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ARTIST
TITLE
The Black Ark
FORMAT
LP

LABEL
CATALOG #
SV 206LP SV 206LP
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
3/20/2026

"In the pantheon of classic free jazz, Noah Howard's The Black Ark looms large. Recorded at Bell Sound Studios in New York City in 1969 -- just prior to the alto saxophonist's relocation to Europe -- the album was eventually released in 1972. The Black Ark exhibits not only the power and imagination of Howard's playing, but also his breadth as a composer and bandleader. Listeners expecting unrelenting blasts of 'energy music' might be surprised to find a cohesion atypical of free jazz; amidst the wild, impassioned solos, Howard weaves in Latin rhythms and fat-bottomed grooves. The first side, consisting of 'Domiabra' and 'Ole Negro,' sets the album's tone. Both tracks sound as if they could have appeared on some of Blue Note's proto-spiritual jazz, groove-heavy releases -- evoking the likes of Horace Silver or Bobby Hutcherson -- before ceding the floor to the horn players' anarchic firepower. Trumpeter Earl Cross' guttural, vocal effects complement Doyle's take-no-prisoners approach, while the estimable combination of Muhammad Ali (Rashied's brother) on drums and Juma Sultan on congas adds an ever-shifting propulsion. The septet is rounded out by the enigmatic pianist Leslie Waldron, who anchors the group with imaginative accompaniment and occasional boppish flourishes. Every bit worthy of its reputation as an 'out-jazz' holy grail, The Black Ark only sounds better with age. It remains the ideal record to convert the remaining free-jazz skeptics."