Hasaan Ibn Ali - Reaching For The Stars: Trios / Duos / Solos

[mjzee]

Release date November 10:

• 11 previously unissued tracks from the rediscovered, legendary Hasaan Ibn Ali • Available on CD, Digital, and double-LP • Packaging includes new essay from pianist, composer & writer, Ethan Iverson The Max Roach Trio Featuring The Legendary Hasaan arrived in early 1965, and instantly became a jazz classic. Atlantic Records recorded Hasaan later that year, and the resulting album was shelved, and then thought lost, until it was restored from tape copies of acetates and issued nearly a half century later as Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album. Metaphysics was a critical sensation, and furthered the legend and legacy of Hasaan’s innovative, exhilarating and inventive playing and songs. Retrospect In Retirement Of Delay: The Solo Recordings, another collection of previously unissued performances, followed – promoting The New Yorker to say that it “…reveals his profundity, his overwhelming power, his mighty virtuosity. It does more than put him on the map of jazz history — it expands the map to include the vast expanse of his musical achievement.” Now, Omnivore Recordings presents Reaching For The Stars: Trios / Duos / Solos featuring eleven more previously unissued recordings. The Trios feature Henry Grimes (Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Rollins) and Kalil Madi (Freddie McCoy, Mongo Santamaria – as well as Hasaan’s Metaphysics), performing six tracks (four of which appeared in their studio versions on The Max Roach Trio Featuring The Legendary Hasaan.) It also adds three songs with vocalist Muriel Gilliam, aka Muriel Winston, and a pair of solo portraits of the master pianist. Produced for release by Grammy®award-winning producer Cheryl Pawelski and ASCAP award-winning writer Alan Sukoenig, Reaching For The Stars features a new essay from pianist, composer & writer, Ethan Iverson. As with the previous Omnivore Hasaan Ibn Ali releases, this collection has been painstakingly restored and mastered by Grammy®award-winning engineer Michael Graves. This collection is another look into the previously unheard recordings of Hasaan Ibn Ali whose lost recorded work proves he was Reaching For The Stars and touching them all.

[felser]

Interesting, but not sure I'll bite.  I fear it might be bottom of the barrelish, with the Muriel Winston vocals and all.  Will wait for reviews.  But I have enjoyed the other two  recent Hasaan releases.

[jlhoots]

1 hour ago, felser said:

Interesting, but not sure I'll bite.  I fear it might be bottom of the barrelish, with the Muriel Winston vocals and all.  Will wait for reviews.  But I have enjoyed the other two  recent Hasaan releases.

Correct on all counts.

[JSngry]

It's a damn fine barrel, not ready to abandon it yet 

Count me in. 

[John L]

I'm in, for sure!   It is really an unexpected luxury to finally get to know Hasaan so many years after his passing.   

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, I'll scoop the CD. Will be interesting to have a fuller picture yet again, even if not all of it is "legendary."

[Rooster_Ties]

I don’t know how I can resist. 

[bertrand]

The tracks with Winston will be weak, but 6 tracks with Grimes is worth the cost.

Amazing how his discography quintupled in size!

[JSngry]

I'm not as down on Winston as others...but note - not as down.

But after all, she was there, and that counts for something. At this point, documentation is job #1.

[jlhoots]

2 hours ago, Rooster_Ties said:

I don’t know how I can resist. 

I'm trying - to resist.

[Rooster_Ties]

22 minutes ago, jlhoots said:

I'm trying - to resist.

I tried to resist the 2cd release of solo piano stuff too — and I did for about 4-5 months, iirc — but I ultimately gave in, and once I heard it, I couldn’t believe I waited that long.

(It turned out to be just shy of incredible, and exceeded my expectations quite a bit — and my expectations weren’t especially low before I got it either.)

[felser]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

I'm not as down on Winston as others...but note - not as down.

But after all, she was there, and that counts for something. At this point, documentation is job #1.

I guess she had sort of a Forrest Gump-like quaility of being at the right place at the right time.

[Rooster_Ties]

On 10/2/2023 at 8:35 PM, felser said:

I guess she had sort of a Forrest Gump-like quaility of being at the right place at the right time.

Can’t say I’ve ever heard or heard of her before.  So I’m just ‘dropping the needle’ several times on this just this morning — and I’m thinking this is scary enough (at least to me) to have been more appropriate for Halloween night. 

Never the less, I’m all in on this new Hasaan release at some point next year — the trio stuff alone should make it worth the entire ticket price.

[Rooster_Ties]

Well lookee, lookee… one track’s already up on YouTube (which I accidentally found on Pandora this morning just now)…

I haven’t done the math (walking to work as I’m posting this), but I think(?) this may be the same ‘extra’ non-“Legendary” tune of unknown origin that appears on that recent disc by Brian Marsella (who’s also from Philly).

[AllenLowe]

Muriel Winston is actually pretty good - and she sounds more than a little bit like Abbey Lincoln.

And that one track above by Hassan is extraordinary - and shows a very surprising Lenny Tristano influence.

Edited November 3, 2023 by AllenLowe

[bertrand]

11 hours ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Well lookee, lookee… one track’s already up on YouTube (which I accidentally found on Pandora this morning just now)…

I haven’t done the math (walking to work as I’m posting this), but I think(?) this may be the same ‘extra’ non-“Legendary” tune of unknown origin that appears on that recent disc by Brian Marsella (who’s also from Philly).

This tune was on the lost Atlantic session. However, the issued release was made from a transfer of the original tape and the tune got missed.

[jlhoots]

I resisted until I couldn't - ordered.

[felser]

I'm also now talked into it eventually.

[Rooster_Ties]

First time it and something else I want from Dusty come up as in stock at the same time, I’m in.

Not gonna pay postage for just one CD — but I “can’t not” get this, so sooner or later (and probably sooner).

Edited November 4, 2023 by Rooster_Ties

[Rooster_Ties]

Entire thing is on streaming services (YouTube and Pandora for sure, probably others too).

I’m pretty blown away by this track with the vocalist…

 

[felser]

lo-fi for sure.  Hard to listen to in that regard, but interesting performance.

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Entire thing is on streaming services (YouTube and Pandora for sure, probably others too).

I’m pretty blown away by this track with the vocalist…

 

Whoa...

That's some serious zone... sculpture-like... 

[Rooster_Ties]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

Whoa...

That's some serious zone... sculpture-like... 

Feels like she’s accompanying him — and I mean that in the very best way!

[JSngry]

Sounds like the Jeanne Lee gene made radioactive. And I mean that as a compliment too! 

[mjazzg]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

Sounds like the Jeanne Lee gene made radioactive. And I mean that as a compliment too! 

Now that does pique my interest