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Horace Tapscott with the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and the Great Voice of UGMAA: Why Don't You Listen? - Live at LACMA, 1998
ByThere have been sporadic attempts by the music mainstream to draw attention to his music. HatOLOGY released the five star 1989 sessions The Dark Tree 1 & 2 (1999) and there were two Arabesque discs Aiee! The Phantom (1996) and Thoughts Of Dar Es Salaam (1997). Nonetheless, his music (and Tapscott himself) remained a Southern Californian phenomenon and only the small label Nimbus West Records championed his music.
Twenty years after his passing, Bertrand Gastaut's Dark Tree label issued the last date Tapscott performed on before succumbing to cancer. This live recording from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in July 1998 expands his Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra with a twelve-person choir, The Great Voice Of UGMAA (Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension) under the direction of Dwight Trible.
To call this recording monumental is to do it a disservice of understatement. Tapscott's Arkestra with Michael Session (saxophones) and Phil Renelin (trombone) is reinforced by three double bassists and three percussionists. Opening with the instrumental "aiee! The Phantom," the pianist lays a soulful foundation of Gospel and blues-related swing, followed by Tapscott's reinterpretation of Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington's "Caravan." Cloaked inside a percussive barrage and Trible's vocalese, the familiar tune reveals itself at its own leisurely pace, before detonating with Session's solo.
The true marrow of the evening's performance are the three vocal tracks with The Great Voice of UGMAA choir. "Little Africa" ends with a snippet of "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing"; "Fela Fela" was written for the Nigerian musician and human right activist Fela Kuti, and the title track asks us why didn't you listen (with a capitol 'L') to "Bird and Trane" (Charlie Parker and John Coltrane), "Lady Day" (Billie Holiday), Max Roach, "Moody's Mood and Dizzy Groove" (James Moody and Dizzy Gillespie)and on and on the roll call continues, reminding us "it's the sound of freedom."
Track Listing
aiee! The Phantom; Caravan; Fela Fela; Why Don't You Listen?; Little Africa.
Personnel
Horace Tapscott
pianoMichael Session: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Phil Ranelin: trombone; Horace Tapscott: conductor, piano; Alan Hines: bass; Trevor Ware: bass; Louis Large: bass; Donald Dean: drums; Najite Agindotan: congas; Bill Madison: percussion: Dwight Trible: vocals; The Great Voice Of UGMAA: Dwight Trible: director; Afifa Amatullah: vocals; Amina Amatullah: vocals; Donte Chambers: vocals; Ndugu “Jingles” Chandler: vocals; Brenda Hearn: vocals; Chini Kopano: vocals; Torre Reese: vocals; Maria Rose: vocals; Tina: vocals; Denise Tribble: vocals; Carolyn Whitaker: vocals.
Album information
Title: Why Don't You Listen? - Live at LACMA, 1998 | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Dark Tree Records