Trombonist Phil Ranelin has amassed a varied discography, though he’s still something of an under the radar guy. However, on January 26, ORG Music will be throwing an extended spotlight onto Ranelin’s quartet from the late ’70s-early ’80s featuring keyboardist Billy Childs, bassist Tony Dumas, and drummer Ralph Penland. The Found Tapes: Live in Los Angeles is a 4LP/3CD collection capturing three club sets in bold, raw fidelity, the music rooted in tradition as the band taps into the progressions of fusion and the avant-garde. Adventurous jazz fans will find much to enjoy in these eight sides.
Although he’s been quite active in the 21st century, Phil Ranelin is perhaps best known as a co-founder of The Tribe, which was both a Detroit-based record label and a group that also featured saxophonist Wendell Harrison, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, and drummer Doug Hammond. As part of a 1970s movement in jazz toward independence in reaction to the neglect and exploitation of established record labels of the time, The Tribe combined a collectively healthy grasp of jazz rudiments with openness to the creative advancements of the tumultuous prior decade and an eye on building a better future.
There’s no better example of The Tribe’s achievements that Ranelin’s 1973 LP The Time Is Now!, which has been given numerous reissues, most recently in the US by Now-Again Records. The Found Tapes is a clear extension of The Tribe’s approach, as Ranelin compositions debuted on his earlier albums are given fresh readings here. But there is also considerable growth on display, particularly in how the group integrates post-bop, robust grooving, and an avant-garde edge.
The beginning of the opening track “He the One We All Knew” recalls the Art Ensemble of Chicago in little instruments mode but soon switches into fleet boppish momentum amid a few solo-focused downshifts. Then, “Vibes From the Tribe” ushers in post-Miles heavy fusion funk propelled by a slamming beat from Penland and deepened with beaucoup Rhodes action from Childs. There’s even a stretch where Dumas comes to the fore, laying it down heavy on what sure sounds like an electric model bass (at other times it seems he switches to an upright).
Ranelin’s soloing at the end of the track is bold and in control. He’s described in the PR for The Found Tapes and elsewhere as coming out of the J.J. Johnson tradition, which is evident in how he can handle excursions into classique bop, e.g. “Bye Bye Blackbird” and deeper into the set, “A Night in Tunesia,” while also leading this group as the only horn. By extension, Ranelin can get seriously funky as he consistently steers his playing and the group’s thrust away from the unimaginative.
At 16 and 20 minutes, “He the One We All Knew” and “Vibes From the Tribe” are indicative of the quartet’s tendency to appealingly stretch out. There are a few pieces of shorter durations, such as the Ranelin composition “Of Times Gone By” and the concise at three minutes “Just the Way You Are” (yes, the Billy Joel song). But more frequently, the band enjoys finding a sweet spot and riding it, as in a tour de force reading of Sonny Rollins’ “Saint Thomas.”
The raw nature of these unearthed tapes isn’t representative of the more polished sound Ranelin likely would’ve preferred had he booked studio time for the group. Understand that Ranelin took part in a few of Freddie Hubbard’s most commercial endeavors. But he’s also surely the only human being to have played with both Ella Fitzgerald and Teflon Tel Aviv, so the man is versatile.
This quartet did eventually cut a studio record together, Ranelin’s 1986 set Love Dream, augmented with additional musicians. The title track of that LP is also heard on The Found Tapes. There is also a reading of the Cole Porter standard “I Love You,” additional versions of “He the One We All Knew” and “Bye Bye Blackbird,” and a closing take of Hubbard’s “Birdlike.” Altogether, this set is an illuminating and highly satisfying dive into the artistry of Phil Ranelin and his band, pulling from a wide range of jazz styles and delivering a coherent and dynamic whole.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A-
