Prince Lasha Quintet featuring Sonny Simmons - The Cry!

The Cry was kind of a blind buy, but I'm pretty happy with it. Recorded in 1962 and released in 1963, the record has some good tunes, though there are parts in the album where I just think "Man, this is so 60's" - particularly where Prince Lasha is playing his flute.

Fun Fact #1: Prince Lasha grew up in Fort Worth, TX with Ornette Coleman and they played together for about 9 years. This should also tell you a little about the jazz that Lasha and Simmons are making on this album - described as "free-flowing" and spontaneous by Simmons on the back of the record - focused less on chord changes than other jazz is.

"Lost Generation", is probably my favourite track. It's pretty much just one long sax solo by Sonny Simmons, and eventually the bassists pluck a couple of notes and then the drums come in about halfway through the song. I also liked "Congo Call" and "Bojangles" and "Juanita" a lot. "Congo Call" has some pretty sweet sax going on over the other instruments, and the sax-flute duets aren't bad either, even though I don't really like the flute. Related to this is Fun Fact #2: Sonny Simmons says that he pictured Bojangles dancing as he played "Bojangles". Erotic? Fun Fact #3 would have to be that the two bassists are each playing separately in each of your ears - Peacock on the left and Proctor on the right. Fact #4: A.Y. = Affectionately Yours

RIP Prince Lasha (Dec. 11, 2008 - Age 79) - a nice memoir

Lineup: Prince Lasha, Flute; Sonny Simmons, Alto Sax; Gary Peackock & Mark Proctor, Basses; Gene Stone, Drums

Track Listing:
Side One
1. Congo Call
2. Bojangles
3. Green and Gold
4. Ghost of the Past
Side Two
5. Red's Mood
6. Juanita
7. Lost Generation
8. A.Y.

Prince Lasha Quintet featuring Sonny Simmons - The Cry! - 128kbps