Harper, Billy / Blueprints Of Jazz: Vol. 2
Album: Blueprints Of Jazz: Vol. 2   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Harper, Billy   Added:Dec 2008
Label:Talking House Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2009-02-14 Pull Date: 2009-04-18 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Apr 19 Apr 12 Mar 15 Mar 8 Mar 1 Feb 22
Airplays: 1 2 1 1 1 1

Recent Airplay
1. Jul 01, 2017: No Cover, No Minimum: Saturday Edition
Knowledge Of Self
4. Jan 08, 2011: No Cover, No Minimum
Knowledge Of Self
2. Nov 20, 2015: Rebop
Time And Time Again
5. May 22, 2010: Music Casserole
Knowledge Of Self
3. Jan 10, 2014: No Cover, No Minimum
Knowledge Of Self
6. Jun 19, 2009: Music for Snarking Out
Africa Revisited

Album Review
Fo
Reviewed 2009-02-13
BILLY HARPER: Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. 2
Talking House, 2008

MODERN JAZZ - This muscular Coltrane-school postbop & poetry set proves that saxophonist Billy Harper remains a powerful creative force. The music has a retro-but-edgy “black consciousness” feel, with unpolished rhythms and intonation just outside the comfort zone of mainstream jazz. And Amiri Baraka’s jazz history poems fit perfectly.

* * * * | Fo’s Picks: 2, 3, 5, 8, 9

1. 16:43 – awkward theme turns heavy & passionate with a great Amiri Baraka poem about black history (music based on two Coltrane tunes)
2. 9:06 – DEEP jazz history poem over a lopsided yet soulful stride... whew!
3. 4:33 – thumping midtempo, simple but compelling theme & killer drums
4. 5:37 – soulful ballad: sax/piano duet, adds wordless vox & synth
5. 5:15 – thoughtful midtempo: direct horn statements & gospel-tinged piano
6. 7:46 – plodding theme, but sax & trumpet solos have fire in the belly
7. 4:04 – Harper sings! Right outta the church, includes overdub duet w/sax
8. 12:27 – it’s all in here: sturdy theme, fiery horns, heavy chords, spirit & soul
9. 6:15 – perky hardbop and another spoken-word lesson in jazz prehistory

[ Fo ] 02/13/09

Track Listing
1. Africa Revisited   5. Time And Time Again
2. Knowledge Of Self   6. Who Here Can Judge Our Fates?
3. Another Kind Of Thoroughbred   7. Amazing Grace
4. Thoughts And Slow Actions   8. Cast The First Stone? (...If Yourself Have No Sins)
  9. Oh... If Only