A stellar set from one of the most underrated reed players of all time – a brilliant bit of searching soul jazz, cut at a time when
Curtis Amy was leaving behind his Texas roots for the new sounds of the Coltrane generation! The album's quite different than the organ and tenor dates that
Amy had previously cut with
Paul Bryant – and instead, is put together with a nascent spiritualism that's really wonderful – a sound that definitely lives up to the bold title and cover image, with lots of modal moments in the rhythms! The group features some equally under-acknowledged geniuses – including trumpeter Dupree Bolton, pianist Jack Wilson, and guitarist Ray Crawford – all coming together perfectly with
Amy's work on tenor and soprano sax. The best tunes here are originals by the group members – including "Lonely Woman" (not by Ornette), "Katanga", "Native Land", and "Amyable". Plus, this CD reissue also includes some great bonus cuts that were not on the original album!
(1998 limited edition pressing, part of the West Coast Classics series.)