{"product_id":"buster-williams-pinnacle","title":"Buster Williams – Pinnacle","description":"\u003cp dir=\"auto\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eA sought-after slice of mid-1970s spiritual jazz, jazz-funk and fusion, \u003cstrong\u003eBuster Williams’ \u003cem\u003ePinnacle\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e was released on Muse Records in 1975 and marked Williams’ first album as a leader. This copy is the \u003cstrong\u003eoriginal U.S. Muse Records MR 5080 pressing\u003c\/strong\u003e, not a later reissue. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eAlready renowned for his work with Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and other major figures in modern jazz, Williams assembled a remarkable band for \u003cem\u003ePinnacle\u003c\/em\u003e. The lineup includes \u003cstrong\u003eWoody Shaw on trumpet, Sonny Fortune on saxophones and flute, Earl Turbinton on saxophone and bass clarinet, Onaje Allan Gumbs on acoustic\/electric piano and synthesizers, Billy Hart on drums, and Guilherme Franco on percussion\u003c\/strong\u003e, with Williams on acoustic and Fender bass. The album was recorded at Blue Rock Studios in New York during August 1975. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eMusically, \u003cem\u003ePinnacle\u003c\/em\u003e sits in a fascinating space between post-bop, jazz-funk, spiritual jazz and the exploratory electric jazz associated with Herbie Hancock's \u003cstrong\u003eMwandishi\u003c\/strong\u003e period. Williams and drummer Billy Hart had both been part of Hancock's Mwandishi ensemble, and that adventurous spirit carries into this record. Onaje Allan Gumbs' electric piano, Moog synthesizer and ARP textures give the music a distinctly cosmic 1970s atmosphere, while Williams' bass provides the deep rhythmic foundation throughout. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eThe five-track program stretches out with \u003cstrong\u003e“The Hump,” “Noble Ego,” “Pinnacle,” “Tayamisha,”\u003c\/strong\u003e and the expansive \u003cstrong\u003e“Batuki.”\u003c\/strong\u003e Williams composed and arranged most of the album, while Gumbs contributed “Batuki.” The extended performances—“The Hump” runs more than eleven minutes and “Batuki” more than fourteen—give this exceptional group plenty of room to develop the music. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eOriginal copies of \u003cem\u003ePinnacle\u003c\/em\u003e have become genuinely collectible. The album went decades without another vinyl pressing, and surviving \u003cstrong\u003e1975 Muse MR 5080 originals\u003c\/strong\u003e have attracted substantial interest among collectors of spiritual jazz, jazz-funk and 1970s fusion. A 2022 VG+\/VG+ example sold for \u003cstrong\u003e$149\u003c\/strong\u003e, while another copy with a substantially weaker sleeve sold for $36; current dealer asking prices for originals can run considerably higher.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Muse Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51703614767140,"sku":null,"price":99.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0140\/8267\/0649\/files\/IMG_7792.jpg?v=1789943127","url":"https:\/\/friedmanandsons.com\/products\/buster-williams-pinnacle","provider":"Friedman \u0026 Sons","version":"1.0","type":"link"}