Turkish Women at the Bath
A "lost" classic of spiritual free jazz,Turkish Womenis a charming session inspired by the decadent Ingres painting of the same name. This late 1960s session brought together the fiery, refined tenor sax of John Gilmore; the ruminative acoustic piano of (pre-fusion) Chick Corea; the heavy, hefty-duty bass of Walter Booker; and leader Pete LaRoca. LaRoca, who left music shortly after this 1967 session to devote his time to the art of law, is a contrapuntal percussionist who's even credited inThe Rough Guide to Jazzas "the first person to record a totally free-tempo drum solo." It's an ensemble effort, but longtime Sun Ra sideman Gilmore delivers a rare non-Arkestra performance that demonstrates why Coltrane was so clearly influenced by Gilmore's tightly-controlled, sonic whirlwinds.--Mike McGonigal