joe mcphee/harold e smith/mike kull: trinity

First time vinyl reissue of Joe McPhee's classic CJR LP from 1972. Recorded on November 28, 1971 in the Parish Hall, West Park, New York. Exact repress of the original artwork. This excellent trio recording of blues-inflected out-jazz from '72 follows up on the hugely successful Nation Time, which was actually recorded a year Later. McPhee says it was not only a turning point in his music, but a turning point with his tenor sax as well: "With Trinity, I began to feel more comfortable with the instrument. Not having a bassist also removed me from a normal 'jazz' context, let the music just be what it was... The larger space provided by the trio gave me more time to explore the instrument, the colors became more clear, the area I wanted to work became more defined." Even for Joe McPhee, Trinity is a far-reaching record, as broad as you can possibly imagine. McPhee delivers animalistic howls, plaintive melodies, and bluesy ramble. The group sound spans from free-range "space" music with vocals to high-intensity energy laid down over kicking drums. Each duo combination is explored at length, winding in and out of trio improvisation. Group improvisations guide this record, a simple conversation between three strong musicians with strong ideas. Joe McPhee (tenor and soprano saxophones, trumpet, pocket cornet); Mike Kull (piano and electric piano); Harold E. Smith (percussion).