Webster Lewis: Live at Club 7 [4LP] Jazz Aggression LTD 500 w/download SEALED

$

110

Dustygroove: The earliest work we've ever heard from keyboardist Webster Lewis – and a set that's quite different than his late 70s groovers for Columbia Records! The music here is equal parts jazz, soul, and funk – spun out of over a set of long tracks recorded in Oslo at the start of the 70s – and done in a very righteous mode overall! Even at this early age, Lewis is a tremendous talent on the keys – hitting the Hammond and electric piano with a groove that's somewhere in between Doug Carn or Charles Earland at the time – and always with a free-flowing, very exploratory sound that's wonderfully recorded throughout – and which almost makes the record feel like an American classic on the Black Jazz label! The drums on the set are by Jimmy Hopps – who brings in some funky beats at just the right moments – and other musicians include Bobby Greene on alto and Stan Strickland on tenor – plus Judd Watkins on vocals, who sings on some of the best songs with a deep-voiced quality that's really great! This double-length reissue really expands past the previous version on Counterpoint – and the 4LP set features 14 tracks that include "Do You Believe", "Saturday Night Opening", "Dear Sister", "Qvote Unqvote", "Mr Knots", "Space Rock", "Silent Lights", "Up On The Roof", "Club 7 Latin", "For Arne", and "Intermezzo".
Jazz Aggression: “A unique and essential recording that is an absolute dream musically in every way possible” – Paul Murphy (Jazz Room)
“Webster Lewis – file under Legend!” Gilles Peterson (BBC Worldwide)
The complete set: the original 1972 Live at Club7 album and Club7 Live Tapes from 2007— together in a box as 4 LPs!
As Jazzaggression celebrates its 20th anniversary, we knew we had to do something special. So, we went back to our very first release and thought: How can we make it even better? The answer was to bundle the original Live at Club7 release from ’72 with previously unreleased material, giving you, for the first time, the entire session as one complete experience. We returned to the master tapes for fresh transfers and had new lacquers cut by Jukka Sarapaa of Timmion fame. Plus, we dove into the photo archives to include previously unseen photos from the session.
Much has already been written about this Boston-based band, handpicked by George Russell and touring Norway in the early seventies, as well as the series of coincidences that led to its recording by engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug (later known for his work with ECM) in 1971. The story is well-covered in the liner notes of the 8-page booklet that accompanies the box set. To keep it brief here: this music embodies the best of both worlds for rare groove fans—soulful jazz with a killer backbone. But it’s more than that; there’s an esoteric, free-flowing energy in the jazz tracks that resonates even more today than when we first released the Club7 tapes two decades ago.
The music reflects the vision of a nonconformist Webster Lewis in his late 20s, backed by a powerhouse lineup. Judd Watkins brings an “Isaac Hayes” style to the vocals, while the extraordinary drummer Jimmy Hopps anchors the rhythm with force, alongside Bobby Greene on alto sax and Stan Strickland on tenor sax and flute. Together, they form a quintet with an eclectic selection of songs and a scale of sound that remains unmatched to this day.
Or as Webster himself said back then: “We’ve only just begun.” It’s The Post-Pop, Space Rock, Be-Bop, Gospel Tabernacle Chorus and Orchestra, BABY!
As we said at the start, we’ve gone the extra mile on this one: new transfers from the original master tapes, new lacquers cut, an 8-page booklet with rare photos, updated liner notes, four tip-on sleeves in a custom box, and digital downloads included. Plus, bonus stickers! To keep it collectible, we’ve limited it to just 500 copies. With the strong interest in this band and their unique sound, these are set to go fast—so if you want one, don’t hesitate.