Customer Reviews

Lawrence of Newark

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow--"Khalid of Space" alone is worth the five stars...an
utterly intense jazz-funk masterpiece. Like Mingus on acid...

Larry Young's "Lawrence of Newark" is one of those albums you hear about but never see-- this reissue, out for a few years now, may not last forever, but is certainly great to hear. The album features free jazz organist Larry Young having gathered around him members of the New York City avant-garde scene to record an album. Featuring James "Blood" Ulmer (in a rather subdued role) in a mystery guest saxaphonist (who sounds like he could be Pharoah Sanders, although I've also heard Sonny Fortune suggested), Young produced a unique record that, while its not quite up my alley, is a superb record.

The dominant trait of the record is a sort of breezy quality, several of the tracks feature a kind of laid back but aggressive sound to them-- usually the structure is pretty tame but fierce playing (Young and the mystery sax player) on cuts such as "Sunshine Fly Away", "Saudia" and "Hello Your Quietness" propel things to produce powerful performances. The only real exception to this is "Khalid of Space Part Two - Welcome" a sort of overblown organ workout with disjoint soloing.

In the end, I don't think its quite as great as its reputation makes it out to be, but "Lawrence of Newark" is well worth seeking out.

DURING THE FUSION ERA, THIS ALBUM WAS A SPIRITUAL BLESSING FOR LARRY YOUNG(KHALID IBIN YASIN). THE MUSIC BY AND LARGE WAS SPONTANEOUS IMPROVISATION. THE MUSIC ON THIS ALBUM VARIES FROM MILD TEMPO SPIRITUALITY TO THE ALL-OUT UPTEMPO SPACEY AVANT-GARDE SPIRITUALITY. LARRY WAS GETTING SYNTHESIZER SOUNDS OUT OF THE HAMMOND B-3 ORGAN YEARS BEFORE SYNTHS BECAME COMMONPLACE. HIS TECHNIQUE WITH THE DRAWBARS IS WHAT CAUSED ARCHIE SHEPP TO REFER TO HIM AS THE JOHN COLTRANE OF THE ORGAN. THE MUSIC ON THIS ALBUM IS VERY POWERFUL AND HAS SOMEWHAT OF A HYPNOTIC EFFECT. PHAROAH SAUNDERS IS THE MYSTERY GUEST ARTIST. DIEDRE JOHNSON PLAYS VERY INSPIRED CELLO. THERE'S AN OLD SAYING "LET THE MUSIC SPEAK FOR ITSELF". I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURCHASE THIS CD. YOU WILL THEN UNDERSTAND WHAT I HAVE MEEKLY TRIED TO PUT INTO WORDS CONCERNING THIS VERY EMOTIONAL MUSICAL RECORDING EVENT.

Larry Young is a great keyboard player. I like Free Jazz & track 2 is pretty good. The other tracks are leaning much more to Jazz Fusion.

Larry Young's Lawrence of Newark is the most sought up CD within jazz music today. The Lp is not available and I have been trying to get a copy for years. Larry plays his organ like a true cosmic player and with comrades like Pharoah Sanders is, this record reaches the highest level of the jazz and funky skies.
Larry Young alias Khalid Yasin is the one who plays with Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin on the superb LP/CD Love, Devotion & Surrender. If you like Hendrix, Santana or McLaughlin, you will be fascinated by this Young's CD.

"Sunshine Fly Away" is entirely overlooked as part of the Larry Young canon. Stretching back to the Bitches' Brew sessions and endeavouring briefly further ahead I find the exuberance matchless, though the song does seem to get bogged down by a recondite soprano.
The first four minutes are viable enough to warrant this as an overlooked masterpiece of euphoric esoterica in jazz.