***** BOOKER ERVIN – THE SPACE BOOK *****
1. Number Two (Booker Ervin)
2. I Can’t Get Started (Duke-Gershwin)
3. Mojo (Booker Ervin)
4. There Is No Greater Love (Jones-Symes)
Booker Ervin – tenor sax
Jaki Byard – piano
Richard Davis – bass
Alan Dawson – drums
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs, NJ; October 2, 1964
Remastering, 1996 – Phil De Lancie (Fantasy Studios Berkeley)
1996 Prestige/Fantasy
All files are FLACs generated with EAC
“Booker Ervin, Jaki Byard, Richard Davis, and Alan Dawson formed one of the immortal tenor-and-rhythm units of the Sixties, a group worthy of comparison to the quartets of John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. Yet the Ervin foursome only existed in Rudy Van Gelder’s recording studio, where it created two LP masterpieces for Prestige. The First, The Freedom Book (OJCCD-854-32), was acclaimed as an instant classic upon its release; and the present album, recorded ten months later, is arguably even more dynamic. Like Eric Dolphy (who also enjoyed making music with Byard and Davis), Ervin did not abandon chord changes but rather superimposed alternative harmonic patterns that stamped his music with an exploratory edge while keeping it tethered to more traditional forms. The impact of Ervin’s conception when supported by his incredible trio comes across on both his hard-slamming originals (including his best-known tune “Mojo”) and his passionate reading of standards.”
-from the back of the CD
Whew!…well as for the above comments I really can’t in all honesty compare Booker Ervin to John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk (or Eric Dolphy for that matter). The music is good though. Very good, and it doesn’t suprise me that such comparisons have been made.
As for the “two masterpieces” bit, all the “book” albums sound great to me…
The Song Book
The Freedom Book
The Space Book
(I haven’t heard The Blues Book)
as well as Groovin’ High (from the same sessions).
That makes four (potentially five) masterpieces for Prestige and I understand there may be others as well.
Oh, its the “quartet masterpieces”, well never mind.
Mr. Ervin could be a very aggressive player. If you have heard any of his recordings with Charles Mingus you know will what I mean. This is not a criticism. Some people say it’s because he is from Texas. Who knows?
I’m certainly no expert on how Texans speak but I’ll give it a try….
The whole goll darned album, includin’ all the players, sounds mighty fine to me… Waahooo! Yeeehaaw!
My best friend Suzy Wong is giving me a funny look.
She said: “Lola, don’t you know you’re not supposed to mess with Texas for goodness sake.”
To which I replied, “Suzy dear, don’t you know for every rattlesnake with a six-shooter down there, a rugged individualist like Jim Hightower will be more than willing to rise to my defense. Besides, they all know I’m with Lightning Hopkins, and he’s friends with Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. Nobody in their right mind would dream of messin’ with Gatemouth.”
OK… Listen people, it was just my silly, feeble attempt to imitate the vernacular of a region I’m not ‘specially familiar with. I don’t want any trouble OK. Lighten up (for goodness sake).
Next stop Pluto,
-LolaMontes