Rainbow Gladiator is an album by the American jazz violinist Billy Bang, recorded in 1981 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.[1]

Rainbow Gladiator
Studio album by
Billy Bang Quintet
Released1981
RecordedJune 10 & 11, 1981
GenreJazz
Length37:11
LabelSoul Note
Billy Bang chronology
Sweet Space
(1979)
Rainbow Gladiator
(1981)
Untitled Gift
(1982)

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings    [4]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide     [3]
Tom Hull – on the WebA−[5]

The editors of AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars, and reviewer Scott Yanow called it "a good introduction to his music for those who have an open mind toward adventurous jazz".[2]

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings awarded the album a full 4 stars, calling it "a terrific record, bright, percussive and packed with ideas."[4]

Critic Tom Hull assigned the album a rating of "A−", commenting: "the interplay is exhilarating more often than not."[5]

Robert Spencer of All About Jazz described the album as "expansive and warm," "one of Billy Bang's best recordings," and praised the title track, calling it "the brilliant, good-humored jewel of the disc."[6]

Track listing

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All compositions by Billy Bang
  1. "Rainbow Gladiator" - 14:19
  2. "Ebony Minstrel Man" - 4:16
  3. "New York After Dark" - 7:20
  4. "Broken Strings" - 2:44
  5. "Yaa - Woman Born on Thursday" - 5:09
  6. "Bang's Bounce" - 3:23
  • Recorded at Barigozzi Studio in Milano, Italy on June 10 & 11, 1981

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ Soul Note discography accessed July 11, 2011
  2. ^ a b Yanow, S. AllMusic Review accessed July 11, 2011
  3. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 18. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  4. ^ a b Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-14-103401-0.
  5. ^ a b Hull, Tom. "Billy Bang Is in the House". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  6. ^ Spencer, Robert (May 7, 2004). "Unsung Recordings By Billy Bang". All About Jazz. Retrieved March 27, 2023.