5 January 2010

The Joe Harriott Quintet - Abstract




We had a request for this a while back, and from what I can see, it's becoming hard to find. The cd reissue of this record, that is. I don't have the cd, so this will take us back to the early 60s lp version of this one, out on the Capitol label in the US. Hope folks don't mind the original sound of this record, though it may not be up the sonic standard of remastered cds.

What to say about "Abstract"? Well, it's a classic (alongside the earlier Free Form), though not truly recognised as such, but we will fly the Harriott flag on this blog, and do our bit towards better recognition. We've posted several Hariott records in the past, all very out of print, and should Free Form suffer the same fate, we'll put up that one, too.

A brief description of what this music is about, can be found in the attached liner notes on the back of the sleeve, with track by track annotations from the man himself. (Just click on the picture and it will blow up to a legible size.) As the man says, don't expect all of this music to swing, it isn't meant to. But it is exciting and to these ears, still fresh, though not as revelatory as it might have been back in the days of be bop hegemony.

1. Subject
2. Subject
3. Oleo
4. Modal
5. Tonal
6. Pictures
7. Idioms
8. Compound

Personnel:
Joe Harriott - alto sax
Shake Keane - trumpet
Pat Smythe - piano
Coleridge Goode - bass
Bobby Orr - drums (1-4)
Phil Seamen - drums (5 - 8)
Frank Holder - bongos (5,8)

1-4 recorded May 10, 1962, in London; 5-8 November 22, 1961, in London.
Cover painting: Yvonne Miranda

11 comments:

  1. mp3:

    http://rapidshare.com/files/329431184/JHQ-A_mp3_.rar

    flac:

    http://rapidshare.com/files/329616340/JHQ-A_flac_.part1.rar

    http://rapidshare.com/files/329623027/JHQ-A_flac_.part2.rar

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  2. i first discovered harriott here and love him. this is a very welcome addition and surprise.

    much gratitude

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  3. Up to your old tricks, Kinabalu! What a glorious slab of wax this is. Gracias hermano.

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  4. this looks pretty cool. i'll listen to it when i get home from the holidays. thanks, kinabalu!

    regards,
    fb

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  5. Thank you very much for posting this --- I have never had a chance to hear it and, in general, much prefer needledrops to CDs when dealing with fine analog recordings.

    Thanks also for years of work from the Inconstant Sol team ... as a holiday present to myself, I visited the 2007 archives and downloaded almost everything that was posted and filled an IPOD with it. A very enjoyable and educational experience that is still keeping me busy in the new year.

    Happy New Year to all and thanks again for this one in particular --- it is completely out of print and used copies of both CD and vinyl are available, but only at the highest and most outrageous of prices.

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  6. Thank you very much for this wonderful music...All the best!!!
    Kostas from Greece.

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  7. Man always nice to hear the original vinyl..Yea the cd edition seemed to appear and disappear like so many we know and love..Shame cos its an interesting, if not great, session and well worth several listens..The comparison with Ornette, which is often made, seems a little wide of the mark..I think of Joe's music having its own individual sound.

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  8. a lovely record
    also worth checking out, "Movement"
    lesser Known, but even more adventurous..(upped by Kinabalu, here)
    http://inconstantsol.blogspot.com/2007/12/joe-harriott-quintet-movement.html

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  9. this one deserves to be alive !!!!...
    THX !......

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