Rejoicing with the Light

Rejoicing with the Light is an album by Muhal Richard Abrams. It was released on the Italian Black Saint label in 1983 and features performances of five of Abrams' compositions by a fourteen-member orchestra.

Rejoicing with the Light
Studio album by Muhal Richard Abrams
Released	1983
Recorded	January 8–25, 1983
Genre	Jazz
Length	41:12
Label	Black Saint
Producer	Giovanni Bonandrini
Muhal Richard Abrams chronology
Blues Forever (1982) Rejoicing with the Light (1983) View from Within (1984)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz	[2]

The AllMusic review by Ron Wynn states: "He led the orchestra through pieces that were sometimes introspective and other times jubilant and swinging, but never simple or predictable. This session was a challenging, instructive, and entertaining lesson in modern big band writing, arranging and performing".^[3] The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 3 stars stating "These albums seem even more compelling now than they did when they first came out, because it is clear where the leader's ideas are going".^[2]

Track listing

All compositions by Muhal Richard Abrams

1. "The Heart Is Love and "I Am"" - 10:25
2. "Blessed Be the Heavens at 12" - 9:33
3. "Bloodline" - 7:54
4. "Rejoicing with the Light" - 8:42
5. "Spiral to Clarity" - 4:38

Personnel

• Muhal Richard Abrams: piano, conductor
• Janette Moody: soprano voice
• Warren Smith: percussion, timbales, vibraphone
• John Purcell: clarinet, bass clarinet, piccolo, alto saxophone, oboe, flute
• Jean-Paul Bourelly: guitar
• Vincent Chancey: french Horn
• Eugene Ghee: clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone
• Patience Higgins: clarinet, alto clarinet, baritone saxophone
• Marty Ehrlich: clarinet, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute
• Craig Harris: trombone
• Baikida Carroll: trumpet, flugelhorn
• Howard Johnson: tuba, baritone saxophone, contrabass clarinet
• Abdul Wadud: cello
• Rick Rozie: bass
• Andrew Cyrille: drums

References

1. AllMusic Review
2. Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2006) [1992]. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (8th ed.). London: Penguin. pp. 5. ISBN 978-0-141-02327-4.
3. Wynn, R. AllMusic Review accessed March 2, 2009.