Heavy Spirits
| Heavy Spirits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1975 | |||
| Recorded | January 31 & February 3, 1975 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 40:06 | |||
| Label | Arista Freedom | |||
| Producer | Michael Cuscuna | |||
| Oliver Lake chronology | ||||
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Heavy Spirits is an album by American jazz saxophonist Oliver Lake, recorded in 1975 and released on the Arista Freedom label. The album features Lake playing in different settings: three quintet tracks with Olu Dara on trumpet, Donald Smith on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums, three more tracks with Lake backed by three violinists, a trio piece with trombonist Joseph Bowie and drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw, and a solo sax piece.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz |  [2] |
In his review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow states, "This will be one of the least accessible of altoist Oliver Lake's recordings for most people but repeated listenings reveal a great deal of beauty."[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz says, "Heavy Spirits seems, at this distance, like a relic of an exciting period in the American avant-garde.. Hit and miss, but untempered and often intriguing."[2]
Track listing
- All compositions by Oliver Lake except as indicated
- "While Pushing Down Turn" – 11:50
- "Owshet" – 5:43
- "Heavy Spirits" – 2:55
- "Movements Equals Creation" – 1:33
- "Altoviolin" – 2:32
- "Intensity" – 2:23
- "Lonely Blacks" (Julius Hemphill) – 3:45
- "Rocket" – 9:25
- Recorded at C.I. Recording Studio, New York City, on January 31, 1975 (tracks 1-3, 8), and Music Designer Studios, Boston, on February 3, 1975 (track 4-7)
Personnel
- Oliver Lake - alto sax
- Olu Dara – trumpet on 1, 2, 3
- Donald Smith - piano on 1, 2, 3
- Stafford James – bass on 1, 2, 3
- Victor Lewis - drums on 1, 2, 3
- Al Philemon Jones – violin on 4, 5, 6
- Steve Peisch – violin on 4, 5, 6
- C. Panton – violin on 4, 5, 6
- Joseph Bowie - trombone on 8
- Charles "Bobo" Shaw – drums on 8
References
- ^ a b Yanow, Scott. Oliver Lake – Heavy Spirits: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ a b Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2002). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (6th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 875. ISBN 0140515216.