Soapsuds, Soapsuds Explained

Soapsuds, Soapsuds
Type:Studio album
Artist:Ornette Coleman and Charlie Haden
Cover:Soapsuds, Soapsuds.jpg
Released:1977
Recorded:January 30, 1977
Studio:The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
Genre:Free jazz
Length:38:11
Label:Artists House
AH6
Producer:John Snyder
Chronology:Ornette Coleman
Prev Title:Dancing in Your Head
Prev Year:1977
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Next Year:1978

Soapsuds, Soapsuds is an album of duets by saxophonist/trumpeter Ornette Coleman and bassist Charlie Haden, recorded in 1977 and released on the Artists House label.[1] [2]

Reception

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "This unusual album found Coleman taking time off from his electric free funk group, Prime Time, to record acoustic duets with his longtime associate, bassist Charlie Haden. Coleman switches to tenor and trumpet for the challenging music which includes three of his originals".

In JazzTimes, Duck Baker wrote: "The most significant dividing line in Ornette’s chronology might be Charlie Haden's leaving the group in the mid-'70s. This set of duos from a few years later highlights the telepathy that was crucial to the success of so many classic earlier recordings ... a fine, relaxed set whose very effortlessness might make it seem less than it is, which is of course top-notch".[3]

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings described Coleman's tenor sax sound on the album as "a light, alto-range tone which irresistably recalls Lester Young, and which sits perfectly alongside Haden's bass." They commented: "This is a unexpectedly lyrical record, the one in the OC canon which will always catch out (figuratively) blindfolded testees... Not considered to be an A-list record, but we're carrying a torch for it."

Track listing

All compositions by Ornette Coleman except where noted

Side A
  1. "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" (Sanger D. Shafer) – 7:44
  2. "Human Being" (Charlie Haden) − 7:46
  3. "Soap Suds" – 5:12
Side B
  1. "Sex Spy" – 9:55
  2. "Some Day" – 7:34

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. https://www.jazzdisco.org/ornette-coleman/catalog/#artists-house-ah-6 Ornette Coleman catalog
  2. http://www.jazzlists.com/SJ_Label_Artists_House.htm Jazzlists: Artists House discography
  3. Baker, D. JazzTimes Review, accessed March 20, 2018