FLYING DUTCHMAN Novedades

This compilation of the best of Gil Scott-Heron’s Flying Dutchman output was originally released in 1974 and pulled together tracks from his first three albums “Small Talk At 154th And Lennox” (1970), “Pieces Of A Man” (1971) and “Free Will” (1972).

Ace first reissued this album on vinyl in the UK in 2017 (BGPD 306) although that version came in a single sleeve with a printed inner.
This version restores “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” to its original Flying Dutchman format in a gatefold sleeve. The music and words - pressed on 180gm vinyl - are as relevant today as they were in the early 1970s.

'The John Carter and Bobby Bradford Quartet/Quintet were critical to the progressive jazz movement around Los Angeles in the late 60s alongside the likes of Horace Tapscott. Both hailed from the Watts area and trumpeter, Bradford played with a woodshedding Ornette Coleman for two years in the early 60s when the legendary free movement leader decided not to record for a while but wanted to hone his trademark sound on the saxophone. Multi-reed player, Carter also worked with Coleman who brought them together to lead their own band.

Their first outing on Flying Dutchman was “Flight For Four” as the Carter Bradford Quartet that was released in 1969. This is the second album they recorded where Carter and Bradford were supported by Tom Williamson (bass), Buzz Freeman (drums) and another uncredited bass player on four extended improvisations – ‘The Sunday Afternoon Jazz Blues Society’, ‘The Eye Of The Storm’, ‘Loneliness’ and ‘Encounter’.'

• Esther Marrow began singing professionally in the early 60s. Her big break came in 1965 when she was asked by Duke Ellington to take part in his ground-breaking Concert of Sacred Music at the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Marrow toured with the Duke Ellington Band as well as Harry Belafonte and came to the attention of Bob Thiele who recorded and released this debut album on his Flying Dutchman label in 1969.

• Musically, it’s a compelling mix of funk and soul, occupying similar terrain to Alice Clark’s great album that was released on Mainstream in 1972. For example, Jesse Stone’s ‘Money Honey’ is given a crunching funk arrangement and is one of three tracks that tempt collectors to pay big money for an original copy; ‘Walk Tall’ and ‘Chains Of Love’ are the other two. ‘Chains Of Love’ was originally recorded in Detroit by J.J. Barnes and became a Northern Soul classic. ‘Walk Tall’ is one of the album’s highlights and features music originally written by pianist Joe Zawinul and performed by Cannonball Adderley, with lyrics by James Rein and Morrow. It has become something of a jazz standard, but no version ever bettered this original track.

• Add to the mix the lush string driven power of ‘Peaceful Man’, ‘Mama’ and a tilt at the classic ‘What A Wonderful World’ and you have a truly wonderful album.

• Pressed on 180gm vinyl, we have remained faithful to the original pressing replicating the Flying Dutchman label style and gatefold sleeve.

• Leon Thomas’ debut as a leader was this classic of spiritual jazz recorded for Bob Thiel’s Flying Dutchman label. Originally pressed in 1969, it features an all-star band including Pharoah Sanders (under the name Little Rock), Lonnie Liston Smith (piano), James Spaulding (alto sax), Cecil McBee (bass), Roy Haynes (drums) and Richard Landrum (bongos).

• “Spirits Known And Unknown” features versions of ‘The Creator Has A Master Plan (Peace)’, the classic ‘Song For My Father’, ‘One’, ‘Echoes’ and the topical ‘Damn Nam (Ain’t Goin’ To Vietnam)’. Subtitled New Vocal Frontiers upon release, the rear sleeve noted that “Thomas is searching as far into himself as he can go for spirits known and unknown and is creating new dimensions of vocal expressiveness to bring these spirits – these feelings – into the experience of others.” The fact that this album is hailed as a classic shows that he succeeded.

• Pressed on 180gm vinyl we have remained faithful to the original pressing replicating the Flying Dutchman label style and gatefold-sleeve.