Search - Ronald Shannon Jackson :: Earned Dreams

A decent outing, but there's much better by Decoding Society

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 09/21/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Earned Dreams", recorded in 1984 at the Caravan of Dreams, finds Ronald Shannon Jackson's decoding society, then consisting of guitarist Vernon Reid, violinist Akbar Ali, reedman Zane Massey, trumpeter Henry Scott, bassists Melvin Gibbs and Reverend Bruce Johnson, and Jackson at the drum seat, in full flight. With this expanded lineup, things are pretty busy-- in fact, that's the major complaint I'll make about this album, the music is by and large the same as it is on other records, but the added voice often gets in the way.



Mind you, this isn't to say there's not some great work on here-- in fact, the majority of the album is more than listenable, although it seems to feature a very heavy Ornette Coleman/Prime Time vibe (the stellar "American Madman"). This isn't altogether surprising given that Jackson was that group's first drummer, but I felt that he'd done better on other records to separate himself from Coleman. For all I find this album a bit sub-par relatively speaking, "Bangkok Morning" is superb-- Jackson sits out altogether, Reid plays the Asian-inspired motif on banjo under a swarm of electronic noise and upper register bass before taking a plucky solo of his that's just superb.



But overall, the record feels a bit lacking. It's not bad, but I'd start with some of Decoding Society's other work before looking here (the readily available "Montreux Jazz Festival" comes immediately to mind) if you're unfamiliar. Those dying for more can look here."