ONENESS OF JUJU CHAPTER 2: NIA ORIG'74 STRATA-EAST SPIRITUAL JAZZ LP NM

$

312

WE CURRENTLY HAVE  MORE THAN 300  LISTED ITEMS

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·       ONENESS OF JUJU featuring JAMES 'PLUNKY' BRANCH  – CHAPTER TWO: NIA -  INSANELY RARE  ORIGINAL 1974 STRATA-EAST STEREO SES-7420

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       ORIGINAL BLACK AND WHITE (WHITE TOP, BLACK BOTTOM) 'STRATA EAST'LABEL

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       ORIGINAL, THICK CARDBOARD COVER (AMERICAN STYLE)

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

(►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you’ll get.  GUARANTEED!)

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After setting the mood with the formless and free "Introduction," the band settles into its very funky groove on "Contradiction," a soul-jazz number that's a little safe for a Strata-East release but is still a lot of fun. Plunky's style is a little more deliberate than many of his contemporaries', and his controlled playing is at times in stark contrast to his more fiery bandmates, especially pianist Al-Hammel Rasul, who totally owns "Black Experience" (and not just because the shoddy production buries Plunky's sax deep in the mix for most of the track). That latter track is the first time we really get a good chance to hear the interplay between the bassist (possibly Ken Parker) and drummer Babatunde Olatunji and it almost immediately becomes the most interesting thing about the album, providing the backbone for the title track, which is also a great showcase for flutist Lon Moshe.

The real showcase here, though, is "Black Unity," a nearly 16 minute jam that rides along on the typically funky bass and drum work mentioned above, but allows Plunky and Rasul to really let loose. Percussionist Jalongo Ngoma is added to the core group for a little more sonic depth, and the whole thing flies around in a million directions with nary a solo or individual showcase (there is a section in the middle where it's cut down to just the two percussionists, however). It's really a stunning listen, if a tad tedious: the relentless rhythm sounds just exhausting to play, but is never anything short of mesmerizing. This isn't one of my favorite Strata East releases, but it's got a fair deal of charm and should be interesting for those who are into the later Oneness of Juju records.

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The rare second album from Juju – the avant jazz collective who'd later morph into funk band Oneness Of Juju, but who still sound pretty revolutionary here! There's a bit more focus than before – still energy that's a lot like the best righteous jazz groups coming out of Chicago or St Louis at the same time, but maybe a bit more direct, too – and really showing some of the stronger spiritual tones that would only blossom more strongly in later years! Reedman Plunky Nakabinde is firmly at the helm of the group – on tenor, flute, and soprano sax – but the set also features great work from Lon Moshe on vibes and percussion, Babatunde on congas and drums, Phil Branch on bass, and Al-Hammond Raul on piano and percussion. The sounds are a bit less Afro-styled than on the Oneness records, but still have all the great spiritual currents – and titles include an excellent version of Pharoah Sanders' "Black Unity", plus the original tunes "Contradiction","Nia", "Black Experience", and "The End Of The Butterfly King

 (EXCERPTS FROM ANONYMOUS ONLINE REVIEWS)

For additional historical information on this album, including track listing ►CLICK HERE

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·       CONDITION:

·       THE RECORD

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we  grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

(a)          WE GRADE THE VINYL AS NEAR MINT. The original luster is very much intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new.

(b)          The record comes in a poly-lined inner sleeve, which has - apparently with success - shielded the vinyl from the harmful impact of elements over many years!

(c)           The record is pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, which was usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound on such thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do not expect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording!

(d)          Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

·                               THE COVER

THE COVER IS NICE --- ABOUT VERY GOOD+(+)

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-        Cover has a partially split bottom seam (less than 1 inch / 2.5 centimeters)

-        Cover has a partially split spine (between 1 and 2 inches  / 2.5 to 5 centimeters)

-        Cover has some visible fraying/tattering on the spine

-        Visible shelf wear noted on the top and bottom seams

-        Cover has two corners slightly worn / dinged  (nothing significant)

-        Cover has some light ring wear (nothing significant); On the scale from 1 to 10 (1 being the least, and  10 being the most severe), we assess the severity of ring wear as 4

-        Cover shows JUST A HINT of yellowing on both sides, apparently from aging.

-        Cover has a few tiny wrinkles along the spine

-        Cover has a visible "wrinkle"(crease)  in one of the corners.

-        Back cover has a few yellowish dust speckles scattered here and there (these tiny spots are not overly obtrusive or distracting)

NO OTHER VISIBLE FLAWS OR IMPERFECTIONS ON THE  COVER

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