Charles Tolliver: Right Now... And Then

While jazz fusion dominated the commercial jazz scene during the 1970s, beneath the surface many musicians eschewed current market trends, and continued to develop and push forward the hard bop, modal, and spiritual sounds established during the previous decade. Many of those artists recorded for Strata-East Records, the now-seminal label co-founded by trumpeter Charles Tolliver and pianist Charles Tolliver in 1970.

Before co-founding Strata-East, Tolliver had established himself in the New York scene as a strong and intense horn player, ultimately appearing on Jackie McLean's classic album Jacknife (Blue Note Records, 2002), as well as stints with Max Roach, Andrew Hill, and McCoy Tyner. It was this reputation that enabled Tolliver to assemble a true group of "all stars," as the name accurately describes, for his debut leader album, Right Now... And Then: Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Gary Bartz (alto saxophone), Joe Chambers (drums). Not a bad first crack.

While initially recorded for Freedom/Black Lion Records in 1968, and also known as Paper Man and Charles Tolliver and his All-Stars for certain reissues, Right Now... And Then has been reissued and remastered by Strata-East through Mack Avenue Records for Record Store Day 2026, and the album is certainly a worthy RSD release. The album forecasts the brilliant progressive hard bop work Tolliver would eventually create with Strata-East and his Music Inc. group with Cowell and others.

Right Now... And Then consists mostly of Tolliver originals, and impressively for a 26-year-old in the company of bandmates who by this time are already legends, they are refined compositions rather than mere templates for round-robin improvisation. Tolliver's trumpet is powerful, penetrating, and dominating.

This dominance, however, is what keeps Right Now... And Then from becoming a true classic (a status later albums would achieve with Cowell and Music Inc.). While certainly valuable for Tolliver's work alone, the group at times lacks cohesion. Carter and Chambers, in particular, are often left out of the mix. Bartz only appears on the back half of the album and while his presence is of course welcome he never is a consistent contributor. Of the side men, only Hancock's skills are maximally employed, such as on driving opener "Earl's World" (which is dedicated to Tolliver's brother Earl), and especially during an exhilarating solo on "Household of Saud." Both tracks appear in later Music Inc. recordings, but neither sound unfinished here.

These are quibbles, however. Right Now... And Then is an excellent work and demonstrates Tolliver's mastery of the medium even at such a young age. "Paper Man," which later became somewhat of a jazz standard, is groovy and dynamic. Tolliver had originally written the song for the big band, but in the smaller group setting it loses none of its power, and indeed Tolliver's and Hancock's duetting is so strong that they come close to simulating the big band format.

Written by trumpeter-television music composer Neil Hefti, closer "Repetition" is the only track on the album not penned by Tolliver. Hancock's keyboards create a springboard for harmonies with both Tolliver and Bartz (separately and together). The treatment is a pleasurably upbeat modal exercise.