Candid · in the Kissa Kissa racks
Straight Ahead
| Recorded | Feb 22, 1961 |
|---|---|
| Label | Candid |
| Released | 1961 |
| Personnel | 10 credited players |
| Discogs | master 319363 |
The record
A fierce front line -- Dolphy, Hawkins, Little, Priester -- backs a singer unwilling to just swing pretty, cutting Nina Simone-adjacent civil rights defiance straight into the grooves. Candid's Nat Hentoff let the date run long and unguarded, catching Lincoln at her most politically direct alongside then-husband Max Roach's percussive fire.
Session personnel
- Art Davis — bass
- Robert whitley — congas
- Roger Sanders — congas
- Max Roach — drums
- Mal Waldron — piano
- Eric Dolphy — reeds
- Coleman Hawkins — tenor saxophone
- Walter Benton — tenor saxophone
- Julian Priester — trombone
- Booker Little — trumpet
Contemporary reception
"STRAIGHT AHEAD"--Abbey Lincoln--Candid 8015 As first demonstrated in the "We Insist!" Candid album, Abbey Lincoln is an extremely forceful singer. Now that she's "learned" to communicate directly, she expresses a mature pride in her lyric descriptions of the directions of her race. (Several of the songs here feature lyrics by Miss Lincoln.) Collaboratively accompanied by such masters as Max Roach, Coleman Hawkins, Mal Waldron among others, she delves into "Blue Monk," "When Malindy Sings," "Retribution" and "African Lady." Gratifying vocal entertainment that deserves a wide hearing.
Pressings
The earliest pressing on file here is the 1961 Candid stereo, CJS 9015, with a deep groove; the mono, CJM 8015, appears in our data only as a 1961 promo. The title moved around afterwards -- a 1972 Barnaby issue, KZ 31037, a 1972 CBS pressing in the Netherlands, and Japanese reissues as SMJ-6190 in 1977. Candid returned to its own number in 1985 as CS 9015, and its 2022 180g remaster, 30151, is the clean modern copy.
Showing the first pressing, audiophile reissues and copies carrying a collector marker, out of 31 pressings on file.
| 1961 | Candid · CJS 9015 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo earliest on file · deep groove |
|---|---|
| 1961 | Candid — MONO |
| 1961 | Candid · CJM 8015 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Promo, Mono |
| 1970 | CBS/Sony · SOPC 57007 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1972 | Barnaby Records · KZ 31037 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Reissue |
| 1972 | CBS · S 64655 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Reissue |
| 1977 | Candid · SMJ-6190, (CAN-6010), (CJS-9015) — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1977 | Candid · SMJ-6190, (CAN-6010), (CJS-9015) — Vinyl, LP, Album, Promo, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1981 | Jazz Man · JAZ 5043 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, PRC Pressing |
| 1981 | Jazz Man · JAZ 5043 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Promo, Reissue, PRC Pressing |
| 1985 | Candid · GJS 9015 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1985 | Candid · CS 9015 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1985 | Candid · 9015 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1987 | Candid · 32JDC-139 — CD, Album, Reissue |
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