Music Review: Re-Creation of the Gods

Initially inspired by the Scottish Black Watch pipers of JFK's funeral procession, Rufus Harley emerged from Philadelphia in the mid-'60s as “the world’s first jazz bagpiper.” His sound is packed with that pervasive snaking, stinging, and buzzing sound created by the inherent sustain of the bagpipes. Harley is able to express the melody via the chanter while delivering true distinction through the three drones. During his most active period of 1965-70, in which he recorded four albums for Atlantic Records, he was reviled by old guard critics, embraced by listeners, and respected and championed by fellow musicians like Coltrane, Herbie Mann, and Sonny Rollins.

Many listeners consider 1972's Re-Creation of the Gods as Harley’s crowning achievement with its nods to the triangular power of community, church, and cosmic consciousness as expressed by his quartet. While embraced by the crate diggers for incorporating funk, hard bop, and ground level storefront production, initial listens left me ambivalent and unmoved. The stacked strands of bagpipes, B-3 organ, bass, drums, and desperate baby cries act as overlapping obstacles in that they cancel out much of the surging momentum or sense of melodic wholeness found in his previous works. It took some repeated listens to sense and begin to appreciate the looseness and density that some listeners will instantly embrace. Still, I gravitate towards his previous Atlantic releases and would first reach for his 1970 album King/Queens, which includes spaced-out and soaring covers of "Eight Miles High" (The Byrds) and "Windy" (The Association). On this final album for Atlantic, Harley taps into upper echelon Pacific Coast pop while offering promised land possibilities. - Ted (Downtown)

Re-Creation of the Gods on Freegal

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