For the first time ever, Charles Tolliver’s Live at Slugs’, Volumes I & II will be released together in one set, presenting the full power of these historic performances in a unified collection. Recorded live in 1970 at the legendary Slugs’ in New York City, the albums feature Tolliver’s fiery trumpet alongside an all-star lineup: Strata-East co-founder Stanley Cowell on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jimmy Hopps on drums.

These high-energy recordings capture the raw intensity and innovation of the Music Inc. quartet, showcasing their technical brilliance and cohesive interplay.

Remastered in stunning detail, this release unites two of the most celebrated live albums in jazz history for the first time on CD and digital platforms, as well as on 180-gram vinyl.

Pressed at Record Technology Inc. (RTI) and mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio with audio transferred directly from the original analog tapes, the vinyl edition comes in high-quality, glossy tip-on gatefold jackets.

It also includes new liner notes by Marcus J. Moore and never-before-seen photos, making this release a must-have for jazz enthusiasts and collectors alike.

1. Drought (Live) [9:04]
2. Felicite (Live) [8:26]
3. Orientale (Live) [17:32]
4. Spanning (Live) [8:30]
5. Wilpan’s (Live) [10:37]
6. Our Second Father (Live) [13:26]

My goodness, what an incredibly smooth, wholly impassioned and remarkable, expertly sculpted set of live recordings these songs come together to be.

Opening on some tempo-licious grooves that propel Drought we are then presented with the ornately scripted, smoothly cajoled musical wonderment of Felicite which is itself backed seamlessly by the rhythmically propellent Orientale, then we slide into the second volume (which itself features more of the incredibly rich and detailed colors of Cowell’s keyboard backdrops and the energy and drive of Hopps and McBee pushing the band) with the melodious masterpiece Spanning, the driven Wilpan’s, the set coming to a close on the probing, yet uplifting, and complete with an exciting Stanley Cowell solo, Our Second Father.

Musicians:
Charles Tolliver: Trumpet
Stanley Cowell: Piano
Cecil McBee: Bass
Jimmy Hopps: Drums