This Sunday Muse Day find us remembering the birthday of the late jazz legend Tony Williams born December 12, 1945,and died February 23, 1997, much too soon at the age of 51. Many tributes are popping up my Facebook feed. I was a fan from his days with Miles Miles and then his solo career as leader and pioneer of jazz fusion with his group Lifetime with John McLaughlin on guitar, Larry Young on organ, and later Jack Bruce (of Cream) on bass, and New Lifetime with Alan Holdsworth on guitar. I was lucky to see the New Tony Williams Lifetime group live at the Bottomline in NYC. Today's selection Arcana Arc of the Testimony, with Tony Williams, bassist Bill Laswell, saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, and others. This was William's last project as the liner notes states he died before it was completed. Putting Arcana in perspective in Tony long disography, it is more in the early Lifetime recording in it's edgy more free-jazz leanings. You'll have to be in an adventurous mood for this one.
My second selection is Larry Young Of Love and Peace. The late jazz organist was member of first Tony William Lifetime. He also had releases as a leader. Of Love and Peace released by Blue Note in 1966 was a year after his best know Unity album. Young, too, die much too soon, at the age of 37. This recording has a touch of free jazz the Young and others were exploring in the 1960s. His sense of adventurous playing shows why Tony Williams sought him out for Lifetime.
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