Soul jazz/jazz-funk: “The Mighty Burner”

Houston Person (tenor sax), Virgil Jones (trumpet), Melvin Sparks (electric guitar), Charles Earland (organ), Idris Muhammad (drums) and Buddy Caldwell (congas). From the album Black Talk! (1970) by Charles Earland.

In 1972 Earland continued recording for Prestige Records Live at the Lighthouse (1972), which contains a concert he made at the Lighthouse Cafe in Hermosa Beach (California), and in which Earland is immersed in a deep emotional state; Charles III (1973), again with a wind section and in which the well-known jazz fusion drummer Billy Cobham collaborates; Leaving This Planet (1974) with acclaimed Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet; and Kharma (1974) recording a performance he gave at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland) in 1974, in which Ron Carter, former Miles Davis Second Great Quintet double bassist, participates.

In 1976 Earland switched to the Mercury label and released Odissey (1976), featuring excellent guitarist John Abercrombie, trumpeter Randy Brecker and Carter once more; The Great Pyramid (1976), which is a continuation of the previous album and in which Earland plays Fender Rhodes, Minimoog and ARP string synthesizer; Revelation (1977), in which Brecker takes part again and his brother Michael on tenor saxophone is also invited; and Perceptions (1978), in which he joins forces with singer, keyboardist and composer Randy Muller, leader of the rhythm and blues and disco funk Brass Construction. He also launched for the Muse label Smokin’ (1977) with his usual blues, funk and soul jazz music; Mama Roots (1979), in which he plays again with saxophonist George Coleman after thirteen years; Infant Eyes (1979), Pleasant Afternoon (1981) and In the Pocket (1982).

In 1979 he started working with Columbia Records and published Coming to Your Life (1979), Earland’s Jam (1982) and Earland’s Street Themes (1983). His wife’s decease from cancer in 1985 affected him greatly, but in 1988 he returned to musical activity and issued Front Burner (1988) and Third Degree Burn (1989) for the Milestones label. Later he came back with Muse Records and edited the albums Whip Appeal (1990), Unforgettable (1991), I Ain’t Jivin’... I’m Jammin’ (1992) and Ready ‘N’ Able (1995), the last three with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. In 1994 he participated in the Berlin Jazz Festival while continuing touring and recording until his death in 1999 from heart failure at 58 years of age.