Folkways to Reissue Williams' Black Christ

[Rob Damen]

From: JazzTimes
Date: April 12, 2004

On May 25, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings will release Mary Lou Williams Presents: Black Christ of the Andes, a musical commentary on the African-American experience and a call to the divine by one of the most important pianists and composers in jazz. The album, originally released in 1964 on Williams' own Mary label, will include four bonus tracks.

Williams (pictured), who became a devout Catholic in the mid-1950s, was a master of boogie-woogie, stride, swing, and be-bop. "[Williams] sums up in herself the full essence of jazz," Duke Ellington once said.

Black Christ was the first major project after Williams’ seclusion, religious conversion, and reemergence (1955-1964). The album’s 14 songs mix of Williams’ arrangements of standards, like the funky interpretation of "My Blue Heaven," and her own compositions, like the gentle hymn "Praise the Lord" and "Martin de Porres" (after the 16th century Peruvian saint who is the "Black Christ of the Andes"). Throughout, Williams builds on traditional spirituals, hymns, and popular songs to draw parallels between her faith in God, her reverence for Black music, and her regard for American culture. With complex harmonies and phrasing, her affecting arrangements often border on the avant-garde. The album doesn’t have static personnel; instead, Williams is joined on each track by a rotating cast of players that includes bassists Theodore Cromwell, Larry Gales and Percy Heath, drummers George Chamble and Tim Kennedy and the Ray Charles Singers, who sing on a number of chorale arrangements.

Track list (* denotes a previously unreleased track):

1. St. Martin de Porres (Williams)
2. It Ain't Necessarily So (Gershwin/Gershwin)
3. The Devil (Williams)
4. Miss D.D. (Williams)
5. Anima Christi (Williams)
6. A Grand Night for Swinging (Taylor)
7. My Blue Heaven (Donaldson/Whiting)
8. Dirge Blues (Williams)
9. A Fungus a Mungus (Williams)
10. Koolbonga* (Williams)
11. Forty-Five Degree Angle* (Best)
12.Nicole* (Williams)
13. Chunka Lunka* (Williams)
14. Praise the Lord (Williams)

[Rob Damen]

Hallelujah!!!!!!!

This has been an album I've been looking to here for a long time. (Frankly, I'd gotten tired of getting beaten out for it on e-bay for $100, not to mention the other albums of the Mary Lou Records years.)

I recall sending an e-mail to Mosaic Records pleading with them to do a "Complete Mary Lou Records" set as part of the Mosaic Select series that's been so successful. I guess with the re-release of this record, it likely won't happen now. It would have been stupendous to have "Black Christ", "Mary Lou's Mass" and "Music for Peace" in one set.

Still, this is just great news.

I've always wanted to compare her spiritual-based works with Mingus, Ellington, Guaraldi, Brubeck, Marsalis, Coltrane, etc., especially with the 60's mass-based pieces that were popping up during that era.

I have plenty of other discs of her music with "Zoning", "Zodiac Suite", "Nite Life", etc., and I love each and every one of them with a passion.

So, gang, what do you love most about Williams?

Cheers,

Rob

[Al in NYC]

Yes, yes yes!! Great and important music from someone who gets short shrift mostly because so many of her best records are out of print. Mary Lou is one of my all-time favorite musicians.

Although, like Rob, I would really love to see a Mosaic Select treatment of this part of her career, this is certainly a most welcome reissue indeed.

[Rob Damen]

I should say that on Amazon, they list the release date as April 27.

I'm hoping for April.

Cheers,

Rob

[Boris Badenov]

I want this too. Thanks for the heads up, Rob.

[NahMean]

Looks good. Is this coming out on CD? And who is reissuing it?

[Clay Fink]

I got beat on EBAY once or twice for this. I've never heard it but I'm lookig forward to it.

I was listening to "The Asch Recordings", a 70's reissue of dome sides that Moe Asch recorded or Mary Lou in the 40's with Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Vic Dickenson (I think), etc. . Wonderful stuff. A dash of boogie woogie with a little tilt toward bop, along with Mary Lou's wondeful arrangements. I think this stuff is available on Classics but I don't know if Folkways ever got around to reissuing it on CD.

For those who aren't aware of it, Folkways will burn you a CDR of anything in the Folkways catalog for a fee. This includes lots of stuff that may never be reissued.

[Rob Damen]

Originally Posted by NahMean

Looks good. Is this coming out on CD? And who is reissuing it?

Smithsonian Folkways.

All the listings tend to indicate it will come out on CD. If it was re-issued on record, that would be nice, too.

Cheers,

Rob