded at another set that night. (There was a problem with disc 1 when this set first appeared – only the outtakes were included! – but that’s been corrected.) Bang’s tunes are great springboards to inspired improvisation, both tonal/modal and free, with Lowe especially on fire. Untitled Gift is a 1982 recording by a quartet with DON CHERRY (pocket trumpet, flute, bells), bassist Morris, and drummer DENNIS CHARLES (sadly, Bang’s the last of them alive). This group is more contemplative, though certainly still full of life and ideas. It doesn’t get much better than this!

 

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