Weldon Irvine – Liberated Brother (Nodlew / Pure Pleasure) LP

Product Description

Re-mastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

Weldon Irvine’s debut as a leader remains one of the most fiercely idiosyncratic electric jazz outings of the early ’70s. Innovative not only for its moody, nuanced jazz-funk sensibility, Liberated Brother also translates the uncommonly strong passion of Irvine’s political and philosophical views into its grooves, creating music of rare sincerity and ambition. While the record’s first-half features longer, more meditative songs, like the Latin-inspired title tune and “Blues Wel-Don,” the second side of Liberated Brother commands the most attention. With sterling contributions from guitarist Tommy Smith, bassist Roland Wilson, and drummer Napoleon Revels-Bey, cuts like “Mr. Clean” and “Sister Sanctified” (later sampled by Boogie Down Productions for the rap classic “My Philosophy”) achieve a deeply funky consciousness forged from elements of jazz, soul, and psychedelia; “Juggah Buggah” even features Irvine on Moog synthesizer, further expanding the LP’s cosmic reach – Jason Ankeny/AMG

Personnel:
Weldon Irvine – Piano, Electric Piano [RMI] Synthesizer [Moog] (tracks: B4, B5), Melodica
Roland Wilson – Electric Bass [Fender] Tommy Smith – Electric Guitar
Preston Williams – Flugelhorn
James Stroud (2) – Tenor Saxophone
Chipper Lyles, Napoleon Revels (tracks: B1) – Drums
Chipper Lyles (tracks: B1), Napoleon Revels – Percussion

Recorded and re-mixed at Sound Ideas Studio, New York, N.Y.
Produced by Weldon J. Irvine, Jr
Engineer – George Klabin
Moog Coordinator: Bob Townsend

FORMAT: 180 gram vinyl

Tracklist:

Side A:
1. Liberated Brother
2. Here’s Where I Came In
3. Blues Wel-Don

Side B:
1. Mr.Clean
2. Gloria
3. Homey
4. Juggah Buggah
5. Sister Sanctified

Nodlew / Pure Pleasure NM-1001