One of the oft neglected saxophone peers of
Ornette Coleman,
Marion Brown, and
Frank Wright, New Orleans native
Noah Howard exploded on the scene in 1966 with two potent recordings for the ESP-Disk label -- Quartet and Live at Judson Hall -- and since then has only been heard sporadically on recordings. This edited live session at the Village Vanguard in 1972 is a reminder of his individuality and originality. Only three tracks are included (under 36 minutes -- what happened to the rest of the session?), the middle cut, "Conversation," is an eight-and-a-half minute alto saxophone solo, demonstrating a calm, well-constructed approach where space is as important as notes. By no means overblown,
Howard streams strings of uncluttered, listenable improvisations. The other two tracks are played with a quintet featuring firebrand tenor saxophonist
Frank Lowe. "Back A'town Blues" -- in reference to a district in New Orleans, and not the
Louis Armstrong tune of the same name -- is a sweet and sour post-bopper with the saxes in anti-pure tonal agreement, controlled but not abrasive. "Dedication" for
Albert Ayler comes closer to the free church sonics you'd expect, as pounding yet reverent piano chords from Robert Bruno (whose credits include
the Platters,
David "Fathead" Newman, and
Jimi Hendrix) energize the group, while the stellar drumming of
Rashied Ali consistently stokes the mid-level fire in a small cauldron. Those who are not fond of the largely over the top loud and concentrated sounds of
Lowe,
Ayler, latter period
John Coltrane or
Peter Brötzmann need not fear what
Howard and
Lowe are conjuring. In fact, if your ears are truly open, this is a recording you can easily savor, and is a document of
Howard's work that is thankfully available. ~ Michael G. Nastos