Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - It´s Your World (1976)

This Gil Scott-Heron double album, roughly two thirds of which was recorded live in Boston on July 2-4, 1976, makes the most of its Centennial-centric time frame. Between the American flag striped cover art and Heron's spoken word spiel on an 8-and-a-half minute poem/rant "Bicentennial Blues," the album loses little of its impact, regardless of how the years have mildewed once fresh political topics like Nixon, Agnew, and Watergate.

Four of its songs are studio recordings ("It's Your World," "Possum Slim," "New York City," and "Sharing"), and even though they're up to Heron's usual jazz/blues/pop standards, the disc is most effective on the concert tracks. As he explains in the 2000 penned liner notes, The Midnight Band was a compelling live unit and one listen to the brisk, electrifying, 13-minute rendition of "The Bottle," one of Heron's most penetrating tracks, is all you'll need to understand why. More importantly, like the best protest music, these tunes have lost none of their lyrical edge or incisiveness throughout the years. Musically the band is taut and rehearsed down to the finest time change, yet loose enough to open up on the jams. The heavy Latin percussion/flute/piano -- but remarkably guitar-less -- sound is equal parts Santana and Mongo Santamaria with a strong jazz current throughout, especially on the John Coltrane tribute "Trane," featuring tenor hornman Bilal Sunni-Ali's fiery lead. Scott-Heron's deep, mellifluous voice is alternately soothing and cutting, infusing the music with heart and soul, while keeping the sound focused even during the longer improvisations. Only a dated '70s drum solo belies the year this was recorded. Chestnuts like "Home Is Where the Hatred Is" explode in extended live versions that become definitive readings of the tunes. Remastered for its reissue, It's Your World crackles with energy, presenting an accomplished band at their peak and placing the listener practically on stage for the live tracks with acoustics that are full, yet airy and spacious. One of Gil Scott-Heron's best albums as well as a compelling musical time capsule, the disc is proof of the artist's musical and lyrical acuity and is a moving listening experience.

Say our friends at Dustygroove: "A standout set from Gil Scott-Heron -- and that's saying a lot, given the strength of his other 70s work! This album's a double-length live set -- one that has Gil taking on the familiar format of the 70s, and using it to really push the boundaries of his own music too! Most tracks are quite long, and filled with spontaneous energy -- a moment in Gil's music to compare to that of Curtis Live for Curtis Mayfield -- proof that soul music could be made even better live than in the studio, as long as the setting was right. The record features a very extended version of "The Bottle" which runs for 13 minutes long, and which is a jammer all the way through -- and other titles include the great jazzy groover "New York City", plus "Trane", "Must Be Something", "Sharing", and "Home Is Where The Hatred Is". One of the few truly fantastic live soul albums!"


Tracklist:

01. It's Your World
02. Possum Slim
03. New York City
04. 17th Street
05. Trane
06. Must Be Something
07. Home Is Where the Hatred Is
08. Bicentennial Blues
09. Bottle
10. Sharing

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - It´s Your World (1976)
(320 kbps,  cover art included)