William Parker - it's Raining On The Moon

There aren't many CD's I enjoy more than this one. It is not entirely free jazz, despite Parker's reputation as a free jazz bass-player with his other bands, The Little Huey Orchestra and In Order To Survive. This album swings from beginning to end with lots of free improv and strongly rooted in the blues. Leena Conquest sings on five of the eight songs, with lyrics which are at times absurd and at times offer criticism on society. Rob Brown on sax and Louis Barnes on trumpet are a pleasure to listen to, but the real treat is the interplay between Parker and Hamid Drake. They've probably played hundreds of times together and that's very clear to hear on this album. This is music to laugh by, to cry by. A must-have!