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a r t i s t : Prince Lasha & Odean Pope Trio
t i t l e : The Mystery of Prince Lasha
d a t e : 2005
l a b e l : CimpCD330
g e n r e : Avantgarde
r l s. d a t e : november/2005
t r a c k s : 09
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 86,8 MB
_______________________________________________________________________
The Mystery of Prince Lasha
Prince Lasha & Odean Pope Trio | CIMP Records
By Derek Taylor
Shooting for a faux sense of inscrutability, the
tongue-in-cheek title of this new CIMP masks what is an
unsurprisingly common occurrence in creative improvised music.
Like others of his era who have dropped beneath the public
radar since their halcyon days, Prince Lasha opted for a more
financially remunerative path than the largess of professional
musicianship could provide. Or to put it more simply, when the
well ran dry, he sought water elsewhere. Now a septuagenarian,
the time felt ripe for a return to the jazz world to redress
what he feels is a waning sense of soul.
Teaming with the well-established Odean Pope Trio, a unit
thatÆs been crafting meaningful music for going on fifteen
years, LashaÆs homecoming to active duty is both auspicious
and edifying. His hiatus has been kind to both his chops and
his outlook. Evidence that both are intact arrives right out
of the gate on his spirited alto play on the Calypsonian
opener, ôColeman Captain Hornblower,ö dedicated to an old
colleague, Ornette Coleman. Alto and tenor engage again at
length on the rapid closer, ôDivine Message,ö rocketing across
a comet tail rhythm with convening streams that revel deeply
in the blues.
Pope takes on the role of fulcrum between his rhythm section
and LashaÆs freewheeling method of phrasing a line. ItÆs not
always an easy task, and the mesh between the horns isnÆt
always the most durable to scrutiny. But Pope still manages to
serve as a mutually supportive bridge. His robust tenor tone,
indebted but never enslaved to the precedence of Coltrane,
anchors, while Lasha proves more prone to flights of fancy
beyond the tether of rhythmic decorum. McIver and Brown sound
a bit stiff and sequestered on the opening cuts, but they
loosen up swiftly.
Later pieces like the sectional ôPrince Lashaö reveal more
expansive roles for their substantial talents. A griot
storytelling spirit pervades the entire session and LashaÆs
accompanying notes further expound on the living narrative
quality inherent to his compositions. Black mysticism and an
ancient-to-the-future philosophy are palpable ingredients,
both in the annotations and the collective passion brought to
the pursuit of infusing them with musical life.
The program also makes ample accordance for Lasha's wide
palette of reeds and winds. His nimble and often knavish
soprano flavors tracks like the balladic ôSelmerö with a
welcome amount of piquant spice. Clarinet gets short shrift,
only appearing later in the set on pieces like the somber
gospel-intoned ôBook of John,ö another bow to the deity that
is Trane. LashaÆs piccolo threads through the vamp-powered
ôDinka Man Warrior,ö soloing lithely before a particularly
supple tΩte-α-tΩte between McIver and Brown steeped in
telegraphing African beats. Flute calmly intones echoes of the
eponymous master on ôEric Dolphy,ö with BrownÆs warm pizzicato
as sole support and foil.
Lasha was gone so long that his absence eventually
necessitated acceptance. Years of possible musical activity
may have been lost, but this disc makes a persuasive case that
many more may exist ahead.
_______________________________________________________________________
01-Coleman, Captain Hornblower [07:08]
02-Many, Many, Many, Many Miles Away [07:28]
03-Selmer [04:44]
04-Dinka Man Warrior [08:28]
05-Eric Dolphy [03:55]
06-John the Gospel [06:36]
07-Prince Lasha [10:30]
08-Book of John [04:58]
09-Divine Message [09:43]
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63:30 min