STONE ALLIANCE – STONE ALLIANCE
An amazing little group – and one of the real standouts in
indie jazz during the 70s! Stone Alliance are a killer power trio made up of
players who'd previously worked for Elvin Jones – and all three of them have
inherited a frenzied sense of rhythm from Jones – and that great sharp edge he
brought to his initial early recordings in the post-Coltrane years! But there's
also a deeper sound going on here, too – a bit of funk, and definitely a bit of
Latin in the percussion and basslines – which makes for these grooves that are
as complicated as they are infectious – often given some sweet spiritual tones
from the reeds on top! The lineup features Steve Grossman on tenor and soprano
sax, Gene Perla on bass, and Don Alias on drums and percussion – all working
together with tremendous energy, but a great focus too – always soulful, and
never too jamming at all. Titles include the insane break track "Sweetie
Pie", plus Stevie Wonder's "Creepin", "Duet",
"King Tut", "Samba De Negro" and "Vaya Mulatto".
~ Dusty Groove
STONE ALLIANCE – HEADS UP
Stone Alliance plays with an expanded lineup on this LP,
perhaps to account for the missing Steve Grossman, who's no longer with the
group at this point. Don Alias and Gene Perla are joined by Dave Liebman, Alex
Acuna, Michael Brecker, and Kenny Kirkland, and the track list includes
"Trampoline", "Aunt Remus", "Tribute To Afreeka",
and "Uncle Jemima". Perhaps not as full on funky as the group's first
few powerhouse albums, but still a great little record with a hard jazzy
edge! ~ Dusty Groove
ELVIN JONES - ELVIN JONES IS ON THE MOUNTAIN WITH JAN HAMMER
& GENE PERLA
An overlooked gem from Elvin's mid 70s years – and a sweet
fusion jammer that has the best kick of the classics on the PM label! Elvin may
be the leader of the set, but the real strength of the album belongs to the
record's tight bass work by the great Gene Perla – strong-voiced and soulful,
and doing a good job here of keeping both Elvin and Jan focused on the groove
of the tunes – as Hammer's keyboards spin out with lots of sweet cosmic
touches! Titles include "Namuh", "On The Mountain",
"Smoke In The Sun", "Destiny", and "London
Air". ~ Dusty Groove
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