Dorothy Ashby - The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby
Label:
Catalog#:
DGA 3002
Format:
CD, Reissue
Country:
US
Released:
2007
Genre:
Funk / Soul,
Jazz
Style:
Soul,
Funk
Tracklist
| 1 | Myself When Young | 5:20 | ||
| 2 | For Some We Loved | 4:03 | ||
| 3 | Wax And Wine | 4:24 | ||
| 4 | Drink | 2:31 | ||
| 5 | Wine | 3:59 | ||
| 6 | Dust | 3:38 | ||
| 7 | Joyful Grass & Grape | 2:51 | ||
| 8 | Shadow Shapes | 3:32 | ||
| 9 | Heaven & Hell | 3:10 | ||
| 10 | The Moving Finger | 5:39 |
Credits
Arranged By, Conductor [Conducted By], Producer -
Richard Evans (2)
Composed By - Dorothy Ashby
Engineer - Dave Purple
Flute, Oboe, Piccolo Flute - Lenny Druss*
Guitar - Cash McCall
Harp, Vocals - Dorothy Ashby
Kalimba - Fred Katz
Saxophone [Alto] - Cliff Davis
Vibraphone - Stu Katz
Violin - Ed Green (2)
Composed By - Dorothy Ashby
Engineer - Dave Purple
Flute, Oboe, Piccolo Flute - Lenny Druss*
Guitar - Cash McCall
Harp, Vocals - Dorothy Ashby
Kalimba - Fred Katz
Saxophone [Alto] - Cliff Davis
Vibraphone - Stu Katz
Violin - Ed Green (2)
Notes
Incredible Work From The Amazing Dorothy Ashby -- A Brilliant Set Of Funky And Spiritual Tunes, Set To Full Backings From Chicago Soul Arranger Richard Evans! This Album Is Easily One Of Ashby's Greatest, And It's Dedicated To The Writings Of Omar Khayyam -- One Of The Forces Guiding Dorothy's More Spiritual Sound At The End Of The 60s, Clearly Opened Up In A Way That's Not Unlike The Direction Of Alice Coltrane's Work, But A Lot More Focused And A Lot More Funky! Ashby Not Only Plays Her Usual Jazz Harp, But Also Koto As Well, And Even Sings A Bit Too -- And The Larger Group Directed By Evans Features Work By Stu Katz On Vibes And Kalimba, Lenny Druss On Flutes, And Cash McCall On Guitar -- All In A Groove That's Really A Precursor To The Earth Wind & Fire Generation Of The Chicago Scene!
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Reviews & Discussion
This album was inspired by the words of ancient middle-eastern philosopher Omar Khayyam, but the beginning of the opening track apart, there isn't that much in the grooves that is influenced by that culture. Instead the rhythms span from swing to African styles with straight beats inbetween, sometimes sprinkled with Dorothy's intoned profundities. A real potpourri, not all of it works, such as the over-ambitious "Shadow Shapes" that sounds like a reject from a Cole Porter musical (one can even imagine Gene Kelly hoofing away in the instrunental breaks), and on "Joyful Grass and Grape", Dot whacks away on a Koto for far too long solo before a sluggish so-so beat finally arrives. She actually sings on several tracks which may surprise some, but I think it's a shame it didn't happen more often, as she has a clear and radiant alto delivery. As such the best tracks for me are the sad but beautiful ballads "Drink", "Dust" and "Heaven & Hell", wherein Dorothy opines the fleetingness of life, made more poignant by the fact that she had already passed away some 20 years before I got to hear them.
