McCoy Tyner / Joe Henderson: Forces Of Nature: Live At Slugs'

When recordings like Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' seemingly falls from yonder jazz sky, we must stop to thank those swinging stars above for our grand fortune. Because despite all our flaws—a broken politic, a poisoned planet, constant wartime bickering—we are a fortunate, if mostly undeserving, race of peculiarities. That becomes especially apparent when random, instantaneous works of art and human affinity like this grace our path.

Located at 242 East 3rd Street between Avenue B and C, Slugs' Saloon rested deep in the heart of the East Side's mid-century decay. It is where Lee Morgan was shot by his common law wife in 1972. But amid the dilapidation and homicides that inflicted the whole neighborhood at the time, Slugs,' whose occupancy was listed to be a max of seventy-five, became a haven for the likes of Sonny Rollins, Sun Ra, and Ornette Coleman just to name a few.

Drawn from Jack DeJohnette's deep personal archive of magic moments Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' rewards all expectations and then some. As the story goes, it was back in the spring of 1966—The Beatles were bigger than Jesus, Vietnam War protests riled the nation, Surveyor 1 landed on the moon—as the drummer positioned himself on the since-lost Slugs' bandstand among the propulsion of pianist McCoy Tyner, the swirling bop genius of saxophonist Joe Henderson and bassist Henry Grimes' steady hand to create a roller coaster that jumps the tracks into history.

Produced by DeJohnette, his wife Lydia, and that great explorer Zev Feldman, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' bashes into existence with Henderson's bop crazy "In 'N Out." The title track of his third Blue Note album circa 1965 gets a super excited, superheated, near-half-hour roustabout. Henderson blows the doors open as well he should, but very quickly pianist and drummer rule the proceedings as Tyner (who appeared on the recorded track) and DeJohnette rip up the original blueprint. It is a crazed charge that the duo mashes with a contagious, barely contained joy and exuberance.

The quartet catches its collective breath on the winsome ballad "We'll Be Together Again." Henderson blows dark blue and tasty as DeJohnette scats along and Tyner fills out the late-night lounge groove. Grimes, who vanished in the late Sixties and was assumed dead until 2002 when discovered sick and destitute, solos sweet and mellow. Hell again breaks loose on the quartet composed "Taking Off" another nearly half-hour monster romp into the live and unknown. Tyner blocks out and cascades. Grimes, (Charles Mingus, Archie Shepp) is no stranger to wild elements, holds DeJohnette's feet to the fire. Tyner's vivid blues showcase "The Believer" and Henderson's pop jumpy "Isotope" seal the deal.

Transferred from the original tape reel produced by Orville O'Brien (Alice Coltrane's 1971 Impulse Records outing Journey to Satchidananda), Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' deserves the royal historical treatment and gets it: rare photos by Francis Wolff}, Raymond Ross, and Robert Polillo. Liner notes by Nate Chinen, and testimonies from Jason Moran, Joe Lovano, Christian McBride, Nasheet Waits, Joshua Redman and Terri Lyne Carrington. Available as a 2-LP 180g vinyl and CD sets.

Comments