Anthony Williams - Spring

barabara sounds sez:

What a drummer, what a line-up, what a way to introduce yourself to the world. Classic cover art too. Outstanding album all round.

Dusty sez:

Startling! This album is one of two that a young Tony Williams cut for Blue Note, back when he was just hitting the age of 20, and when he was already blowing the minds of masters like Jackie McLean (who first hired him) and Miles Davis (who stole him from Jackie for his own group!) with an approach to drumming that was freed from usual time constraints. Williams conception was so unique, other young modernists -- like the album's Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Sam Rivers -- quickly benefited from his presence, as you'll hear in this amazing session that sounds very little like any other Blue Note release. Williams wrote all of the tracks, but the style is much freer than any sense of composition might imply -- and the group is shaken up differently from track to track.

cduniverse sez:

Drummer Tony Williams played all over the kit, and though his tricky, unorthodox time-keeping might sometimes give the impression of wild unpredictability, he always managed to keep a tight rein over the momentum of any session in which he participated. His work on SPRING is only surpassed by his equally mesmerizing playing on Eric Dolphy's seminal OUT TO LUNCH, to which SPRING is often compared.

Wayne Shorter tenor sax

Sam Rivers tenor sax

Herbie Hancock piano

Gary Peacock bass

Anthony Williams drums