Laughing At The Light Posted by Junior

Norman Connors: Laughter and Butterfly Dreams From: Dark Of Light [Cobblestone, 1973] It looks like it's time to go deep again my friends and this time we're journeying into the dark of light with Norman Connors. A gifted jazz drummer from an early age, Connors had played with many of the greats by his early twenties, including accompanying Archie Shepp and Pharoah Saunders on tour. For this, his second album, Connors had the debt repaid with legends including Herbie Hancock and Gary Bartz accompanying him in the studio. A mix of funk and jazz the album moves from dancefloor friendly grooves to experimental jazz noodlings at the drop of a hat, showcasing the different talents of the artists involved. As briliant as this is, it's a sound that Connors would move away from in later recordings, preferring what he deemed to be a more public friendly, commercial, vibe. A shame for fans of his early stuff but then people have gotta pay the bills. Fans of old school Cut & Paste tracks should have no trouble recognising the intro of Laughter, an absolute killer of a bass riff kicking off the track. I love the way the drums permeate the mix slightly off beat as the flutes carry the melody forward, all the time that bassline throbbing underneath. As the keyboards get added to the mix you get the impression that this is carefully nurtured chaos. Butterfly Dreams is one of those song titles that captures the essence of a piece of music perfectly. Ethereal vocals floating over staccato drums, keyboards, and an undulating bass. Constantly verging on confusion the track uses the melody supplied by the keyboard to draw the elements together into a coherent whole. Deeply delicious.