{"title":"Strata East","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStrata East is a New York-based music label that was launched in 1971 by musicians Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell. The label has played a significant role in the jazz scene, releasing groundbreaking and influential albums. With addresses at 463 West Street (1971-1974), 156 Fifth Avenue (1974-1978), and 221 West 57th Street (1980-?), Strata East has been committed to promoting exceptional talent. Distributed by Audiofidelity Enterprises, Inc., Strata East continues to showcase remarkable artists and contribute to the rich history of jazz.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"glass-bead-games","title":"Glass Bead Games","description":"\u003cp\u003eFifth part of the Strata-East Dolphy Series, Glass Bead Games is arguably the crown jewel of the Strata East movement, an amorphous genre that treads an unusual path between post-bop, 70’s avant-garde and spiritual jazz, with a groove. Glass Bead Games is full of revelations at many levels. First, the decade of the 1970s did produce genuinely creative, \"human\" new music flowing from the jazz mainstream; second, Bill Lee was more than Spike's dad: he was a superlative bassist, a team player of the first order, a powerful catalyst who, if anything, deserves to be better known than his son; third, Billy Higgins was, as so many musicians insist, a once-in-a-lifetime drummer—the bellows inspiriting the collective flame. Most importantly, Clifford Jordan was an artist of the first order, his playing so effortless and unforced, unselfconscious and focused, mature and wise that, at a time when altissimo fury was all the rage, it's small wonder his authentic voice frequently went unheard. His musical rhetoric is so personally expressive, its substance so compelling, the listener couldn't care less about the extraordinary technique required to convey its captivating message. Compared to some of his more acclaimed peers he's a less aggressive yet paradoxically more directive and shaping influence. The climaxes, rather than spelled out, are merely suggested, registering with deep and lasting impact on the listener. It all comes down to learning the language, those precious little beads. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is brilliant music-making by a Coltrane- influenced successor who feels no obligation to mime the predecessor. It may be the most significant saxophone performance on record since Coltrane and, providing the listener stays with it for any length of time, the most deeply satisfying. Jordan's game—so effortless, unforced, and \"level\"—erases distinctions between composed and improvised, soloist and ensemble, narrator and narrative, the dancer and the dance. It seems incapable of wearing out its welcome. By Samuel Chell\/All About Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Strata East","offers":[{"title":"Black LPx2","offer_id":50432368148811,"sku":"2004858","price":57.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/2125e5dd-cd95-4e97-9820-77d2fbecfdb7_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726867751"},{"product_id":"izipho-zam-my-gifts","title":"Izipho Zam (My Gifts)","description":"\u003cp\u003eTwo years after the death of his mentor and boss, John Coltrane, and just before signing his own contract with Impulse!, Pharoah Sanders finally got around to releasing an album as a leader apart from the Impulse! family. Enlisting a cast of characters no less than 13 in number, Sanders proved that his time with Coltrane and his Impulse! debut, Tauhid, was not a fluke. Though hated by many of the jazz musicians at the time - and more jazz critics who felt Coltrane had lost his way musically the minute he put together the final quintet - Sanders followed his own muse to the edges of Eastern music and sometimes completely outside the borderlines of what could be called jazz. That said, \u003ci\u003eIzipho Zam\u003c\/i\u003e is a wonderful recording, full of the depth of vision and heartfelt soul that has informed every recording of Sanders since. Guests include Sonny Sharrock, Lonnie Liston Smith, Chief Bey, Cecil McBee, Sirone, Sonny Fortune, Billy Hart, Howard Johnson, and others. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Strata East","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50452198129995,"sku":"1073713","price":37.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/1b83f981-8314-47c2-8f9e-eb928eac077d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727144168"},{"product_id":"the-world-of-the-children","title":"The World of The Children","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn amazing session of spiritual soul jazz – and one of the rarest albums on Strata East! Shamek Farrah's soulful alto is matched with the free spiritual piano of Sonelius Smith, for a totally memorable session that virtually defines the essence of the Strata East sound! The music is free, but not too free; lyrical, but never indulgent; and always turning over with a fresh sense of imagination, and a soaring groove that's very much in the classic Strata East mode!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Strata East","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50453270102347,"sku":"1108553","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50453272396107,"sku":"1154172","price":64.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/f3c3292b-6b92-4c5e-a508-4628cee5fe07_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727170367"},{"product_id":"live-at-slugs-volume-2","title":"Live At Slugs' Volume 2","description":"\u003cp\u003eOwning both this disc and Live at Slugs', Volume 1 is essential for hardcore Jazz fans. Part two of the Slugs' date is just as impressive and again feature three originals all penned by the group. Here we get a better example of Tolliver's compositional work with the touching Coltrane tribute Our Second Father. Again Tolliver's trumpet is simply stunning. The rhythm section of Cecil McBee and Jimmy Hopps also deserve mention as these two really drive the quartet along in a similar fashion to Garrison and Jones did with Coltrane. The McBee original Wilpan's also highlights the strength of McBee's writing and is probably the pick of the tunes here.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Strata East","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50507276026187,"sku":"1122187","price":30.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/88f3359b-6f17-4b83-963e-07d7be36180c_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727845399"},{"product_id":"mutima-pg","title":"Mutima","description":"\u003cp\u003eCecil McBee’s debut album, Mutima, stands as a landmark achievement in 1970s jazz, blending the deeply introspective qualities of spiritual jazz with adventurous post-bop and avant-garde influences. Released in 1974 on the revered Strata-East label, the album highlights McBee’s virtuosic skill on the bass alongside his remarkable gift for crafting compositions that resonate with emotional and intellectual depth. Backed by a stellar ensemble featuring luminaries such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Onaje Allan Gumbs, and Dom Salvador, Mutima – translated as “unseen forces” – unfolds as a vivid musical journey.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Strata East","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":55807827312971,"sku":"R1365-6731","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":55807827345739,"sku":"R1365-0763","price":36.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/201375083315.jpg?v=1761863066"},{"product_id":"music-inc-wv","title":"Music Inc","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs Strata-East’s debut release, Music Inc. by Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell set the standard for creative expression, artistic freedom, and musical mastery that Tolliver and co-founder Cowell exemplified throughout their celebrated careers. Recorded on November 11, 1970, Music Inc. is a masterclass in executing a singular creative vision for large ensembles, with the core band—led by Tolliver’s expertise—featuring Cowell on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jimmy Hopps on drums. Now mastered by Kevin Gray with audio cut directly from the original analog tapes the album that started a revolution is available digitally for the first time, embodying the freedom and finesse that Strata-East has been synonymous with since the 1970s.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Strata East","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":55807827378507,"sku":"R7822-0731","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":55807827411275,"sku":"R7822-1460","price":36.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/201375083178.jpg?v=1761863066"},{"product_id":"marchin-on-ma","title":"Marchin On!","description":"\u003cp\u003eReleased in 1976 on the pioneering Strata-East Records label, Marchin' On! feat. Stanley Cowell by The Heath Brothers is a masterful blend of tradition and innovation that captured the spirit of an evolving jazz scene. Combining the lyrical brilliance of Jimmy Heath on saxophone, the grounding presence of Percy Heath on bass, and the dynamic rhythm of Albert \"Tootie\" Heath on drums—alongside pianist and label co-founder Stanley Cowell—the album bridged the hard bop roots of the 1950s with the spiritual and socially conscious music of the 1970s.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Strata East","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":55807834587467,"sku":"R5964-4628","price":36.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":55807827542347,"sku":"R5964-4462","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/201375083177.jpg?v=1761863065"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_7830e52d_thumbnail_4096_f2e63178-04e2-4e81-8308-7276f474a834.jpg?v=1726867730","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/strata-east.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}