Burning Spirits is a double album by American jazz saxophonist Sonny Simmons (credited as Huey Simmons on the initial release), which was recorded in 1970 and released on the Contemporary label.[1][2]
| Burning Spirits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1971 | |||
| Recorded | November 24, 1970 Contemporary's Studio, Los Angeles, California | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 79:18 | |||
| Label | Contemporary S7625/26 | |||
| Producer | Lester Koenig | |||
| Sonny Simmons chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Rolling Stone | favorable[4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [5] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ ( )[6] |
AllMusic awarded the album four stars with its review by Alex Henderson stating: "Burning Spirits is generally more free jazz than post-bop. But regardless of whether Simmons is playing inside or outside (usually outside), the saxman plays with tremendous conviction on this album."[3]
Robert Palmer of Rolling Stone commented: "Simmons and friends have taken the developments of the past ten years [...] and compacted them into an ever-changing kaleidoscope of spaces and densities that make a lot of what's au courant seem pale by comparison. If you buy only one LP of 'jazz' music this year, make it this one."[4]
Writing for All About Jazz, Jeff Stockton commented: "it would be nearly 22 years before [Simmons] made another significant recording after Burning Spirits. The harrowing intensity of the solos, the unrelenting quest for transcendence, and the overriding spirituality of the compositions indicate a substantial amount of recovery time was in order... For 80 minutes Burning Spirits grabs you by the collar and doesn't let go. It's a full dose of old school energy music that's hard to come by these days."[7]
Track listing
editAll compositions by Huey Simmons
- "Burning Spirits No. 1" - 11:34
- "New Newk" - 11:42
- "Healing Rays" - 15:55
- "Burning Spirits No. 2" - 13:47
- "Things and Beings" - 9:27
- "E=MC²" - 16:53
Personnel
edit- Sonny Simmons - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, English horn
- Barbara Donald - trumpet (tracks 1, 3, 4 & 6)
- Michael White - violin (tracks 1 & 3-6)
- Lonnie Liston Smith - piano (tracks 2 & 5)
- Richard Davis, Cecil McBee (tracks 1 & 3-6) - bass
- Clifford Jarvis - drums
References
edit- ^ Contemporary Records discography accessed June 9, 2015
- ^ Sonny Simmons discography accessed June 9, 2015
- ^ a b Henderson, Alex. Burning Spirits – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ a b Palmer, Bob (December 9, 1971). "Huey Simmons - Burning Spirits". Rolling Stone. No. 97. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1301. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Hull, Tom (April 19, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ Stockton, Jeff (August 25, 2003). "Sonny Simmons: Burning Spirits". All About Jazz. Retrieved February 22, 2022.