James Newton
Luella
Gramavision (US) 1984
GR 8304 (LP)
sleeve : EX-(wear and collapse on corner.)
media : EX/VG+(some slightly noise. side B has slightly weat that does not affect to sounds.)
Released in 1984, this album by free-jazz flautist James Newton stands as a remarkable work that bridges avant-garde jazz with a near–New Age sensibility, incorporating natural acoustic resonances shaped by the environment itself. The core quintet—Jay Hoggard (vibraphone), Kenny Kirkland (piano), Cecil McBee (bass), and Billy Hart (drums)—is expanded with a string trio featuring John Blake and Gayle Dixson on violins, and Abdul Wadud on cello, creating a richly textured and highly expressive ensemble. From the bittersweet African-American emotional depth of A1, expressing joy and sorrow in equal measure, to A3’s sensitive cover of a piece Wayne Shorter dedicated to his wife; from B1’s heartfelt meditation on the people of South Africa to B2’s elegiac requiem for the composer’s aunt, built around evocative string writing—this album unfolds with an ethnic, exotic flavor and a distinctly cinematic sense of imagery. A superb example of contemporary jazz that paints vivid soundscapes while remaining deeply personal and spiritual throughout.
A3: Anna Maria
B2: Luella (for My Aunt)