''Unreleased (Columbia University 1973)'' is a live album by the Philadelphia-based jazz collective Sounds of Liberation. It was recorded during 1973 at Columbia University in New York City, and was initially released in 2018 in very limited quantities by Dogtown Records in conjunction with the Brewerytown Beats record store, after which it was made available with broader distribution the following year by both Dogtown and the Corbett vs. Dempsey label. The recording, which was thought to have been lost, features vibraphonist and band leader

Khan Jamal Khan Jamal (July 23, 1946 – January 10, 2022), born Warren Robert Cheeseboro, was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. He founded the band Sounds of Liberation in 1970. He was described by Ron Wynn as "a proficient soloist when ...

, saxophonist

Byard Lancaster Byard Lancaster (August 6, 1942 – August 23, 2012) was an avant-garde jazz saxophonist and flutist. Cook, Richard. (2005). ''Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia.'' New York: Penguin Books. Allen, Clifford. (2005). ''Byard Lancaster: From A Lo ...

, guitarist

Monnette Sudler Monnette Sudler (June 5, 1952 – August 21, 2022) was an American jazz guitarist from Philadelphia. Early life and career Sudler was born Monnette Goldman in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Lea Goldman, married Truman W. Sudler in 19 ...

, electric bassist Billy Mills, drummer Dwight James, conga player Rashid Salim, and percussionist Omar Hill. ''Unreleased'' was the group's second album, issued 46 years after the 1972 release of ''

New Horizons ''New Horizons'' is an Interplanetary spaceflight, interplanetary space probe launched as a part of NASA's New Frontiers program. Engineered by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Southwest Research Institut ...

''. On June 13, 2019, the surviving members of Sounds of Liberation reunited for a concert/release party at Philadelphia's

Union Transfer Union Transfer is a music venue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Located at 1026 Spring Garden Street in the Callowhill neighborhood, it opened on September 21, 2011, as a joint venture between The Bowery Presents, a New York City production com ...

, sharing the bill with the

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific ou ...

Arkestra.

Reception

In a review for ''

JazzTimes ''JazzTimes'' was an American print magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade ...

'', David Whiteis wrote: "The overall mood here is of youthful idealism and optimism, tempered by a startlingly mature aesthetic vision and well-honed musical acumen." ''

The New York City Jazz Record ''The New York City Jazz Record'' is a New York City based monthly free newspaper about jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries ...

s Pierre Crépon noted that "the group's approach here is firmly centered on the groove," and is marked by "dense rhythmic layers," and suggested that the album finds the band "at their most compact and provides a much welcome occasion to look back at the group." Ed Hazell of ''Point of Departure'' called the album "a real gem, full of fire and funk, and uncompromising in both its commitment to the groove and to jazz soloing." Writing for ''

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

'',

Tom Moon Thomas Raphael Moon (born November 3, 1960) is an American saxophonist, author and music critic. He is best known for his 2008 book '' 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die''. He has won two Deems Taylor Awards from the American Society of Comp ...

included the album in his list of "Best Reissues and Archival Albums of 2019," describing it as "a high-speed portal back to the early '70s and the moment when jazz musicians went headfirst into groove music with a spiritual dimension and/or 'message'." In an article for ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

'', Phil Freeman wrote: "when the band digs into a groove, they can get into a zone somewhere between the

Art Ensemble of Chicago The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz group that grew out of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, AACM) in the late 1960s. The ensemble integrates many jaz ...

and the earliest

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...

recordings." ''The Vinyl Districts Joseph Neff called the album "an enlightening pleasure for the ears," and stated: "it always registers as natural rather than as a strained attempt at commercial viability stemming from frustration and/or desperation." Bruce Lee Gallanter of the ''

Downtown Music Gallery Downtown Music Gallery (DMG) is a long-running, internationally-known record store, mail-order, and performance space located in New York City. It specializes in "Downtown Music", a recognized catchphrase for avant-garde jazz and contemporary compo ...

'' commented: "Music like this makes me feel good to be alive!"

Track listing

# "Thoughts" (Monnette Sudler) – 4:01 # "Keno" (Byard Lancaster) – 3:50 # "Sweet Evil Mist (Rib Crib)" (Byard Lancaster) – 7:08 # "Badi" (Khan Jamal) – 5:17 # "New Horizon (Back Streets of Heaven)" (Khan Jamal) – 10:43

Personnel

– alto saxophone *

– guitar *

– vibraphone * Billy Mills – electric bass * Dwight James – drums * Rashid Salim – congas * Omar Hill – percussion

References

{{Reflist 2018 live albums Sounds of Liberation live albums