Description

Re-mastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

Phil Ranelins first record as a leader is worlds away from his later 1976 offering, Vibes From the Tribe. The Time Is Now is a vanguard jazz record, full of the spirit, determination, and innovation inspired by John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Cecil Taylor, Pharoah Sanders, and Archie Shepp. Recorded in 1973 and 1974 and released at the end of 1974, the set shows Ranelin to be an imposing composer and frightfully good trombonist. The original album contained six compositions that are a deep musical brew of avant-garde improvisation, hard bop jazz esthetics, and soulful melodic ideas that were superimposed as a jump off point for both harmonic and rhythmic (read: Latin) invention. The stamp of Detroit is all over this thing. Tracks like the title and Black Destiny reflect the anger and vision of the era, while moving it all in a positive musical direction. Soloists on the set include the rest of the Tribe collective Marcus Belgrave and Wendell Harrison as well as local players who deserved far more than they received in terms of national recognitions: bassist Reggie Shoo-Be Doo Fields, trumpeter Charles Moore, pianist Keith Vreeland, drummer Bill Turner, and others including Ranelin himself. The arrangements on The Time Is Now were ahead of their time, clustering a rhythm section as part of the horns front line (13th and Senate and the title track) and a stylistic angularity that reflected both musical history and futurism in jazz and R&B (Time Is Running Out and Times Gone By). The Time Is Now is a must for any vanguard jazz aficionado or anyone interested in the strange, rhythm-oriented evolution of Detroit music. Thom Jurek/AMG

Personnel: Phil Ranelin, trombone & various percussions (all tracks);
Wendell Harrison, tenor sax & various percussions (all tracks except B4);
Marcus Belgrave, flugelhorn & various percussions (all tracks except B4);
Bill Turner, drums & various percussions (all tracks); George Davidson, drums & various percussions (all tracks except A2); Keith Vreeland, piano & various percussions (all tracks); John Dana, bass (all tracks except A2); Reggie Fields, bass (track A2); Charles Moore, trumpet & various percussions (track A2); Haroun El Nil, alto sax and various percussions (track A2)

Produced by Phil Ranelin. All music written and arranged by Phil Ranelin.