Charles Tolliver: 'Right Now....and Then,' 1968

Mack Avenue releases a Strata-East classic by the gorgeous trumpeter

My last post on trumpeter Charles Tolliver appeared in January, when I wrote about the return of the Strata-East record-label catalog now being reissued by the Mack Avenue Music Group. Tolliver co-founded Strata-East with pianist Stanley Cowell in 1970. About 50 albums later, in 1980, the label stopped recording and turned instead to licensing.

Strata-East was launched to allow jazz musicians to record original works they were most passionate about without enduring the confining marching orders of executives and producers at major labels.

Now, Mack Avenue is reissuing the Charles Tolliver All-Stars’ Right Now....and Then, remixed by Tolliver. The reissue has been cut directly from the original analog tapes, mastered by Kevin Gray, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl for Record Store Day on April 18. The CD and digital download will be available the same day here.

Recorded and released in 1968, the LP was Tolliver’s debut studio leadership LP at age 26. It featured Charles Tolliver (tp), Gary Bartz (as), Herbie Hancock (p) Ron Carter (b) and Joe Chambers (d). All-stars indeed!

In addition to Tolliver’s punctuating trumpet style reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard, Hancock’s piano is daring and enticing, Ron Carter’s bass is pulsing and constantly moving, and Joe Chambers’s drums are powerful without being overbearing. Plus Bartz is on three tracks and completely in sync with Tolliver’s approach.

The tracks (all compositions by Charles Tolliver):

A1. Earl's World

A2. Peace With Myself

A3. Right Now

B1. Household of Saud*

B2. Lil's Paradise*

B3. Paper Man*

*Gary Bartz added on alto saxophone

Right Now....and Then is a perfect post-bop album. It’s muscular and driven without being tormenting, and each artist contributes a different flavor. Unfortunately, a pair of gorgeous takes of Neal Hefti’s Repetition that were recorded at the session couldn’t fit on the vinyl but appear on the CD and digital download.

To listen to the album prior to the April 18 release, go to YouTube here or Bandcamp here.

Two tracks:

Here’s Household of Saud…

And here’s Repetition (Take 2)…