Living Black (Live At The Lighthouse)

Repackaged by Ace are two of Charles Earland's baddest dates recorded for Prestige, both of them live and both of them from his greatest period. Along with Earland's own mighty playing, which never left the realm of absolute intensity in live shows, was his reputation for picking relatively unknown sidemen who not only supercharged the gigs, but also went on to stellar careers in their own right. In the case of Living Black!, the tenor madness of Grover Washington, Jr. is a mighty factor, as is Maynard Parker's guitaristry and Gary Chandler's trumpet playing. On Live at the Lighthouse, soprano and alto man Jimmy Vass stands out, as does trombonist Clifford Adams. Earland's own playing on these dates is nothing short of magnificent, inspired, and even revelatory. He digs out the heart of each tune and puts it on display, improvising where he finds the grit and pulling his band out on the edge with him. If you blow it at the pace these guys play, you blow it big, and there are times when the band teeters on the razor, but in the end, that's part of the fineness of its slash. This is as killer a two-fer of Earland's as you are likely to find. It's a great find for fans and a helluva place to start. ~ Thom Jurek