Jack DeJohnette
Special Edition

Jack DeJohnette drums, piano, melodica
David Murray tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
Arthur Blythe alto saxophone
Peter Warren bass, cello
Recorded March 1979 at Generation Sound Studios, New York
Engineer: Tony May
Produced by Jack DeJohnette

There could hardly be a more apt title for the inaugural effort of drummer Jack DeJohnette’s most influential project. As with his formidable Jarrett/Peacock collaborations, DeJohnette kneaded enough preservatives into this single album to keep it as fresh as it was when first baked. Special Edition also served as a launching pad for reedmen David Murray and Arthur Blythe, both onetime members of the World Saxophone Quartet and poster children for the post-bop generation whose edgy expositions nest seamlessly among the present company. The group channels Dolphy in the opening “One For Eric,” which kicks off with a swinging bang as alto sax and bass clarinet inhabit the right and left channels, bass and drums dancing between them with the Neo-Classical ebullience for which the track’s namesake was so well known. Jumping from one visceral solo to another (with Murray on a notable roll here), the group navigates the delicate edge between groove and abstraction with the skill of Philippe Petit on a wire. This tasty appetizer prepares us for the largest course in “Zoot Suite.” A masterful weave of raw horn vamps and somber asides, it is equal parts jubilee and dirge. Peter Warren keeps the beat and ensures that his bandmates never hibernate for too long. An instant classic that has since become a touchstone of DeJohnette’s repertoire. “Journey To The Twin Planet” applies heavy mystique to this musical visage, grinding across the skin like the detuned bass at its foundation. DeJohnette introduces a dazzling free-for-all that works its way into mind and body with equal alacrity. The album rounds out with two Coltrane covers. “Central Park West” is a beautiful ode strung along by arco bass and surrounded by liquid reeds, while “India” opens pianistically and runs through a stellar turn from Blythe before settling into a smooth vamp to close.

Were I to classify this album, I would unhesitatingly file it under “Zombie Jazz,” for it walks like the living dead, enchanting us with its embodied blend of natural and unnatural movements. There is something hard won about this music that makes it all the more engaging. Agitation has rarely sounded so fantastic.