Sam
Phipps gained some fame for his work with Oingo Boingo, and the
late pianist John Larkin became a European pop star billed as Scatman
John. But back in 1980, they were both explorative avantgarde players
based in Los Angeles. Phipps had a shortlived label, Dream Records,
that released Animal Sounds as an Lp and two other sets as cassettes.
All of the material was very scarce until the release of this CD.
Animal Sounds includes the original sixsong Lp from 1980 plus four
songs from the cassette Silent Night that are duets by Phipps and
Larkin from a radio appearance in 1982. Phipps displays a large
sound on tenor, a knowledge of earlier jazz styles, and the ability
to improvise both very freely and with consistent cohenence. There
are no dull or meandering stretches in his playing which is fortunate
for he is in the spotlight much of the time. Four of the six numbers
that were originally on the Animal Sounds Lp are quartet performances.
"Animal Sounds" finds Phipps featured via overdubbing
on five saxophones, sounding very much like different players who
are interacting with each other. "Woke Up Clipped" is
an unaccompanied tenor solo based loosely on a Ben Webster piece
although it mostly comes across as fresh new music. The four selections
from the 1982 radio broadcast include three tenorpiano duets. Apparently
Phipps wanted Larkin to play a bit more conservatively but, after
being told that during a break, the pianist got mad and departed,
leaving Phipps to play "A Lark In The Wind" unaccompanied
over the air. Although a little primitively recorded, the music
from both sets holds up very well and Sam Phipps is consistently
brilliant, making one hope that he will record more extensively
in the future.
Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
A
surprisingly hard-hitting album from saxophonist Sam Phipps -- best
known for his role in quirky 80s pop combo Oingo Boingo, but a completely
different animal here! The record's a self-produced effort that
has all the sharp edges and bold sounds of a classic date on ESP
-- Sam's tenor right out front in the mix, supported by piano from
John Larkin, bass from Noah Young, and drums from Steve Larantz.
The recording quality is perfect for the date, and really preserves
the live, spontaneous quality of the music -- and titles include
"Elevation", "Animal Sounds", "One ON One",
"Decision", and "Mystery". CD features 4 bonus
tracks from a 1982 radio broadcast by the group -- "TO Too",
"No End", "A Lark In The Wind", and "Silent
Night".
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