Rufus Harley: A Tribute To Courage
Author: Kevin Le Gendre
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Musicians: |
James Glenn (b) |
Label: |
Atlantic |
Magazine Review Date: |
September/2014 |
Catalogue Number: |
8122-79689-0 |
RecordDate: |
1968 |
Harley may forever be tagged as the ‘jazz piper’ but, as this enjoyable album shows, he was actually a multi-reed player who more than knew his way around the flute, tenor and soprano sax, and to a certain extent invited comparison with his Atlantic records colleague Rahsaan Roland Kirk. After all, Harley can take a great pop song such as Bobby Hebb's ‘Sunny’ and bring an entirely personal resonance to the melody just as he can write originals that push him as an improviser all while keeping a vivid blues-gospel sensibility. His obvious love of spirituals such as ‘Wade In The Water’ always seems to lurk just under the surface of many of his solos, but Harley's own themes are also memorable, and the socially conscious strain of this album only serves to enhance its emotional content. The title track is dedicated to JFK, while other notable pieces are ‘Ali’ and ‘X’. Whether this may have inspired the British reggae group Steel Pulse's Tribute To The Martyrs is a moot point, but the two records have an important kinship.

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