uptempo bonus tracks. On the original
LP, there were seven pieces, all hewing
to a shared aesthetic. One of the tracks
is “All Blues” from Miles Davis’ Kind of
Blue, and both albums have something
in common in terms of a steady, relaxed
blues mood.
Williams loved the idea of a blues
continuum, and programmed Free Spirits
to feature young voices that met her
standard for excellence in the tradition.
“Pale Blue,” by Buster Williams, fea-
tures lush voicings that are the height
of Hancock-ian sophistication. The title
track and “Baby Man” are memorable
compositions by John Stubblefield, a tenor
player who had just arrived in town with
an avant-garde blues aesthetic somewhere
between Stanley Turrentine and Pharoah
Sanders. The album begins with a well-
known theme by soulful pianist Bobby
Timmons, “Dat Dere,” which must have
been intended as a tribute, for Timmons
had died the previous year. The trio
swings each blues number as hard as it
can be swung, especially on the pianist’s
own “Blues for Timme,” where the feel in
the bass and drums is simply outrageous.
Both Roker and Buster Williams are
well-recorded and delightfully interactive
throughout.
Jelly Roll Morton famously said that
jazz required
the Spanish
tinge, so
Mary Lou
Williams
was sure to
include a
Latin novelty
number, the old standard “Temptation,”
done somewhat like Ahmad Jamal. The
last track on the LP is a bright funk piece,
the original composition “Ode to St. Ceci-
le,” a perfect representation of 1975, when
the album was recorded. Roker played
drums in church, and his beat here might
make even a diehard atheist a believer.
Mary Lou Williams has always been a
beloved jazz musician, but her com-
mitment to the whole continuum has
frustrated attempts to secure her place ina conventional historical narrative. Yet
when that commitment becomes the only
way to discuss her contribution, other
problems arise. More press was given to
her 1977 album Embraced, with Cecil
Ta y l o r, t h a n Free Spirits, probably because“Mary Lou Williams played it all from
Dixieland to free jazz” is a satisfying pull
quote. Embraced has good moments,
but I regret Taylor’s seeming inability to
lighten up and meet the older master on
her terrain. A lot of the time it sounds like
he’s mansplaining “This is modern jazz”
to Williams!
Free Spirits is the great Mary Lou
Williams disc from her last decade. Pure
pleasure and deep soul, fresh then and
fresh now. JTMickey Roker played drums in church, and
his beat on Williams’ “Ode to St. Cecile”
might make even a diehard atheist a believer.
Rediscover 12 albums from the revered pianist’s artisticprime, each fully restored from the original analog mastersand featuring newly unearthed songs and bonus material.The first four are available September 27, the rest will followin the coming months. For more information, or to purchase,visit MackAvenue.com or ErrollGarner.com.