LEROY JENKINS – Space Minds, New Worlds, Survival Of America (LP-1979)

Label: Tomato – TOM-8001

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: US / Released: 1979

Style: Free Jazz, Experimental

Recorded and mixed August / September 1978.

Design – Milton Glaser

Cover Photography By – Steve Salmieri

Engineer – James Mason

Liner Notes – Robert Palmer

Producer – Marty Cann

All compositions by Leroy Jenkins

Matrix / Runout (Runout Area Side A): TOM-8001-1 #4 34601

Matrix / Runout (Runout Area Side B): TOM-8001-2 #4 34601

Tracklist:

A  -  Space Minds, New Worlds, Survival Of America .......................................... 21:09

        I.  Blast Off Day (Love - Tolerance - Understanding)

        II.  Discovery (Knowledge - Doubt - Sensitivity)       

        III.  Euphoria (Beauty) 

        IV.  1984           

        V.  Self-Realization      

        VI.  Return Trip

B1 - Dancing On A Melody ..................................................................................... 4:37

B2 - The Clowns ..................................................................................................... 3:18

B3 - Kick Back Stomp ............................................................................................. 6:23

B4 - Through The Ages Jehovah ............................................................................ 3:05

Personnel:

Leroy Jenkins – violin

Richard Teitelbaum – synthesizer [modular Moog, micro Moog] (side A)

Anthony Davis – piano, electric piano

George Lewis – trombone, electronics

Andrew Cyrille – drums, percussion

Great Tomato label... What other imprint could boast a roster that included Doc Watson, John Cage, Townes Van Zandt, Harry Partch, Philip Glass and Sam Rivers? And of course Leroy Jenkins with his release from 1978, Space Minds, New Worlds, Survival of America. That this almost 40 years old artifact sounds as fresh as it does testifies to the vision of its creators.

The all star band includes Andrew Cyrille on drums, a young Anthony Davis on piano, George Lewis on trombone, and Richard Teitelbaum on Modular Moog/Micro Moog Systems. Teitelbaum, who would go on to further distinguish himself as a composer and performer, had played with George Lewis and Anthony Braxton. His unique programming on the Moog protects the session from quaint-sounding 38-year old electronics. The album features a long track with a wide spectrum of mood and well-integrated electronics from Lewis and Teitelbaum; the latter sits out on the last four cuts, which are all acoustic. Jenkins and company work wonders on the collective improvs, gracefully weaving and circling each other. But do not expect to get a jazz album here.

Space Minds, New Worlds, Survival of America represented Leroy Jenkins' first venture into a field where contemporary classical and jazz were beginning to merge, a more modern Third Stream. His quintet on the title suite includes Musica Elettronica Viva veteran Richard Teitelbaum on synthesizer, and also gives us one of trombonist George Lewis' first recorded forays into electronics. The piece uses extensive improvised passages, but both the written material and the rhythms employed are relatively distant from a jazz feel, though with Jenkins a strong blues affinity is never far beneath the surface. Much of it actually prefigures pianist Anthony Davis' work with his Episteme ensemble of a few years later, and one wonders if his experience with Jenkins was critical to his future development. The four subsequent tracks are acoustic, without Teitelbaum and with Lewis confined to trombone. They range through a similarly semi-classical landscape with a bit of jazzy emphasis on pieces like "Kick Back Stomp." But the true highlight of the session is the final song, "Through the Ages Jehovah," an utterly gorgeous melody that's reiterated by the violin and trombone over sumptuous accompaniment by Davis and Cyrille. It's one of those melodies that could go on forever; its brevity is its only fault. Space Minds... is a fine album, one of Jenkins' best outside of the Revolutionary Ensemble, and an excellent introduction to his world.

(_Review by Brian Olewnick)

If you find it, buy this album!