Winter In America - Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson (1974) (1LP Vinyl) - Very Good Plus (VG+)
Product details
- Label Strata-East
- Artist Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson
- Format 1LP
- Country United States
- Released Date 1974
- Genre Jazz
- Sealed No
- Media Condition Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Sleeve Condition Very Good Plus (VG+)
Do you have questions about this product?
Condition: Used
Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
Condition Notes:
Very Light paper scuffs on the record and general cover wear visible.
Winter In America by Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson.
Recorded across three days in the autumn of 1973, on September 4th, 5th, and October 15th at D&B Sound in Silver Springs, Maryland, "Winter In America" captures Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson at a moment of remarkable creative partnership. Produced by Perpis-Fall Music, Inc., with production assistance and engineering from Jose Williams, this record distills the pair's blend of poetry, politics, and deep musical feeling into something that still feels startlingly alive.
The music rests on a lean, intimate ensemble. Scott-Heron and Jackson both work the electric piano, with Jackson also playing acoustic piano and both men sharing vocal duties. Danny Bowens holds down the low end on Fender bass, while Bob Adams keeps time on the traps. It is a small band by design, giving the songs room to breathe and letting every keyboard figure and vocal turn land with clarity and weight.
The program opens and closes with "Peace Go With You, Brother," first as the As-Salaam-Alaikum greeting on side A, then answered by the Wa-Alaikum-Salaam farewell that seals side B, framing the entire record as a kind of blessing. In between sit some of the duo's most enduring pieces. Side A moves through the flowing "Rivers Of My Fathers," the tender "A Very Precious Time," and "Back Home," building a mood that is reflective and unhurried.
Side B carries the record's sharpest edges alongside its warmest moments. "The Bottle" remains one of the most vital things Scott-Heron and Jackson ever committed to tape, its groove wrapped around a hard truth. "Song For Bobby Smith" and the gentle "Your Daddy Loves You" temper the mood before "H2Ogate Blues" turns a wry, cutting eye toward the politics of the day. All compositions are published by Brouhaha Music Inc. under ASCAP.
The packaging is as considered as the music. Eugene Coles supplied the cover painting, while Peggy Harris contributed the liner collage artwork. Liner photographs come from Gary Price and Tony Cerrante, and both Scott-Heron and Jackson penned liner notes of their own. Jackson's words include a small meditation that lingers long after the needle lifts: "Look at trees, they don't bother nobody. Let folks burn 'em, cut 'em, paint 'em and use 'em but they don't bother nobody. That is, till money. But like, whose fault is that?"
Management came from Dan Henderson, with booking through Charisma Productions, the professional scaffolding behind a record made largely outside the major label system. For collectors of jazz, soul, and spoken word, "Winter In America" is a cornerstone, a document of two artists building their own language and inviting you to sit close and listen.
Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Peace Go With You, Brother (As-Salaam-Alaikum)
A2. Rivers Of My Fathers
A3. A Very Precious Time
A4. Back Home
B1. The Bottle
B2. Song For Bobby Smith
B3. Your Daddy Loves You
B4. H2Ogate Blues
B5. Peace Go With You Brother (Wa-Alaikum-Salaam)
Credits:
Peggy Harris (2) - Artwork [Liner Collage]
Danny Bowens - Bass [Fender]
Charisma Productions - Booking
Bob Adams - Drums [Traps]
Brian Jackson - Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic], Vocals
Gil Scott-Heron - Electric Piano, Vocals
Jose Williams - Engineer, Producer [Production Assistance]
Brian Jackson - Liner Notes
Gil Scott-Heron - Liner Notes
Dan Henderson (2) - Management
Eugene Coles - Painting [Cover]
Gary Price - Photography By [Liner Photos]
Tony Cerrante - Photography By [Liner Photos]
Perpis-Fall Music, Inc. - Producer
Notes:
All compositions published by Brouhaha Music Inc. (ASCAP)
Recorded on September 4, 5 and October 15, 1973 at D&B Sound, Silver Springs, Maryland
Produced by Perpis-Fall Music, Inc.
"Look at trees,
they don't bother nobody.
Let folks burn 'em, cut 'em,
paint 'em and use 'em
but they don't bother nobody…
That is, till money…
But like, whose fault is that?"
B.Jackson
Artist: Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson
Format: 1LP
Genre: Jazz
Label: Strata-East
Catalog Number: SES-19742
Release Year: 1974
Country: United States
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