One of the best spiritual jazz , soul jazz albums
A Black Renaissance 23:40
B Magic Ritual 15:33
Companies etc
Copyright (c) – Harry Whitaker
Licensed To – Ubiquity Recordings, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Ubiquity Recordings, Inc.
Recorded At – Sound Ideas Studios
Credits
Bass – Buster Williams
Drums – Billy Hart (tracks: A), Howard King (tracks: B)
Engineer – Joe Ferla
Executive-Producer – Yoshio Ozawa
Percussion – Earl Bennett*, Billy Hart, Howard King, James Mtume
Piano – Harry Whitaker
Producer, Arranged By, Conductor – Harry Whitaker
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Azar Lawrence
Tenor Saxophone – David Schnitter
Trumpet – Woody Shaw
Vocals – Assata Doby, Edna Holt*, Lani Groves, Sandy Nakamura
Voice [Speaking] – Andaye DeLaCruz, Bobby Andrews, Dwight Carson, Fikisha Cumbo, Sekou Sundiata
Notes
Recorded January 15, 1976.
Originally released in Japan 1976.
Reissue comes with an obi strip and an insert.
This was also repressed on clear red vinyl in 2013 Body, Mind And Spirit
Harry Whitaker's Black Rennaisance - Body, Mind And Spirit - producer, tracklisting, cover art
Harry Whitaker is a piano player, producer and arranger who on MLK day
1976, at the age of 26, recorded Black Renaissance "Body, Mind, and
Spirit," a holy grail amongst collectors of soul-jazz and rare groove.
So rare, it was virtually a myth to many collectors and music
aficionados. Made up of two long tracks that periodically build and
release for forty minutes over two sides of an LP it's an improvised
masterpiece combining Afrocentric spiritual soul, jazz, poetry, amazing
solos, a tasty bass line or two and more than a fair share of funky
beats. It's also one of the earliest albums to feature rapping. Harry
Whitaker cut his teeth on the best of the Roy Ayers Ubiquity releases
(including playing keys on "We Live In Brooklyn Baby" and co-producing
the "Coffy" OST) and making a living working closely with Roberta Flack -
as her musical director, even playing on her big Eugene McDaniels'
written hit "I Feel Like Makin' Love." Black Renaissance "Body, Mind,
and Spirit," was his first attempt at a project where he wrote and
composed the music and played keys on all tracks. This album features
Woody Shaw, Azar Lawrence, Buster Williams, Billy Hart and Mtume amongst
others. CD liner notes (and album insert) explain how this album almost
never saw the light of day.
https://www.conceptoradio.net/2010/11/03/harry-whitaker-cuerpo-mente-y-espiritu/
Frankie Pizá:
Harry Whitaker: Cuerpo, Mente y Espíritu
Harry Whitaker nació un 19 de Septiembre de 1942,en Pensacola (Florida) y empezó a tocar el piano a la temprana edad de 5
años, aunque comenzó sus clases de piano clásico a los 7. En 1948 se
trasladó a Chicago y en 1953 su familia acabó instalándose en la ciudad
de Detroit. Ya en plena adolescencia, su padre solía llevarlo a un
famoso Templo Masónico llamado “The Blue Bird”, donde algunas noches florecían jam sessions sin límites horarios que provocaron una inminente influencia en el joven Whitaker...
A los 16 años y recién graduado se decidió a probar suerte junto a su amigo y bajista, Ray McKinney,
juntos recorrieron kilómetros y kilómetros de carretera buscando
audiciones, tocando en clubs y ganándose un nombre como bien podían. Ya
en 1961, Harry se mudó a la gran Manzana esperando codearse con los
grandes y con el máximo deseo de continuar su fantástico aprendizaje. La
llamada clave la realizó en 1965 Slide Hampton, quien requirió los servicios del tierno pianista para la banda del gran Lloyd “Mr. Personality” Price,
una formación de auténticos salvajes del circuito, músicos de talla
mundial. Whitaker no se achantó y con tan sólo 22 años, compartió
escenario con leyendas como Kenny Dorham, Pat Martino o Jimmy Heath
(esto no fue ocasional o anecdótico, el de Florida era uno más),
músicos que también supieron introducirle ante otros grandes nombres del
momento, como por ejemplo el gran batería Alphonse Mouzon (con quién compartiría estudio en la futura grabación del mítico álbum de Eugene McDaniels, “Headless Heroes Of The Apocalypse”, donde la magia de Whitaker ya era más que un hecho) , quién a su vez le presentó a un vibrafonista de Los Angeles llamado Roy Ayers, que en aquellos tiempos se encontraba en plena búsqueda de un pianista para su nuevo álbum....
... La vida musical de Harry Whitaker lleva años relacionada con Nueva York, donde sus actuaciones cada Jueves, Viernes y Sábado en el Arturo’s Restaurant de la 106 W Houston Street son toda una institución. Allí fue donde se gestó su intensa participación en el debut de la cantante Claudia Acuña para Verve (donde dirige y toca el piano) y donde Harry ha encontrado la oportunidad de editar sus primeros discos con su trio (junto a Omer Avital y Dan Aran) gracias al sello Small Records. “Thoughts (Past And Present)” primero y a modo de revisión de algunas composiciones del pasado del pianista, y más recientemente el “One Who Sees All Things”, enteramente compuesto por material nuevo....
Frankie Pizá:Harry Whitaker: Body, Mind and SpiritHarry
Whitaker was born on September 19, 1942 in Pensacola, Florida, and
began playing the piano at the early age of 5, although he began his
classical piano lessons at age 7. In 1948 he moved to Chicago and in
1953 Family settled in the city of Detroit. Already in full adolescence, his father used to take him to a famous
Masonic Temple called "The Blue Bird", where some nights bloomed jam
sessions without time limits that caused an imminent influence on young
Whitaker ...
At
age 16 and recently graduated he decided to try his luck with his
friend and bassist, Ray McKinney, they traveled miles and miles of the
road looking for auditions, playing in clubs and earning a name as well
as they could. As
early as 1961, Harry moved to the Big Apple hoping to rub shoulders
with the big ones and with the maximum desire to continue his fantastic
learning. The
key call was made in 1965 by Slide Hampton, who required the services
of the tender pianist for the band of the great Lloyd "Mr. Personality "Price, a lineup of authentic circuit savages, world-class musicians. Whitaker
did not flatter himself and, with only 22 years old, shared stage with
legends like Kenny Dorham, Pat Martino or Jimmy Heath (this was not an
occasional or anecdotal one, Florida was one more), musicians who also
introduced him to other big names Such
as the great drummer Alphonse Mouzon (with whom he would share studio
in the future recording of Eugene McDaniels' legendary album, "Headless
Heroes Of The Apocalypse", where Whitaker's magic was already more than a
fact), who to his He introduced him to a Los Angeles vibraphonist named Roy Ayers, who
was in the midst of a quest for a new pianist for his new album .......
The musical life of Harry Whitaker has been related to New York for
years, where his performances every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at
Arturo's Restaurant at 106 W Houston Street are an institution. This
was where her intense participation took place in the debut of singer
Claudia Acuña for Verve (where she directs and plays the piano) and
where Harry has found the opportunity to publish his first albums with
his trio (next to Omer Avital and Dan Aran) Thanks to the label Small Records. "Thoughts
(Past And Present)" first and as a review of some compositions of the
pianist's past, and more recently the "One Who Sees All Things",
entirely composed of new material ....
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