Underground Railroad is a live album by composer and saxophonist Joe McPhee recorded in 1969 at Holy Cross Monastery and originally released on the CjR label. It was reissued in 2001 by Atavistic with an additional concert recorded at Holy Cross.Joe McPhee discography accessed April 20, 2015
Reception
The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek stated "There are conical sound explorations between brass and reed and between reed and reed. Tonal variants are evoked in order to up the emotional content of the music, which is already so loaded it's a miracle it doesn't fall apart... This set is one of the most essential recordings of late-'60s free jazz, and anybody remotely interested in the period needs to hear it". On All About Jazz, Robert Spencer noted "this set shows conclusively that McPhee’s massive talent was at his disposal from the onset of his earliest efforts. Any fan of ecstatic free jazz shouldn’t pass this one up!".Taylor, D., All About Jazz Review, November 1, 2001
Track listing All compositions by Joe McPhee except as indicated
Disc One: "Underground Railroad" - 22:49 "Harriet" - 11:11 "Message From Denmark" - 9:55 "New Spiritual No. 1" - 14:23 Bonus track on CD reissue "E=MC2" (Reggy Marks) - 9:52 Bonus track on CD reissue Disc Two: "Justice (Evidence)" (Thelonious Monk) - 8:19 Bonus track on CD reissue "Windy City Head Stompin' Blues" - 12:29 Bonus track on CD reissue "Birmingham Sunday/Morning Song/Lament/Hymn of the Dragon Kings" - 25:41 Bonus track on CD reissue "Spain Adios" (Marks) - 12:57 Bonus track on CD reissue
Personnel Joe McPhee - tenor saxophone, pocket trumpet, trumpet, alto horn Reggie Marks [died in 2024] - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute Otis Greene [died in 2015] - alto saxophone, harmonica (Disc Two) Joe Virgillio [died in 2018] - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone (Disc Two) Tyrone Crabb [died in 1999] - bass Ernest Bostic [died in 1992] - drums, vibraphone, percussion
References