Synthesis (Reggie Workman album)
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| Synthesis | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Recorded | June 15, 1986 | |||
| Venue | Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 1:07:35 | |||
| Label | Leo Records LR 131 | |||
| Producer | Leo Feigin | |||
| Reggie Workman chronology | ||||
| ||||
Synthesis is a live album by bassist/composer Reggie Workman. It was recorded on June 15, 1986, in Philadelphia and was released by Leo Records later that year.[1] On the album, Workman is joined by multi-instrumentalist Oliver Lake, pianist Marilyn Crispell, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. Workman, Lake, and Cyrille would later go on to form the group known as Trio 3.[2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | [3] |
In an article for The New York Times, Robert Palmer wrote: "The group is an all-star unit... But they don't play like all-stars here; they play like a unit... the music is very free structurally, with a soaring spirit and incantatory qualities that link it to some of the better small-band sessions from the early days of the mid-60's ESP label. But while he leaves plenty of room for each player, Mr. Workman deploys his forces ingeniously... This is stunning music, with a deeply felt intensity and a purity of intent that haven't been finding their way onto jazz records as often as one would like."[4]
The authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings awarded the album 3 stars and praised Crispell's playing, stating that she gives "the performance its undoubted sense of coherence."[3]
Writing for AllMusic, Thom Jurek remarked: "As a quartet, this band has some interesting things to say. There is a fire in the group interplay, and Lake's playing is very inspired... Workman gets considerable credit for putting this ensemble together."[1]
Track listing
All compositions by Reggie Workman unless otherwise noted.
- "Jus' Ole Mae" - 8:00
- "Ogun's Ardor" - 9:27
- "Martyrs Hymn" - 6:19
- "Earthly Garden" - 15:08
- "Chant" (Marilyn Crispell) - 8:35
- "Synapse II" - 9:07
- "Fabula" - 6:49
