Track 1: (8:00) Oil in the Sand on Black Odyssey in America CD Recorded March 18, 1991 - FMRJE Records James Kelly-Rap vocals Raphe Malik-trumpet Brian King Nelson-C-Melody Saxophone Leslie Winston-Yamaha DX-7 Keyboard John Able-electric guit [+]Track 1: (8:00) Oil in the Sand on Black Odyssey in America CD Recorded March 18, 1991 - FMRJE Records James Kelly-Rap vocals Raphe Malik-trumpet Brian King Nelson-C-Melody Saxophone Leslie Winston-Yamaha DX-7 Keyboard John Able-electric guitar Tor Yochai Snyder-electric guitar Buddy Booker-electric bass Martin Gil-congas, bongos, percussion, vocals Dennis Warren-drums, timbales, afuche, vocals
College Music Journal Futures Jackpot! Black Odyssey In America February 14, 1992 James Lien We never thought we'd say it, but right now we're listening to an unsigned demo tape that surveys the same rhythmic ground as the Last Poets, undulates in free-form jazz/funk groove wave across Ornette to Hendrix to Material and Last Exit, screams the same incendiary socio-political message as Gil Scott-Heron, all the while the band lays down the heaviest set of grooves we've heard this side of a sweat-soaked early -'70's James Brown LP side. Musically, these guys are heavy enough to bak up a bold claim - several members studied under Cecil Taylor during his legendary teaching spell at Antioch College, and others have extensive careers gigging with a wide variety of pan-continental ensembles. What it all adds up to is that these guys have been around paying dues far too damn long to go so completely and utterly unnoticed. While admittedly James Kelly's rap could sometimes use the occasional tightening up (he's not quite reached the oratorical dynamism of a Chuck D. just yet, but he's already better than most), his voice nonetheless commands respect. We sorely pressed to single out any eight as better than the rest, but we'd have to stand by "Nightmare In The U.S.A." and "Oil in The Sand" as vocal/instrumental tops, while the band gets theirs on the flawless "Captain Blood," "Black Odyssey In America" and "Soweto."
Track 2: Freedom X A song on the condition of the world recorded March 1988 Tor Snyder - electric guitar, vocals Natalie Balderini - keyboard David Warren - bass Dennis Warren - drums, lead vocals
the improvisor 1993 LaDonna Smith The FMRJE was formed in 1987 in Boston, and is some of the most exciting large ensemble/big band ( call it what you will) music I've heard in a long time. It contains the chaos and power of the Euro-large -j
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