John Handy Quintet - The 2nd John Handy Album (1966/2016) [Official Digital Download 24-bit/192kHz]

Altoist John Handy's second Columbia album was actually his fourth as a leader. Utilizing the same musicians who had joined him during his sensational set at the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival (violinist Michael White, guitarist Jerry Hahn, bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke), Handy performs five of his complex yet accessible originals, which include the "Theme X" (in 5/4 time), the catchy "Blues for a Highstrung Guitar", and the adventurous "Scheme #1". This would be the unit's only studio album, and after disbanding, they did not reunite until 1994. The memorable music is highly recommended.

This mid-’60s group featured Jerry Hahn, Michael White, Danny Thompson and Terry Clarke, all players who have gone on to other significant achievements. The group chemistry is the main point of interest for jazz listeners (Handy and Charles Lloyd were about the only jazz players that appealed to the hippies, for some reason, and some of the material is accordingly on the light side.) Handy is also a master of the sax and his cohorts rate high as soloists and even higher as group players, all of which assures a deserved continued interest, and three previously unheard tracks add to that. But if one long (13:46) piece ever made a record worth buying, “Scheme #1” here is surely that piece. Handy said in the original notes that the group wanted to go more in this experimental direction, which sounds as much like Schoenberg or even at times Stockhausen as it does free jazz, though Handy in 1966 had digested aspects of Coltrane’s later work that most of his imitators still seem unaware of. The group’s togetherness raises this performance to a level no other third stream music ever reached. Too bad they split up without building on it.

Tracklist:

01 - Dancy, Dancy
02 - Theme X
03 - Blues for a Highstrung Guitar
04 - Dance for Carlo B
05 - Scheme #1

Recorded in July 1966 at Columbia Recording Studio, Hollywood, CA

Musicians:
John Handy - alto, tenor saxophone
Mike White - violin
Jerry Hahn - guitar
Don Thompson - bass
Terry Clarke - drums, glockenspiel


Thanks to the Original customer!