Super-righteous work from William S Fischer – the ultra-hip arranger who was one of the most important forces in the late 60s underground soul jazz scene! Fischer is best known for his work with Eugene McDaniels, Eddie Harris, and Les McCann – almost akin to the sorts of collaborative influence that David Axelrod had with Cannonball Adderley or Lou Rawls, but with a style that was decidedly darker, and trippier. This album's one of the few ever recorded under his own name – originally done for the tripped-out jazz imprint Embryo, and featuring a unique blend of moog, strings, funk, and soul! Billy Cobham plays drums and percussion on the set, Bill Robinson sings on a few numbers, and Walter Sear adds in some extra moog next to Fischer's own work – but the real brilliance comes from the overall concept – funky one minute, laidback and trippy the next, very much in the spirit of some of the righteous crossover funk, soul, and rock recordings coming from McDaniels and Axelrod at the time! Titles include "Patience Is Virtue", "Saigon", "Green Forever", "Chains", "Electrix", "Capsule", and "There's A Light That Shines". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most spiritual recordings put out by the Strata East label – and the album that put tenor giant Billy Harper on the map! Harper leads a hip group here – one that features George Cables on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, Jimmy Owens on trumpet, and Julian Priester on trombone – and they're joined by a quintet of voices that includes Eugene McDaniels, all singing behind the jazz players in an uplifting spiritual mode that cries out with the new soul jazz freedom of the 70s! Max Roach and Donald Byrd had begun experiments like this a decade before, but Harper's work here blows them all away – with a sense of righteousness and focus that's simply astounding, especially considering that the album was Billy's first as a leader! Harper's solos are worth the price of the record alone – searing with a raw, post-Coltrane energy as he darts in and out of the voices in the backings. Titles are all original compositions – and include "Capra Black", "Soulfully I Love You", "New Breed", "Sir Galahad", and "Cry of Hunger". LP, Vinyl record album