The Fire from Within

The Fire from Within is an album by the American jazz violinist Billy Bang, recorded in 1984 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.^[1]

The Fire from Within
Studio album by Billy Bang Sextet
Released	1984
Recorded	September 19 & 29, 1984
Genre	Jazz
Length	47:04
Label	Soul Note
Producer	Giovanni Bonandrini
Billy Bang chronology
Bangception (1983) The Fire from Within (1984) Live at Carlos 1 (1986)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide	[4]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz	[5]

The editors of AllMusic awarded the album 4½ stars, and reviewer Stephen Cook stated that it "nicely shows off the violinist's unique approach to post-bop jazz from swingers to ballads, trad to free... A perfect entrée for Billy Bang newcomers".^[2]

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings wrote: "The combination of trumpet, guitar and percussion makes an effective foil for Bang's grainy lines... The sheer woodiness of the sound... is beguiling, and the melodic and rhythmic language rich."^[3]

The Washington Post's Geoffrey Himes called Bang "a remarkable composer," and commented: "One can hear in the music a struggle to reach beyond the obvious for something new."^[6]

A writer for the Los Angeles Times praised the album's "appealing, lightly textured sound," and stated that it "stands as a strong blend of tradition and experimentation."^[7]

Track listing

All compositions by Billy Bang

1. "The Glow of Awareness" - 5:38
2. "The Nagual Julian" - 5:46
3. "The Shift Below" - 6:24
4. "Petty Tyrants" - 5:32
5. "The New Seers" - 10:41
6. "The Mold of Man" - 7:34
7. "Inorganic Beings" - 5:29

• Recorded at Vanguard Studios in New York City on September 19 & 29, 1984

Personnel

• Billy Bang - violin
• Ahmed Abdullah - trumpet
• Oscar Sanders - guitar
• William Parker – bass
• Thurman Barker - marimba
• John Betsch – drums, cowbells
• Charles Bobo Shaw - cowbells (track 2)

References

1. Soul Note discography accessed July 11, 2011
2. Cook, S. Allmusic Review accessed July 11, 2011
3. Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed.). London: Penguin. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-0-14-103401-0.
4. Swenson, John, ed. (1999). The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide. Random House. p. 45.
5. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2004). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz. Virgin Books. p. 53.
6. Himes, Geoffrey (January 26, 1986). "Recordings". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
7. "The Fire From Within. Billy Bang Sextet". The Los Angeles Times. December 8, 1985. Retrieved March 27, 2023.