Friends and Neighbors

VINYL FORMAT. Ornette's masterpiece for Flying Dutchman -- and a great set that features Charlie Haden, Dewey Redman, Ed Blackwell, and assorted unnamed Friends & Neighbors. The majority of the tracks on the LP -- "Let's Play", "Long Time No See", "Forgotten Songs", and "Tomorrow" -- feature prime playing in the Ornette late 60s/early 70s mode, with a slight bit of a spiritual bent that marks the material from the rest of his work. The group is incredibly tight, and Blackwell and Haden have never sounded better. The title cut, though, is the real mind-blower. It's in 2 parts, with vocal accompaniment by the unnamed mass of "extras", and a tight pulsing groove, with what sounds like an electric bass, and Ornette wailing away on violin. Great stuff, and a record that we hardly ever see in the original!