View basket “Bags’ Groove” has been added to your basket. Spirits Known And Unknown Leon Thomas SKU: PPAN FDS-115 Barcode: 5060149623077 34.00 £34.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Pure Pleasure Released Date: 20th February 2020 Buying Format: 180g 1LP Spirits Known And Unknown quantity Add to basket Reserve Add to your Wishlist Description Product Info Remastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London “Leon Thomas’ debut solo recording after his tenure with Pharoah Sanders is a fine one. Teaming with a cast of musicians that includes bassist Cecil McBee, flutist James Spaulding, Roy Haynes, Lonnie Liston Smith, Richard Davis, and Sanders (listed here as ‘Little Rock’), etc. Thomas’ patented yodel is in fine shape here, displayed alongside his singular lyric style and scat singing trademark. The set begins with a shorter, more lyrical version of Thomas’ signature tune ‘The Creator Has a Master Plan,’ with the lyric riding easy and smooth alongside the yodel, which bubbles up only in the refrains. It’s a different story on his own ‘One,’ with Davis’ piano leading the charge and Spaulding blowing through the center of the track, Thomas alternates scatting and his moaning, yodeling, howling, across the lyrics, through them under them and in spite of them. “It’s an intense ride and one that sets up the glorious ‘Echoes.’ This tune is Thomas at his most spiritual and uplifting, carrying the mysterious drift of his tune entwined with Spaulding’s flute and a set of Pan pipes, fluttering in and out of the mix before his wail comes to the fore as a solo. The end of side one reaches into Thomas’ past (he sang with everyone from Count Basie to Grant Green and Mary Lou Williams) for a highly original read of Horace Silver’s classic ‘Song for My Father.’ Thomas imbues the tune with so much emotion, it’s a wonder he can keep it under wraps. Side two is more free from in nature with ‘Damn Nam,’ a near rant, but one possessed with melodic vision and harmonic invention with this band. There’s also the deeply moving ‘Malcolm’s Gone,’ a co-write between Thomas and Sanders that features the latter’s gorgeous blowing, hard and true in the middle of the mix, and a wildly spiritual Eastern vibe coming through in the improvisation. “It’s the longest track on the record, and one of the most criminally ignored in Thomas’ long career. The album closes with Bell and Houston’s ‘Let the Rain Fall on Me.’ It’s a shimmering straight jazz number with a beautiful piano solo by Smith. It sends out a visionary album out on a sweet, soulful note. Ultimately, this is among Thomas’ finest moments on vinyl, proving his versatility and accessibility to an audience who, for too long already, had associated him too closely with the avant-garde and free jazz.” — AllMusic Artist Leon Thomas Genre Jazz Label Pure Pleasure Buying Options 180g 1LP Format 180g , 1LP Condition New Country UK Track Listings The Creator Has A Master Plan (Peace) One Echoes Song For My Father Damn Nam (Ain't Goin' To Vietnam) Malcolm's Gone Let The Rain Fall On Me Share this On Facebook On Twitter Via Email More from Jazz View Product Quick View Diana Krall Turn Up The Quiet Jazz | Verve | 2LP Released 2nd May 2017 £30.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Diana Krall Turn Up The Quiet £30.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Verve SKU: 5735218 Formats: 2LP Released Date: 2nd May 2017 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Lou Donaldson Sunny Side Up Jazz | Analogue Productions | 180g, 2LP, 45rpm Released 1st October 2013 £52.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Lou Donaldson Sunny Side Up £52.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Analogue Productions SKU: ABNJ84036 Formats: 180g, 2LP, 45rpm Released Date: 1st October 2013 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Steve Lacy/Ulrich Gumpert Deadline Jazz | Sound Aspects | Miscellaneous Released 19th December 2009 £12.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Steve Lacy/Ulrich Gumpert Deadline £12.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Sound Aspects SKU: SAS013 Formats: Miscellaneous Released Date: 19th December 2009 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Andrew Hill Dance With Death Jazz | Blue Note Tone Poet | 180g, 1LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released 3rd March 2023 £33.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Andrew Hill Dance With Death £33.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Blue Note Tone Poet SKU: 3837076 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released Date: 3rd March 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Gil Evans Orchestra Out Of The Cool Jazz | Analogue Productions | 180g, 2LP, 45rpm, Gatefold Sleeve Released 11th November 2010 £60.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Gil Evans Orchestra Out Of The Cool £60.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Analogue Productions SKU: AIPJ4 Formats: 180g, 2LP, 45rpm, Gatefold Sleeve Released Date: 11th November 2010 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Mongo Santamaria Sofrito Jazz | Concord | 180g, 1LP Released 13th May 2022 £31.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Mongo Santamaria Sofrito £31.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Concord SKU: 7224255 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 13th May 2022 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Dave Brubeck Debut In The Netherlands 1958 (The Lost Recordings) Jazz | The Lost Recordings | CD Released 11th September 2023 £TBC Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Dave Brubeck Debut In The Netherlands 1958 (The Lost Recordings) £TBC Genre: Jazz Label: The Lost Recordings SKU: TLR 2204043 Formats: CD Released Date: 11th September 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Don Cherry Brown Rice Jazz | A&M | 1LP Released 16th May 2019 £16.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Don Cherry Brown Rice £16.00 Genre: Jazz Label: A&M SKU: 7725259 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 16th May 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Agorà 2 Agorà 2 Jazz | Vinyl Magic | 1LP Released 16th December 2013 £25.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Agorà 2 Agorà 2 £25.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Vinyl Magic SKU: VM087LP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 16th December 2013 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Melody Gardot & Philippe Powell Entre eux deux Jazz | Decca | 1LP Released 20th May 2022 £26.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Melody Gardot & Philippe Powell Entre eux deux £26.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Decca SKU: 3892150 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 20th May 2022 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders See more in Jazz Start again
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