Cecil Payne - Zodiac (2025) [Hi-Res]

It's impossible to talk about this album without acknowledging the specter of death that hangs over it—not only is it the third entry in Strata-East Records' Dolphy series, a collection of archival recordings by some of the label's close collaborators honoring the recently deceased multi-instrumentalist, but it's actually dedicated to two members of the band, Wynton Kelly and Kenny Dorham, who died between the recording sessions and its release.

The point is further emphasized by the fact that the album opens with a tribute from Payne to the fallen Martin Luther King Jr., a piece that serves as a de facto solo for Dorham—his playing is full of rosy elegance and regal warmth—before moving into the lighter (but equally cool) "I Know Love," a showcase for Payne's saxophone. While not the darkest jazz track ever recorded, this opening suite is a low-key and mournful way to kick things off. Thankfully, the album really gets going and shows these musicians more in their element as it progresses.

"Girl, You Got a Home" is a funky piece that begins very soulfully with close interplay between the rhythm section of Kelly, bassist Wilbur Ware, and drummer Albert Heath. Ware is particularly on form on this one, connecting the disparate passages of the piece by grounding the more ponderous moments with deep funk, while Kelly's playing is particularly deafening, as he stabs his piano as if it were an organ. After the first two tracks clocked in at nearly 20 minutes, the four-minute "Slide Hampton" feels almost impossibly short, a feeling heightened by its fast, jittery, and infectious rhythm, driven by some truly skillful work from Kelly.

The final track, "Flying Fish," might be the album's high point, a Caribbean-inspired composition that establishes the rhythm section as ephemeral territory for Payne and Dorham to roam freely. The track is oddly danceable for something released on Strata-East, perhaps the label's most fun moment ever, and relentlessly fast. While this release is partly colored by the deaths that preceded it, it's clear that the recording process was actually a lot of fun for everyone, as their enthusiasm and energy leaps right out of the speakers. This is one of the first Strata East records I really engaged with, and it's still one of my favorites, a must-have for any fans of the more flighty moments in Dorham's or Kelly's careers, and a worthy tribute to both master musicians.

Cecil Payne, baritone saxophone, alto saxophone
Kenny Dorham, trumpet
Wynton Kelly, piano, organ
Wilbur Ware, bass
Albert Kuumba Heath, drums

Recorded December 16, 1968 at TownSound Studios, Englewood, NJ
Produced by Clifford Jordan

Digitally remastered by Ray Staff bei Air Mastering