Listen:
Details
Format: 5LP set
Label: Now Again
Year: 2020
Media Condition: New
Sleeve/Cover Condition: New
Note: this set features the 5 LPs each in complete retail packaging, and comes with a wrap-around slip cover, not a proper box.
LP 1 - ONENESS OF JUJU: CHAPTER TWO: NIA
TRACKS:
A1 Introduction
A2 Contradiction (For Thulani)
A3 Black Experience
A4 Nia (Poem: Complete The Circle)
B1 The End Of The Butterfly King (Poem: Things Comin' Along)
B2 Black Unity
PERSONNEL:
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Percussion – Plunky Nkabinde
Bells, Vocals [Poetry] – Ngoma Ya Uhuru
Congas – Simbo
Drums, Congas, Whistle – Babatunde
Electric Bass – Phil Branch
Piano, Shekere, Percussion – Al-Hammel Rasul
Vibraphone, Percussion – Lon Moshe
LP 2 - ONENESS OF JUJU: AFRICAN RHYTHMS
TRACKS:
A1 African Rhythms
A2 Kazi
A3 Funky Wood
A4 Tarishi
A5 Mashariki
B1 Chants
B2 Don't Give Up
B3 Incognito
B4 Poo Too
B5 Liberation Dues
PERSONNEL:
Balafon, Congas, Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Babatunde
Bass, Percussion, Vocals – Muzi Nkabinde
Clavinet, Electric Piano, Piano, Percussion, Vocals – Al Hammel Rasul
Drums – Ronnie Toler
Flute, Percussion, Producer, Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Vocals – Plunky Nkabinde
Marimba, Vibraphone – Lon Moshe
Vocals – Eka-Ete Jackie Lewis
LP 3 - ONENESS OF JUJU: SPACE JUNGLE LUV
TRACKS:
A1 River Luv Rite
A2 Follow Me
A3 Soul Love Now
B1 Space Jungle Funk
B2 The Connection
B3 Love's Messenger
PERSONNEL:
Congas – Rafael Solano, Richard "Dick" Watkins
Drums – Ronnie Toler
Electric Bass, Percussion – Muzi Nkabinde
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Melvin "Slyp" Glover
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Eka-Ete
Percussion – Richard "Dick" Watkins
Producer – Jimmy Gray
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Vocals – Plunky Nkabinde
Timbales – Alfredo Mojica
LP 4 - EXPERIENCE UNLIMITED: FREE YOURSELF
TRACKS:
A1 It's All Imagination
A2 Functus
A3 Peace Gone Away
A4 Free Yourself
B1 Hey You
B2 People
B3 Funky Consciousness
PERSONNEL:
Bass – Gregory "Sugar Bear" Elliott
Congas, Lead Vocals, Percussion – Andre "Pops" Lucas
Drums – Anthony "Block" Easton
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Donald R. Fields
Electric Piano, Organ, Clavinet – Michael "Prof. Funk" Hughes
Saxophone, Lead Vocals – Clarence "Oscar" Smith
Timbales, Percussion, Vocals – David Williams
Trombone, Vocals, Percussion – Greylin T. Hunter
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion – Philip Harris
Vocals – Bobby Owens
Vocals – Wayne Davis
Vocals, Lead Vocals – Melva "Lady" Adams
Wood Block – Marvin "Nivram" Coward
LP 5 - JUJU: LIVE AT THE EAST
TRACKS:
A1 (Struggle) Home
A2 Soledad Brothers
B1 At Least We Have A Horizon Now
B2 Black Experience
PERSONNEL:
Bass, Vocals – Ken Shabala
Congas, Percussion, Vocals – Babatunde
Piano, Shekere, Percussion, Vocals – Al-Hammel Rasul
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Vocals – Plunky Nkabinde
Timbales, Percussion, Vocals – Jalango
Vibraphone, Percussion, Vocals – Lon Moshe
_______
“Magical, mystical, Afrocentric, progressive” – words that could be used to describe any number of musical compositions by Sun Ra or his cosmic brothers and sisters, from John to Alice Coltrane, early ‘70s projects on record labels like Detroit’s Tribe or New York’s Strata-East. Or, the interests of one Washington DC native named Jimmy Gray that centered under one perfect moniker: Black Fire, the label he founded in 1975.
Jimmy Gray spent nearly three decades pushing boundaries as a Black American promoter, distributor and, finally, record label owner. Together with Oneness of Juju’s leader James “Plunky Nkabinde” Branch, Gray oversaw sixteen releases on Black Fire Records between 1975 and 1996.
Now-Again is releasing definitive reissues of four of label’s key titles, all were lacquered – most directly from master tape – by legendary Los Angeles mastering engineer Bernie Grundman.
With this set, Oneness of Juju and Black Fire’s story burns forth into its fifth decade, its message not tempered, its sound pure. It’s cycle, once again, complete.
Label: Now Again
Year: 2020
Media Condition: New
Sleeve/Cover Condition: New
Note: this set features the 5 LPs each in complete retail packaging, and comes with a wrap-around slip cover, not a proper box.
LP 1 - ONENESS OF JUJU: CHAPTER TWO: NIA
TRACKS:
A1 Introduction
A2 Contradiction (For Thulani)
A3 Black Experience
A4 Nia (Poem: Complete The Circle)
B1 The End Of The Butterfly King (Poem: Things Comin' Along)
B2 Black Unity
PERSONNEL:
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Percussion – Plunky Nkabinde
Bells, Vocals [Poetry] – Ngoma Ya Uhuru
Congas – Simbo
Drums, Congas, Whistle – Babatunde
Electric Bass – Phil Branch
Piano, Shekere, Percussion – Al-Hammel Rasul
Vibraphone, Percussion – Lon Moshe
LP 2 - ONENESS OF JUJU: AFRICAN RHYTHMS
TRACKS:
A1 African Rhythms
A2 Kazi
A3 Funky Wood
A4 Tarishi
A5 Mashariki
B1 Chants
B2 Don't Give Up
B3 Incognito
B4 Poo Too
B5 Liberation Dues
PERSONNEL:
Balafon, Congas, Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Babatunde
Bass, Percussion, Vocals – Muzi Nkabinde
Clavinet, Electric Piano, Piano, Percussion, Vocals – Al Hammel Rasul
Drums – Ronnie Toler
Flute, Percussion, Producer, Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Vocals – Plunky Nkabinde
Marimba, Vibraphone – Lon Moshe
Vocals – Eka-Ete Jackie Lewis
LP 3 - ONENESS OF JUJU: SPACE JUNGLE LUV
TRACKS:
A1 River Luv Rite
A2 Follow Me
A3 Soul Love Now
B1 Space Jungle Funk
B2 The Connection
B3 Love's Messenger
PERSONNEL:
Congas – Rafael Solano, Richard "Dick" Watkins
Drums – Ronnie Toler
Electric Bass, Percussion – Muzi Nkabinde
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Melvin "Slyp" Glover
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Eka-Ete
Percussion – Richard "Dick" Watkins
Producer – Jimmy Gray
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Vocals – Plunky Nkabinde
Timbales – Alfredo Mojica
LP 4 - EXPERIENCE UNLIMITED: FREE YOURSELF
TRACKS:
A1 It's All Imagination
A2 Functus
A3 Peace Gone Away
A4 Free Yourself
B1 Hey You
B2 People
B3 Funky Consciousness
PERSONNEL:
Bass – Gregory "Sugar Bear" Elliott
Congas, Lead Vocals, Percussion – Andre "Pops" Lucas
Drums – Anthony "Block" Easton
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Donald R. Fields
Electric Piano, Organ, Clavinet – Michael "Prof. Funk" Hughes
Saxophone, Lead Vocals – Clarence "Oscar" Smith
Timbales, Percussion, Vocals – David Williams
Trombone, Vocals, Percussion – Greylin T. Hunter
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion – Philip Harris
Vocals – Bobby Owens
Vocals – Wayne Davis
Vocals, Lead Vocals – Melva "Lady" Adams
Wood Block – Marvin "Nivram" Coward
LP 5 - JUJU: LIVE AT THE EAST
TRACKS:
A1 (Struggle) Home
A2 Soledad Brothers
B1 At Least We Have A Horizon Now
B2 Black Experience
PERSONNEL:
Bass, Vocals – Ken Shabala
Congas, Percussion, Vocals – Babatunde
Piano, Shekere, Percussion, Vocals – Al-Hammel Rasul
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Vocals – Plunky Nkabinde
Timbales, Percussion, Vocals – Jalango
Vibraphone, Percussion, Vocals – Lon Moshe
_______
“Magical, mystical, Afrocentric, progressive” – words that could be used to describe any number of musical compositions by Sun Ra or his cosmic brothers and sisters, from John to Alice Coltrane, early ‘70s projects on record labels like Detroit’s Tribe or New York’s Strata-East. Or, the interests of one Washington DC native named Jimmy Gray that centered under one perfect moniker: Black Fire, the label he founded in 1975.
Jimmy Gray spent nearly three decades pushing boundaries as a Black American promoter, distributor and, finally, record label owner. Together with Oneness of Juju’s leader James “Plunky Nkabinde” Branch, Gray oversaw sixteen releases on Black Fire Records between 1975 and 1996.
Now-Again is releasing definitive reissues of four of label’s key titles, all were lacquered – most directly from master tape – by legendary Los Angeles mastering engineer Bernie Grundman.
With this set, Oneness of Juju and Black Fire’s story burns forth into its fifth decade, its message not tempered, its sound pure. It’s cycle, once again, complete.