Spherical, the latest from New York City’s Infrequent Seams label, makes available for the first time the fruits of an eight-hour session from 1994 featuring multi-instrumentalist Bernie Worrell, drum virtuoso Cindy Blackman Santana, and guitarist John King. The only objective of this meeting was to blend elements of rock, funk, blues, noise, and experimentation; i.e. a potent combo that gives Fusion a good name. Rediscovered by King in a box of unlabeled CDs, cassettes, and DAT tapes, the music is out now on LP with a download code offering three bonus tracks.
The late keyboard maestro Bernie Worrell is surely the most widely known member of this power trio, a prominence due specifically to his work in Parliament/Funkadelic, though his contribution in the ’80s to Talking Heads has been high of profile lately due to the recent theatrical rerelease of Jonathan Demme’s concert film Stop Making Sense.
Drummer and bandleader Cindy Blackman Santana has a deep résumé, having played with Pharoah Sanders, Bill Laswell, Lenny Kravitz, Joe Henderson, Hugh Masakela, Sam Rivers, Sonny Simmons, Angela Bofill and many more. In addition, she’s played Bitches Brew live in a band paying tribute to Miles Davis and in 2010 recorded Another Lifetime in homage to the groundbreaking fusion band of her mentor, Tony Williams. She currently plays in Santana alongside her husband Carlos Santana; they married in 2010.
Guitarist, violist, and composer John King’s credits are just as impressive, having played in the bands of David Moss, Butch Morris, and William Parker, along with leading his ’90s trio Electric World. He’s also received commissions for pieces from the Kronos Quartet, Bang on a Can All-Stars, and the Merce Cunningham Dance Co, amongst others, and has two recordings released by John Zorn’s Tzadik label, AllSteel (2006) and 10 Mysteries (2010).
Electric World’s 1993 CD Life = Love welcomed Worrell as a guest on four tracks, a connection that sowed the seeds for Spherical. After hearing Blackman live in the summer of the following year, he invited Worrell and Blackman into the studio that autumn. That session, with no concept attached, produced the music heard here.
Blackman bursts out of the speakers as the first track “Future Blues” kicks off with a decidedly avant funk groove. The cut’s five-minute duration effectively showcases King’s considerable prowess as he hits like a more prog focused Sonny Sharrock at times. That means he never loses a handle on the blues root. Blackman conjures up the thunder the entire way through and Worrell ensures the funk pulse never falters.
“Future Blues” is a solid opener, but “Unfunkingstoppable” is an absolute high speed pedal stomping kit battering burner that makes room for three instrumental solo spots, the first featuring Worrell on mini-Moog (he also plays Clavinet on the album). Structurally uncomplicated, the sheer creativity and intensity of the playing elevates the track into something special.
“Sunday Sunrise” puts the spotlight directly on Worrell for a lengthy solo opening that starts out like he’s adding castle ambience to an early ’60s flick from Hammer Studios, but then quickly shifts into a bluesy-churchy zone as his bandmates join in, first Blackman, followed by King. “Stop-Time Shuffle” ratchets up the intensity again with Blackman front and center, though King ladles in the noisy scorch and Worrell delivers a few proggy twists.
“Auguries” closes the vinyl in the ballpark of late ’60s heavy psych rock, underscoring the influence of Hendrix on King and how it extends to his session mates. The impressive reality is that inside an eight-hour session this trio whips up a leaner, more interesting heavy psych rock variant than most Hendrix acolytes then or now.
“Sonny’s Hand” (my guess is Sharrock’s) is nearly seven minutes of raucousness and beauty flashes from King gliding atop a study foundation, “Starpath” offers more sustained Blackman explosiveness, and the King solo piece “Muddy’s Dream” delves deep into the blues with nary a hint of the hackneyed. Altogether, these three digital bonuses add significant value to a highly worthwhile archival find.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A
