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Oh! Pharoah Speak

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An insanely great record – filled with lots of odd twists and turns, and done in a really unusual way! The session is an obscure one that features Pharoah Sanders joining the tight combo, who are working here with a very different sound than usual! Earlier Latin Jazz Quintet albums have the group recording mostly as a spare mix of percussion, piano, and vibes – but here, the group's expanded tremendously, not only to include Pharoah's tenor, but also trumpet by Lonnie Hillyer, cornet by Melvin Lastie, sax by Harold Vick, trombone by Kiawni Zawadi, and electric bass by Chuck Rainey! Rainey's bass is actually one of the best aspects of the session – as it gives the tunes a rumbling sound at the bottom, really kicking them into gear with a solid Latin Soul-flavored feel. All tracks are instrumental, and nearly all of them swing with the best sort of Spanish Harlem groove of the late 60s! Titles include "Shake A Lady", "Daria", "Midnight Montuno", "P's & Q's", "Harlem", "Dues Payer", and "Oh! Pharaoh Speak". (NOTE: This reissue seems to have a bit of distortion on a track or two – not noisy, but something rumbling in the background. Most of the record sounds great, though!)  © 1996-2013, Dusty Groove, Inc.