Webster Lewis in Norway – The Club 7 Live Tapes
Catalogue number: PSPCD701/PSPLP701 & JACD001/JALP001
Release date: April, 2007
Plastic Strip Press and Jazzaggression Records is proud to present the 2 CD/2LP re-release of Webster Lewis and the Post-pop, space-rock, be-bop, gospel tabernacle chorus and orchestra BABY!! Live at Club 7 2LP, together with 80 minutes of unreleased material. The original Live at Club 7 2 LP, recorded in Oslo in 1971, has become a holy grail for soul and jazz collectors all over the world and includes the dancefloor classics It´s your thing and Do you believe.
Webster Lewis had been active in the late 60´s in the jazz and soul scene in Boston and had formed a band with saxophone players Stan Strickland and Bobby Greene, singer Judd Watkins and drummer Jimmy Hopps called the Webster Lewis Quintet. When Webster`s teacher at the New England Conservatory of music, George Russell , was commissioned to write a work to be performed at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival, Russell put as a term to bring over some of his musicians from Boston to form the core of the band. Hence Webster and his band got airplane tickets to Norway.
Finished in Kongsberg the band went to live in Oslo doing some jams in a typically lazy Oslo summer. At one of the jam sessions Attila Horvath, the chief of Club 7 heard the band and booked them to play the club from the 25 to the 31 of July. The coming Friday and Saturday 30-31 July it was recorded over 10 hours of material of music, three regular sets plus two encores both nights and Attila held the Club opened illegally long after closing hours. The record Live at Club 7 came out early January 1972.
Webster Lewis later became a successful producer, arranger and solo artist working with Barry White, Herbie Hancock, Fred Wesley and Gwen McRae. Jimmy Hopps recorded and played with Pharaoh Sanders, Charles Tolliver and formed a quartett with Jan Garbarek, Arild Andersen and Calle Neumann and was the drummer for Svein Finnerud Trio for some time. Judd Watkins collaborated with Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Stan Strickland went on to play with Yuseef Lateef, Marlena Shaw and recorded with Brute Force.
PSP and JA have gotten exclusive access to the Arne Bendiksen Records archives to the complete live tapes recorded , with over 10 hours of music in total. We have also included in the release the complete photo series taken by Svein Kojan during the concerts and written in depth linernotes based on an interview done with the producer of the record, Hallvard Kvåle.
Since Webster and Hallvard wanted Live at Club 7 as a 4 LP release, but had to settle for 2, we are proud to release these unique recordings of uplifting and spiritual jazz mixed with gospel, Latin and soul. Or better labeled by the band themselves: Post-pop, space-rock, be-bop, gospel tabernacle chorus and orchestra BABY!
Tracklist CD version:
CD 1
1. Do You Believe
2. Saturday Night Opening
3. Mr. Knots
4. Space Rock
5. Qvote-Unqvote
6. Dear Sister
7. It’s Your Thing
CD 2
1. Silent Lights
2. Up On The Roof
3. Club 7 Latin
4. Do You Believe (alternative version)
5. For Arne
6. It’s Your Thing (alternative version)
7. Intermezzo
8. Twelve Gates To The City
Tracklist vinyl version:
A1. Do You Believe (alternative version)
B1. Club 7 Latin
B2 Up On The Roof
C1. It’s Your Thing (alternative version)
C2. Intermezzo
D1. For Arne
D2. Silent Lights