[Pulse] -- I knew nothing of the pioneering jazz drummer, Ronald Shannon Jackson, until his second go-round with Last Exit in 1988. But he had been on the scene from 1966 until his death in 2013, and he amassed 165 credits [Discogs]. I have not backtracked through all of his works. I'm primarily interested in RSJ with Last Exit, the Decoding Society, and his solo work. That latter category is where today's Flashback comes rom.
Now, I'm not entirely certain when Ronald Shannon Jackson released Pulse, but I do know it was in 1984 and AOTY lists the release date as December 3, 1984. So, Pulse turns 40 years old this week!
AllMusic categorizes Pulse as a Jazz album in the styles of Fusion and Hard Bop. Discogs more broadly lists the album's styles as Free Jazz, Poetry, Free Improvisation, and Spoken Word. Discogs might be the more complete description as Pulse features Ronald Shannon Jackson recitation over drum solos, the kind of solos you might expect from an icon of jazz, funk, and the avant garde. As such, Pulse is a sparse album, specifically in terms of personnel. Ronald Shannon Jackson handled the drums, of course, as well as the aforementioned vocals. Two other performers contributed to two of the ten tracks: Onaje Allen Gumbs played piano on "Lullabye For Mother" and Michael S. Harper provided his voice to "Those Winter Sundays." Beyond that, only the producers – David Breskin and Ron Saint-Germain – are listed in the liner notes.
This is not an easy listen, particularly if you are not accustomed to jazz drum solos. But it is a rewarding one, at least in my opinion. And if you need a break from all the holiday tunes, this album will certainly cleanse your aural palate.
Flashback: Pulse (December 3, 1984)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
I'll see you in seven!
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