16 Comments
Nov 19, 2022Liked by Vinnie Sperrazza

Great find; thanks for posting [I never even knew OF this record]

Speaking of Tony's ride cymbal, what do you think of the 1996 'Arc of the Testimony', Bill Laswell's electric concerto for Tony? (excellent 2021 24 bit remaster by M.O.D. Reloaded)

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Nov 19, 2022Liked by Vinnie Sperrazza

Tony Williams did a few gigs with Jan Hammer again in 1991 or thereabouts. There was a Down Beat review (or maybe it was Musician?) but no record came of it. I think I have a boot of one of them somewhere.

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Dec 10, 2022Liked by Vinnie Sperrazza

Hadn't heard (of) this record, tracked down the CD reissue, thanks! I find your missing link argument very intriguing and am thinking about it in conjunction with Ethan Iverson's interpretation of Jeff Watts bringing Cobham influence into the early Wynton Marsalis bands.

Can you help non-drummers understand how Tony Williams's sound changed after the 1960s, what I hear as a "heavier touch"? Does his technique change, or his equipment, or is it the larger environment of playing with amplification? Or is it more about the shifting musical context more generally (Stax, Muscle Schoals, Syl Stone, James Brown)? (All of the above?)

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Great post. Elements of the 2nd and 3rd tracks remind me of Rush and have me imagining a “what if” version of Rush with TW on drums.

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Nov 22, 2022Liked by Vinnie Sperrazza

Wow; thanks for the dive into this period of Tony's music, and thanks for the "head's up" about *Play Or Die*--I certainly had never heard of it at al!!

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Nov 21, 2022Liked by Vinnie Sperrazza

Fantastic! Thanks so much for posting this Vinnie!

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Nov 20, 2022Liked by Vinnie Sperrazza

I tought I was the only one who liked his singing. He sounded so vulnerable. Here he really gained some power.

Thanks for posting! I hope the legendary Wildlife sessions with Laura “Tequila” Logan get propper release one day.

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thanks! I've really enjoyed all of your posts.

I've always liked his singing on the first lifetime record too.

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