Uhuru Na Umoja is a fiery 1970 date with Frank Wright leading a bassless quartet with Noah Howard on alto, Bobby Few on piano, and Art Taylor on drums. The tunes (or at least the heads) were composed by Howard: Ayler-esque, simple introductory melodies that quickly blast off to the stratosphere. Wright’s gruff tenor contrasts nicely with Howard’s sweeter tone, which is not really less intense, just less ferocious. Taylor is really impressive on his first foray into free music from his storied hard bop background, and Few’s playing is nothing short of elegant even when the rest of the band is whipping up a storm. There are a number of really pretty moments alongside all the hard blowing (like the intro to “Oriental Mood”), and “Aurora Borealis” achieves that rare combination of freedom and intensity with lyrical, spiritual beauty that’s found on so many great Impulse! titles. Fans of ’60s-style “energy music” should really check this out. – Sean Westergaard
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