Michael Smith, ‎– Totality,Red Record – VPA 118,1974

For onxi, heres Michael J.Smith's 1974 solo lp for RED!

Smiths Early work ,was hugely idiosyncratic and Ambitious, and we here at IS love it  feeling that it has been unjustly eclipsed.

, This one though very good is perhaps a little low key, rather introspective and slightly meandering in over all tone by comparison to the group sessions we have previously posted...

Here we have a leisurely stroll through a couple of bare bones ballads and a few originals , featuring Smiths own unique, often stark variations on standard tunes , treated in a way which t is similar in many respects to the free floating way an Andrew Hill, a Howard Riley or a Paul Bley  handle a tune like angel eyes.

there is an unsettling rather frayed romanticism at play here, bitter sweet and  fractured.

Angel eyes is a stand out performance , its a tune i love ,which like Nature Boy, has a mysterioso , slightly ironic under tone,perhaps  prefiguring some profoundly unsettling pathos hovering just beneath the surface ripples..of our fragile ,shaky  albeit painstakingly constructed & ultimately delusional senses of self. 

sadly at present there appears to be only one recording featuring Smith as a (co)Leader currently available 

A wonderfully intense duo with Steve Lacy, Sidelines which can be bought direct from the source here

Michael Smith, ‎– Totality,Red Record – VPA 118,1974
Tracklist
▼
A1-Tender Are Your Eyes
A2-Jazz Ballett For Patricia
A3-All I Need Is You
B1-Angel Eyes
B2-And Then ... I Died
B3-Your Voice Speaks (1 Over Track)

M.J.Smith-Piano Solo

ENJOY!!

ps...this is pretty much a straight transfer , with the volume jacked up and light declicking in a few places

there is a little surface jitter, and rumble , i  initially tried de rumbling, but wasnt happy with the resultant musical loss , so...ive left it as is