Hallock Hill

Sounds of Liberation, “We’ll Tell You Later,” Self-titled (1972, Porter Records 2010 reissue)

Originally released in 1972, Sounds of Liberation’s album quickly slid into the oblivion of self-releases, passed from friend to friend, musician to musician, and finally to distant record crates. Luke Mosling from Porter Records says he signed up to release the reissue of the record without ever having heard it based strictly on the players involved. Once he’d heard it he called it “one of the best decisions I had ever made.”

The eight members of the Philadelphia-based band were Dwight James (drums), Khan Jamal (vibes), Byard Lancaster (alto sax), Rashid Salim (conga), Monnette Sudler (guitar), Omar Hill (percussion), Billy Mills (bass) and George Gilmore (spiritual adviser). That’s right. Spiritual adviser. Some of the massive and glorious skronk and out-of-this-world blowing from Bayard Lancaster comes from that spiritual place. For sure. And Lancaster’s liner notes take us into his mind-set, which is preserved here in his all-caps presentation:

‘PHILLY JAZZ INDUSTRY, ROOT OF AMERICA, BIRTH PLACE OF WORLD JAZZ AND PARTY CITY OF FANTASTIC GREATNESS, INTRODUCED THIS DISC OF ‘THE SOUNDS OF LIBERATION’ IN 1972. COMMUNITY ADVANCING, INTERNATIONAL SHOWS AND STUDENT EXCHANGE HELPED THIS UNIT TO BE KNOWN ALL OVER THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA. FOUNDED BY KHAN JAMAL, OUR INDIVIDUAL TALENT INSPIRED MANY FOLKS. MONNETTE SUDLER BECAME THE NUMBER ONE FEMALE PERFORMER IN OUR CITY AND BILLY MILLS, RASHID SALIME, OMAR HILL, DWIGHT JAMES INSPIRED THE RHYTHM OF OUR STATE.

“21 ST CENTURY DOCUMENTATION BY PORTER RECORDS NOW SPEAKS TO THE WORLD TO REINSPIRE CREATIVITY. WE THANK YOU FOR PURCHASING THIS DISC. SHARING OUR SOUND WITH YOUR COMMUNITY, PLEASE ANNOUNCE ‘THE SOUNDS OF LIBERATION’ TO MASSES OF FOLKS. EACH OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BAND HAS ADDITIONAL RECORDED MATERIAL … CHECK US OUT ON THE GOOGLE… IT IS OUR INTENTION TO IMPROVE MUSIC, TRAVEL AND TO PRODUCE A DVD. PORTER RECORDS WILL KEEP OUR JAZZ ON THE MARKET. PHILLY HAS REALLY GROWN STRONG, LOVING, AND EDUCATIONAL. THANK YOU… THANK YOU… THANK YOU…”

So I went to The Google and found WFMU’s Beware of the Blog post by Seth Watter (and his follow up). He was similarly unfamiliar with the group or its musicians and similarly transfixed. The Google also drove me to Porter Records’ own site where they host samples from the record and from Lancaster’s solo work. You’ll also find a band that loses the definite article on MySpace. Not to be confused. And then The Google will toss you to All that Jazz’s really in-depth piece by Clifford Allen on the band and album.

Watter commented on the insistence of the rhythms and their perpetuation. I’d agree, and in them I fell afoul, and quite enamored. On the tight mesh of rhythm sailed Lancaster caressing his emotions or strangling an unwitting victim. And in the middle of opener “Happy Tuesday” Sudler ripped into her guitar with a staccato attack of pulsing feverish fury. And sonic bliss. So it looks like George Gilmore exerted some serious advice.  Though oddly enough the reviews and articles referred to above make no mention of the man… But Bruce Lee Gallanter from the Downtown Music Gallery writes, “Those were different times… How often can you play an album at a party and keep the jazz snobs and dancing fools equally happy??? Not very often indeedy.”