Walter Bishop Jr. - Soul Village (US, 1977)

SIDE A 1. Soul Turnaround - 0:00 2. Valerie - 9:04 3. Sweet Rosa - 14:47 SIDE B 1. Philadelphia Bright - 21:39 2. Coral Keys - 28:14 3. Soul Village - 33:41 Personnel Walter Bishop Jr. - fender rhodes electric piano Randy Brecker - trumpet and flugelhorn Gerry Niewood - tenor saxophone and flute George Young - soprano and alto saxophones Steve Khan - guitar Mark Egan - bass Ed Soph - drums Victoria - congas and percussion _______________ (fusion, jazz-funk, soul-jazz) _______________ [very interesting and great liner notes below] ________ a conversation with those two esoteric jazzophiles, Bent Jackson and Elmo Rosen, concerning this album and its creators Bent is in his early fifties, sporting a goatee and dressed in sandals, polkadotted bermuda shorts, and a t-shirt reading “Bird Lives.” Bent’s been on the scene since Minton’s and “knows.” Elmo is just the other side of twenty. His daishiki matches a gaily colored skullcap. Under one arm is a copy of “The Encyclopedia of Jazz.” Under the other — a saxophone case. Elmo frequently snaps his fingers. Elmo: Hey brother man, Walter Bishop’s cut a fusion album. Brent: Oh yeah? I knew his father, used to play with Bird. Elmo: No man, it’s the same cat. You know, the one who played with Blakey and Miles and Bird and…. Brent: “Bish?” I thought he was on the coast teaching. Elmo: He's back. "Bish" is back. Still teaching. But dig this date man. I was there. I was there! Give me five jive. They slap hands Elmo: Let me tell you Jim, it was mean. The cat done crossed over. Which is weird ‘cause like, what bebop pianists are into the electric piano? Bent: You mean he's playing that dancing shie…..? Elmo: Sure man, you can dance to it but this ain't no disco date. These cats are blowing! Bent: His regular group? Elmo: That's the thing about it man—it was one of those spontaneous sessions. "Bish" of bebop fame and some heavy young dudes. They just read down the charts and did it. No overdubs. Bent: That's the way Bird did it. Just go in there and play. Who made the date? Elmo: Oh man. The rhythm section was tasty. Ed Soph on drums… Bent: Yeah? I dug him and "Bish" in Clark's Quintet and Big "Bad" Band. Elmo: You gotta hear him in this context. And the bass player's a young cat. Good chops. Mark Egan. Plays with that alto player, Sanborn. And the guitar, he's got this sound! Bent: Sound? Elmo: For the date, he put one amp in the studio and another in an adjoining room. It was wild. Then, there was this chick. Bent: You got a one track mind Jack. What was the guitar player's name? Elmo: Kong. Steve Kong. No wait a minute. Uh, Khan. That's it. Steve Khan. But this chick Victoria, she... Bent: Victoria who? Elmo: That's the thing man, nobody could pronounce her last name. She was on congas. Bent: What about the horn players? Elmo: One of the Brecker Brothers, the one who plays the trumpet. Bent: Randy. Elmo: Right, Randy. And the tenor player from Chuck Mangione... Bent: Gerry Niewood. Elmo: Yeah, that cat looks philosophical man. Out. One more horn, the alto player. Oh man. Everytime he soloed I kept thinkin' of "Bish" coming for Bird. You gotta dig the way "Bish" comps. Bent: Are you telling me about "Bish?" I know “Bish.” Elmo: Yeah, but you got to hear him on the Fender Rhodes. Bent: You still haven’t hipped me to the alto player. Elmo: George Young. Real sweet cat. Bent: Whose tunes? Elmo: "Bish" wrote the tunes. Except for the one that the producer, a studio cat named Mitch Farber wrote. An uptempo thing he calls, "Philadelphia Bright." But the tunes man... Bent: What about them? Elmo: You got to dig the way "Bish" writes. Bent: Are you telling me about "Bish?" I was there my man, I was there. Elmo: There's a tune about water. Bent: Water? Elmo: “Bish” is heavily into water. Bent: You mean he drinks a lot of water? Elmo: No man, he swims. Tune's called "Coral Keys." Paints a hell of a picture. Bent: That's what it’s all about isn't it? Elmo: Then he's got two tunes about chicks. One fine ballad called "Valerie," and then this tune about the islands. That funky island sound mon. "Sweet Rosa.” Bent: Don't tell me about the islands mon. I was there when Rollins did "St. Thomas." I was there! Elmo: Yeah! But you got to dig “Soul Turnaround" man. "Bish" gets such a nice groove going. He's got some stuff under his fingers man. Bent: Are you telling me about "Bish?" What's the side called anyway? Elmo: Oh the title cut! Bent: Yeah? Elmo: La creme de la creme! “Soul Village.” Bent: “Soul Village?” Elmo: Yeah man. Like peace and love, harmony, tranquility and, hey man, where you going? Bent: The record store!