RON JEFFERSON CHOIR

Description

This eponymous album is a testament to the short-lived group led by New York drummer Ron Jefferson during his stay in Paris in the mid-60s. After a first album under his own name on Pacific Jazz in 1962, the founding member of The Jazz Modes and the Les McCann trio made the trip overseas. He made a living there playing with popular pianists Errol Parker or Hazel Scott, but his main driving force was this trio he formed with two other American expatriates, bassist Roland Haynes (the very same one who recorded an album on Black Jazz as a pianist, as confirmed by Kirk Lightsey) and guitarist Buz Saviano. After a very successful concert at the Palais de Chaillot in 1965, they were invited to give a series of concerts in Dakar, Senegal. On their return, Polydor International offered them this session. The profound impact of their stay in the motherland on their music is perceptible on the standout track 'Africa the Beautiful'. Associated with Yusef Lateef's best Afro-oriental explorations of the time, it showcases Ron on flute and Senegalese percussion. The album's release was nevertheless a commercial failure, which led to the group's breakup and Ron's return to New York, where he performed until his death in 2007.