Lenny White's Astral Pirates

[Barkless Dog]

I rediscovered an old gem. Lenny White's Astral Pirates. What a convoluted story, but still musically a great album.

Some really smokin' bass on it.

[bassbrad]

I have always enjoyed those old Lenny White albums, even dropped major bucks to get a Japanese import of Astral Pirates. I like the thematic structure of the record, IMO one of Lenny's best put together records.

[narud]

Originally Posted by bassbrad

even dropped major bucks to get a Japanese import of Astral Pirates.

good lord, tell me about it. before wounded bird started releasing all the old fusion stuff i was spending way to much money on japanese imports through audiophile imports.

[Barkless Dog]

They have it on I tunes now. I still have the old record cover in my office.

[markjazzbassist]

i had that record. man was if funky. i loved that tune universal love. great EW&F like harmonies.

Lenny's a great drummer.

[Baryonyx]

Lenny is a bombastic drummer. Absolutely fantastic. Who played bass on it? Some of his drumming on "Romantic Warrior" is just fabulous, especially the stuff where his sound is flanged.

[JAUQO III-X]

A killer recording for sure and Alex Blake was the bassist.

[jerry]

Originally Posted by narud

good lord, tell me about it. before wounded bird started releasing all the old fusion stuff i was spending way to much money on japanese imports through audiophile imports.

Gotta love Wounded Bird! Recently they have been reissuing the old[good] Jeff Lorber albums too.

[bottomzone]

Alex Blake put it down on that project!!! He also a force on the upright. Check out this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPFUHsvpSkI

I haven't seen anyone play like that besides Stanley!


A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

[Barkless Dog]

Lenny was such an iconic figure back then with his trade mark hat. I saw him live back in the day with RTF & on a solo tour. Amazing drummer.

How does a drummer write a solo disc anyway?

You can't tap a G minor on a table.

[bassbrad]

Saw Lenny last nite at the opening show for RTF, the hat was gone but he is still a smokin' monster drummer!

[Baryonyx]

Originally Posted by Barkless Dog

How does a drummer write a solo disc anyway?

Ask Billy Cobham! That said, I've always been ridiculously unimpressed with his solo efforts!

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Chris2112

Lenny is a bombastic drummer. Absolutely fantastic. ... Some of his drumming on "Romantic Warrior" is just fabulous, especially the stuff where his sound is flanged.

I was always a bit indifferent to Lenny's drumming with RTF...until I heard Romantic Warrior. Holy Schidt, that is some of the coolest sounding drumming on record, ever! His toms sound like a dozen gigantic tympani, and that snare drum "pop" is like those primitive video games where the cowboys shoot each other & whenever you scored a direct hit it went "pop" as the pixel/bullet pierced dead guy flesh. Lenny's over-the-top fills on "Medieval Dance" are jaw-droppingly awesome.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Barkless Dog
How does a drummer write a solo disc anyway?

Originally Posted by Chris2112

Ask Billy Cobham! That said, I've always been ridiculously unimpressed with his solo efforts!

...or Tony Williams (went back to study composition/theory years after he was established) or Terry Bozzio or Billy Higgins or Vinnie Colaiuta or Ginger Baker, etc.

As for Cobham's solo discs-
You don't even like Spectrum...considered by many to be a Fusion classic?
(I was more of a Crosswinds guy myself).