🎵 AotW AOTW: Paul Winter - Common Ground (SP-4698)

[Captain Bacardi]

Paul Winter
COMMON GROUND
A&M SP-4698

Released 1978 (alternate cover for CD reissue is also shown above)

Format: Vinyl/Cassette/8-Track/CD

Produced by Paul Winter, Oscar Castro-Neves and David Greene

Songs & Musicians:

• 1. Ancient Voices (Nhmamusasa) (Paul Winter/Paul Berliner) - 3:56
  Paul Winter - Lead Vocal, Soprano Sax
  Paul Berliner - Mbira, Footbells, African Vocal
  David Darling - Electric 8-String Cello
  Robert Cheppell - Ugandan Drum, Rogers Organ, Moog Bass
  Steve Gadd - Traps
  Gary King - Bass
  Kwaku Dadey, Tigger Benford, Ben Carriel - Sticks
  Susan Osborn, Janet Johnson - Background Vocals
  Arranged by Paul Winter and Paul Berliner
  
  2.Eagle (African Fish Eagle/Paul McCandless) - 2:09
  Paul McCandless - Oboe
  
  3. Icarus (Ralph Towner) - 4:09
  Paul Winter - Alto Sax, Unison Voice
  Paul McCandless - Oboe
  David Darling - Cello
  Oscar Castro-Neves - Classical Guitar
  John Guth - 12-String Guitar
  Robert Chappell - Rodgers Organ
  Gary King - Bass
  Steve Gadd - Traps
  Bill Cahn - Steel Drums
  Janet Johnson - Unison Voice
  Susan Osborn - Unison and Obligato Voice
  Arranged by Ralph Towner, Paul Winter and Oscar Castro-Neves
  
  4. The Promise Of A Fisherman (Iemanja) (Dorival Caymmi) - 3:38
  Paul Winter - Soprano Sax
  Paul McCandless - English Horn, Norwegian Selje Flute (solo)
  David Darling - Cello
  Oscar Castro-Neves - Rodgers Organ
  Steve Gadd - Sticks-On-Chair, Traps, Brazilian Surdos, Grand Cassa
  Laudir de Olveira - Triangle, Woodblocks, Congas, Shakers, Cowbell
  Gary King - Bass
  Steve Horelick - Buchla Cymbal (Buchla Electric Music Box)
  Chorus: Susan Osborn, Janet Johnson, Paul McCandless, Michael Holmes, Paul Winter
  Arranged by Oscar Castro-Neves
  
  5. Ocean Dream (Humpback Whale/Paul Winter) - 7:35
  Humpback Whale - Whale Vocal
  Paul Winter - Lead Human Vocal
  David Darling - Cello, Electric 8-String Cello
  John Guth - Steel-String Guitar
  Robert Chappell - Rodgers Organ, Moog Bass, Tambura
  Steve Gadd - Brazilian Surdos, Traps, Grand Cassa
  Laudir de Olveira - Water Drum
  Gary King - Bass
  Chorus: Janet Johnson, Susan Osborn
  Arranged by Paul Winter
  
  6. Trio (Paul Winter/David Darling/Paul McCandless) - 1:14
  Paul Winter - Alto Sax
  David Darling - Cello
  Paul McCandless - Oboe
  
  7. Common Ground (Velho Sermão) (Ivan Lins/Ronaldo Monteiro de Souza/Paul Winter/John Guth/Michael Holmes) - 3:42
  Paul Winter - Soprano Sax, Contrabass Sarrusophone, Harmonium
  Paul McCandless - Oboe, English Horn
  David Darling - Cello
  Jim Scott - Lead Vocal, Guitar
  Oscar Castro-Neves - Guitar (tag), Fender Rhodes Piano
  Michael Holmes - Fender Rhodes Piano
  Gary King - Bass
  Steve Gadd - Traps
  Laudir de Olveira - Woodblocks, Congas, Shakers, Triangle, Chime Rods
  Chorus: Susan Osborn, Janet Johnson, Paul McCandless, Paul Winter, Michael Holmes, John Guth
  Arranged by Oscar Castro-Neves, Jim Scott, Paul McCandless and Paul Winter
  
  8. Lay Down Your Burden (Colleen Crangle/Marilyn Wetzler/Susan Osborn) - 2:57
  Susan Osborn - Vocal
  Oscar Castro-Neves - Rodgers Organ
  David Darling - Cello
  Paul McCandless - English Horn
  Paul Winter - Soprano Sax
  Arranged by Oscar Castro-Neves and Jim Scott
  
  9. Wolf Eyes (Timber Wolf/Paul Winter) - 6:33
  Timber Wolf - Lead Vocal
  Paul Winter - Alto Sax, Unison Voice, Harmonium
  Warren Bernhardt - Piano
  Oscar Castro-Neves - Classical Guitar, High-String Guitar
  David Darling - Cello
  Paul McCandless - English Horn
  Ray Brown - Bass
  Ida - Wolf Vocal in closing duet
  Janet Johnson - Choral Voice
  Arranged by Paul Winter and Jim Scott
  
  10. Duet (Paul Winter) - :40
  Paul Winter - Alto Sax
  Ida - Wolf Vocal
  
  11. Midnight (Minuit) (Keita Fodebe/John Guth/Susan Osborn) - 4:23
  Paul Winter - African Vocal
  Janet Johnson - Obligato Vocal
  Susan Osborn - English Vocal
  John Guth - Steel-String, Rickenbacker Electric 12-string and Les Paul Guitars
  Robert Chappell - Rodgers Organ, Ugandan Drum
  David Darling - Cello
  Oscar Castro-Neves - Bass
  Michael Blair - Bells, Cymbal
  Chorus: Janet Johnson, Paul McCandless, Oscar Castro-Neves, Regina Werneck, Cruz Baca
  Arranged by Paul Winter
  
  12. Trilogy (Humpback Whale/Timber Wolf/African Fish Eagle) - 1:54
  Paul Winter - Soprano Sax
  Paul McCandless - Oboe
  David Darling - Cello
  Robert Chappell - Organ Pedal
  Arranged by Paul Winter

Recorded in the Village Barn, Meanderland, somewhere in New England by the Fedco Audio Labs Truck
Recording and Remix Engineers: David Greene and Dixon Van Winkle
Assistant Engineers: Chris Brown, Perry Cheatham and Tom Arrison
The recording of "Eagle" was engineered by Zed McLarnon

Additional Recording at the following studios:
Soundmixers, New York
Assistant Engineers: Neal Cappos, Mike Mills, Matt Murray, Geoff Daking, Vern Carlson, Jay Borden and Tim Bomba

Longview Farms, North Brookfield, Mass.
Assistant Engineer: Jesse Henderson

Electric Lady Studios, New York
Assistant Engineer: Mike Frondelli

A&M Recording Studios, Hollywood
Assistant Engineers: Steve Katz and John Beverly Jones

Mixed at Soundmixers, New York
Mastered at Masterdisk, New York by Robert Ludwig

Art Direction: Roland Young
Cover Painting: Edward Kaspar
Back Cover Photo: Tom Huffman
Album Design: Chuck Beeson



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

Saw Paul Winter perform one-or-two-years ago and surely he must have done a selection, or two, from this! Add, yet, ANOTHER version of "The Promise Of A Fisherman (Iemanja)" to your List of favorites! Lots of good musicians, including Steve Gadd! And some Brasilian Guys, like Laudir de Olveira and Oscar Castro-Neves, too! And Winter's regulars like Paul McCandless, as well!



Dave

...Who just now, Noticed This...!!!

 

[LPJim]

When Paul Winter & the Consort played at the Univ. of TN Old Alumni Gym (Cox Auditorium) on April 16, 2005 the closing number was "Common Ground," and they drew some audience participation with some well-timed wolf howls at the end.

I recall the set included "Canta, Canta Mais" from the first Consort album (SP 4170), my favorite performance of the evening.

COMMON GROUND was the first Winter album to incorporate sounds of the whale, wolf and eagle into the music, and after this final A&M set Winter founded his Living Music label.

During our post-Consort-concert conversation Mr. Winter mentioned plans to acquire the rights to SP 4170, 4207 SOMETHING IN THE WIND, 4279 ROAD and COMMON GROUND for reissue through Living Music.
Since the latter's A&M CD reissue (CD 3344) is out of print, this would be an opportune time.

I'd particularly enjoy a reissue of .... WIND since it contains my favorite Consort tune, "Le Tombeau De Couperin."

JB

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Tree hugging jazz?

Well, not exactly. Looking at the personnel and song selections that might be one's first impression. There's not really a whole lot here that may qualify as "jazz", but it is an ecelctic mix of New Age and Brazilian sounds. In fact, it's the Brazilian sounds that make this listenable, especially the title tune as well as "Promise Of A Fisherman". And yet another version of "Icarus" - how many times has Winter recorded this song? I really didn't care for the vocal excursions on this album, as it really brought the New Age thing, which isn't my cup of tea at all. I will say one thing - the howling of the wolf on "Wolf Eyes" got my dog to howl and whimper some. An interesting album, but not one that I would be inclined to listen to a lot. 2 & 1/2 stars from me.





Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mr Bill]

While I've never been a big fan of new age, I've long enjoyed Winter's recordings. Sure he was doing this sort of music long before the term "new age" was coined, but there's something different about his work.

His instrumentation -- particularly on his earlier work -- definitely defies categorization as either pure jazz or new age (even among the new age elite who you'd find tapping toes at a David Benoit concert or blasting William Ackerman out of their Volvo car stereos). The insrumentation can best be described as "renaissane minstrel" for lack of a better term. The sort of music one might expect to see and hear performed at their local Renaissance Faire. (I almost said "strolling minstrel" but you'd be hard pressed to find a strolling harpsichordist).

As for the "animal sampling" found on Common Ground, for me added a new dimension the Winter's work. While I don't like this LP as much as his first two for A&M it is unique and in fact wasn't outdone until Bernard Krause's Gorillas In The Mix (Ryko) in the 80's where the entire disc was composed of nothing but sampled animal sounds. (Even the one vocal tune featured a parrot and chorus of minahs).

--Mr Bill
(and a little touche to Harry, dagnabit)