Howard Johnson & Gravity: Right Now! Featuring Taj Mahal CD (S&H Included)
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TRACKS
1 Right Now Written-By – Charles Tolliver 9:19
2 It's Getting Harder To Survive Written-By – Ronnie Barron 9:25
3 Tell Me A Bedtime Story Written-By – Herbie Hancock 3:37
4Frame For The Blues Written-By – Slide Hampton5:50
5Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' Written-By – Joe Greene (2)5:58
6 Ma-ma Written-By – Caiphus Semanya *7:35
7 Svengali's Summer / Waltz Written-By – Gil Evans 10:27
8 Fever Written-By – Little Willie John 2:47
9 O Raggedy Man Written-By – Howard Johnson (3) 5:59
ADDITIONAL INFO
CREDITS
REVIEWS
The idea of a tuba sextet might seem a bit too daffy a defiance of the laws of gravity, but Hojo's ensemble -- nicknamed Gravity -- comes up with some surprisingly mellifluous textures on their second album to date. Though the playing sounds staggeringly clumsy on the opening title track, things quickly coalesce thereafter. The tuba harmonies oddly often bear a pleasing kinship with those of Steve Turre's massed conch shells, and the shadow of Gil Evans is everywhere. The eclectic sometime bluesician Taj Mahal -- who first worked with Johnson's tuba ensemble back in 1971 -- revives their long-dormant collaboration by appearing on three tracks, including a Ray Charles-ish "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" (catch the echoes of Evans' "Blues for Pablo" in the tubas). As a perhaps deliberately extreme juxtaposition, Johnson also solos attractively on the tiny pennywhistle on Herbie Hancock's "Tell Me a Bedtime Story," beautifully realized by the group, and moves jaggedly out in front of the band on baritone sax as well. Elegant fun. - Richard S. Ginell, AllMusic.com
TRACKS
1 Right Now Written-By – Charles Tolliver 9:19
2 It's Getting Harder To Survive Written-By – Ronnie Barron 9:25
3 Tell Me A Bedtime Story Written-By – Herbie Hancock 3:37
4Frame For The Blues Written-By – Slide Hampton5:50
5Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' Written-By – Joe Greene (2)5:58
6 Ma-ma Written-By – Caiphus Semanya *7:35
7 Svengali's Summer / Waltz Written-By – Gil Evans 10:27
8 Fever Written-By – Little Willie John 2:47
9 O Raggedy Man Written-By – Howard Johnson (3) 5:59
ADDITIONAL INFO
- Recorded At – Manhattan Center Studios
- Mixed At – Manhattan Center Studios
- Mastered At – Polygram Studios
- Phonographic Copyright (p) – Motor Music GmbH
- Copyright (c) – Motor Music GmbH
CREDITS
- Arranged By, Tuba – Howard Johnson (3)
- Baritone Saxophone – Howard Johnson (3) (tracks: 6, 9)
- Bass – James Cammack
- Coordinator [Production Coordinator] – Lisa Maldonado
- Design [Sleeve] – Dirk Rudolph
- Drums – Kenwood Dennard
- Engineer [Assistant] – Kurt Garrison, Roy Clark (2)
- Executive Producer – Christian Kellersmann
- Mastered By – Willem Makkee
- Mixed By – Will Schillinger
- Photography By – Harald Hoffman (2), Ssirus W. Pakzad
- Piano, Synthesizer, Keyboards – Ray Chew
- Producer – Suzi Reynolds
- Recorded By, Mixed By – James Nichols
- Tuba – Bob Stewart, Carl Kleinsteuber, Dave Bargeron, Earl McIntyre, Joe Daley
- Vocals – Howard Johnson (3) (tracks: 2), Taj Mahal (tracks: 2, 8)
REVIEWS
The idea of a tuba sextet might seem a bit too daffy a defiance of the laws of gravity, but Hojo's ensemble -- nicknamed Gravity -- comes up with some surprisingly mellifluous textures on their second album to date. Though the playing sounds staggeringly clumsy on the opening title track, things quickly coalesce thereafter. The tuba harmonies oddly often bear a pleasing kinship with those of Steve Turre's massed conch shells, and the shadow of Gil Evans is everywhere. The eclectic sometime bluesician Taj Mahal -- who first worked with Johnson's tuba ensemble back in 1971 -- revives their long-dormant collaboration by appearing on three tracks, including a Ray Charles-ish "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" (catch the echoes of Evans' "Blues for Pablo" in the tubas). As a perhaps deliberately extreme juxtaposition, Johnson also solos attractively on the tiny pennywhistle on Herbie Hancock's "Tell Me a Bedtime Story," beautifully realized by the group, and moves jaggedly out in front of the band on baritone sax as well. Elegant fun. - Richard S. Ginell, AllMusic.com