The previously unreleased
Understanding
was recorded on November 1, 1970 at Baltimore's Famous Ballroom, just six months after a slightly different
Roy Brooks Quintet
played a concert at the same venue that resulted in his iconic
The Free Slave
. The lineup for
includes the drummer leading saxophonist
Carlos Garnett
, pianist
Harold Mabern
, trumpeter
Woody Shaw
, and bassist
Cecil McBee
in a symbiotic riot of music making.
is loose, raw, free-flowing, and often molten in its intensity. The band plays just six tunes in two hours. Their sound reflects the terrain between the exploratory hard bop of
Miles Davis
' second quintet and
John Coltrane
's modal adventures.
Brooks
' M.O. is established early on in the sprawling "Prelude to Understanding" and the title track -- totaling over 40 minutes. Introduced with a brief flourish from
' percussion instruments and drum kit,
Shaw
enters with swagger.
McBee
creates a tension between trumpeter and rhythm section as
Mabern
underscores with modal inquiries and spacious vamps and
Garnett
lays out on this jam. Led by
, the group crosses blues and hard bop, free jazz, and Eastern modes without a central melody. After
and
solo,
pulls out his musical saw for a short interlude at 18 minutes. He and
propel "Understanding" forward with a Latin tinge.
's barbed lyricism is balanced by
's fat, soulful chords;
double-times the band, carving space for
's roaming solo.
Charlie Parker
's "Billie's Bounce" begins as furiously paced bebop with the frontline sprinting through the head.
,
, and
swing like mad in support.
charges out with a freely wrought solo statement.
adds punchy accents and funky vamps before a delivering a solo full of ostinatos.
's "Zoltan" (originally recorded with
Larry Young
in 1965) drops its lyric theme for a knotty cadence and blazing tempo. The trumpeter wails through the harmonic theme with such exertion and athleticism that the crowd roars its approval. The saxophonist gets his turn with the spiritual soul-jazz that is "Taurus Woman." Over half-an-hour long, its syncopated, sometimes strangely funky group interplay is guided by
' unshakeable rhythmic invention, which weds Afro-Latin, bop, R&B, and free jazz sources.
's solo is incendiary, fluid, bursting with ideas to the delight of the crowd. To close,
introduces
' "The Theme" at an insane tempo; its players exchange fiery solos before jointly quoting from "I Got Rhythm" in conclusion.
The sound on
isn't pristine.
Chris Gestrin
did an exemplary job of restoration, but it remains somewhat hot (and in places a tad distorted); its impact, however, is undiminished. The booklet includes photos, an essay by author/critic
Mark Stryker
, and remarks from producers
Zev Feldman
Cory Weeds
(who also conducted an included interview with
). There are short pieces from author
Herb Boyd
-- a lifelong friend of
-- and an appreciation by
Michelle McKinney
of the Detroit Sound Conservancy. Proceeds from this release benefit that institution's efforts. Ultimately,
is an essential and revelatory piece of jazz history. ~ Thom Jurek