🎷 AotW: Horizon Jimmy Owens - HEADIN' HOME (SP-729)

[Captain Bacardi]

Jimmy Owens
HEADIN' HOME
A&M/Horizon SP-728

Released 1978

Format: Vinyl/8-Track/Cassette

Produced by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson

Songs:

• 1. Home (Charlie Smalls) - 5:53
  2. New Tune (Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson) - 5:47
  3. Dreaming My Life Away (Jimmie Owens/Norma Jordan) - 5:45
  4. Never Subject To Change (Jimmie Owens) - 5:34
  5. B.S. (Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson) - 6:51
  6. Sweet Love (Kenny Barron/Chris White) - 9:42
  7. Exercise (Dis'Go, Dis'Way) (Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson) - 6:21
  
  1, 2, 5, 7 - Arranged by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson
  3, 4 - Arranged by Jimmy Owens
  6 - Arranged by Kenny Barron

Musicians:
Jimmy Owens - Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Kenny Barron - Keyboards
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson - All Electronic Keyboards
Stanley Cowell - Keyboards (7)
George Davis - Guitar
Carlos Alomar - Guitar
Mantwila Nyomo - Guitar (5)
Brian Brake - Drums
Billy Cobham - Drums (7)
Gary King - Bass
Chris White - Bass (5, 6)
Erroll "Crusher" Bennett - Percussion
Saxes & Flutes: Alex Foster, Jerry Dodgion, George Barrow, Seldon Powell, Harold Vick
Trumpets: Virgil Jones, Jon Faddis, Charles Sullivan, Victor Paz
Trombones: Wayne Andre, Al Peterson, Janice Robinson, Earl McIntyre

Recorded and Mixed at Audio One, New York
Engineers: Ed Rice, Gary Roth and Michael Repp
Mixing Engineer: Ed Rice
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York
Production Assistant: Pamela Ross

Art Direction: Roland Young
Design: Chuck Beeson
Photography: Bill King
Illustration: Jim Barrett



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Disco-jazz. That's basically what this album is. Despite the nauseating disco rhytms that are on this album, Jimmy Owen's trumpet is actually pretty good. He has a bright tone, and at times emulated Hugh Masekela's sound. Unfortunately, there's not much happening other than the trumpet work. Most of the rhythm section behind Owens is nothing more than the usual disco-fodder of the late-70's. Only Kenny Barron's "Sweet Love" steers away from this dreck. The rest of the album is rather forgettable. 1 & 1/2 stars.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I made an error about the yellow/orange label. It was this album that was the last to have the yellow/orange label, not the Herb/Hugh album.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

A pretty disappointing album. Disco, disco, disco. The only redeeming song is a gorgeous ballad by Kenny Barron - "Sweet Love". The rest of the album is garbage.

This was the last Horizon album with the yellow & orange label.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mr Bill]

This was the last Horizon album with the yellow & orange label.

And the last with Horizon as a strictly "jazz" imprint. A&M changed direction with Horizon after this both in look, music styles and label management. Artists signed after this were more "obtuse" (for lack of a better word) or "different." Not so obtuse as to be "avant garde" not jazzy enough to be ECM-caliber artists but not "mainstream" enough (for the time) to fit other clearly definable categories. The new look/style didn't last long though. Horizon was done soon after, only briefly resurrected again in the 80s as part of the A&M-distributed Word family of labels...

--Mr Bill