Long Hidden: The Olmec Series

by William Parker

Overview

William Parker's abiding interest in the "ancient DNA/cultural codex that connects Africa to the Americas" is represented respectively by his use on several tracks of the doson ngoni, an eight-stringed version of the traditional Manding hunting guitar, and the Olmec Group, a merengue quartet of two percussionists, accordion, and alto sax joined by Dave Sewelson on saxophones and Todd Nicholson on bass. The curious combination of merengue's high-energy, Parker's rattling gourd, and free jazz sax sounds strangely clinical in this studio recording, but works well enough when driven forward by a strong bass riff ("Codex"). However, it pales into insignificance when compared to Parker's solo tracks. While his doson ngoni ramblings are pleasant enough, his bass work is magnificent, from the somber take on the spiritual "There Is a Balm in Gilead" to the impassioned "Compassion Seizes Bed-Stuy" (first heard on the 1996 Homestead album of the same name by Parker and In Order to Survive) to the celestial high harmonics of "Cathedral of Light." And another epic solo comes as a bonus cut in the form of "In Case of Accident," originally released on 1994 on Parker's Centering imprint and long unavailable. ~ Dan Warburton

Product Details

Release Date:	03/14/2006
Label:	Aum Fidelity
UPC:	0642623303627
Rank:	252090

Tracks

1. There Is a Balm in Gilead
2. Long Hidden, Pt. 2
3. Codex
4. El Puente Seco
5. Long Hidden, Pt. 3
6. Cathedral of Light
7. Compassion Seizes Bed-Stuy
8. Pol-A-Tok
9. Espirito
10. Long Hidden, Pt. 1
11. In Case of Accident

Album Credits

Performance Credits

William Parker   Primary Artist,8-String Bass,Percussion,Bass
Luis Ramierez   Accordion
Gabriel Nunez   Bongos,Timbales
Omar Payano   Guiro,Vocals,Guiro,Congas,Vocals
Dave Sewelson   Sax (Alto),Sax (Baritone)
Isaiah Parker   Sax (Alto)

Technical Credits

Steven Joerg   Audio Production,Producer
William Parker   Audio Production,Liner Notes,Original Session Producer,Producer,Composer
Tatico Henriquez   Composer
Myles Boisen   Engineer
Chris Flam   Mastering
John Fell Ryan   Illustrations,Design
Andrei Strobert   Engineer
Traditional   Composer