Corn Meal Dance

WILLIAM PARKER / RAINING ON THE MOON: Corn Meal Dance
AUM Fidelity, 2007

Bassist and free-jazz star Parker puts his mystical poetry front and center for this deep, rather trippy but quite accessible session. The music is lyrical, adventurous and compelling, and singer Leena Conquest beautifully renders the far-out poems. Parker’s bass sounds rich and full, and pianist Eri Yamamoto adds a strong emotional touch.

All good. Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 4, 7, 9

1. 8:45 – deep gospelly groove, solos for sax, piano, trumpet, drawn-out end
2. 7:17 – very dark lyrics, relaxed African vibe; soars in middle, then digs in
3. 3:04 – piano and voice, slow and stirring
4. 9:57 – gospel-tinged stroll goes “out”, nice ensemble work, intriguing lyric
5. 9:02 – uplifting melody, pretty vocal, dreamlike lyrics
6. 11:40 – slow-chugging groove, rich piano, boppin’ sax, conscious lyric
7. 3:58 – gospel: just piano & voice, very strong
8. 8:41 – straight jazz ballad: soulful vocal & sax, muted trumpet, stirring piano
9. 7:16 – bluesy strut, comes from a quirky angle, very odd lyric

[ Fo ] 4-Nov-07