4 February 2008

Joe Harriott - Amancio d'Silva Quartet - Hum Dono


Continuing with the Harriott postings, and moving up to 1969, this was a collaboration of Joe Harriott with the Goa, India - born Amancio d'Silva. This came after the recordings with John Mayer wherein Harriott would move into "world music", long before that phrase was coined and develop his own brand of East-West fusion, using Western as well as Eastern instruments.

Here the fusion continues in perhaps a slightly more subtle fashion. D'Silva draws upon the jazz guitar tradition of Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery, but sneaks in aspects of the Indian vocal tradition on the title track and Norma Winstone's vocals on the opening slide effortlessly from Indian popular song styles to snatches of "My Favourite Things".

On the opening, there are Latin rhythmic inflections, on "Ballad for Goa" shades of Portuguese fado and on the closing track, what to these ears sound like a precursor of the fusion music that was to become immensely popular in the 1970s.

This is an exquisite, beautiful record. It's all very tastefully done and it swings like hell in passages. This is Harriott in yet another setting and yet again pointing ahead to what was to come. You will dig it (or else ...)

Tracks:

1. Stephano's Dance (D'Silva)
2. Spring Low, Sweet Harriott (Spring, Harriott)
3. Ballad for Goa (D'Silva)
4. N.N.N.T. (D'Silva)
5. Hum-Dono (D'Silva)
6. Jaipur (D'Silva)

Line-up:

Joe Harriott - alto sax
Amancio D'Silva - guitar
Dave Green - bass
Bryan Spring - drums
Norma Winstone - vocals on 1,3,6
Ian Carr - flugelhorn on 1,6

Originally released on EMI Landsdowne in 1969 and never reissued since then.

Thanks to good pals in the US/Canada for this hidden treasure.

35 comments:

kinabalu said...
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kinabalu said...
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Anonymous said...

MAGNIFICIENT !! Thank you! Thank you! (my palms in the air - kneeling to my computer screen).

It's jazzin'/jammin'/rockin'/drummin' the whole place right now... and very loud btw!

"Stephano's Dance" is hard to resist; "Jaipur" makes move right on your chair and the title piece also.

I just simply don't understand why it's not reissued properly.

This blog has the strongest start of the year. Cheers to all.

gilhodges said...

Very nearly a perfect record. A few years ago, I had some communication with Stephano D'Silva (Amancio's son and the namesake of the opening track on the album) and he'd indicated that Hum Dono was set for reissue. [This is what has been posted on the Amancio D'Silva site, maintained by Stephano, for over two years: "Full re-release on CD by Universal music: expected Spring 2005"] Steph is also a guitarist. Here is his MySpace page

All hail Kinabalu for this one!

Anonymous said...

Many thanks for this posting. I have read about Harriott for years but this is my first exposure and I am highly impressed (although I'm not as enthusiastic as some about the vocal backing). I will definitely be seeking more as a consequence. Again many thanks.

Anonymous said...

Very much liking this I am.

Bahut danyavad, bahut achaa..

Robert Wechsler said...

I didn't know this side of Harriott. Thanks muchly for sharing it!

ABE said...

Every thing of Joe Harriott's I've heard is just amazing, and this is no exception. Thanks for this one!

neil said...

Haven't got it yet. but looking forward to it!

Anonymous said...

BEAUTIFUL!

YAY THE SOL!!!

arshille said...

- just a quick line to say thank you for posting this wonderful music
linx okay
best wishes

wightdj said...

Thanks for this gem.

theninthplanet said...

Fantastic post - many thanks!! I recall Universal muttering about releasing this a few years ago but since then... silence. Not having the whole of Joe Harriott's catalogue available as proper reissues is really a disgrace. A box set of the Lansdowne releases exists in my dreams...

bluebird said...

Hum Domo

Many thanks for this. Just found your site after your visit to BritJazz.

One of the Harriott's I don't have and a crime that it has never been re-issued. Have you seen the prices the lp fetches (if you can find one)?

grumpy said...

Amazing to find this with the flac links still active. This is an album I thought I'd never find.
Many thanks.

Hebdomeros said...

This is SO good. Now my favorite Harriott. Thanks so much.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant site, I had not noticed inconstantsol.blogspot.com earlier in my searches!
Continue the good work!

Anonymous said...

Hey,

This is a question for the webmaster/admin here at inconstantsol.blogspot.com.

May I use part of the information from this post above if I provide a link back to this site?

Thanks,
Oliver

Anonymous said...

Hello,

Thanks for sharing the link - but unfortunately it seems to be not working? Does anybody here at inconstantsol.blogspot.com have a mirror or another source?


Thanks,
Peter

kinabalu said...

It DOES work. This seems to be an automatically generated message for reasons beyond me.

Anonymous said...

Greetings,

Thanks for sharing this link - but unfortunately it seems to be not working? Does anybody here at inconstantsol.blogspot.com have a mirror or another source?


Cheers,
Mark

kinabalu said...

See?

Anonymous said...

Hi - I am certainly delighted to find this. Good job!

Sardo said...

Unknown session, for Me of course. Thanks!

neil said...

Holy grail stuff - and it's still out there! Many, many thanks...

zero said...

Cheers for the terrific post, kinabalu, and for keeping the links alive. Thanks to grumpy, I found my way to it five years (!) after it first appeared and am delighted that this rarity is still available.

kinabalu said...

You're welcome!

Melanchthon said...

Wonderful Post. Thank you !

Guelda said...

Nice and sometimes surprising music, thank you very much for sharing this one Kinabalu !

Ernst Grgo Nebhuth said...

Thanks Kinabalu - shall try something entirely new to me.

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot.

Ernst Grgo Nebhuth said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Chris said...

Thanks kinabalu and onxidlib for the chance to pick up later with new links.

chuchuni said...

Thanks kinabalu and onxi!

headman said...

Now available on CD for the first time, from Vocalion Records:

[url]http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDSML8505[/url]