Unity is an album by jazz organist Larry Young, released on the Blue Note label in August, 1966. The album features trumpeter Woody Shaw, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson and drummer Elvin Jones. While not free jazz, the album features experimentation that was innovative for the time. Young chose the title because, "although everybody on the date was very much an individualist, they were all in the same frame of mood. It was evident from the start that everything was fitting together."Original liner notes by Nat Hentoff The album was Young's second for Blue Note, and is widely considered a "post-bop" classic.
Music Three of the six tracks were composed by Woody Shaw. The first, "Zoltan", starts with part of a march from the Háry János suite of Zoltán Kodály and continues in the Lydian mode. The fourth, "The Moontrane", is dedicated to John Coltrane, "as can be heard in the harmonic cycles in it", explained Shaw. The last, "Beyond All Limits", has a difficult harmonic progression, but, in Shaw's words, "once the inherent difficulties of the tune are solved, there are no limits as to where you can go with it". "If" is a 12-bar Joe Henderson composition; "Monk's Dream" (played mainly by Young and drummer Elvin Jones) is by Thelonious Monk; and "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" is a Hammerstein and Romberg composition.
Elvin Jones played "a standard 4-piece drum kit with two cymbals and hi-hat".Riley, John (1997) Beyond Bop Drumming, Alfred Music, p. 50.
Reception Scott Yanow states that Unity "is considered Larry Young's finest recording".Yanow, Scott (2003) Jazz on Record: The First Sixty Years, Backbeat Books, p. 624. Billboard Magazine called the album "a sureshot for jazz fans"."Album Reviews: Unity" (August 27, 1966) Article from Billboard, p. 41. The Penguin Guide to Jazz included the album in its suggested “core collection”, and awarded it a rare crown and four-star rating, describing it as "Quite simply a masterpiece."Cook, Richard and Morton, Brian (2008) The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.), Penguin, p. 1534. Saxophonist Michael Brecker referred to the album as an early favorite,"Brecker Enlists 3 Favorite Drummers" (November 6, 1999)Article from Billboard, p. 43. as has heavy metal guitarist Alex Skolnick.Joe Bosso (2025). Alex Skolnick on five jazz albums every rock and metal guitarist needs to hear. Guitar Player via MSN.com
The album's cover art, by Reid Miles, has also become well known. In 2008, graphic designer Mike Dempsey picked it as one of his favorite album covers, stating that it shows "Ultimate simplicity [...] Put in an album rack today it would still raise an eyebrow as it looks remarkably fresh"."Album Cover Design: Art on the sleeve" (October 16, 2008) Design Week, Vol. 23, Issue 42.
Track listing Original LP
2014 Blue Note SHM-CD Remaster Edition (Japan Release)
Personnel
Musicians Larry Young – Hammond B-3 organ Woody Shaw – trumpet Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone Elvin Jones – drums
Production Alfred Lion – production Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineering; CD remastering (1998) Michael Cuscuna – reissue production Reid Miles – cover design Francis Wolff – photography Nat Hentoff – liner notes Bob Blumenthal – CD reissue liner notes (1999)
Charts + Chart performance for "Unity" Chart (2025) Peakposition Greek Albums (IFPI) 67
References