The ESP-Disk annals are rife with shadowy figures, musicians on the free jazz fringes who recorded little beyond what they left behind on the label (The Wizard, anyone?). Drummer James Zitro and several members of the ensemble on his self-titled ESP fit that distinction. Recorded in April of 1967, the studio date encompasses free and postbop forms, opening with the slightly shambolic but galvanizing “Freeken”, which occupies the entire A-side of the LP. A “Night in Tunisia” style vamp serves as the grist for a string of solos starting with Zitro’s rolling thunder drums, which blend elements of Blakey with Indian-influenced complexity. Warren Gale’s granulated trumpet follows in a heated display of geysering glissandos. Bassist Bruce Cale approaches his spotlight in a manner akin to Jimmy Garrison, the amplification of his strings giving the strummed statement greater gravitas. Michael Cohen, a San Francisco lawyer by day, provides the piano meat between explosive horn solos by Allan Praskin and Bert Wilson. Wilson would go on to further obscurity in the company of fellow lesser knowns like Smiley Winters and Sonny Simmons. His work here on tenor substantiates the shame of such a fate, particularly on his own “Happy Pretty”, an anodyne number which opens Side B and bridges structured postbop with fire music ferocity. Praskin also shines on the piece, his alto leaving a jet trail as he soars atop the rhythm section. Zitro shapes another persuasive percussion salvo toward the close, this time in the company of Cale’s responsive strings. The album ends with Cohen’s delicately designed “Sweet”, a nocturne that summarily grows teeth. Zitro’s discography is pitifully small with only a handful of sessions to his name. He’s reportedly still semi-active on the Santa Cruz scene, but as is so often the case, a return to active recording may only be wishful thinking.
~ Derek Taylor
Posted by derek on April 29, 2008 8:17 AMThere's a recent interview with him in Cadence that's very illuminating.
Certainly one of the top ESP sessions.
Posted by: clifford at April 30, 2008 1:53 PM"He’s reportedly still semi-active on the Santa Cruz scene"
Hm. Whose report? I'd like to know of the 'Santa Cruz scene', since I live here. Interesting that we used to have Patty Waters here, another ESP rara avis.
Posted by: djll at May 2, 2008 10:59 AMI've never heard any of Bert Wilson's work, but the third edition of the Penguin Guide lists three of his CDs with a band called Rebirth, recorded from 1988 to 1994; and judging by his website he's still gigging (June 8 is a Sunday this year). So obscure to me, but still out there.
(Or was "further obscurity" a joke there?)
Posted by: Matt Weiner at May 13, 2008 3:36 PM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................