Lloyd McNeill Quartet 'Asha One' Original Private Label LP Spiritual Cosmic Jazz

$

158

The Lloyd McNeill Quartet - Asha One
Original 1969 LP on private D.C. label Asha recordings

Condition (play-test/Goldmine)
Record: Ex. Quiet with great presence & minimal noise  Cover: Ex./NM-  In original shrink; small scuff on exposed bottom corner

This original pressing LP was both produced and released by flute player Lloyd McNeill on his own private-press Asha Recording Company in Washington, DC in 1969 (44 years ago!). Only 1000 copies were ever pressed and ‘Asha’ has been a serious collector’s deep jazz album ever since.

African-American flute player Lloyd McNeill is a multidisciplinary artist – a painter who lived in Paris in 1965 and was a friend of Picasso, a musician who has worked with Nina Simone, Nana Vasconceles, Ron Carter, Cecil McBee and many more and a music anthropologist, poet and teacher. Lloyd even designed and painted the original abstract cover design which displays lineage from Matisse to the Afro-centric colors and shapes of Romare Bearden.

In the 1960s he was involved in the civil-rights movement and produced music for ballet, paintings and installations. His music mixes jazz with Latin, Brazilian and African rhythms that McNeill learned while studying anthropology in his travels through much of Africa and Brazil (where he joined with Dom Salvador, Paulinho da Viola, Paulo Maura and Martinho da Vila).

The album features Lloyd's very proficient and unique flute and piccolo playing as well as his talents as a composer and arranger who presents seven of his original compositions here. McNeill is backed by the considerable talents of pianist and teacher Gene Rush, who worked with Eddie Harris and Dr. Andrew White. Rounding out the rhythm section is the well respected bassist Steve  Novosol who has worked with Archie Shepp and McCoy Tyner just to name a few; Steve brought in the dynamic drummer Eric Gravatt from McCoy's band at the time and Paul Hawkins added Latin percussion.

While the approach is certainly ethereal and therefore "cosmic" the album shows discipline and work where the musicians both listen and play with direction respecting the compositions unlike many of the "lost groups of the 60's" where everyone seems to be playing on his own in chaotic fashion. Lloyd is obviously your for real "Renaissance Guy" and it is understandable how this album has now become a jazz collector's must have classic. I believe that both the cover and the LP itself are in pristine condition for its age including the cellophane wrapper which was never totally removed from the cover. Before posting I cleaned and played it on my Denon DP-47F turntable with a Shure V15 III cartridge and it sounded great with terrific presence and virtually no surface noise. It is truly a rare opportunity for the true and serious collector to own this historic LP  

__