Hermeto Pascoal - Slaves Mass - 180g LP

Product no.: PPANBS2980

In stock

Hermeto Pascoal - Slaves Mass - 180g LP
£29.99
Price includes VAT, plus delivery


Available delivery methods: UK Tracked with Signature, UK Express, Airmail Tracked with Signature, UK Standard, Heavy Item

AAA 100% Analogue This LP was Remastered using Pure Analogue Components Only from the Master Tapes through to the Cutting Head

Pure Pleasure / Warner - PPAN BS2980 - 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl 

AAA 100%  Analogue  -  Pressed at Pallas Germany - Limited Edition

Mastered by Ray Staff at Air London - Warner BS 2980

 
Hermeto Pascoal, the Brazilian multi-instrumentalist whose contribution to jazz is beyond measure ever since the short-lived Quarteto Novo and his collaboration with Miles Davison Live Evil, surrounds himself with a stellar line-up on this long awaited reissue. With an impressive ensemble including Weather Report's Chester Thompson and Alphonso Johnson, and with long-time friends Airto Moreira and Flora Purimas producers, Hermeto opts for a collective approach.
 
Pascoal's flamboyance is clearly recognisable on Slaves Mass, even if in embryonic form, along with his passion for turning everyday objects into musical instruments (amazingly Moreira is credited with 'Special Effects with Live Pigs' on the title-track). His improvisational phrasing draws on the rhythmic patterns of the spoken word and sounds of nature.
 
One can spot many an influence. Hermeto's soprano playing recalls Wayne Shorter's (with a flair for the experimental as in Weather Report's I Sing The Body Electric). On "Cannon", (dedicated to alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley), Hermeto's speech-likeflute is the principal voice. Flora Purim enriches the already eclectic vocal brew with her plastic, magnificent voice. Airto, on the other hand is ever-present both on vocal and percussion, enhancing the multilayered rhythmic complexity of the writing.
 
There are many delights here; the baroque bossa of "Little Cry For Him" offers abig grin of carnival happiness, with speedy, high-pitched keyboards and flute engaging in mad child-like runs. Pascoal's piano on "Just Listen" is a gurgling, improvisational bonanza.

"Not strictly a jazz album in the strict sense, Slaves Mass has strong compositional themes among its seven tracks. The maestro Hermeto Pascoal plays everything from flutes, soprano saxophone, guitar, Fender Rhodes, acoustic piano and clavinet on this set, and enlists help from Ron Carter, Airto, Flora Purim, Raul DeSouza, David Maro and others. 'Mixing Pot,' is the opener and an anomaly in that it is a vanguard fusion tune where Pascoal really digs in and improvises.

"It also features the only appearance on this set of Alphonso Johnson on electric bass. In 'Missa Dos Escravos,' the title track, Pascoal's emblematic pig gives his first growls in a song dominated by Brazilian Indian references. Wonderfully and intricately composed, it centers around folk tropes. 'Chorinho Para Ele' is a beautiful and modern choro with a somewhat challenging glissando bridge that really proposed new directions for the traditional genre. 'Aquela Valsa' is a beautiful six/eight theme that turns into a samba with a beautiful trombone solo by DeSouza.

"'Cannon' is an utterly improvisational piece that meanders and winds around Pascoal's flute solo. Atonalism dominates the piano solo 'Escuta Meu Piano,' which also presents bits and pieces of different styles (like baião) and folk songs. Hot samba improvisation is found in 'Geléia de Cereja,' that slips and slides through a variety of schema and dynamic changes without much internal focus, but it is a compelling bit of creative anarchy nonetheless in that it displays Pascoal's full range of restless musical and textural impulses — as well as a beautiful soprano solo." 

Drums – Airto Moreira
Flute – Hermeto Pascoal
Guitar – David Amaro
Keyboards – Hermeto Pascoal
Producer – Airto Moreira, Flora Purim
Sax – Hermeto Pascoal
Trombone – Raul De Souza
Vocals – Flora Purim
 
Side A:
1. Mixing Pot (Tacho)
2. Slaves Mass (Missa Dos Escravos)
3. Little Cry For Him (Chorinho Pra Ele)
4. Cannon (Dedicated to Cannonball Adderley)
 
Side B:
1. Just Listen (Escuta Meu Piano)
2. That Waltz (Aquela Valsa)
3. Cherry Jam (Geleia De Cereja)

 
Image result for pure pleasure records
 

Pure Pleasure Records
The Restoration of the Art of Sound
180g Vinyl Mastered From The Best Available Sources

At the beginning of the 90s, in the early days of audiophile vinyl re-releases, the situation was fairly straightforward. Companies such as DCC, Mobile Fidelity, Classic Records and, of course, Pure Pleasure all maintained a mutual, unwritten ethical code: we would only use analogue tapes to manufacture records. During the course of the present vinyl hype, many others have jumped on the bandwagon in the hope of securing a corner of the market. Very often they are not so ethical and use every imaginable source to master from: CDs, LPs, digital files, MP3s – or employed existent tools from the 80s and 90s for manufacturing.

A digital delay is gladly used when cutting a lacquer disc because tape machines with an analogue delay have become quite rare and are therefore expensive. When cutting the lacquer, the audio signal is delayed by one LP revolution against the signal, which controls the cutter head, and for this a digital delay is very often employed. Of course, the resultant sound signal is completely digital and thus only as good as this delay.

We should like to emphasize that Pure Pleasure Records on principle only uses the original master tape as the basis for the entirely analogue cutting of lacquer discs. In addition, the pressing tool is newly manufactured as a matter of principle. We only employ existing tools for manufacturing if an improved result is not forthcoming, e.g. the title Elvis Is Back, which was mastered by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray, or several titles from our Philips Classics series, which in any case Willem Makkee cut from the original masters at the Emil Berliner Studios in the 90s. It goes without saying that we only used the mother and that new tools were made for our production. To put it in a nutshell: we can ensure you that our releases are free from any kind of digital effects and that the lacquer discs are newly cut.

There really is nothing quite like it.  It’s the touch, the feel, you have to stop and stare, the cover,  the real thing, even the smell.

Its tangible, you can feel it, see it, study it,   muse/dream over it, it’s real, someone  has spent hours and hours over its construction and presentation. Pure Pleasure Records is just that, Pure Pleasure and that is what it has set out to be.  

The music and the physical record.  Something to keep, treasure, admire and above all enjoy.Of course with vinyl it’s not just a record, it’s the cover,  the sleeve notes, you are  holding a unique package, produced by craftsmen.

Pure Pleasure  Records bring you vinyl albums of quality Jazz - Blues - R+B - Soul - Funk, remastered by some of the best engineers in the world and pressed on 180 gram audiophile vinyl at what is probably the best pressing plant in Europe 

Pure Analogue Audiophile Mastering
 
Plated and Pressed at Pallas in Germany on 180 Gram Virgin Vnyl
 
Released in Limited Quantities

PALLAS
 
Audiophile Vinyl - Made in Germany  For over 60 years the family business in the third generation of the special personal service and quality "Made by Pallas" is known worldwide. Our custom PVC formulation produces consistently high pressing quality with the lowest surface noise in the industry. Our PVC complies with 2015 European environmental standards and does not contain toxic materials such as Lead, Cadmium or Toluene. Our vinyl is both audiophile and eco-grade!  

 

 

Browse these categories as well: JAZZ, BLUES SOUL R&B