Pete La Roca - Basra ("Basra", 1965)

title number from Pete La Roca's classic Blue Note album "Basra".

Recorded on May 19, 1965 by Rudy Van Gelder at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Produced by Alfred Lion.
Remastered in 2004 by Rudy Van Gelder.

JOE HENDERSON, tenor sax
STEVE KUHN, piano
STEVE SWALLOW, bass
PETE LA ROCA, drums

Basra [Pete La Roca]

The philosophy of Indian music has affected La Roca's jazz concepts. He is interested in "how many ways can you use monotony? - or how much monotony can be used without hurting the music, without it getting to be a bore?" There is a kinship here with whirling an object around so fast that it appears to be standing still.

He feels that this kind of music can be "listened to in the foreground or in the background with your third ear." Its relation to Indian music lies in their idea of music reduced to a hum (the Indian "aum" wherein you sing that word, controlling your breath as long as you can, thereby producing gradations in pitch and tone as didacted by your physiology). "It's something to meditate on," says Pete. "You tune in to what part of it you like. It's like listening to the world - it's always going on."

His title number, Basra, which utilizes one chord throughout, is the most pertinent example in this album. Swallow's introduction takes us in a brightly-sailed boat from the waters of the Persian Gulf, up the Shatt al Arab River into the Iraqi port. Henderson then gives us a tour that is never boring as he explores the street of the song. The La Roca continues the journey with a fascinating, hypnotic solo that definitely speaks.

- Ira Gitler, original liner notes

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Pete
• La
• Roca
• Sims
• Steve
• Kuhn
• Joe
• Henderson
• Swallow
• Alfred
• Lion
• Rudy
• Van
• Gelder
• Blue
• Note
• Jazz
• Ira
• Gitler

[mentaltfladdrig]

0:41

Sounds like as if Roni Size was inspired by this artist for his track Brown Paper Bags

[punchlineA]

@mentaltfladdrig yes, it sounds like it might be a direct sample :O

[phillfoote]

my record collection is in deep storage-hearing stuff like this reminds me of what im missing-once again utube rides to the rescue

[1982futureboy]

@mentaltfladdrig Maybe Brown paper bag was inspired by Basra, but the actual bass sound heard on B.P.B was played by a musician from Bristol, England. Great upload though

[Haneef06]

I just searched for this album on iTunes and Amazon and it' unavailable until 2029. What? Are they serious. Thanks for posting.

[Medioda]

@thomeselby1947

where do you live? Cause i just bought it and i found it quite easily...

[thomeselby1947]

thank you so much for posting this. the recording remains out of print (presumably because of the title...#&*%!!!!)

[flaviolima91]

absolutely magical

[RaiderEleven]

Fantastic, mysterious song and performance about what we now know, because of the Iraqi War, is a port city in Iraq. Joe Henderson, Steve Kuhn, Steve Swallow, and leader Pete LaRoca are in fantastic shape. Five HUGE Stars and a Thumbs UP. PunchlineA, you have done a great service to jazz fans b/c this CD is now unavailable again. Thank you!!

[mentaltfladdrig]

@punchlineA yeah. it cant be a coincidence. nice upload btw :)