Tony Williams was simply xviii years former when he recorded this, his 1964 debut equally a leader, but he was already a prodigious drummer who could keep a rapid-fire current of subtle accents that prodded a soloist into fresh directions. His termination on a band was electric, too he had quickly moved to the front end ranks of jazz musicians, working alongside Jackie McLean, Eric Dolphy, too Miles Davis. More than a fine drummer, Williams was a musical visionary, too alongside Life Time he recorded 1 of the most forward-looking of the Blue Note albums of the '60s. It shows inwards the selection of radical sidemen similar Sam Rivers, the explosive tenor saxophonist who had been Williams's early on mentor inwards Boston, too bassist Gary Peacock, thence a regular associate of Albert Ayler, equally good equally the to a greater extent than innovative members of the Blue Note stable, similar Herbie Hancock too Bobby Hutcherson. It too shows inwards Williams's liberating approach to instrumentation, using 2 basses on approximately tracks too none on another, too fifty-fifty omitting his ain drums from the flamenco-tinged "Barb's Song to the Wizard." The trio of Williams, Rivers, too Peacock create a masterpiece on "Tomorrow Afternoon," alongside its heady mix of calm too passion, but every rail is well-crafted, challenging music.
Drummer Tony Williams' get-go recording equally a leader (made when he was xviii too all the same billed equally Anthony Williams) gave him an chance to use an advanced grouping of musicians: tenor saxophonist Sam Rivers, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, pianist Herbie Hancock, too both Richard Davis too Gary Peacock on bass. Williams wrote all 4 of the pieces too has a dissimilar combination of players on each song. The freely improvised "Memory" features Hutcherson, Hancock, too Williams inwards approximately colorful too at times spacy interplay; "Barb's Song to the Wizard" is a Hancock-Ron Carter duet; "Tomorrow Afternoon" has Rivers, Peacock too Williams inwards a trio; too all of the musicians (except Hutcherson) are on the sidelong "2 Pieces of One." The unpredictable music holds one's interest; a really rigid debut for the masterful drummer.
By now, it's an irrefutable fact that drummer Tony Williams was the youngest preeminent figure inside the avant-garde stimulate of the mid-'60s. Every jazz fan seems to know the events that led to his international fame: later intriguing trumpeter Miles Davis alongside his cutting-edge approach to drumming, he was hired too added to the groundbreaking "Second Great Quintet" at the ripe historic menstruation of 17. During this pregnant stint, Williams altered the trajectory of Davis' music, solidified himself equally a drum wunderkind, too broadened his science laid to successfully branch out from jazz into rock-oriented genres such equally fusion.
The details inwards a higher house bring already been fossilized inwards jazz history, but what nigh his lesser-known early on years, before breaking tradition alongside Miles Davis?
After a partnership alongside Sam Rivers at historic menstruation 13, Williams was hired yesteryear Jackie McLean at historic menstruation xvi too eventually recorded on his 1963 album One Step Beyond (Blue Note, 1963)—an adventurous essay that firmly established Williams equally a sought-after session drummer for Blue Note Records. As give-and-take of his virtuosity spread, Williams eventually landed sessions alongside approximately of the leading musicians inwards post-bop too the avant-garde whose albums bring since reached legendary status. Williams left an indelible score on Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch! (Blue Note, 1964), Andrew Hill's Point of Departure (Blue Note, 1964), too Sam Rivers' Fuchsia Swing Song (Blue Note, 1964) to refer a few.
As Williams continued to reinvent what the drummer's purpose was inwards jazz, Blue Note founder Alfred Lion—a champion for documenting novel too innovative music, fifty-fifty if it didn't sell—offered him his ain recording dates, which were thence collected for the issue of his 1964 debut studio album, Life Time. To fully encompass the grasp that Williams had over jazz at the time, he was exclusively xviii too managed to conjure a lineup that included Sam Rivers (tenor saxophone), Herbie Hancock (piano), Bobby Hutcherson (vibes, marimba), too iii bassists: Ron Carter, Richard Davis, too Gary Peacock. Along alongside leading a post-bop dream team, all of the compositions on the album were penned yesteryear Williams himself.
To state the truth, Williams' mo essay for Blue Note, Spring (Blue Note, 1965), ofttimes overshadows Life Time inwards part due to its accessibility too theatre roots inwards structured post-bop. That's non to tell that Life Time lacks musical vision, inwards fact, the album itself is an overlooked classic that boasts a feel of adventure too infinite that's absent on Spring. The music on Life Time is e'er moving, surveying every facet of each composition, extracting colors, emotions, too vibrations; it's unfettered from the claws of tradition and, when played from start to end, galvanizes the listener's imagination.
The album begins alongside the side-long, two-part composition "Two Pieces of One." The get-go part, "Red," begins alongside a tenor saxophone too bowed bass intertwining to create a somber tune on top of Williams' spastically brushed snare. Launching off of an extended bass solo, Rivers too Williams wallow inwards compelling interplay alongside no particular management before letting Davis too Peacock twain for the residuum of the song. "Green" picks dorsum upwards alongside brisk, vibrant runs yesteryear Rivers over Williams' dynamic ride cymbal patterns. Increasing inwards energy, Rivers flirts alongside overblown notes before easing upwards to permit Williams illustrate his expressive, unpredictable approach to the skins.
Williams, Rivers, too Peacock combine for "Tomorrow Afternoon" which echoes the imaginative improvisation found on the previous, but becomes looser too to a greater extent than uninhibited equally it progresses. Perhaps the most notable item of this vocal is the interaction betwixt Peacock too Rivers. Peacock, who harbors a lyrical approach to the bass, bounces angular sets of notes off of Rivers who thence repeats them, contributing to a constantly evolving bike of fresh ideas.
"Memory" marks the album's get-go appearance of Hutcherson too Hancock. The most percussive rail on the record, Williams plays his commons kit along alongside timpani, woods blocks, maracas, too triangle. Hancock plays inwards the shadow, setting an overarching moody tone alongside dark, sporadic chord sequences. Hutcherson, playing vibraphone too marimba, embellishes Williams' primitive instrumentation, performing alongside the utmost zeal too inventiveness.
Williams, beingness the mature instrumentalist he was, stepped out of the spotlight too allowed Hancock too Carter to perform a piano/bass twain for the concluding composition. H5N1 vocal equally enchanting equally its title, "Barb's Song to the Wizard" is saturated alongside whimsical interplay too musical subtleties. Apart from the stunning performance, this vocal is a fine will to Williams' underrated compositional prowess.
In retrospect, it's slow to run into why Williams' accomplishments inwards the plain of fusion ofttimes conceal his before organic efforts; the boisterous music of the '70s is undeniably to a greater extent than pop than the experimental ideals of avant-garde jazz. Nonetheless, this music deserves to hold out recognized too enjoyed. Constantly brimming alongside spirit, Life Time is an enthralling debut from a immature trailblazer.
Track listing:
All compositions yesteryear Tony Williams
1. "Two Pieces of One: Red" – 8:06
2. "Two Pieces of One: Green" – 10:40
3. "Tomorrow Afternoon" – 5:35
4. "Memory" – 8:06
5. "Barb's Song to the Wizard" – 5:58
Recorded on August 21 (#1–3) too August 24 (#4–5), 1964.
Personnel:
Tony Williams – drums, timpani, woodblocks, maracas, triangle
Sam Rivers – tenor saxophone (1–3)
Bobby Hutcherson – vibes, marimba (4–5)
Herbie Hancock – pianoforte (4–5)
Ron Carter (5), Richard Davis (1–2), Gary Peacock (1–3) – bass
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