Complete Esp-Disk Recordings, The

'60s recordings featuring free jazz pioneer Wright on tenor sax. Tempos aren't so fast, but that's balanced by Wright's forceful, almost violently emotional style. Definite jazzy feel throughout; many tracks use a catchy theme to quickly launch into wild solos.

At first glance, Wright's playing seems less agile and adept than that of some contemporaries; his sax becomes more of a blunt instrument than a surgical tool. He has the right ideas and attitude, though, and gets some good support from the other horns on Disk 2. All told, this is a satisfying and uplifting document of some deserving '60s work.

Disk 1 includes several interview tracks with Bernard Stollman, founder of the ESP-Disk label, and Wright. Stollman is eloquent; Wright is, um, sometimes difficult to follow.

DISK ONE -- Henry Grimes on bass!
1- Slow. Gruff, burly sax over a cool-handed bass & drums. Bass solo for about 1/2 the track.
2- Midtempo, bouncy, boppish. With aggressively growling sax.
3- Midtempo. Again, lots of heavy, burly sax
4-12- Interviews: (4,8) Stollman discusses his discovery of Wright. (8,9,10) are about how the European market is so much kinder to these musicians. (9) includes vibist Khan Jamal.
(11)- has one *FCC*, right near the end.

DISK TWO -- quintet w/two other horns
1- Mid/slow, grand theme
2- Midtempo start but high energy buzzing soon after
3- Fast. Parade-like horn theme, then massive fast blowing
4- Busy fast.
5- Slow, reverent, but still with that forceful sound