A fine album
p dizzle | augusta, georgia, USA | 09/03/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"mary lou williams managed something few artists in any genre are able to do: work for 50+ years and always sound fresh as the day you started. this album was the first after she took a sabbatical in the 60s to focus on sacred music, and rather than adopt a sound reminiscent of her past as a swing musician and big band arranger, she offered an album very much in tune with the stylistic changes of jazz in the 60s. the feeling here is definitely blues, but with modal and free tones mixed in. the format is a trio featuring micky roker on drums and bob cranshaw on electric bass who are energizing in their support. ms. williams keeps it funky from the outset. 'syl-o-gism' was not on the original release of the album, but sets the tone with a big beat. things vamp along until we get to 'zoning fungus', a reworking of another composition, 'fungus amungus' (think she had listened to mingus?). here she adds another piano to the mix and the sound is definitely free, but the structured free jazz of cecil taylor rather than the explosions of trane or albert ayler. the remainder settles back into the groove, closing with the wonderful romp 'play it momma.' that pretty much sums up the listener's feelings as the cd ends! enjoy..."
Mary Lou Scores
Bill Wood | 05/31/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Linda Dahl, Mary Lou Williams' biographer, wrote that the pianist made her best music "when she was old". This 1974 recording proves the point. Everything we associate with Williams, the power, the feeling, the hovering sense of darkness at the edges, are all here. Whatever her emotional life may have been, to me, the sound of Mary Lou Williams is the sound of the genie leaving the bottle. My own personal favorite track is "Medi 1", but there is not a low point on this CD. This is great, great music played by one of the giants of jazz at her absolute peak."
A new jazz sound, what a surprise
Wolfgang Kuhnle | Germany | 12/19/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"There is always something new to detect in jazz music. I bought this record to prepare myself for Dave Douglas's Soul on Soul. Mary Lou Williams was a discovery for me, thanks to Dave Douglas. Her rhythms are surprisingly effective, if you know what I mean (most probably not, unless you have heard this record and possible others of her as well). If you believe that you know everything about jazz music, try this one. The monotonies of Zoning are very zen-like (another seemingly stupid sentence until you listen to the record)."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1