Stamina. With a capital Strap in for the ride of your life.
WEBO was recorded live on June 7 & 8, 1991 at the Lower East Side venue Webo where Charles Gayle (tenor saxophone), Milford Graves (drums & vocals), and William Parker (bass) tore the roof off for 2 hours. The energy level kicks off at a 10 out of 10 and blows by 11 a few seconds later, traveling well off the charts for the remainder.
From the album notes:
So vivid was the lore surrounding Webo that it topped the list of recordings sought by Black Editions Archive from Graves’ private collection. The tapes maximally substantiate eyewitness accounts describing extra-sensory levels of communication within the band, & the extraordinary clarity & impact of their performance. From William Parker’s liner notes: “Imagine a village or choir of drummers, horn players & strings. You can hear the bass & drums churning with a call & response, a melodic-rhythmic propulsion. In reality there is only one drummer, one bass, & one saxophone.”
I had the great pleasure of seeing Milford Graves perform a number of times, solo and in small ensemble settings, and they were all otherworldly experiences—physically, psychically, and spiritually. This record captures, as best as a recording can, his pure unbridled spirit energy.
Parker adds, “It is about hearing and feeling the vibrations, letting it go into the heart and soul.”
Released on Black Editions, June 21, 2024 as a 3LP set (and download), plug into WEBO and let it free your ass (and your heart and soul will follow).