Booker T. & The Plasmic Bleeds

One of the often-overlooked free jazz musicians of the last century, Seattle-based saxophonist Booker T. (Williams) recorded sessions with the likes of Denis Charles, Andrew Cyrill and William Hooker in the 1980s and 1990s then receded from view. To BC/LY…. Is the first commercially available set by Booker T., who turns 77 on March 3. It preserves much of his unfettered improvisation on tenor and alto saxophones, But some tracks’ brevity and inconsistency of vision at times suggests a rehearsal rather than a developed program.

Put together in Little Rock in 2022, the disc also includes trumpeter Marc Franklin, tenor saxophonist  Gary Hammon, stritch player Chad Fowler, pianist Christopher Parker, bassist Luke Stewart, drummer Chad Anderson) and the vocals of Kelley Hurt – most of whom Booker had never played with before.

This combination connects on longer tracks, especially when Booker gives full rein to his intense mixture of Trane and gospel inflection that include double-tonguing and yelping overtones, sopranissimo screams, and fragmented honks and reflex. He’s not overly solemn either, angling quotes from “Dixie” and “Happy Birthday” into the otherwise measured “Stay Alert “. Often on electric bass Stewart preserves the steadying groove on a track like “Simontov”,  intensifying a blues feeling, while intense trumpet triples and the other reeds antiphony add to the elation. Parker’s modal comping is presented with equal resolve and reflection. The latter quality is played up on “ Are You For Me?” a sweetened ballad that Hurt caresses besides reed obbligatos. Involving herself in the ascending free flow that is “Mama Cries”, her near orgasmic warbling locks in with the bust bass thumps and the horns’ nephritic screams and slurs.

Other than that there’s a bit of confusion as to who takes which solo on the extended tracks, plus four terse variants of the title track that sound more like practice runs than the salutes to presidents Clinton and Obama they are purported to be.

At the top of session someone is heard saying “the more imperfect it is, the better… if it’s too perfect we have a problem… human beings, we’re not perfect”, which could sum up the thinking behind this disc. Since Booker T.’s playing appears undiminished perhaps someone else will build on this to record  him again in a more formal setting.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Perfect & Imperfect 2. Ode to BC LY… And I Know Bo …Da Prez No.1 3. Simontov 4. Are You For Me? 5. Ode to BC LY… And I Know Bo …Da Prez No. 2 6. Last of the Tribesmen 7. Mama Cries 8. Ode to BC LY… And I Know Bo …Da Prez No. 3 9. Stay Alert

Personnel: Marc Franklin (trumpet); Booker T. Williams (alto and tenor saxophones); Gary Hammon (tenor saxophone); Chad Fowler (stritch); Christopher Parker (piano); Luke Stewart (bass and electric bass); Chad Anderson (drums) and Kelley Hurt (vocals)