Black Woman

Released

In the mid to late ’60s, guitarist Sonny Sharrock was fairly well known as part of Herbie Mann’s soul-jazz group. His wife, vocalist Linda Sharrock, also appeared with Mann sometimes, and the flutist produced this record, which features Ted Daniel on trumpet, Dave Burrell on piano, Sirone and Richard Pierce on basses, and Milford Graves on drums. Sonny’s compositions often use bluesy melodies as springboards; the title piece is a kind of bluesy, operatic gospel number, with Linda Sharrock’s anguished, wordless vocals saying more than any lyric could. “Peanut” and “Portrait Of Linda In Three Colors, All Black” are the most intense tracks, with Burrell and Graves pushing ever further out as the vocals and guitar soar like eagles over a forest fire.

Phil Freeman

Suggestions
The Dark Tree cover

The Dark Tree

Horace Tapscott
Live in Berlin ‘71 cover

Live in Berlin ‘71

Fred Van Hove, Han Bennink, Albert Mangelsdorff, Peter Brötzmann
Ocean Bridges cover

Ocean Bridges

Damu the Fudgemunk, Raw Poetic, Archie Shepp
Third cover

Third

Portishead
Bom Sangue Mau cover

Bom Sangue Mau

HHY & The Macumbas
3+3 cover

3+3

Tomeka Reid
Off the End cover

Off the End

Brandon Ross