David Axelrod

Born and raised in a mostly-African-American neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles (the Crenshaw district), David Axelrod was raised to be open-minded and socially-conscious (his father was a labor union activist). From a young age, music was in his life as it was a prominent cultural feature of both his neighborhood and his home life: his family home was always filled with music and dancing with his parents making their living room a regular hot-spot for weekend "jitterbug" parties.

     With the sudden death of his father when David was 13 years old and then that of his older brother, Sonny (in the World War II Battle for Iwo Jima), within the same year, David was left with a deep hole in his life--one that he tried to fill with athletics (boxing) and neighborhood shenanigans. The early development of a burly, athletic body, coupled with a rather aggressive, combative nature, had led to David's pursuit of both drumming (though his mother required him taking piano lessons as a balancing act) and boxing--this latter of which he pursued competitively with the idea of a possible career as a professional until a serious eye injury permanently damaged his vision (which is why he is often associated with the wearing of sunglasses). From about age 15, David took to hanging out with friends in local bars on Central Avenue. This is where his boxing-body and aggressive-combative temperament led to a trend of getting into street brawls and nightclub fights. (Apparently, David gained quite a reputation as a street- and club-brawler--though this also resulted in a serious knife injury to his abdomen which would cause him problems for the rest of his life). The clubs, however, are where David's love for music expanded into something more than something of a fan interest: it is where he met and spoke with artists, got invited to rehearsals and studio recording sessions, even found some of his ideas being listened to. Having accrued an appreciation and love for all musics, but especially the musics of his surroundings--including those of his Jewish heritage, his parents' eclectic and liberal-bohemian outlook, the African-American community in which he lived and played, and the many, many Jazz, blues, R&B, and Swing musics he was hearing in the clubs, David began to see a career in music. From here he started picking up odd jobs around some of the studios, getting opportunities to sit in behind the drum kit, help out in the sound engineering room, even express some of his ideas and opinions. All of this led to eventual paid studio work.

     About this time (the very early 1950s) it appears that David's life in Crenshaw (and L.A.) was interrupted. A sudden enlistment into the Marines may have been the result of an attempt to escape or avoid some trouble with the law that it is rumored that he may have gotten into. His spell in the Marine Corps proved to be short-lived, but had the beneficial effect of landing him on the East Coast, where he decided to move into New York City: to explore the music scene there. A year later, with a new drug addiction (heroin) and the swagger of a veteran New-York jazz "hipster," he moved back to Los Angeles--where he immersed himself into L.A.'s beatnik scene. After meeting jazz pianist Gerald Wiggins, David felt compelled to take up the study of music composition. Before long, Axelrod’s love of music and familiarity with the Los Angeles jazz community led him into work as both a talent scout and record producer. Riding the crest of the city’s reputation as the center of the 1950s “cool jazz” movement—which was, at its best, a mixture of precise musicianship with complex arrangements that demanded a listener’s total, undivided attention—Axelrod established a reputation as a producer with excellent live recording skills. David's confidence and clout grew as he produced and composed for others, including his 1967 Grammy-Award-nominated song, "Dead End Street" for Lou Rawls and then a hit song in 1967 for Julian "Cannonball" Adderly (and composer Joe Zawinul) that reached #10 on the Billboard Pop Charts ("Mercy, Mercy, Mercy") as well as the live album of the same concert. This all resulted in his being given the chance to record and direct his own arrangements of his own music, the outcome of which was his 1968 debut album based on the poems/songs of William Blake, Song of Innocence. The rest, as they say, is history.

DAVID AXELROD Song of Innocence (1968)

A very unusual album for its fully orchestrated presentation, David Axelrod's funky, jazzy compositions take on a lively fullness that is rarely experienced outside the concert hall or Broadway/West End music hall. Way ahead of its time! And this was the composer, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalists debut of his own material! Released by Capitol Records in October of 1968 and recorded in Los Angeles only months before, the album employs a cast of sessions musicians that make up a virtual Who's Who in music history--including a full complement of members of Los Angeles' The Wrecking Crew as well as orchestra members who would all go on to become very accomplished and known in the orchestral world.

Line-up / Musicians:
- David Axelrod / vocals, composer, arranger
- Carol Kaye (THE WRECKING CREW) / bass

- Earl Palmer (THE WRECKING CREW) / drums

- Gary Coleman (THE WRECKING CREW) / vocals
- Don Randi (THE WRECKING CREW) / keyboards, conductor

- Howard Roberts (THE WRECKING CREW) / guitars

- Al Casey (THE WRECKING CREW) / guitars

- Ollie Mitchell (THE WRECKING CREW) / trumpet

- Tony Terran (THE WRECKING CREW) / trumpet

- Gene Estes (WESTFALL) / percussion, vibraphone

ORCHESTRA STRINGS: Alvin Dinkin [viola], Anne Goodman [cello], Arnold Belnick [violin], Benjamin Barrett ([violin] FRANK ZAPPA); well known for his session work on 1970's funk, soul, and disco releases]), Bobby Bruce [violin], Douglas Davis [cello], Gareth Nuttycombe [violin, viola], Harry Bluestone [violin], Harry Hyams [violin], Harry Roth [violin], Jack Shulman [violin], Leonard Malarsky [violin], Marshall Sosson [violin], Myron Sander [violin, viola], Nathan Ross [violin], Raphael Kramer [cello], Sidney Sharp [violin], Tibor Zelig [violin].

ORCHESTRA HORNS: Allen Di Rienzo [trumpet], Art Maebe [French horn], Freddie Hill [trumpet], Harry Sigismonti [French horn], Lewis McCreary [trombone], Richard Leith [trombone], Vincent DeRosa [horn], Bill Hinshaw [horn].

1. "Urizen" (4:01) an awesomely jazzed-up orchestral funk composition that seems way ahead of its time (but for its similarity to contemporary sound developments both on Broadway and at Motown Records). Melodic and dence-provoking. Nice lead guitar work in the second half of the second minute followed by some stunningly awesome bass and drum work from legendary Wrecking Crew members Carol Kaye and Earl Palmer, respectively. (9.25/10)

2. "Holy Thursday" (5:32) more great orchestra-presented funky jazz musical fare that could've come off of an album coming out of Motown or from Burt Bacharach as likely as a 1970s Black Sexploitation film soundtrack. Is that future Westfall and 1970s soundtrack session drummer Gene Estes on vibraphone? and Howard Roberts shredding on the electric guitar? Great stuff! Carol Kaye is so amazing! (9.5/10)

3. "The Smile" (3:26) sadly, a variation of the previous song with the exact same drumming and orchestration but harpsichord/electric piano and electric guitar given more solo spotlight. Bassist Carol Kaye has some funky chops! And David's orchestral arrangements and Don Randi's orchestra are awesome! (8.875/10)

4. "A Dream" (2:30) bass and harpsichord open this one before gentle support drums and some low end orchestral support appear. At 1:23 the orchestra takes over. Beautiful! The bass and Harpsichord play are rather simple. (8.875/10)

5. "Song of Innocence" (4:33) another great, surprisingly funky orchestral composition blended supremely well between the strings, horns, and the bass and drums. Gene Estes and Carol Kaye provide such an awesome rhythmic foundation and Howard Roberts' Eric Gale-like electric guitar (even volume pedaled) is awesome, but the strings/orchestra steal the show on this one. I also like the addition of Don Randi's supportive organ work. Who knew jazz-rock fusion could/would ever look like this! (10/10)

6. "Merlin's Prophecy" (2:44) this cinematic song feels more like the orchestral rendering of a famous pop radio hit or main theme song from a spy movie: crossing over a little too much into the realm of elevator music. Still, it has great sound, melody, and funk! (8.875/10)

7. "The Mental Traveler" (4:02) starting with a long orchestral opening, Carol Kaye's bass is the first instrument to lead the shift to jazzy-rock funk motif that follows. Electric guitar and the presence of vibes gives this song a slightly different feel though it does end up feeling as if it's all coming from the same funky movie soundtrack. (9/10)

Total time 26:48

It's been such a joy and delight to have discovered this album--one of the surprise/delights of the year! I had no idea how much funk existed before the 1970s! Despite being so short, this is definitely one of my favorite albums from the year 1968. 

91.96 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion--one of the finest blends of orchestra with jazz-rock musicians that you will ever hear!

DAVID AXELROD Songs of Experience (1969)

David and his orchestra of top-tier Los Angeles studio musicians come together again for the follow up album to his ground-breaking, Earth-shattering debut from the year before, Song of Innocence. Capitol Records released Songs of Experience in October of 1969.

1. "The Poison Tree" (3:10) a gorgeous funk tune that sounds like it could come out of a jam from the tiny little shack that was the Motown Records recording studio or from Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra. (10/10)

2. "A Little Girl Lost" (3:29) this harpsichord-centered song of delicate note play is more akin to the soundtrack work of Burt Bacharach. It's nice, pretty, but hardly toe-tapping or attention-grabbing. (8.75/10)

3. "London" (2:49) another piece that conjures up soundtrack music references--this one could've come from a mildly tension-filled travel montage of some British personal development film like Alfie or The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. (8.75/10)

4. "The Sick Rose" (4:49) soft and spacious, this slow-developing tune is pensive and tension-filled enough to represent the whimsical-yet-delicate--and insecure--nature of adolescence. I like this one immensely. It reminds me of so much of Paul Weller's Style Council music. (9.333/10)

5. "The School Boy" (2:31) slowly-picked 12-string guitar is eventually joined by piano, bass, drums, and percussion before finally blowing up bigger in the second half of the second minute with horns and strings. But it quickly reverses into solo single-string 12-string note play as at the beginning. (8.75/10)

6. "The Human Abstract" (5:33) solo piano noteplay with plenty of spaces between little melody riffs, then a few chords, then back to spacious note play. Then bass and gentle drums join Don at the one-minute mark to reinforce his melody line with some harmonic and rhythmic support. Carol Kaye is extraordinary. Don's chord play takes over at the end of the second minute before Earl Palmer expands his drumming to the full kit and Don returns to his melody while accompanying himself with left hand chords. Enter soloing dirty electric guitar as strings pick up Don's simple little melody. Despite the perfection of this little melody, I wonder if it really needed five minutes of repetition. Very French! (8.875/10)

7. "The Fly" (4:52) harpsichord single and chorded noteplay opens this one before a pause signals the full band and orchestra's entry point. The melody and rhythm track sounds very much like several of the great songs from Song of Innocence but the melody and band cohesion lack a bit of the magic of the music of that previous album. The harpsichord play is fun. (8.875/10)

8. "A Divine Image" (4:36) opening with some Psycho-like strings notes, sustained from beneath for tension, joined by surprise strings notes here and there, and then vibraphone enters and becomes the central, albeit quiet instrument while the strings continue their tormenting eeriness below and disconcerting interjections above. Carol and Earl enter at the end of the third minute, laying down an interesting rhythm track with guitarist Howard Roberts' electric guitar strums. In the middle of the fourth minute everybody leaves for a bit while Earl fills the space with some playful funk. Then everybody rejoins for a couple blasts before disappearing to leave only the droning strings to hold that fear and dread. Not what you'd expect from divinity! More like the representing the scariness of the Divine. Interesting, to say the least! (8.875/10)

Total time 31:49

David's second album is much more expressive of a fuller spectrum of the human condition with far more emotions put on display than on his previous masterpiece. Still, it is such a surprising pleasure to experience this music--this type of music.

90.26 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; another wonderful expression of instrumental orchestra and rock music that I feel I must rate down for its brevity.

DAVID AXELROD Earth Rot (1970)

Funk Jazz-Rock Fusion innovator is back with his third concept album of themed self-composed music, this one an album using a choir to express references from the Bible and Navajo legend to the possible role of humanity in the pollution and demise of Earthly conditions. According to AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek, "Earth Rot is in effect a cantata for the planet, or, in Axe's own words 'contemporary music with ancient yet timely words set to the theme of ecology.' Those ancient yet timely words come from the book of Isaiah in the Bible and for a Navajo legend called 'Song of the Earth Spirit.'" 

     David's album was recorded once again in Los Angeles with the help of The Wrecking Crew and an ensemble of hot shot studio musicians. It was released by Capitol Records on April 22, 1970.

Line-up / Musicians:

- David Axelrod / composer, arranger, producer

- Carol Kaye / bass

- Earl Palmer / drums
- Don Randi / piano

- Gary Coleman / Vibraphone

- Robert West / bass 

Chorus – Clark Eran Gassman , Diana Lee, Gerri Engemann*, Jacqueline Mae Ellen, Janice Gassman, Jerry Whitman, Jon Joyce, Lewis E. Moreford, Tom Bahler

- Dennis Budimir / guitars

- Louis Morell / guitars

- Ernie Watt / tenor saxophone, flutes

With:

Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Flute – Jack Kelso , William E. Green
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Ernie Watt
Trombone – Richard Hyde , Richard Leith
Trumpet – Allen De Rienzo, Frederick Hill

- Arthur Wright / bass (B3)
- Sonny Anderson / vibraphone (B3)

Side One - "The Warnings"

A1. "Part I" (2:48) poetic recitation of Biblical verse by female vocalist is then followed by some of David's typical awesome studio orchestra funk. Carole Kay is amazing. (4.625/5)

A2. "Part II" (4:28) chorale voices sing the opening of this one before full jazz orchestra takes on the support fill over Don Randi's simple piano leadership. The mixed choir returns to recite more Biblical text (or interpretive text). This is so powerful! It's like the Gospel musics of Kirk Franklin or Kamasi Washington! (9.25/10)

A3. "Part III" (5:04) acoustic guitar and piano set up this one before Carole and Earl join in--just in time to support the gentle choir music of the full chorus. A little duller and less impactful than the previous two songs--both lyrically and musically. (8.75/10)

A4. "Part IV" (3:08) the inspiration for Stephen Schwartz' Godspell? It sure sounds like it! More music that is in support of (and definitely secondary to) the choir arrangements and performances. These are the best, most sophisticated choral arrangements thus far. (9/10)

Side Two - "The Signs"

B1. "Part I" (3:44) a little more adventurous and inventive with echo effects ascribed to vibes and guitars and heavy single chord bass chord pulses coming from the horns and orchestra while Don Randi plays around with some active blues riffing and Carole, Earl, and Louis Morell inject a lot of their own idiosyncratic flourishes--all this beneath the singular chord-fixed voicings of the chorus. Very cool! (9.333/10)

B2. "Part II" (3:43) more static disciplined choral voicings with gentler, more Bacharach-like smooth studio orchestra support (with lots of flute flitting and flying around behind, beneath, and between the choral lines). Again, I commend David for his creative vision. (9/10)

B3. "Part III" (2:37) a Burt Bacharach beat and sound palette meets us from the opening and is sustained through the addition of nylon string guitar and vocal choir chords. (The style of these sustained chorus chord releases reminds me so much of MAGMA!) Active tenor sax sneaks in a few bars between choral verses (probably Ernie Watt). (9/10)

B4. "Part IV" (3:11) two spaced xylophone chords set up this final piece before the band and chorus join in. After the chorus' first statement there is a very awesome and typical Wrecking Crew motif introduced--one that returns between the sustained choral chord lyrical injections. Amazing! Powerful! Then the same female vocalist that opened the album returns to give us more Bible verses--this time eventually supported by chorus using their speaking voices. (9.75/10)

Total time: 28:36

It's hard to find fault with David's music: the themes/subject matter can sometimes be a little hokey/cringeworthy (and dated) but the compositions and musicianship are always only of the highest caliber. And, yes: this is definitely a form of Jazz-Rock Fusion! And the Magma-esque feel of Side Two's "The Signs" suite is stunning in its uniquity within the context of the whole of American music at that time.

91.61 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; the album's value is diminished some for its rather brief length, otherwise it is another achievement of supreme creativity and innovation added to the long list of such for Mr. Axelrod; this could, in fact, be my favorite album of David's.

DAVID AXELROD David Axelrod's Rock Interpretation of Handel's Messiah (1971)

At this time, Biblical themes were all the rage. This was David's contribution to the phenomenon. Though recorded in LA with a 38-piece orchestra (including bassist Carol Kaye, keyboard specialist Don Randi, and guitarist Mike Deasy), the lead vocalists are only listed as the singing group "The Dillons" while David's friend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley politely serves as the album's producer. (David's other friend and often-collaborator from "The Wrecking Crew," drummer Earl Palmer, may also have contributed to this album.) Released by RCA Victor on November 1, 1971.

A1. "Overture" (5:49) the first half is bombastic symphony orchestra, very well composed and rendered--like an overture. At the 2:45 mark there is a stoppage which is slowly filled by wah-wah-electric guitar, electric bass, funk-rock drumming, and dirty/raunchy electric piano as the orchestra horns and strings re-engage, only in more of a support/accent role--though their melodic presentation is continuous of those melodies presented in the opening half. Very cool! Very solid and well-rendered and powerful. (9.5/10)

A2. "Comfort Ye My People" (2:45) Elton John-like solo piano opens this before male tenor voice enters to sing the words of the song's title. I really like this arrangement, the way David builds around Ed Dillon's singing and then start to increase in intensity and dramatic effect. (9.125/10)

A3. "And The Glory Of The Lord" (4:50) like a rock-orchestra arrangement of a gospel choir rendering of this liturgical song. The vocal arrangements are quite rich and sophisticated; the rock instrumentation a little out of place. (9/10)

A4. "Behold" (2:35) led by a Black female Gospel-Blues singer (a Dillon?), acoustic guitar is the only support instrument for the first minute--the first verse. Slow development brings in blues-rock instrumentation with orchestral horn support. Carol Kaye's bass and the electric piano are the most prominent of the rock musicians. Nothing very special or even dramatic here. (8.75/10)  

B1. "Pastoral Symphony" (5:35) layers of strings open this one, presenting the melody in a kind of fugue before more sections of the orchestra are slowly brought in. This sounds a bit like a New Age "spreading out" of a Pachelbel song. Nice but, again, nothing ground-breaking or exceptional. (8.75/10) 

B2. "And The Angel Said Unto Them" (2:52) opening with the same orchestral strings, in the second half of the first minute the music eventually gives way to a R&B combo for a Black female soprano gospel singer to sing over. The full orchestra is quite present, serving as thick and integral support, though the drums, bass, electric piano, and electric guitar work are the most active and aggressive here--especially in the song's second half--as anything else on the album. (Could that have been Earl Palmer on the drums?) (9/10) 

B3. "Glory To God" (3:03) elements of both female and male choirs are presented as opposed, woven, and antiphonal/echoing parts of the lyrical presentation while gentle funk-rock band and full symphonic orchestra participate from start to near-the finish. Quite a disciplined performance that David got out of these singers (as well as the orchestra). (9.125/10)

B4. "Hallelujah" (3:23) we all know and love it. This one sounds like a slightly slowed-down, BARRY WHITE-version of the tune--until, that is, the second minute when the music moves into an all-instrumental section where Don, Mike, and the orchestra's horn section are given a little room to express themselves in solos. But then we return to the horn-embellished vocal delivery. I have to admit that I've heard many versions of this "song" that I like far better. (8.75/10)

B5. "Worthy Is The Lamb" (2:52) nice Gospel choir music with totally-unnecessary and unfulfilling rock instrumentation. Even the orchestral work on this one feels as if it "gets in the way" of the fine vocal work. "The Dillons" are definitely a fine choir. (8.875/10)

Total time: 32:40

I have to say that this was one of the few times that I actually thought that the great Carol Kaye's bass playing was unbefitting to the music, which feels really weird since I revere her work and instincts so highly. Where I think David's work--his "Rock Interpretation"--started really strongly, I think it went off the rails somewhere in the middle of the Second Side. 

89.86 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of the fusion of rock, jazz, R&B, and classical musical styles. 

DAVID AXELROD The Auction (1972)

David has moved from Biblical themes (Earth Rot and his interpretation of Handel's Messiah) to a forceful Broadway-like production about the plight of the African-American slave. David has moved from Capitol Records to MCA. Released by Decca Records sometime in 1972.

Line-up / Musicians:
- David Axelrod / composer, arranger, co-producer

- Julian "Cannonball" Adderley / co-producer

- Earl Palmer / conductor 

- James Hughart / bass

- John Guerin / drums

- Joe Sample / piano, electric piano

- King Errison / congas

- Arthur Adams / guitar

- David T. Walker (Jackson 5, Donald Byrd, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Cannonball Adderley) / guitar

- Lou Morell / guitar

Chorus:

- Billie Barnum / chorus leader

- Alexander St. Charles, Baron Hardeman, Ed Wallace, Flemming Williams, Gwendolyn Owens, James Cobbin, Jessie Richardson, Jessica Smith, John Lehman, Josef Power, Judith Long, Oma Drake, Oren Waters, Vennetta Fields

Horn section:

- Ernie Watts / reeds, woodwinds

- Jackie Kelso / reeds, woodwinds

- William Green / reeds, woodwinds

- Allen DeRienzo / trumpet

- Paul Hubinon / trumpet

- Dick Hyde / trombone

- Lew McCreary / trombone

- Gary Coleman / Vibraphone, tambourine

1. "Oh! Freedom" (1:20) David's personal rendering (with the help of Billie Barnum's chorus) of a traditional Black spiritual of the most powerful kind. The arrangement is totally a cappella with feeling as much of being outdoors (like an in-the-fields spiritual) as it is that of a church performance by a Baptist Gospel choir. Wow! (Apparently this version of the song was the one used in the soundtrack of the television mini-series of Arthur Haley's Roots.) (4.75/5)

2. "The Auction" (6:43) after opening with a bluesy BB King-like guitar intro, the band enters and settles into a very funky motif over which the guitarist continues for a bit before the voice of Fleming Smith enters with the support of "ah-oo" vocals from a full choir in his background, Fleming narrating the somber and horrific event of a slave auction. The guitars, bass, horn section, and lead saxophone continue on high funk trajectory as a singular female singer and full choir present lines about the scene between Fleming's narrative sections. The lead sax, lead guitar, and wah-wah and rhythm guitars are awesome in here as James Hughart's bass just slays it throughout. My only complaint would be not being able to always clearly distinguish the words being sung by the choir. (9.5/10)

3. "Sympathy" (5:43) vocal soloist Jessica Smith (The Ikettes, The Mirettes) sings an emotionally-powerful plaintive vocal over some beautiful ballad-like supporting smooth jazz. These are great blues performances with a lovely capture of the feel (and acoustics) of a back-woods shack in the swampy South. Great support from the band and orchestra--especially from James Hughart's double bass, Ernie Watts' flute, and Joe Sample's electric piano. I love the use of Maya Angelou's "I know why the caged bird sings" reference in the lyrics. With a performance like this it is surprising to me that the world has not really ever heard of Ms. Jessica Smith. (9.25/10)

4. "Freedom" (4:29) a female choir dirges over funky-bluesy electric piano-led music. The guitar solo in the second and third minutes is jazz-bluesy in a kind of BB King way. A male choir enters in the third minute to put in their two cents worth before a saxophone solo takes over (Ernie Watts?). Joe Sample is quite active and good throughout this though mostly beneath the action on top. A turn-taking male-female, solo and choir conversational "dialogue" supercedes the music in the final minute. A song that oozes passion and suffering. (9.25/10)

5. "The Leading Citizen" (5:08) a very funky mostly-instrumental jam which is peppered with choral discourse (between the male and female choirs) before coming into instrumental sections presenting guitar and sax solos over the constant, insistent, hard-driving music. Though an excellent funk groove with great musicianship and pace, there is something lacking in the variety/variation department and melody. (Perhaps it has to do with the monotony of the hard-driving music and male-only choir singing about the white master.) Some amazing bass, drums, percussion, and wah-wah electric guitar (probably by Motown god, David T. Walker). (9/10)

6. "The Debt" (4:19) a piano jazz combo sounds like it's playing inside an old Southern back-woods juke joint as a Alexander St. Charles (pseudonym for Benard Ighner) sings in a Joe Williams-like baritone. What a cool, time-capturing performance and piece! (9/10)

7. "Be Proud-My Race" (4:43) this piano and horns-dominated jazz-funk piece sounds more like an Off-Broadway moral-religious piece (like Godspell or Jesus Christ Superstar) as the full choir (and I mean full) belts out the full and constant lyrics--which are, apparently, a full-text rendering of the lyrics as adapted from Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem "Ode to Ethiopia," which were first published in 1905. Every time I've listened to this I find myself weeping uncontrollably by the second verse. The one personal criticism/adaptation that I make are with regards to the electric guitar and sax flourishes made between verses: they feel totally superfluous and unnecessary, even discourteous, and 2) the fact that the song only covers the first five of the poem's ten verses.

"Ode to Ethiopia / Compensation"

O Mother Race! to thee I bring 

This pledge of faith unwavering, 

This tribute to thy glory. 

I know the pangs which thou didst feel, 

When Slavery crushed thee with its heel, 

With thy dear blood all gory. 

 Sad days were those — ah, sad indeed! 

But through the land the fruitful seed 

of better times was growing. 

The plant of freedom upward sprung, 

And spred its leaves so fresh and young— 

Its blossoms now are blowing. 

 On every hand in this fair land, 

Proud Ethiope's swarthy children stand 

Beside their fairer neighbour; 

The forests flee before their stroke, 

Their hammers ring their forges smoke, 

They sit in honest labour. 

 They tread the fields where honour calls; 

Their voices sound through senate halls 

In majesty and power. 

To right they cling; the hymns they sing 

Up to the skies in beauty ring, 

And bolder grow each hour. 

 Be proud, my race, in mind and soul; 

Thy name is writ on Glory's scroll 

In characters of fire. 

High 'mid the clouds of Fame's bright sky 

Thy banner's blazoned folds now fly, 

And truth shall lift them higher. 

 Thou hast the right to noble pride, 

Whose spotless robes were purified 

By blood's severe baptism. 

Upon thy brow the cross was laid, 

And labour's painful sweat-beads made 

A consecrating chrism. 

 No other race, or white or black, 

When bound as thou wert, to the rack, 

So seldom stooped to grieving; 

No other race, when free again, 

Forgot the past and proved them men 

So noble in forgiving. 

 Go on and up! Our souls and eyes 

Shall follow thy continuous rise; 

Our ears shall list thy story 

From bards who from thy root shall spring, 

and proudly tune their lyres to sing 

Of Ethiopia's glory.

Because I had loved so deeply, 

Because I had loved so long, 

God in His great compassion 

Gave me the gift of song. 

 Because I have loved so vainly, 

And sung with such faltering [breath],

The Master in infinite mercy

Offers the boon of Death.

Text Authorship: by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 - 1906), "Ode to Ethiopia"

I do not know why David Axelrod always bulldozed his way into public controversy (the death of his mother at age eight, the many traumatic events he encountered on the streets of lower-class Los Angeles, his youthful career as a successful boxer, his own struggles with addiction) but I so admire his fearless willful expression of empathy and public attention for the causes of the disenfranchised, downtrodden, and marginalized. (9.5/10) 

8. "Oh! Freedom" (0:34)

Total time: 32:59

92.69 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; marked down for brevity this is still a very powerful piece of music--one that begs for recognition for its historical significance as well as for its fine composition, rendering, and performances. 

DAVID AXELROD Heavy Axe (1974)

David enters the House of Fantasy Records where the Mizell Brothers (Larry and Fonce) somehow convince David to arrange and conduct cover versions of famous hit songs from the realms of popular Jazz, Pop/Soul, and R&B music. Recorded at Fantasy Studios in March of 1974; released by Fantasy Records on July 1.

Line-up / Musicians:

- David Axelrod / arranger, conductor

- King Errisson / congas

- Roy McCurdy / drums
- George Duke / piano [acoustic & electric], synthesizers/keyboards 
- Billy Fender / guitar

- Don Peake / guitar 

- Johnny "Guitar" Watson / guitar
- Rudy Copeland / synthesizer [Moog]

Vocals: Billie Barnum, Gwen Owens, Olga James, Stephanie Spruill

- Jack Shulman / concertmaster, violin

Violins: Alexander Neiman, Henry Roth, Jerome Reisler

- Gary Nuttycombe / viola

- William Hymanson / viola

- Nat Gershman / cello 

- Walter Rower / cello

- Jackie Kelso / saxophones [alto, tenor, baritone], flute [alto]
- William Green / saxophones [alto, tenor], flute [alto]

- Jay Migliori / saxophones [tenor, baritone], flute [alto]

- Allen De Rienzo / trumpet

- Oscar Brashear / trumpet 

- Snookey Young / trumpet

- Dick Hyde / trombone

- George Bohanon / trombone

With:

- Julian "Cannonball" Adderley / alto saxophone [solo] (A1)

- Gene Ammons / tenor saxophone (A4)

A1."Get Up Off Your Knees" (3:38) a bluesy cover of a Julian Adderley composition--a song that had been previously recorded by Julian with his brother Nat--under the production of he and David!--back in 1971 where it was released as a 45 rpm single by Capitol Records. This version is a pretty straightforward, horn-dominated rendering of the familiar song. I don't really like it--the song or David's rendering.(8.667/10)

A2. "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" (3:27) a flute and Fender Rhodes-dominated soft-jazz cover of Vince Guaraldi's classic Grammy Award-winning song from Vince's Trio's 1962 album, Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus. This version from David and Julian is less than rousing despite the additional presence of a female choir for the final minute or so. (8.75/10)

A3. "You're So Vain" (4:20) you really have to knock it out of the park for me to like an instrumental cover of a major hit song, but here David has Stephanie Spruill doing quite her own rendition of the main lyric--in full. I'm not even sure that Carly Simon would like, much less applaud, Stephanie's version. It's got an interesting, rather pulsing-yet-rubbery Moog bass line and near-Disco drum beat but Stephanie and the girls just take it too far for my comfort into the Black Funk territory of Betty Davis and Mavis Staples. (8.875/10)

A4. "My Family" (4:45) the first of the Axelrod originals, it opens like a New Orleans funeral procession with baritone sax, trombone, and strings leading the melody. A big drum workup at 1:45 introduces the next level: one which is led by a steamy-hot electric guitar and swelling horns, but then, at 2:45 the music shifts into gear, thanks to Rudy Copeland's ultra-funky stretchy Moog bass line, congas, dreamy electric piano chords, and some sax from Gene Ammons. Interesting and cool but I'm definitely going to have to hear this one a few times before I can make head or tails out of it! (It's probably important to remember that David's family experienced a double trauma in 1944-5 with the passing of both his father and brother.) (9.125/10)   

B1. "Mucho Chupar" (3:13) one of David's four original compositions on the album, this song grooves like Deodato's "Super Strut," it moves, it coos and seduces, it swells and explodes. It is so fresh and innovative! That Moog bass is so killer! And the unexpected employment in the second minute of the female choir to express themselves in wordless Sirenese (a wordless Urszula Dudziak-Donna Summer-like ultra-seduction)--together and woven separately--is pure genius! Definitely my favorite song on the album. (9.375/10)

B2. "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" (3:45) a cover of the recent Stevie Wonder hit song, David chooses to have flutes, strings, and George Duke's Fender Rhodes lead the melody recreation while the rock band and orchestra helps out lightly (other than the flutes) for the first two minutes. The second minute really lets George shine, but then strings, electric guitar, and horns begin to swell and make the song much fuller--until an unexpected fadeout terminates the song. Just when they were starting to cook! (8.875/10)

B3. "It Ain't For You" (4:25) the third of David's compositions is quite funky with "Guitar" Watson, George's clavinet, Rudy Copeland's Moog, and Roy McCurdy's crisp drums filling the sonic field with the help, for a while, of David's background horns. The guitar, clavinet, and Moog are the main players, the main attraction--what an amazing Moog bass Rudy (or George) is playing! Mixed with the clavinet and rhythm guitars it makes for such a stinky funk! More like this, please! My only (small) criticism here is that there is a bit of a BILLY PRESTON's "Outa Space" familiarity/feel to this. (9.333/10) 

B4. "Everything Counts" (6:54) the album's fourth and final original composition opens with bluesy organ and stretchy Moog bass mixing it up before drums and orchestra horns and then full orchestra add their own melodic accents (much in the dramatic pattern and style that David has been championing since his debut album in 1968). That bass is amazing! Left alone with King Errisson's congas it makes for the closest thing I've ever heard to Tony Levin's ChapmanStick playing! George tries to fill space above the rhythm section with some nice, laid-back Fender Rhodes play but it takes the horn section blasts and/or bluesy electric guitar soloing to do anything to draw my attention away from that Moog-led rhythm section! (13.625/15) 

Total time: 34:16

90.15 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; what may be a minor masterpiece of Funk-Jazz is probably just a near-masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion.

 

DAVID AXELROD Seriously Deep (1975)

Conductor/composer David Axelrod has been at this a long time, at first pioneering the possibilities of the newly- forming idiom that will become jazz-rock fusion and then perfecting the funk aspect of it. Here he might have settled into a little too much of the 1970s attitudes of laid-back ease and cocky-shlock.

1. "Miles Away" (8:22) nice orchestra-supported funk lite that presents a nice theme which ultimately looses its memorability. (17.75/20)

2. "One" (5:35) a great 90-second start of roiling percussion and wah-ed bass from the rhythm section is totally spoiled once the keyboards and guitars enter the main chords and melodic lines. Too bad! Then add the lead guitar in the fourth minute and totally destroy anything that was good (though the bass does recover a bit after the rude interruption of raunchy guitar). Too shlocky--and not even up to Bob James's level. But the interactive play of Mailto Correa's percussion and Ndugu's is amazing! (8.6667/10)

3. "1000 Rads" (8:10) Mailto and Ndugu are re-set into harmonious motion before a new motif is established by the guitars, horns, and keyboards. The rhythmists aren't quite as loose and free on this one as they were on the previous song, and the motif isn't quite as painful as the previous one, but it's still a little too 1970s syrupy. (13.125/15)

4. "Ken Russell" (6:38) pulsing and a little more even keeled and melodic, this one has some very nice performances from the flutes, the Fender Rhodes, and both of the guitarists, rhythm and lead. The spacey-buzz-saw synth and orchestra strings play a big role in the final two minutes. (8.875/10)

5. "Go For It" (3:53) more pleasant funk lite rendered through a nice palette choice of instruments through some pleasant-if-slightly-shlocky (typical for the 1970s) melodies. (8.875/10)

6. "Reverie" (6:53) a bluesy-soulful affair with some lead performances given to the guitars and synths.(13.125/15)

Total time: 39:31

88.02 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a pleasant and interesting foray into pre-smooth jazz J-R Fusion that gets a little too dated in its mawkishness.

DAVID AXELROD Strange Ladies (1977)

This is an album that shows David's growth and maturation as a songwriter and band leader: the music here is much more full and sophisticated than the work he did in the 1960s that led to his fame. He has figured out how to blend his orchestral with the laid back, jazz-rock funk that he burst onto the scene with on his famous tribute to works of William Blake in Song of Innocence. The bass, guitar, keys, and horns are definitely offered much more freedom to be creative, to be flashy, and to show off their own skills and ideas here than they were the albums from a decade before. While I miss Carol Kaye (who wouldn't?), the bass playing by JIm Hughart is quite exceptional. As with Song of Innocence, David's genius for spreading the melodies of his music across the entire band is displayed here--maybe at times even more successfully (like on the amazing "Terri's Tune"). At times the orchestrated approach makes one feel as if you're listening to a film or television soundtrack, but that doesn't matter because it's just great, eminently enjoyable music! Period! Definitely my second favorite of David's discography (which includes the two Electric Prunes liturgical renderings in 67 & 68).

A1. "Aunt Charlotte" (4:46) a long strings intro is slowly joined by bass, funky clavinet, and trumpet with horn section support and a near-disco Rocky-like palette (and feel). It's peppy with that clavinet and Rocky-like trumpet, but perhaps a little too cheesy. (8.875/10)

A2. "Mujer Extrana (Strange Lady)" (9:18) a gentle, slow and steady melodic build (coming from the militaristic drum-paced rock combo) that feels a lot like a kind of bluesy R&B "Thrill Is Gone" like song. It then shifts at the 90-second mark with the addition of some new, discordant/counterpoint chords from the orchestra that bring in a little tension build up. The bluesy-rock Latin funk music continues with Don Randi's keys providing the most dominant forward momentum despite feeling a part of a whole-band weave throughout. A bass solo ensues for about 45 seconds before guitar, Rhodes seem to vie for the next solo but are then overthrown by loud orchestra swells and a rather insistent flute. At 7:20 a little reset lull allows everyone to kind of congeal into a whole-band march toward the finish line where it seems that only the snare and bass are strong enough to cross the finish line. Cool song! (18/20)

A3. "Tony Poem" (4:50) Jim Hughart's funky Anthony Jackson-like bass along with Earl Palmer's expert drums and Don Randi's clavinet and electric piano along to reinforce it make for quite an introduction to this wonderful album's great sound and comforting groove-cruisin'. In the end, though, it just might be a little too cheesy in the way it pulls at the listener's "white man's overbite" dance strings. (8.875/10)

B1. "Mrs. O.J.A." (5:38) more of the gentle funk from the studio band is led this time around by the chord play of Don Randi on the Fender Rhodes, then a great little bass solo from Jim Hughart before the horn accents enter in the second minute. This is great use of the horns to amplify and contrast with the song's awesome funk chord progression, followed up by a great Jay Graydon's guitar solo as the spacious play of Don Randi's Fender Rhodes continues to steer the song down the river. The trumpet solo in the fourth and fifth minutes is a little over the top, but the entry and weightiness of the string and horn sections' chords help to offset it. (9.125/10)

B2. "Terri's Tune" (6:44) an absolutely perfect piece of music: I am amazed how smoothly David spreads his melody-carrying work among the entire ensemble. Then in the middle of the fourth minute there is a curious pause--which lasts a little longer than is normally comfortable--but then sees the best of the song rising out of its reset--with some great clarinet soloing from Jackie Kelso in the sixth minute. The final two minutes of the song offer what feels like the album's very best music and motif. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful. (10/10)

B3. "Sandy" (5:44) long solo bass intro is eventually joined by finger piano-like acoustic guitar, doubling up the bass's near-classical melody line. Second time through the guitar breaks off to make its own harmonizing melody line before the orchestra's flutes and winds take over to claim their own melody. Strings-backed rock combo then pick up a a gentle, slow and steady melodic build that feels a lot like a kind of Jimmy Webb song. Beautiful! Acoustic guitars remain the lead instruments--working in tandem--until the four-minute mark when Don Randi's Fender Rhodes takes a turn. Here the rhythm section does an excellent job of support as the guitars turn into the accent-providers while the soothing strings float around in the heavens above. Nice! (9.125/10)

Total time: 37:00

91.43 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of masterful blending of jazz-pop combo and full orchestra. Awesome and highly recommended.

DAVID AXELROD Marchin'  (1980)

Earl Palmer's gift to his struggling friend, marchin' is a collection of songs rendered and arranged by David in a funk-electronic format with a stripped-down electrified version of his usual full orchestra and much-expanded funk rock/R&B band. The music shows that David is still able, when he sets his mind to it, to focus and deliver fine music as well as draw/inspire such performances from his collaborators (or maybe that was producer Earl). Though definitely a funk-Jazz album of finely-rendered songs, the genre doesn't benefit or grow much from the material on this album. The album was recorded and mastered at MCA Whitney Studios, Glendale, California, and then released by MCA Records.

Line-up / Musicians:

- David Axelrod / composer, arranger
- Earl Palmer / drums, producer
- Jim Hughart / bass [electric and acoustic]
- Buddy Collette / flutes, bass clarinet, alto saxophone
- Jackie Kelso / flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone
- Bill Green / flute, English horn, oboe, tenor saxophone
- Arthur Adams / guitars

- David Pritchard /guitars
- Mike Wolf / keyboards, piano [acoustic & electric], clavinet
- Gene Estes / percussion

- Jack Arnold / percussion
Trombones: Dick "Slyde" Hyde , Jimmy Cleveland
Trumpets: Bobby Bryant, Buddy Childers

Life-long issues with drug addictions and pent-up anger led to plenty of tragedies in David's long life (including three divorces, the 1970 death of his 17-year son due to a drug overdose, and long periods of seclusion and reclusiveness), but through it all David remained dedicated to his composing--even into his final year. He died on February 5, 2017, at the age of 83, with his wife of 25 years (his fourth--a cancer survivor) and children at his side. The albums cited above are diverse, showing the influence of many of the seasonal trends entering (and, just as quickly, leaving) popular and especially Jazz-Rock Fusion. But, through it all David's sound and style (as well as his scope of album themes) remained pretty consistent--so much so that his songs and sound remain distinguishable over the course of his entire career. One of the first and negligently important figures in the "fusion" world!