Norman Howard is best remembered as
Albert Ayler's trumpeter on his mid-'60s album Spirits.
Howard's playing on that set made one think that he had very limited technique despite its wide expressive qualities. He soon returned to his hometown of Cleveland, became a Muslim and dropped out of music altogether. However, before he retired in 1968 he and his quartet recorded two unreleased albums for ESP, some of which later came out on cassettes. The CD Burn Baby Burn has the master takes of the music, matching
Howard with altoist Joe Phillips, bassist Walter Cliff and drummer Corney Millsap. The eight selections, most of which were written by the altoist, serve as perfect vehicles for the interplay between the two horns and reveal that
Norman Howard was a better trumpeter than expected. The music is reminiscent of that of
Ayler except it's not usually as violent or dissonant as some of
Ayler's work. While there are many passionate stretches, "Haunted" and particularly "Sad Miss Holiday" are quite lyrical and touching. Fans of high energy '60s free jazz blowouts will find Burn Baby Burn to be of strong interest. This release should lead to a reappraisal of
Norman Howard's skills, and some appreciation for the forgotten altoist Joe Phillips. ~ Scott Yanow