Booker Ervin - The Freedom Book (1963) 320 kbps

Tracklist

1.A Lunar Tune 7:50
2.Cry Me Not 4:53
3.Grant's Stand 8:01
4.A Day To Mourn 9:33
5.Al's In 9:48

personnel :

Booker Ervin - tenor saxophone
Jaki Byard - piano
Richard Davis - bass
Alan Dawson - drums

One of the finest groups that tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin ever led was the quartet that recorded The Freedom Book and ten months later The Space Book. The trio of pianist Jaki Byard, bassist Richard Davis and drummer Alan Dawson really could not be improved upon but unfortunately this band only existed in the recording studios on an irregular basis. For this CD reissue, Ervin performs four of his obscure but worthy originals plus Randy Weston's "Cry Me Not." Although the music is not as "free" as the title might hint, the music does take advantage of the recent innovations and is a couple steps beyond hard bop. These are stimulating performances which, as with the other entries in the Book series that were to come (The Song Book, Blues Book and Space Book), is heartily recommended. ~Scott Yanow