Jodie Christian Soul Fountain   Delmark DE-498

Soul Fountain   echoes the sounds of Chicago. This is music as lively and diverse as the jazz styles of the town, a sound captured by the musicians joining Jodie on this album, including Art Porter and Roscoe Mitchell. Art,.whose improvisations and spirit add much the the music herein, drowned November 23rd, 1996 while on tour in Thailand. He was only 35 years old. He left behind his appearances on both this and a previous Jodie Christian album (Come Rain or Come Shine, Delmark 467) as well as two albums of his own on the Verve label. We dedicate this album to his memory.

Song List:
1. Soul Fountain
2. My One And Only Love
3. Everlasting Life
4. Abstact Impressions
5. That Bright Star
6. Consequences
7. Jeremy
8. Blessings
9. Now's The Time

REACTION REPORT:

"Pianist Jodie Christian challenges expectations with Soul Fountain... The ensemble includes two reedmen, who, for different reasons, seldom appear on straightahead acoustic dates...the late alto saxophonist Art Porter and multi-instrumentalist Roscoe Mitchell, each on five tracks.

"Porter displays a warm expressive tone on alto, especially on his duet with Christian, `My One and Only Love.' He sounds completely comfortable with the swinging hard-bop of `Soul Fountain' and the blues feeling of `That Bright Sun', and contributes a gospel-tinged solo on the soulful `Everlasting Life.' Mitchell, a founder of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, seems like a wild card here. You wonder how and whether he's going to fit in. His soprano sax is the focal point of Christian's exploratory `Consequences.' In this open-structured piece, Mitchell starts with short phrases, building his solo up into circular patters with Christian's piano cascading behind him. A rousing version of Charlie Parker's `Now's the Time' concludes the CD, offering Mitchell an opportunity for a bebop solo on his alto horn...

"Two solo piano tracks demonstrate Christian's versatility, and the ruminative, spacious `Abstract Impression' is particularly effective, again taking Christian further outside than one might expect."

(Four stars) - John Andrews, Down Beat

You can order or inquire about any of these titles at:

• Phone: (800) 684-3480 or (312) 222-1474 or visit www.jazzmart.com
  
• Email: jazzmart@delmark.com
• Or just click below: