Saxophonist Herb Geller ended his 15-year recording hiatus (as leader
or sideman) with this album, recorded in Hamburg with an all-European
band. Following the death of his wife in
1958, Herb went travelling, first in South America, then Portugal. By 1965 he was settled in Hamburg with his
new wife and family.
In January 1975, Herb went into the studio with four self-penned
compositions, each one featuring lyrics.
The first track on the album – Rhyme and Reason Time (Our Birthday
Party) was sung by another expatriate, Earl Jordan. The remaining three were sung by none other
than Mark Murphy.
Throughout the record, the feel is a tight-but-loose mid-70s Atlantic
records funk, aimed as much at the feet as the head. The record sounds as if it could have been
recorded in New York, or even down in Muscle Shoals – however, the tracks were
cut in Windrose Studios, Hamburg. The
band is remarkably together, featuring some tremendously fluid interplay; all
pinned down tight by some superb drumming from Alex Riel. Each track winds between the free and funky
to some tightly arranged interlude sections.
The album is a precious gift not just to fans of Mark Murphy but also to
soul jazz DJs – indeed, the three Mark Murphy tracks were sampled in the early
2000s for a handful of hip-hop and chill-out records. Meanwhile, track 2 side 2,
Space a la Mode, remains a dancefloor favourite in the trendiest of clubs. Despite being over 40 years old, this music
sounds incredibly vital and fresh. It is
one of the great missing links in the Mark Murphy canon; Mark was never again
as danceable as this.
The LP Rhyme and Reason has been reissued a few times, however all of
the CD versions (and, for that matter, Spotify stream and iTunes download) appear
to have been lifted from the same low-quality vinyl rip. On all of these versions, Mark’s vocals are fuzzy
and distorted - in all of the same places.
Both reissues feature the same shoddy artwork – rest assured, these are
not official releases. Buyer beware.
Instead, and by comparison, is a fresh, sealed – previously un-played
- copy of the original Atlantic vinyl LP record. I had the pleasure of breaking the plastic
seal on the cover only this morning and admiring/desiring all of the other
albums advertised on the inner sleeve. Such strange pleasures are the preserve
of the vinyl junkie.
Now, hit the
download link - and get those soul shoes back on your feet.
Track listing
- Rhyme and Reason Time (Our Birthday Party)
- Sudden Senility
- The Power of a Smile
- Space a la Mode
Players
Earl Jordan (vocals, 1)
Mark Murphy – vocals (2, 3, 4)
Herb Geller – sax; flute
Palle Mikkelborg – trumpet
Rob Franken – keys, synths
Gottfried Boettger – keys, synths
Philip Catherine – guitar
Wolsgang Schlueter – vibes, percussion
Hans-Lucas Lindholm – bass
Alex Riel – drums
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