Cut during a ten-year run on the Italian Soul Note label,
Billy Bang's
The Fire From Within nicely shows off the violinist's unique approach to post-bop jazz from swingers to ballads, trad to free.
Bang also demonstrates his very original Latin touch, highlighting cuts like "Nagual Julian" and "The New Seers" with shades of bolero moodiness and mambo syncopation. Throughout the set -- all
Bang originals -- a dusky hue predominates, whether on the up-tempo opener, "The Glow of Awareness," or a beautifully spacious ballad like "The Shift Below." Chalk part of this up to the psychedelic adventures of Carlos Castaneda, whose peyote-submerged accounts of the Yaqui Indians' herbal alchemy inspired
Bang. Beyond the transcendent music,
Bang pays homage by naming each song after one of the author's chapter titles. Adding to the heady atmosphere, trumpeter
Ahmed Abdullah, marimba player
Thurman Barker, and bassist
William Parker ply their talents on several standout solos. A perfect entrée for
Billy Bang newcomers. ~ Stephen Cook