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Review 1
Gospel influences were apparent in some of Donald Byrd's prior releases for Blue Note, but A New Perspective brought the trumpeter's church background to the fore by merging a jazz septet with an eight-piece gospel choir. In his new liners for the RVG Edition, Bob Blumenthal cites Max Roach's It's Time (Impulse!) as a direct precedent; one can add Andrew Hill's Lift Every Voice, recorded for Blue Note some six years later, to the list of significant "band & voices" statements.
The Roach and Byrd albums both share in common the choral direction of Coleridge Perkinson, who would go on to work with figures as diverse as Marvin Gaye, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Hamiet Bluiett. Duke Pearson, himself a valued member of the Blue Note family, provided the vocal arrangements and composed the elegiac "Cristo Redentor" and the soulful, midtempo "Chant." Byrd wrote the churning, infectious "Elijah," the slow, bluesy "Beast of Burden," and "The Black Disciple," which activates a dramatic increase in tempo, rhythmic contrast, and harmonic activity.
A New Perspective boasts the formidable talents of Hank Mobley and Herbie Hancock, both of whom shine in this unusual environment. Vibraphonist Donald Best and guitarist Kenny Burrell add greatly to the sonic intrigue, while Butch Warren and Lex Humphries jell beautifully in the rhythm section. |
Players
Donald Best : Vibraphone, Vocals (Background)
Kenny Burrell : Guitar
Donald Byrd : Trumpet
Herbie Hancock : Piano
Lex Humphries : Drums, Synthesizer
Hank Mobley : Sax (Tenor)
Duke Pearson : Piano
Coleridge Taylor Perkinson : Voices
Butch Warren : Bass |
Tracks
1. Elijah
2. Beast Of Burden
3. Cristo Redentor
4. Black Disciple, The
5. Chant |
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