During his lifetime, pianist and composer
Hasaan Ibn Ali (1931-1980) was a jazz enigma. The Philly musician practiced with
John Coltrane during the early '50s and is credited as the primary influence on the saxophonist's "sheets of sound" harmonic approach first articulated on
Giant Steps -- a sound that exploded across his
Impulse! work.
Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album is a genuine jazz holy grail, one of only two albums to feature the pianist's compositions and unique playing style. The first,
The Max Roach Trio Featuring the Legendary Hasaan, was credited to
Roach because it was the only way to get
Atlantic's
Nesuhi Ertegun to sign the pianist. Pleased, the label commissioned an album from
Ibn Ali. Using bassist
Art Davis, drummer
Kalil Madi, and saxophonist
Odean Pope,
Ibn Ali completed the session.
Atlantic shelved the record when he couldn't make it to the mixing sessions. The master was lost in a 1978 warehouse fire, and a taped copy languished in a company vault for decades before
Lewis Porter, collector and friend
Alan Sukoenig, former
Rhino producer
Patrick Milligan, and
Omnivore boss
Cheryl Pawelski restored it and brought it to light. This set includes seven of the eight originals cut during those 1965 sessions. Another, "Ad Aspera Ad Astra," recorded on another day, was not copied.
The music, though easier to approach in the 21st century, is quite radical in harmonic density and rhythmic invention. Opener "Atlantic Ones" offers a
Monk-esque lyric intro before the band careens across a knotty bop head.
Pope articulates
Ibn Ali's wonky harmonic line in his solo, pushing the quartet as the pianist explodes with swinging, abrupt right-hand chord clusters. "El Hasaan" is angular, played in several different time signatures at once with
Pope and
Ibn Ali offering different rhythmic articulations even as the tune itself dictates a 12-bar blues. It moves far afield during the pianist's emotive solo. "Richard May Love Give Powell" is a glorious, bluesy ballad with deft lines from
Pope while the rhythm section walks gently behind him.
Ibn Ali comps with noiri-sh chord voicings, adding angular motivic dimension to the melody. The title track offers striated harmonics via
Pope's modal phrasing and finger-popping amid a
Herbie Nichols-esque melodic frame.
Ibn Ali and
Davis add detailed harmonics, punchy dynamics, and forceful physicality for
Pope to channel in his solo. The set-closer "True Train" is a nearly 11-minute excursion that registers the abundant musicality in
Ibn Ali's approach to jazz. He leads the band through swing, bop, hard bop, and modal jazz in lyric statements.
Pope solos around and comps to
Ibn Ali's highly developed lyricism and rhythmic funkiness through raggedy blues and elegant syncopation.
Metaphysics includes three alternate takes, rare photos, and an obsessively detailed liner essay by
Sukoenig with abundant quotes from
Pope. Without doubt, this is one of modern jazz's great lost albums -- the music here is astonishing. Any jazz fan who encounters this work (and all should) will be blessed by the experience. ~ Thom Jurek