DOROTHY ASHBY - The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby (1970)

Incredible work from the amazing Dorothy Ashby, a brilliant set of funky and spiritual tunes, set to full backings from Chicago Soul arranger Richard Evans!! This album is easily one of Ashby's greatest, and it's dedicated to the writings of Omar Khayyam, one of the forces guiding Dorothy's more spiritual sound at the end of the 60´s, clearly opened up in a way that's not unlike the direction of Alice Coltrane's work, but a lot more focused and a lot more funky!! Ashby not only plays her usual Jazz harp, but also koto as well, and even sings a bit too, and the larger group directed by Evans features work by Stu Katz on vibes and kalimba, Lenny Druss on flutes, and Cash McCall on guitar, all in a groove that's really a precursor to the Earth Wind & Fire generation of the Chicago scene!!

Tracklisting:

1. Myself When Young
2. For Some We Loved
3. Wax And Wane
4. Drink
5. Wine
6. Dust
7. Joyful Grass And Grape
8. Shadow Shapes
9. Heaven And Hell
10. The Moving Finger